Nikon Z8 USB-C Power Stopped Charging

Pearlygates said:

Thank you all for the replies to my post.

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used. This is also called out on page 80 of the Nikon Z8 Reference Guide under "Tip: Computer USB Power Delivery and Battery Charging".

Once I switched the USB to be Type-C on both ends and with a -C battery installed, the charging light (on port side of the camera) was on full.

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Pearlygates said:

Nikon relayed that the battery will only be charged when the camera is off. When the camera is on, it will pull power from the device connected to the USB-C port.

As far as the batteries, page 79 of the Reference Guide calls out -B and -C batteries will be compatible with the USB charging while installed in the camera. The -A batteries can only be charged with external charger; which is what I expected. What I didn't expect is that a full -A battery won't be recognized by the Z8. They seem to think this may be a bug with the firmware.

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Pearlygates said:

The net of this is that I'll only be using -C batteries and only USB cables with Type-C on both ends.

I appreciate the responses.

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madecov said:

AWG_Pics said:

This is simple:

EN-EL15c will power your camera and can be charged in-camera via USB-C

EN-EL15b may power your camera and will NOT charge in-camera via USB-C

EN-EL 15 will NOT power your camera and will NOT charge in-camera via USB-C

I discovered this when I bought my Zf camera and discovered some of my older camera batteries would not work at all or only if charged externally. This is the peril of having many older Nikon cameras that seem to take the same size battery. I have them sorted now.

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My 15B batteries charge perfectly fine in both my Z8 and Zf

The 15A doesn't charge but will power the camera. Some of the older 15's i had would power the Z8, but not the Zf

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shuncheung said:

AWG_Pics said:

This is simple:

EN-EL15c will power your camera and can be charged in-camera via USB-C

EN-EL15b may power your camera and will NOT charge in-camera via USB-C

EN-EL 15 will NOT power your camera and will NOT charge in-camera via USB-C

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Sorry, this is not accurate information. And you need to specify which camera body you are referring to. I don't have a Zf, but I just tested it with my Z6iii, which is a later camera body than the Zf.

There are actually five different types of EN-EL15:

1. EN-EL15, Li-ion 01 type, introduced in 2010 with the D7000 and transitioned to Li-ion 20 in 2013
2. EN-EL15, Li-ion 20, Nikon quietly transitioned to this some time in 2013
3. EN-EL15a, introduced in 2017 along with the D850
4. EN-EL15b, introduced in 2018 with the Z6 and Z7.
5. EN-EL15c, introduced in 2020. It has higher capacity than the EN-EL15b.

Number 2 to 5 are all Li-ion 20 type.

I just verified that I can charge a EN-EL15b inside my Z6iii. And a Li-ion 20 type EN-EL15 can power my Z6iii, but it does not recharge inside a camera body.

shuncheung said:

I discovered this when I bought my Zf camera and discovered some of my older camera batteries would not work at all or only if charged externally. This is the peril of having many older Nikon cameras that seem to take the same size battery. I have them sorted now.

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The tricky part is that there are two different types of EN-EL15, Li-ion 01 and Li-ion 20. You need a Li-ion 20 battery to work with the Z8 and the subsequent bodies that use the EN-EL15 family batteries; i.e. the Z8, Zf, Z6iii, and Z5ii.

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shuncheung said:

The tricky part is that there are two different types of EN-EL15, Li-ion 01 and Li-ion 20. You need a Li-ion 20 battery to work with the Z8 and the subsequent bodies that use the EN-EL15 family batteries; i.e. the Z8, Zf, Z6iii, and Z5ii.

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Ken Seals said:

shuncheung said:

The tricky part is that there are two different types of EN-EL15, Li-ion 01 and Li-ion 20. You need a Li-ion 20 battery to work with the Z8 and the subsequent bodies that use the EN-EL15 family batteries; i.e. the Z8, Zf, Z6iii, and Z5ii.

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If I recall correctly, Nikon recalled the 01 batteries and replaced them with the 20 batteries. I had two batteries that were replaced that way.

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Pearlygates said:

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used.

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Outbacker said:

Pearlygates said:

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used.

Click to expand...

Well they got that wrong - my Z6II charges fine using USB A-C cable with my Anker charger.

Maybe the Z8 is different - but I doubt it.

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f16falcona46 said:

Outbacker said:

Pearlygates said:

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used.

Click to expand...

Well they got that wrong - my Z6II charges fine using USB A-C cable with my Anker charger.

Maybe the Z8 is different - but I doubt it.

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Starting with the Z9 generation, the cameras got more strict.

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Pearlygates said:

This image shows the three batteries that aren't being charged while in the Z8 and the two that will charge in the camera.

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Pearlygates said:

This image shows the three batteries that aren't being charged while in the Z8 and the two that will charge in the camera.

Click to expand...

Pearlygates said:

Thank you all for the replies to my post.

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used. This is also called out on page 80 of the Nikon Z8 Reference Guide under "Tip: Computer USB Power Delivery and Battery Charging".

Once I switched the USB to be Type-C on both ends and with a -C battery installed, the charging light (on port side of the camera) was on full.

Nikon relayed that the battery will only be charged when the camera is off. When the camera is on, it will pull power from the device connected to the USB-C port.

