Nitecore's latest battery doesn't require a dedicated charger

When it comes to getting excited about photographic gear, batteries seldom make the Top 10 list. While there is no shortage of batteries made by third parties, Nitecore, a third-party battery manufacturer in China, has introduced something entirely novel in their latest battery, the Nitecore UFZ100. What sets this battery apart from other third-party offerings is the fact that using these batteries entirely eliminates the need to carry separate battery chargers. Now, if you’re a studio photographer who only ever goes out to buy a double-shot soy latte, then your reaction is likely to be, “Meh”, but if you’re on the go frequently, and travelling overseas then the saving on space is likely to be a huge hit.

The battery, available only for Sony at this stage, has a built-in USB-C port for charging which means a standard USB-C cable is all you need, so you can leave the bulky chargers at home when hitting the road.

LED reserve charge indicators are incorporated into the battery and rely on a three-colour system. A red light indicates charge is below 10%, the blue light indicates a change greater than 10% but less than 50%, while a green light tells you your battery has more than 50% charge remaining. It would certainly be useful to know whether the battery is almost fully charged as well, but nonetheless this charge information is certainly considerably more useful than batteries that reveal nothing about their reserve power.   

The 7.2v rechargeable li-ion battery has a capacity of 2250mAh, about 30mAh less than Sony’s official battery, and 16.2Wh of energy. Nitecore claims that a full charge will allow for up to 500 image captures, and the battery features overcharge, overcurrent, and short circuit protection.

The Nitecore UFZ100 will be available in early May is compatible with a range of Sony cameras including α7 III, α7R III, α7R Ⅳ, α7S III, α9 (ILCE-9), α9 II, α6600, α7C, α1, FX3, α7 Ⅳ.