If I remember correctly the Z7 battery grip the USB-C port would charge the battery if the camera was off, or operate the camera if turned on. Not both at the same time. Not sure if that is the case now. My main worry when using an aux power supply is people, or myself catching the cable and pulling everything over. So now I use an aux b
attery, and Tether Tools StrapMoore to hold the battery to the tripod.
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Hi everybody.
For anyone interested, I have been tethering using 30 dollar Amazon 30000 MaH battery packs instead of the 145 dollar each tether tools 25,600 MaH battery for over two years and the only difference is I bought 5 of the Amazon batteries for like 3 dollars more in total than I did for one Tether Tool labeled battery that likely came off the same assembly line in some third world factory. I've had no problems and use them for tethering several days a week every week year round. Right now there is a 40000 MaH available for S29.99 on Amazon. The ones in my picture are up to $39 now. You'll also see knock off Z9 batteries and charger next to the Nikon versions in the picture. They all work great and I use the dual knock off charger more than the Nikon just because it does two batteries at once.
On a battery side note, when you charge batteries the current flow will produce heat. The more current applied the faster the recharge, like in all charging systems, and the greater heat produced. If you want half the heat reduce the current by one half and wait twice as long. Energy is never free so don't forget to take efficiency factors into consideration. Problem solved. Resistive loads produce heat proportional to the work they are performing. Turn on a toaster oven and take a peek inside and you will notice the elements glowing. It's the same concept. Freaking out about physics working properly is needless worry.
If you want to feel a hot camera battery tether a camera in direct sun with no umbrella on a hot summer day. Wait an hour and try handling the camera. You'll burn your hand just touching the camera and lens. The camera will keep working except in extreme heat with little air flow. The camera knows when to turn itself off if it gets too hot. When a Nikon turns off on hot days it is because the battery becomes too hot as opposed to the camera component overheating. I reduced the problem by removing the battery compartment covers when tethering and using white fabric over the camera to keep the sun off the black bodies. The fabric is also a great feature for keeping the birds that sit on the camera and lens from annointing it every time they take off (as anyone who has watched Steve's lesson about how to tell when a bird is about to take off will be able to tell you happens). A dummy battery plugged into one the battery packs solved overheated battery compartments as a concern completely. I have never had a Nikon body overheat using a dummy battery as opposed to the internal EN battery.
I also use the tether tools case relay shown in this video. I got one for about 40 bucks used because it rattled. It's simply a set of wires, relay and a tiny internal battery to provide time to change external power sources without losing power to the camera.
I've never figured out why a real need for the splitter device he holds during the video. I do all the same stuff he does without one but the case relay is excellent for hot swapping power to a camera without shutting down whatever you are doing.
Another feature of the external battery packs is that you never really have to change then if you have a USB power source close. You just plug power into the external battery and the power used by the camera is replaced in real time so the battery always remains charged. I also power monitors and LEDs with the battery packs just by connecting them to the battery pack with their own wire. Or, in bizarro world, one could even daisy chain gangs of external batteries and have power to run for days, or maybe years, but I having a feeling anyone doing that would just be showing off.
Heat's normal and to be expected in electrical circuits. Space heaters and toasters wouldn't work if it wasn't.
Chill pills are in order for anyone worrying about this stuff. Relax and enjoy life and worry about what's in front of the lens and who's looking through the eye piece instead of if a new toy is going to suddenly fry because it has a different internal battery charging circuit than the last one. Avoid the wide spread panic of internet photography chat chaos before it's too late
No need to worry...the rest of us will all be on here whining loudly if our Z9's suddenly begin self combusting in our hands someday or burn our houses down while charging on the dining room table overnight.
