Question on plug adapter for Zf and Zfc

[Bsivad2020]

Hi folks,

I'm preparing for a safari early next year in Tanzania. I know I need a type G plug adapter, and have ordered the ones below for my wife and I; she'll just be charging a phone and maybe an iPad, but I'll need to charge a Zf, a Zfc, extra batteries and maybe a Macbook Air.

I am thinking these adapters don't have the grunt for that, but before I buy something else I wanted to check the hive mind for some advice.

Here are the plug adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPHDSVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks in advance!

 

[PLShutterbug]

Check to see if the charging devices you use today are 100-240v compatible. Most chargers are! If so, you only need a dumb US-to-UK plug adapter, and then you use your existing stuff. I’ve been doing this for decades in almost 35 countries.

What you bought will work for the situation I describe above when you plug your existing 240v-compatible US chargers into the US-receptacle side.

Take some clear close-up photos of your existing chargers showing the input and output voltage they work with, and post them here. Then we can tell you whether they will work.

 

[Bsivad2020]

Check to see if the charging devices you use today are 100-240v compatible. Most chargers are! If so, you only need a dumb US-to-UK plug adapter, and then you use your existing stuff. I’ve been doing this for decades in almost 35 countries.

What you bought will work for the situation I describe above when you plug your existing 240v-compatible US chargers into the US-receptacle side.

Take some clear close-up photos of your existing chargers showing the input and output voltage they work with, and post them here. Then we can tell you whether they will work.

Thanks; I was hoping to use these linked items as the chargers rather than bringing my charger. Since the Zf doesn't come with one, I usually just use either my 2020 Macbook Air charger (which I think is 35 watts) or an Anker Nano 30 watt charger. I'd rather leave them both behind and just use these things, I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

 

[PLShutterbug]

Check to see if the charging devices you use today are 100-240v compatible. Most chargers are! If so, you only need a dumb US-to-UK plug adapter, and then you use your existing stuff. I’ve been doing this for decades in almost 35 countries.

What you bought will work for the situation I describe above when you plug your existing 240v-compatible US chargers into the US-receptacle side.

Take some clear close-up photos of your existing chargers showing the input and output voltage they work with, and post them here. Then we can tell you whether they will work.

Thanks; I was hoping to use these linked items as the chargers rather than bringing my charger. Since the Zf doesn't come with one, I usually just use either my 2020 Macbook Air charger (which I think is 35 watts) or an Anker Nano 30 watt charger. I'd rather leave them both behind and just use these things, I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

I don’t think you have enough power with 15 watts to charge your Mac. Additionally, the adapters are not marked as PD compatible, so they probably would not work for either the Mac or the Zf. (I don’t know for sure the Zf requires PD, but others of its genre do.)

 

[jthomas39]

Check to see if the charging devices you use today are 100-240v compatible. Most chargers are! If so, you only need a dumb US-to-UK plug adapter, and then you use your existing stuff. I’ve been doing this for decades in almost 35 countries.

What you bought will work for the situation I describe above when you plug your existing 240v-compatible US chargers into the US-receptacle side.

Take some clear close-up photos of your existing chargers showing the input and output voltage they work with, and post them here. Then we can tell you whether they will work.

Thanks; I was hoping to use these linked items as the chargers rather than bringing my charger. Since the Zf doesn't come with one, I usually just use either my 2020 Macbook Air charger (which I think is 35 watts) or an Anker Nano 30 watt charger. I'd rather leave them both behind and just use these things, I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

Nikon has the same recommendation for the Zf as it does for my Z6 iii.

