Solar Chargers for Camera/Battery Recharging ?

[Whiskeyman]

Has anyone found a portable solar panel that is capable of recharging a camera battery? I'm most interested in charging a Z9 battery using the USB in-camera charging capability, but there is probably an interest in other systems and the possibility of using any camrea battery charging cradle using a solar panel.

 

[fcotterill]

In bush camps etc, I use a Jackery 500 system with a dedicated solar panel. This is overkill for just camera batteries but it's very useful to have for many other devices.... Laptop, SSD backups, non-USBC / PD devices including battery chargers for D6,D850 etc. The versatility of the Jackery PSU with its heavy-duty battery is a built in AC inverter besides DC and USB ports. Charges from AC, carplug 12v as well as solar.

They also sell a smaller battery model. I also have the 1000Watt Jackery which is higher spec. Excellent products IME and the system is ideal for outdoor living, camping etc or in this country coping with rolling powercuts.

The Jackery 100W solar panel supplied works fine under a clear sky. But a single panel struggles along at 12-25Watts only output on cloudy days. The battery PSU should charge much quicker if paired with an extra panel; but I still need to sort out the cable connections. (The 1000 unit connects to 2 panels as it uses a dual Anderson as well as DC input (from the supplied AC charger).)

A most useful feature is this Jackery solar panel has a pair of USB A and C outputs, so you can use it solo eg to charge a Z9 battery directly in its MH33 platter - Correction it does not appear to be PD, and it's rated at 15W (5v, 3A) output. See followup post below

 

[John Navitsky]

A most useful feature is this Jackery solar panel has a pair of USB A and C outputs, so you can use it solo eg to charge a Z9 battery directly in its MH33 platter.

iirc, the key here is the panel not only needs to have a usb port, but that port needs to support PD. ditto to power the mh33 i think

 

[fcotterill]

Correct John. I rechecked and there's nowhere in the Jackery spec sheet stating the USB C port on the panel is PD. The output is only 5v, 3A ie 15W. However Nikon has capped the power output of the EV7P AC charger at only 15W - it's also 5v, 3A. My take is to be cautious and trickle charge at 15W, however. I'm also using the Nikon supplied USB cables [UC-E24 and UC-E25]

I also recalled this useful DPR thread using PD devices to charge Z9 batteries and OEM charger specs etc, and this article on USB specs and more

DPReview TV: USB power explained - what you need to know

There's an old adage about standards: the great thing about them is there are so many to choose from. That pretty accurately describes the state of USB power in 2021. In this video, Chris explains everything you need to know about USB power and how to use it.

www.dpreview.com

Previously, i've only charged Nikon batteries directly off the inverter (AC) or using a "pocket" 20Ah PD RAVpower battery off the Jackery 500. I just tested charging a ENEL18d directly off the solar panel this morning, as it's a clear hot day here in the Cape.... And then I remembered my solution some months back was to charge off this little PD pack the latter plugged into the solar panel (so it's trickle charging). This test has taken ~3 hrs to charge the ENEL18d. My suggestion is look for an outdoor panel with USB PD output, and fairly high output 120W better 200W, especially if under cloudy skies. There's this 120W panel that's compatible with many outdoor-use PSU's and has the different plugs

 

[RichF]

Tag to follow

 

[Ductape]

Back in 2018 I built a fairly decadent 500AH 12V house battery and related charging system that maintains its charge primarily by solar, but also has a Battery to battery, and shore power capabilities. Along with regular traveling/camping vehicle stuff, it easily charges Laptops, phones, E-bikes, and all my camera batteries. I think there are a few more options available now.

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[PhD69]

Back in 2018 I built a fairly decadent 500AH 12V house battery and related charging system that maintains its charge primarily by solar, but also has a Battery to battery, and shore power capabilities. Along with regular traveling/camping vehicle stuff, it easily charges Laptops, phones, E-bikes, and all my camera batteries. I think there are a few more options available now.

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Really impressive. WOW

 

[bleirer]

Tag to follow

Me too, until I noticed the "watch" button top right.

 

[lwan]

By portable do you mean one you can carry while hiking or some sort of transportable appliance to have in a car or van, because the answers would vary a lot
I'll take the bet you mean a carry-on type of solar charging, and that's a tough one imho. Small, foldable panels output and efficiency are usually quite disappointing unless they're not that small. As pointed out already on cloudy days the output is more disappointing than i initially thought, and if the cloud layer is really dense it's not even worth using unless you need those 2% battery on your phone to call for help
For me these types of hiking panels are only good to slow the discharge of a really good power bank, and when charging a device via usb it's always a good idea not to plug the device directly to the panel, but to take advantage of the clean power output from a battery.
Now if it's the other kind (transportable by car), from ready to use or DIY systems, there is no problem at all for charging anything beyond the car itself!

 

[Whiskeyman]

By portable do you mean one you can carry while hiking or some sort of transportable appliance to have in a car or van, because the answers would vary a lot
I'll take the bet you mean a carry-on type of solar charging, and that's a tough one imho. Small, foldable panels output and efficiency are usually quite disappointing unless they're not that small. As pointed out already on cloudy days the output is more disappointing than i initially thought, and if the cloud layer is really dense it's not even worth using unless you need those 2% battery on your phone to call for help
For me these types of hiking panels are only good to slow the discharge of a really good power bank, and when charging a device via usb it's always a good idea not to plug the device directly to the panel, but to take advantage of the clean power output from a battery.
Now if it's the other kind (transportable by car), from ready to use or DIY systems, there is no problem at all for charging anything beyond the car itself!

I am looking for one that is easily transportable by car and also easy to set up and operate. While I would love to need one for extended hiking trips, my body is too beat up and out of shape to hike far enough to need such a device.

 

[John Navitsky]

I am looking for one that is easily transportable by car and also easy to set up and operate. While I would love to need one for extended hiking trips, my body is too beat up and out of shape to hike far enough to need such a device.

the 100w jackery that @fcotterill might be an option then. that said, you might just consider a power bank like the goal zero 100pd that you can charge with the car and use to charge the camera or battery

 

[lwan]

I am looking for one that is easily transportable by car and also easy to set up and operate. While I would love to need one for extended hiking trips, my body is too beat up and out of shape to hike far enough to need such a device.

Then my experience with that will be limited to DIY setups, so maybe it's easier for you to look for ready-to-use options that others have advised.

 

[Ductape]

There is a young kid on you tube named Will Prowse. Browse his content for awesome battery/solar information. His videos on the topic are as good as Steve's videos are on wildlife photography and I don't make that comparison lightly.

 

[Calson]

I have never had any problems with charging off my vehicle's 12v (cigarette lighter in the past) port that provides 10 amps. My new truck has a built-in 2K power module but it is overkill and I rely on Anker power banks which are not only relatively cheap but do double duty to power my sound recorders in the field. The Tether Tools strapmoore makes it easy to attach them to tripod legs.

For my Z9 cameras I have two extra batteries which is more than enough for two days of shooting of stills.