Have you bought a new camera in the last few years, only to discover the all-important charger is missing from the kit? Instead, there’s just a USB-C (PD) cable for in-camera charging. Camera manufacturers might argue that the kit is already complete with a charging cable, and they're avoiding unnecessary waste given many people don't need a dedicated charger – those that really must have a traditional charger, can buy one separately.
Yes, I have to concede that this is in part true, but at the same time, I still maintain that not including a traditional charger doesn’t constitute a full camera kit. Not to mention, with camera prices rocketing, I can’t help but feel somewhat short-changed when I have to buy a charger separately.
So, you’re probably wondering why this bothers me so much. The simple answer, alongside the cost element, is that if you have two or more batteries, as many photographers do, you can’t charge one of those batteries via USB-C while using your camera with the other one inside. You need a dedicated charger for that.
Thankfully, I recently came across a compelling third-party alternative that I just had to try out – the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB charger.
A high-speed alternative
I mainly shoot with a full-frame Sony A-series camera and a charger was fortunately included, but not with my other two cameras.
If I needed to buy a Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger for Sony's common NP-FZ100 batteries, it would set me back $98 / £79 / AU$130; I was looking for a dual charging alternative. Some manufacturers, however, charge much more than this for proprietary chargers.
All this got me thinking that there must be a much better and more cost-effective option available, which led me to the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB Charger for Sony NP-FZ100 batteries.
There are currently Llano chargers compatible with various Canon and Sony batteries, and they’re much less expensive than their proprietary counterparts. Plus, Llano claims its product can charge batteries much faster.
You can purchase the Dual USB Charger individually, but I opted for the kit that included two Llano 2400mAh NP-FZ100 batteries for $120 / £139 (discounts are available on Amazon). The charger alone costs $54 / £59 if you don’t require additional batteries. If you're in Australia, sadly Llano chargers aren't available at the time of writing.
The charger looks like a large black AirPod case and you simply plug the PD cable into a compatible charger and away you go. The charger also acts as a battery case for storing batteries on the go, has a screen to tell you the current battery charge, an SD card slot for storage and can also be powered by a USB power bank. That’s much more functionality than a proprietary charger.
Taking things a step further, Llano has also recently released the pricier Llano 2-in-1 NP-FZ100 Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger, which is like a giant charging AirPod case. Batteries are charged just like AirPods in their case. This has a built-in 12400mAh battery so you can charge batteries anywhere and costs $76 / £100. This is incredibly useful for location photographers and videographers who don’t have access to a power source.
Can third-party outperform proprietary?
It’s claimed that the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB Charger is 50% faster than standard chargers, while the llano 2-in-1 NP-FZ100 Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger is 58% faster. That’s a bold claim that I couldn’t resist putting to the test. And although my testing was far from scientific, it was made as fair as possible with two of the chargers going head-to-head.
I ran two Sony NP-FZ100 batteries down to 17% before charging them back to 100% in the lano Dual USB Charger and my Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger. For the Llano, I used my 100W PD/USB charger to provide more than enough power to meet the output. Only one battery was charged in the Llano charger, rather than two, to maintain a like-for-like charging situation.
Results in, and it turned out that the Sony charger was faster taking one hour 25 minutes to reach a full charge; the lLano came in at two hours. This was tested twice, first with batteries run down to 50% and then to 17% because some chargers adjust charging speed as a battery nears full charge, and the results were consistent across both tests.
For the Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger, I charged two new and unused Llano NP-FZ100 compatible batteries to 100% and then used them until both were at 50% before charging them back to 100% again. This charger took both batteries up to a full charge in one hour and 30 minutes. So, the Llano chargers aren't as fast as advertised, but I've still been impressed with what they have to offer overall.
I'm still impressed
If you buy a new camera that doesn’t come with a traditional charger and need one, there are plenty of third-party options out there. The Llano chargers are unique, offering good value for money, but it’s impossible to say whether they will last as long as my Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger and handle the knocks it’s received. Only time will tell, but they certainly look and feel well-made.
The Llano chargers are much bulkier than my Sony BC-QZ1, but the 18W Fast Dual USB Charger is only 1.58oz / 45g heavier. The Portable Dual Fast Battery Charger is more than twice the size and weighs 11oz / 312g more. On the flip side, it does provide the ability to charge batteries anywhere, even if it’s a shame it’s not more compact. It would, however, easily fit into most medium-sized camera bags, taking up one lens compartment or a side pocket.
To be honest, I'm not surprised that the Llano chargers aren't as fast as the Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger. Perhaps they're twice as fast as other third-party chargers. But the fact they're less expensive than proprietary options and offer more features including dual charging, battery level check and battery storage, make third-party chargers a no-brainer if a charger isn’t included in your camera kit.
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