From the "charging the battery" page in the First Steps section:

https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/zf/en/charging_the_battery_22.html

• You can use third-party portable chargers to charge the camera battery and power the camera. Use a portable charger equipped with USB Type-C connectors that supports USB PD (power delivery).
• Use a portable charger with a minimum output of 27 W (9 V/3 A).
• Use a USB cable that has Type-C connectors on both ends to connect to the camera.
• We do not guarantee that all third-party portable chargers and USB cables will be able to charge the camera battery or power the camera.

~~~

PD chargers are required!

The USB connection to the camera must be from a "PD" charger or powerbank. PD Power Delivery negotiates the best watts and voltage for the device. These normally have a USB-A connection on both the charger and on the device.

The "27 W" minimum power is the same for the Zf and my Z6 iii. But my tiny Anker PD charger has two 20w PD ports, and this does light up the orange power light near the left strap eyelet. The thin USB-A cable that came with it works fine on the Nikon.

I see that it does charge my EN-EL15c battery, but I didn't time a full charge. (I'm guessing it takes "hours" with this 20w charger). I normally charge batteries with the external charger that came with my old Z6.

My old 5V/3A 15w phone charger doesn't work at all with the Z6 iii.

~~

My Anker is the old version of this PowerPort DUO:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/662316/anker-powerport-iii-duo

Input Voltage 100 - 240 VAC 50 - 60Hz

I'd get a bigger version with 4 ports and more watts if you have that many devices depending on it.

 

[WPMChan]

Thanks; I was hoping to use these linked items as the chargers rather than bringing my charger. Since the Zf doesn't come with one, I usually just use either my 2020 Macbook Air charger (which I think is 35 watts) or an Anker Nano 30 watt charger. I'd rather leave them both behind and just use these things, I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

I understand that the 15W max is for the three USB's together.

My MH-25a for EN-EL15 b or c is only rated for 10W. So, to charge the Zf or Zfc in camera via the USB ports, the maximum power drawn will be less than 10W.

The three USB outlets will be good for one of your cameras and your phone.

You'll need to bring your Macbook Air charger, presumably with type A or B plug, to plug into the type A or type B, AC outlets on the plug adaptor, not into the USB's.

My Macbook air charger is rated for 30W. The USBC outlet on the plug adaptor will unlikely have sufficient power, only 15W max for all three, and less than 10W from any of the USBC.

If you have extra batteries, presumably EN-EL15C as well, you probably will have a MH-25a or the equivalent charger with type A or B plug. You'll need to bring those chargers with you and those can be plugged to the AC outlets on the adaptor as well.

I have several similar plug adaptors of various format. The total power rating is the same as the wall outlet, 2300W. The USB's outlets, typically 2 or four are rated for 15W together.

I have been travelling with my D780, also uses EN-EL15 b or C. I always charge the D780, together with my phone, together on the USB A outlets on the plug adaptor. I also plug my laptop and my MH-27, EN-EL20 for my Coolpix A, on other AC outlets.

I normally will bring my MH-25a for the spare EN-EL5 c. The one in the D780 usually will last so long that I never need to use the spare battery. I just plug the USB cable to the plug adaptor after I have finished downloading the photo to my laptop before I go to bed and I always will have a full battery in the D780 for the next day. The battery consumption of your Zf and ZFc may be different.

One point to note is that the voltage at Tanzania is 230V, you'll get 230V on your AC outlets on your plug adaptors. Most chargers are rated for 120-230V, and they are safe to be plugged into those AC outlets.

However, voltage from those AC outlets will be too high for your other 120V appliances.

 

[WPMChan]

