Sony ZV-E1 Battery & Charger Guide

Welcome to my Sony ZV-E1 battery and battery charging guide where you will learn all you need to know about batteries and charging options for the ZV-E1.

What’s in the Box?

When purchased from new the Sony ZV-E1 includes one Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh) in the box but unfortunately no external charger.

Surprisingly Sony has also not included a USB charger or a USB-C cable in the box. So you will only be able to charge the battery in-camera if you happen to have one of these already for another device.

Batteries

The compatible battery for the ZV-E1 is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh).

There are many third-party NP-FZ100 batteries on the market, but a lot of these do not work correctly in the ZV-E1 and the camera may display a warning. And if they do work correctly a future ZV-E1 Firmware Update might cause the camera to start throwing up warnings.

I would personally recommend sticking with the official Sony batteries, since this is not a cheap camera and it’s really not worthing the risk of turning it into toast just to save a few dollars.

I will cover third-party battery options, but I don’t recommend that you purchase them as they may end up costing you much more in the long run.

Sony NP-FZ100

The official battery for the Sony ZV-E1 is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh).

Watson NP-FZ100

One of the more reliable third-party battery options is the Watson NP-FZ100. However, these batteries might still display warnings.

Battery Chargers

Just like with the Sony a7 IV, the ZV-E1 does not include an external charger in the box. So here are your options if you wish to charge the battery externally.

Sony BC-QZ1

The official battery charger for the NP-FZ100 battery is the Sony BC-QZ1. This charger will allow you to charge an official NP-FZ100 battery in around two hours.

Sony BC-ZD1 Dual Battery Charger

The BC-ZD1 is a high-speed charger for Sony’s NP-FZ100 batteries. It can simultaneously charge two batteries in approximately 155 minutes when connected to a USB Power Delivery (PD) compatible power supply with 30W or higher output and a USB cable with USB PD support (3A) or higher current.

• Charges two NP-FZ100 batteries simultaneously in approximately 155 minutes when connected to a USB PD compatible power supply
• Equipped with an indicator lamp that shows the battery charging status in 5 stages
• Width approx. 84.5 mm x Height approx. 29.2 mm x Depth approx. 70.0 mm, weight approx. 149g
• With heat dissipation measures plus built-in heat monitoring and control

Sony NPA-MQZ1K

The Sony NPA-MQZ1K multi battery kit can charge 4x NP-FZ100 batteries in approximately 480 minutes. It also allows you to power two USB devices as well as the ZV-E1 at the same time. The NPA-MQZ1K includes two NP-FZ100 batteries in the box, a cable protector and a mounting plate. 

Watson Mini Duo Charger

If you are after a low cost dual USB charger then the Watson mini duo charger is one of the better options. It’s a USB charger so isn’t the fastest, but will still charge two NP-FZ100 batteries in around 5 hours. With built-in overcharge, short-circuit, and power surge protections, your batteries should be pretty safe.

This charger is designed for Watson NP-FZ100 batteries, so you will be taking a risk if you charge original Sony NP-FZ100 batteries with it.

USB Charging

The Sony ZV-E1 has a USB-C port that can be used to charge the battery in-camera.

You can leave the NP-FZ100 battery in the Sony ZV-E1 and charge the camera via its USB-C port. This will take approximately 2h 55 minutes to fully charge from flat.

Unfortunately as already mentioned Sony does not provide a USB charger or USB-C cable in the box of the ZV-E1, but I expect many people will already have at least one of these chargers and cables at home already.

USB-C Cables

If you don’t already have a USB-C cable then here are a couple of options.

Anker PowerLine II USB-C 3.1 Gen2

Use this cable with a USB-C charger. It has a USB-C connector on each end and supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 which will also enable you to transfer files at the maximum speed that the ZV-E1 is capable of.

Anker USB-A to USB-C Cable

Use this cable with a USB-A charger. It has a USB-A connector on one end and a USB-C connector on the other end for the ZV-E1. It supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 which will enable you to transfer files at the maximum speed that the ZV-E1 is capable of.

Power Banks

You can also use a Power Delivery (PD) certified power bank to charge the battery when the ZV-E1 is powered off. Sony recommends using a USB-PD device that is compatible with an output of 9V/3A or 9V/2A.

ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim PD

The ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim PD is just one of many power banks that you could use to charge the ZV-E1. I use this to charge my own cameras.

Sony DC-C1 DC Coupler

The DC-C1 DC coupler allows for a stable power supply during long shoots or streaming by providing continuous, reliable power to cameras compatible with NP-FZ100 or NP-FW50 rechargeable battery packs using an external power source such as a USB PD (65 W or more) compatible AC adapter and USB cable with USB PD support (5 A).

• Supplies power directly from an external power source such as a USB PD compatible AC adapter (65 W or more) to a camera body that supports NP-FZ100 or NP-FW50 batteries
• To prevent accidental cable disconnection, the DC-C1 is equipped with the locking screw hole, or an anchor loop can be used to secure the cable to the USB port ​
• 1.6m cable connects plug-in plate to the power supply assembly for flexible setup during shooting
• Equipped with Power Indicator Lamp that shows the power supply status
• Width approx. 52.0 mm x Height approx. 70.6 mm x Depth approx. 32.0 mm

Battery Life

The battery life of the ZV-E1 can vary greatly depending on your shooting settings and the environment that you are shooting in. On cold days the battery will drain much faster.

The below estimates for battery life and number of recordable images apply when the battery pack has been fully charged.

The battery life and number of recordable images are estimates based on shooting with the default settings under the following conditions:

• Using the battery pack at an ambient temperature of 25°C (77°F).
• Using a Sony SDXC memory card (U3) (sold separately)
• Using a FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens

Battery Life Shooting Stills

Sony says that you can shoot approx. 570 still images (CIPA standard).

(CIPA: Camera & Imaging Products Association)

• One picture is taken every 30 seconds.
• The power is turned on and off once every ten times.
• The zoom is switched alternately between the W and T ends.

Battery Life Recording Video

Actual shooting of movies	Approx. 95 min.
Continuous shooting of movies	Approx. 140 min.

Sony ZV-E1 Resources

FAQs