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Charging in camera vs using charger

Started 6 days ago | Questions
Matt_Kolf
Matt_Kolf Junior Member • Posts: 25
Charging in camera vs using charger

Quick question:

Does anyone know if charging the battery in camera could be worse than using the original charger?

Could battery charge last less or the camera be damaged if I always charge via the USB cable, for example?

(I have an R6 and LP-E6nh batteries).

Thanks!

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ANSWER:
Canon EOS R6
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Steve Balcombe Forum Pro • Posts: 15,571
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger

Matt_Kolf wrote:

Quick question:

Does anyone know if charging the battery in camera could be worse than using the original charger?

Could battery charge last less or the camera be damaged if I always charge via the USB cable, for example?

(I have an R6 and LP-E6nh batteries).

There shouldn't be any significant difference, especially if you only use the genuine Canon charger. It has been suggested that some aftermarket chargers can charge too fast, which is bad for battery life. I don't know if there is any truth to this.

Alastair Norcross
Alastair Norcross Veteran Member • Posts: 9,874
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger
4

I‘ve been using in-camera charging almost exclusively since I got my M6II in 2019, and continue to do it with that camera and my R, R7, and R6II (R now sold). I haven’t noticed any problems.

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drsnoopy Senior Member • Posts: 1,216
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger
1

It has often been stated that the USB-C port is somewhat fragile, being directly soldered to the main board in at least some of the R series bodies. But a lot of people do regularly use it for charging and downloading. Personally I find no need to charge in-camera, as I always carry spare batteries which can be swapped in a moment, and then charge the used ones with the OEM charger when I’m home. Also I prefer a card reader for downloading. But I can see that if you want to keep weight to a minimum for travelling etc, in-camera charging may be attractive especially if you already carry a USB-C PD charger.  I would still want at least one spare charged battery though!

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Matt_Kolf
OP Matt_Kolf Junior Member • Posts: 25
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger

Great. Thanks for your reply, Steve!

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koenkooi Contributing Member • Posts: 919
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger

The camera will use a relatively slow charging speed to keep the heat down. I’ve been charging batteries solely in the camera for my R5 and M6II since their release and everything is still working well.

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CameraCarl Veteran Member • Posts: 9,193
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger

The one real risk that I see is that the PC board to which the USB port is attached is very expensive to replace. So if something should jerk on your cable when it is connected to the camera, it could damage the camera leading to many big repair dollars. I know carrying a charger can be an inconvenience but I find it easy to do.  I can charge batteries while using my camera. And that is one more cable I don't need to remember to carry along.

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amas2
amas2 Forum Member • Posts: 96
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger
1

It´s not another cable, because it´s the same cable I need to charge my mobile phone.

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Matt_Kolf
OP Matt_Kolf Junior Member • Posts: 25
Re: Charging in camera vs using charger

Thanks everyone! Great replies! I think I'll use the charger for the most part, but I won't be afraid to charge in camera either.

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