The "27 W" minimum power is the same for the Zf and my Z6 iii. But my tiny Anker PD charger has two 20w PD ports, and this does light up the orange power light near the left strap eyelet. The thin USB-A cable that came with it works fine on the Nikon.

I don't understand the "27W minimum" either.

My MH-25a came with my D780, the Nikon charger for EN-EL15 b or c, has a rated output of 8.4V--1.2A, equivalent to only 10W.

I normally charge my EN-EL15 b or c in my D780 via the USB port from my Samsung wall charger of 5V--2A, also 10W output.

However, the Nikon wall charger EH-7P has rated output of 5V--3A or 15W.

Sometimes, I even charge the D780 using the 5V USB output on my laptop.

I see that it does charge my EN-EL15c battery, but I didn't time a full charge. (I'm guessing it takes "hours" with this 20w charger). I normally charge batteries with the external charger that came with my old Z6.

I never timed the battery charging either. Charging of battery in my D780 never takes very long, probably an hour or so. However, I never drain the battery down to minimum.

According to the D780 manual, the 10W MH-25a can fully charge a EN-EL15 b (1900mAh) in 2 hour 35 minutes from minimum.

It will take a bit longer to charge a EN-EL 15c, which has a higher rated capacity of 2280 mAh.

Just like to point out the rate of charging is not determined by the "power" rating. The rate of charge is determined by the difference between the charging and residual voltage and the internal resistance of the battery. The charging rate will slow down when the voltage of the battery starts rising.

The power drawn in W, is the square of the "Voltage Difference" divided by resistance in Ohm. The actual Energy stored, in mAh x V, by the battery is the Energy, power x time, drawn less heat loss.

Also charger will limit the charging current if the residual voltage is too low to avoid over-temperature if the charging current is too high.

Also wish to point out the nominal output voltage of the EN-EL15 b or c is 7.4V. The required charging voltage will need to be higher.

Camera will accept 5V output for USB charging. I understand the camera will be able to step-up the charging voltage to higher than 7.4V.

For the battery to be charged out of the camera in a charger, the output voltage of the charger will need to be higher than 7.4 V. I don't know about other charger, the voltage output of the MH-25a is 8.4V.

The charging voltage probably should not be much higher than 9V or the over-voltage protection will kick in to stop the charging.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Hi folks,

I'm preparing for a safari early next year in Tanzania. I know I need a type G plug adapter, and have ordered the ones below for my wife and I; she'll just be charging a phone and maybe an iPad, but I'll need to charge a Zf, a Zfc, extra batteries and maybe a Macbook Air.

I am thinking these adapters don't have the grunt for that, but before I buy something else I wanted to check the hive mind for some advice.

Here are the plug adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPHDSVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks in advance!

These should be fine. I have a Ceptics kit that I bought about 2 years ago for $35 and covers many different plus and has built-in surge protection as well (which I think is important if you're traveling to somewhere that uses 220V-240V as I don't trust power bricks -- like those for phones / tablets / laptops -- to provide protection to the device even though some do).

Here is the one I have:

https://www.ceptics.com/products/ce...kit-2-usb-2-us-outlets?variant=31495418806331

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

 

[NickZ2016]

The problem with all those USB plug adapters is they're either outdated when you buy them or will be for your next trip.

The one above seems to be only QC charging not PD. Do Nikon cameras support QC? I thought they expected PD.

Simple thing for the OP to do is get something like an Anker wall charger. These will have four or six ports usually. Check the PD output but they come in various output levels.