As far as the batteries, page 79 of the Reference Guide calls out -B and -C batteries will be compatible with the USB charging while installed in the camera. The -A batteries can only be charged with external charger; which is what I expected. What I didn't expect is that a full -A battery won't be recognized by the Z8. They seem to think this may be a bug with the firmware.

The net of this is that I'll only be using -C batteries and only USB cables with Type-C on both ends.

I appreciate the responses.

Click to expand...

Pierre Lagarde said:

To add an information that could simplify your choices for an adapter/charger, every single genuine Apple USB-C adapters I used has been working with all Z cameras I had for charging genuine EN-EL15B and EN-EL15C batteries since the beginning. Even the double headed 35W one (which is quite practical). I currently use the minimal 30W version that is provided with macBookAir and also never had problems.

https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/product/MW2G3ZM/A/adaptateur-secteur-usb-c-30-w

https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/product/MW2K3ZM/A/adaptateur-secteur-double-port-usb-c-35-w

The second double headed may not work directly on certain third party chargers though it works on any camera with USB-C PD input I've tested (even from Canon).

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shuncheung said:

Pierre Lagarde said:

To add an information that could simplify your choices for an adapter/charger, every single genuine Apple USB-C adapters I used has been working with all Z cameras I had for charging genuine EN-EL15B and EN-EL15C batteries since the beginning. Even the double headed 35W one (which is quite practical). I currently use the minimal 30W version that is provided with macBookAir and also never had problems.

https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/product/MW2G3ZM/A/adaptateur-secteur-usb-c-30-w

https://www.apple.com/fr/shop/product/MW2K3ZM/A/adaptateur-secteur-double-port-usb-c-35-w

The second double headed may not work directly on certain third party chargers though it works on any camera with USB-C PD input I've tested (even from Canon).

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I have pointed out recently that I used to have a work MacBook from 2017, and while its power supply has a USB-C output, I could not use that to charge my Z9 batteries with the MH-33 charger. Nothing happen when I plugged that in. I have since returned that MacBook to the company.

However, the power supplies from my 2020 and 2022 MacBook Pros work fine with the MH-33. Apple must have added the PD protocol into their power supplies in the mean time.

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Outbacker said:

Pearlygates said:

I talked with Nikon and the issue with the USB cable is both ends have to be Type-C and a cable with mixed types (Type A/Type C) cannot be used.

Click to expand...

Well they got that wrong - my Z6II charges fine using USB A-C cable with my Anker charger.

Click to expand...

shuncheung said:

However, the power supplies from my 2020 and 2022 MacBook Pros work fine with the MH-33. Apple must have added the PD protocol into their power supplies in the mean time.

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Ken Seals said:

shuncheung said:

However, the power supplies from my 2020 and 2022 MacBook Pros work fine with the MH-33. Apple must have added the PD protocol into their power supplies in the mean time.

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Similar experience here. On the road in the hotel room, I have my 2021 MBP M1 Max set up on the desk with the mag-safe charging cable attached. I can charge the Z 9/8 from one of the USB-C connectors on the computer with a Thunderbolt/PD cable. No need to set up additional power cube.

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Ken Seals said:

I have a large selection of USB-C to USB-C and USB-A to USB-C cables so I put them all on my workbench and tested which cables would charge those cameras directly. The one that did got clearly marked with a PD.

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shuncheung said:

sirhawkeye64 said:

Pearlygates said:

Hello Forum,

Has anyone had issues with the Nikon Z8 (firmware 3) USB-C power port not charging the battery (EN-EL15C)? I purchased this camera (new) nine months ago and it stopped working about a month ago.

Additionally when I charge a battery with an external charger and insert it into the camera, the display shows "shutter release disabled, Recharge battery". The battery is charged as it was installed in a D7000 and it showed full. Only one battery out of five doesn't exhibit this behavior.

Some things I've tried:

- tried short and long cables (3 different lengths and types)

- tried multiple -C batteries

- tried multiple power sources (external batteries, USB cable to AC brick)

- tried firmware reset (x2)

- USB power delivery menu is ON

- Camera is in airplane mode

Just reaching out to see if anyone has other suggestions before I contact Nikon support.

Thank you

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Something probably happened on the mainboard that requires Nikon to look at it. This is kind of one reason I don't charge in-camera on any of my cameras....

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If something happened to the motherboard electronics and that has failed, the Z8 should not work with any battery. Perhaps I don't quite get what the OP said, by it sounds like that Z8 is still working with one particular battery. If that is indeed the case, it is likely that there is something wrong with the other batteries. They could be counterfeits, or some of them are EN-EL15 Li-ion 01 type from before 2013. Those old batteries can work will all Nikon bodies that use the EN-EL15 before the Z8, which was introduced in May 2023. From the Z8 and on, they can only work with Li-ion 20 type batteries, which includes the EN-EL15 from after 2013 and all A, B, and C variants.

The easiest way is to find another Z8, Z6iii or Z5ii to check those batteries with, and perhaps check that Z8 with other known good batteries. In case the OP's Z8 no longer switches on with any battery, I am afraid that sending to Nikon is the only solution.

I have been charging batteries inside the Z9, Z8, Z6ii and Z6iii for several years. On my MacBook and iPhone, iPad, charging the batteries inside the device is the only way to charge them. I have never run into any issues.

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