If the OP doesn't want to use a plug adapter the Anker wall chargers tend to use figure eight two pin cords. You can buy replacement cords on Amazon with the right plug on them. A plug adapter is cheaper.

At home you can use the wall charger with the North American cord. When you travel either use a plug adapter or swap out the cord.

 

[AlainCh2]

...
I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

Sheer experience:
Whatever power will charge my Z30.

You need a PD ... A N D ... at least 25W to obtain any reliable result with Zf when not at home!!.

Short experience story:
Seagate OneTouch" 8Tb solved all the issues.
I had a lot of them with the M2-powered Hub, which has 2x USB-C PD 5x USB-A ports = 60W total > PDs were wavering in the 20-25W ranges

3 weeks without a missing charge:
8Tb Ports = USB-A 15W > Z30; USB-C PD 35W > Zf

In the pic, you can see my actual solution in a temporary test position, and also the 2x previous M2 PD HUBS
The yellow item that lurks in the back is a UE plug charger, 95W 2x USB-C PD 1x USB-A.
I use a standard adapter with my UE power kits

On the move, I use Laptop ports PD 25W + USB-A 10W
> all those systems charge cameras and also read new pictures, save locally, and send to cloud - Auto Dropbox features
___________________________________

I may suggest something like
65-100W PD double USB port + a couple of Powerbanks not heavy ... just in case
>>>> Use these links only as an example
> I don't own this charger ... But I do use these powerbanks
( 2x 20000 0.9Kg stay in the room) + 2x 10000 0.250gr in my pockets... with 2xUSB cables located and ready to connect without stopping shooting in my jacket/skirt sleeves

( It will definitely move the 8Tb in the Photo Gear Box next week )

PS: I use all UE power stuff + a dumb mech worldwide adapter when on the range



--
___.............................!............................ ___
-------- Mid of French/Italian Alps --------- I Love my Carnivores. >https://eu.zonerama.com/AlainCH2/1191151
.
Photography ... It is about how that thing looks when photographed..
( Avoid boring shots )

 

[sirhawkeye64]

The problem with all those USB plug adapters is they're either outdated when you buy them or will be for your next trip.

The one above seems to be only QC charging not PD. Do Nikon cameras support QC? I thought they expected PD.

Simple thing for the OP to do is get something like an Anker wall charger. These will have four or six ports usually. Check the PD output but they come in various output levels.

If the OP doesn't want to use a plug adapter the Anker wall chargers tend to use figure eight two pin cords. You can buy replacement cords on Amazon with the right plug on them. A plug adapter is cheaper.

At home you can use the wall charger with the North American cord. When you travel either use a plug adapter or swap out the cord.

I don't know if I'd say outdated. If anything, just 'not applicable" for some regions. This is why I went with one that has interchangeable plugs. Mine has been on about 6 trips so far although most of the places I went used Type F. But if you buy one for a specific region, then yes, you may have to buy another one if you go to say Asia or Australia where they use a different plug type.

The QC/PD from what I know is interchangable and is more or less just a name (Quick Charge is Anker's name for PD it seems). It worked fine to charge my Z8 a few times.

I would NOT buy an Anker wall charger brick though personally (not again at least) for use in Europe unless you're going to plug it into something that has surge protection. ON my last trip, the one I had fried itself somehow and refused to charge anything. Thankfully I had the Ceptics adapter which allowed me to do the same thing for the remainder of my trip so I didn't need to look for another charger while abroad). But I would also recommend the OP also get some plug adapters in additional to soemthing like the Anker or the Ceptics adapter kit i have, so they have a backup, and bring a backup power brick from home. It's just after the last trip, I need to find a different power brick as I'm not sure why the Anker failed that I had, but I ended up returning it regardless.

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

 

[Bsivad2020]

Thanks for all the responses. I realized I took a very similar charger to Italy last year (15W max) and it charged my Zf and phone with no problems. I didn't bring the Macbook.

I am thinking I will use these adapters for at least the Zfc and my phone, then bring just a dumb plug and my regular laptop charger to use for the Macbook (won't need to charge it every day) and the Zf.

Or, I could buy another plug with more power ... I'll do one or the other. Eventually I'll report back on how it all went.

 

[monte12345]

Read the Voltage rating for this Adapter for yourself. Then Google UK Standard Voltage. Some adapters have circuitry that can work in the 120 to 240 V range but per that listing this is not one of those adapters.

My sister and her husband recently did a 2 week tour of London and Scotland. I looked into the power situation and suggest that she spend the money for a Power Convertor which has transformers and sophisticated circuitry to convert 240 UK volts at 50 hertz to US 120 volts at 60 hertz. She called my from Edinburgh, Scotland to thank me for insisting she take that power supply because the cheaper converters she also took would NOT recharge her hearing aids and folks on the tour were starting to complain about people needing to yell at her to communicate.

Here is a link to a power converter on Amazon. As for the cost, that is the price for a Fish and Chip dinner in the UK.

https://www.amazon.com/DOACE-Voltage-Converter-European-Straightener/dp/B0CYPK4GWQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=36NYIFB8ZL2HT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HwGBjZSuKKIzqGyhWF4SybXDDP1BYyrtvTeK6nCsTN0eZywoyeTce1yJl2D392dYJ0OUtAGY4kOL95qfJ6qf6UAaP8Rp-_rKsbtLpqqtdoqn8S_wmDZ2mElKR3I9LkmM2m3voXJHzEw0CfVxeYFvf6c80lTP7I9jGpSGKE9F0mtUc49UWlgddyC4WllbvZCROR8XsEM3bMBY62OQ3Sf9KGPt_xXtMNwZ7nc6OrwjGeEAQ9bznpeK5m6cs19Xh4DHy_1kNQ0QK9GqLyJywvPY2_KK_k6ROuYF0wmiVO43CZk.AXcScKPeZfwc9jXvSLVKL26dvo5MCNYMlGriK8CEKZQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=power%2Bconverter%2B240%2F50%2Bto%2B120%2F60&qid=1761782561&s=electronics&sprefix=power%2Bconverter%2B240%2F50%2Bto%2B120%2F60%2Celectronics%2C97&sr=1-2&th=1

 

[CliveTJ]

Check to see if the charging devices you use today are 100-240v compatible. Most chargers are! If so, you only need a dumb US-to-UK plug adapter, and then you use your existing stuff. I’ve been doing this for decades in almost 35 countries.

What you bought will work for the situation I describe above when you plug your existing 240v-compatible US chargers into the US-receptacle side.

Take some clear close-up photos of your existing chargers showing the input and output voltage they work with, and post them here. Then we can tell you whether they will work.

Thanks; I was hoping to use these linked items as the chargers rather than bringing my charger. Since the Zf doesn't come with one, I usually just use either my 2020 Macbook Air charger (which I think is 35 watts) or an Anker Nano 30 watt charger. I'd rather leave them both behind and just use these things, I'm just worried whether at 15 watts they don't have enough juice to charge the Zf or Zfc batteries in the cameras.

I have a couple of dumb adapters, I might just bring those and my own chargers if I get too worried.

Nikon has the same recommendation for the Zf as it does for my Z6 iii.

From the "charging the battery" page in the First Steps section:

https://onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com/zf/en/charging_the_battery_22.html

• You can use third-party portable chargers to charge the camera battery and power the camera. Use a portable charger equipped with USB Type-C connectors that supports USB PD (power delivery).
• Use a portable charger with a minimum output of 27 W (9 V/3 A).
• Use a USB cable that has Type-C connectors on both ends to connect to the camera.
• We do not guarantee that all third-party portable chargers and USB cables will be able to charge the camera battery or power the camera.

~~~

PD chargers are required!

The USB connection to the camera must be from a "PD" charger or powerbank. PD Power Delivery negotiates the best watts and voltage for the device. These normally have a USB-A connection on both the charger and on the device.

The "27 W" minimum power is the same for the Zf and my Z6 iii. But my tiny Anker PD charger has two 20w PD ports, and this does light up the orange power light near the left strap eyelet. The thin USB-A cable that came with it works fine on the Nikon.

I see that it does charge my EN-EL15c battery, but I didn't time a full charge. (I'm guessing it takes "hours" with this 20w charger). I normally charge batteries with the external charger that came with my old Z6.

My old 5V/3A 15w phone charger doesn't work at all with the Z6 iii.

~~

My Anker is the old version of this PowerPort DUO:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/662316/anker-powerport-iii-duo

Input Voltage 100 - 240 VAC 50 - 60Hz

I'd get a bigger version with 4 ports and more watts if you have that many devices depending on it.

Whilst the Nikon spec is for a minimum 27W 9V 3A PC charger I find an Apple 20W works very effectively. The Apple charger supports 9V at 2.22A and 5V at 3A. I also use a Ugreen specified as 65W on one of the ports and a 9V 3A PD power bank. I don’t find these charges noticeably faster than the 20W Apple. I suppose a 20W PD charger may fall in a grey area where some work and some don’t, nevertheless the situation isn’t consistent.

 

[shuncheung]

Hi folks,

I'm preparing for a safari early next year in Tanzania. I know I need a type G plug adapter, and have ordered the ones below for my wife and I; she'll just be charging a phone and maybe an iPad, but I'll need to charge a Zf, a Zfc, extra batteries and maybe a Macbook Air.

I am thinking these adapters don't have the grunt for that, but before I buy something else I wanted to check the hive mind for some advice.

Here are the plug adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPHDSVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks in advance!

I live in the US, California, and I just went to Tanzania in July 2025. Those AC adapters in your Amazon link should work just fine in Tanzania to charge your camera batteries and phone ..., but they may not have sufficient power for any MacBook. You want to bring another 60W, 100W charger for your laptop.

In Tanzania, they indeed use UK-style, type G plugs. But plenty of hotels, lodges there have Europe and US-style outlets as well.

 

[GeoffRG]

Hi folks,

I'm preparing for a safari early next year in Tanzania. I know I need a type G plug adapter, and have ordered the ones below for my wife and I; she'll just be charging a phone and maybe an iPad, but I'll need to charge a Zf, a Zfc, extra batteries and maybe a Macbook Air.

I am thinking these adapters don't have the grunt for that, but before I buy something else I wanted to check the hive mind for some advice.

Here are the plug adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPHDSVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks in advance!

You're going to use a MacBook air, the standard power supply is a universal one for 120 to 240 V all you need is a UK plug or cable to connect to your existing power supply. Apple sell a kit of connectors for international travel Apple adaptor kit whether this is available in the USA I don't know. If your Mac has a USB-C power supply you can use that to charge your camera batteries either in the cameras or using a USB-C charger.

 

[sirhawkeye64]

Thanks for all the responses. I realized I took a very similar charger to Italy last year (15W max) and it charged my Zf and phone with no problems. I didn't bring the Macbook.

I am thinking I will use these adapters for at least the Zfc and my phone, then bring just a dumb plug and my regular laptop charger to use for the Macbook (won't need to charge it every day) and the Zf.

Or, I could buy another plug with more power ... I'll do one or the other. Eventually I'll report back on how it all went.

If you're going to be charging you camera, make sure that the adapter has surge protection. That is very important particularly overseas (And even here in the US at least in some areas) where power may not be clean/steady. Most power bricks have a means of protecting electronics, but not all do, or it's not as effective. Again, my Anker died while using a dumb adapter in Europe but thankfully it didn't damage anything that was plugged into it, but depending on the power brick used, you may not be as lucky. Just a word of warning.

 

[GeoffRG]

Hi folks,

I'm preparing for a safari early next year in Tanzania. I know I need a type G plug adapter, and have ordered the ones below for my wife and I; she'll just be charging a phone and maybe an iPad, but I'll need to charge a Zf, a Zfc, extra batteries and maybe a Macbook Air.

I am thinking these adapters don't have the grunt for that, but before I buy something else I wanted to check the hive mind for some advice.

Here are the plug adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPHDSVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thanks in advance!

I live in the US, California, and I just went to Tanzania in July 2025. Those AC adapters in your Amazon link should work just fine in Tanzania to charge your camera batteries and phone ..., but they may not have sufficient power for any MacBook. You want to bring another 60W, 100W charger for your laptop.

In Tanzania, they indeed use UK-style, type G plugs. But plenty of hotels, lodges there have Europe and US-style outlets as well.

The USB-C power supply of a current generation MacBook Air with a UK style plug should be sufficient there's no need for any other adaptation. This is what is required MacBook UK adaptor