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Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

You are here: Home / Sony Alpha Mirrorless Cameras / Sony A1 / Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

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Last updated: February 14, 2021 by Timothy Mayo - Leave a Comment

The Sony A1 packs an enormous amount of power into such a small body, but thanks to the official Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh), you will still be able to shoot thousands of shots before swapping batteries.

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

In this guide I’ll be taking a look at both the official and third party battery options for the Sony A1, along with battery chargers and battery grips.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Batteries
  • Battery Chargers
  • Battery Grip
  • USB Charging
  • FAQs

Sony a1 Forum & Facebook Group

If you are looking for further help and advice on the a1 or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our new Sony A1 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then I’ve also setup the Sony A1 Shooters Group.

Batteries

The official battery for the Sony a1 is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh). You will have received one of these with your camera (if purchased new).

I’d very strongly recommend that you stick to the official Sony batteries. Yes you can save a few dollars by purchasing a third-party battery, but this is a huge risk with a $6,500.00 camera!

Many third-party NP-FZ100 batteries will also throw up a warning when used in the a1, and will also fail to display the battery percentage remaining. Batteries that don’t throw warnings today can start throwing warnings tomorrow when Sony releases firmware updates for the a1.

So although I will mention a couple of third-party battery options, I don’t recommend that you purchase them!

Sony NP-FZ100

Sony NP-FZ100 Battery

The official battery for the Sony a1 is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh). You will have received one of these with your camera (if purchased new).

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony NP-FZ100 Battery

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

RAVPower NP-FZ100

RAVPower NP-FZ100

If you don’t wish to listen to my advice and insist on using a third-party battery, then the RAVPower NP-FZ100 are one of the better options and includes a dual USB charger.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for RAVPower NP-FZ100

At: Amazon

Watson NP-FZ100

Watson NP-FZ100 Battery

One other third-party option is the Watson NP-FZ100. Again, these batteries can throw warnings. Often the batteries will be updated to work with the a1, then along comes a firmware update and errors are thrown again.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Watson NP-FZ100 V2

At: B&H Photo

Battery Chargers

When it comes to charging the battery for the Sony a1 there are a few options for you to consider.

Sony BC-QZ1

Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger

The official battery charger for the NP-FZ100 battery is the Sony BC-QZ1. One of these chargers will be included in the box with your a1. With this charger you can charge an official NP-FZ100 battery in around two hours.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony BC-QZ1 Charger

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Sony NPA-MQZ1K

Sony NPA-MQZ1K

The Sony NPA-MQZ1K multi battery kit is most useful if you shoot a lot of video with your Alpha 1. It can charge 4x NP-FZ100 batteries in approximately 480 minutes. It also lets you power two USB devices as well as the camera at the same time. The NPA-MQZ1K comes with two NP-FZ100 batteries, a cable protector and a mounting plate. 

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony NPA-MQZ1K

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Watson Mini Duo Charger

Watson Mini Duo Charger for Sony NP-FZ100 batteries

If you are after a low cost dual charger then the Watson mini duo charger is one of the better options. It’s a USB charger so isn’t the fastest, but will still charge two NP-FZ100 batteries in around 5 hours. So more of a charger to leave on overnight than for a quick charge during the day.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Watson Mini Duo Charger

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Battery Grip

The Sony a1 has a very similar body to the a7R IV, a9II and a7S III. This means that you can also use the same Sony VG-C4EM battery grip, it is officially supported by Sony. Although other third-party battery grips should work, they have not yet been confirmed to work.

Sony VG-C4EM

Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip

The Sony VG-C4EM grip is the perfect match for the Sony a1 since it shares the same material and button feel. Using the joystick or shutter button on this grip feels no different to the one on the Sony a1’s body.

The grip holds 2x NP-FZ100 batteries so effectively doubles the battery life of the a1.

On top of the grip is a vertical shutter button to make shooting vertically a lot more comfortable, and a lock switch to prevent accidental use when using the camera’s shutter button. There are also C1 and C2 custom buttons and a shutter dial on the front.

On the rear you’ll find a joystick, an AF-On button, aperture dial and AEL button.

To attach the grip you need to remove the battery door from the a1. This is easy thanks to a little switch inside the door. This can then be safely stored inside the battery grip itself. You then insert the column into the battery compartment and tighten the fitting screw.

I own this grip myself and although it’s expensive I do prefer it to the cheaper Meike third-party grip that I also own. It matches perfectly with the camera body so if consistency is important to you then this is the battery grip to go for.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony VG-C4EM

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

USB Charging

The Sony a1 can also be charged via its USB Type C Port. You can also use a Power Delivery (PD) certified power bank to power the a1. The battery does need to remain in the camera, and if the camera is turned on the battery will not charge.

ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim PD

ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim 10000 PD Portable Charger

One such charger is the Anker PowerCore Slim PD. I use this myself and it will comfortable charge the Sony NP-FZ100 battery in camera two times before it needs recharging itself.

FAQs

What battery does the Sony a1 use?

Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery

How long does it take to charge a Sony NP-FZ100 battery?

Providing you are using the official Sony BC-QZ1 charger, then it takes around 2 hours to fully charge a single NP-FZ100 battery.

How many shots can I take in the a1 with a single Sony NP-FZ100 battery?

This varies greatly. The official CIPA figures for still are: Approx. 500 shots (Viewfinder) / approx. 690 shots (LCD monitor). But in the real-world if you are shooting continuous bursts you can easily shoot over 2000 images.

How do I charge the Sony a1 via USB?

If you wish to charge the Sony 1 via USB you’ll need a USB Type-C charging device that supports the Power Delivery (PD) standard.

Pre-order the Sony A1

At: Amazon | B&H Photo | Adorama | Focus Camera | Wex Photo UK

Helpful Sony A1 Resources

Sony A1 Lenses Guide

Sony A1 Lenses Guide – Which Lenses Support 30 FPS?

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony a1 reviews

Sony A1 – Early Review Round-up

Sony a1 vs a9ii

Sony A1 vs A9 II – The Key Differences

Sony A1 vs A7R IV

Sony A1 vs A7R IV – The Key Differences

Sony A1 Manual

Sony A1 User Manual + Online Help

Helpful Sony A1 Resources

Sony A1 Lenses Guide

Sony A1 Lenses Guide – Which Lenses Support 30 FPS?

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony a1 reviews

Sony A1 – Early Review Round-up

Sony a1 vs a9ii

Sony A1 vs A9 II – The Key Differences

Sony A1 vs A7R IV

Sony A1 vs A7R IV – The Key Differences

Sony A1 Manual

Sony A1 User Manual + Online Help

Sony a1 Forum & Facebook Group

If you are looking for further help and advice on the a1 or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our new Sony A1 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then I’ve also setup the Sony A1 Shooters Group.

Sony Alpha Forum

About Timothy Mayo

I love shooting wildlife the most but will happily point my camera at pretty much anything. I started Alpha Shooters in 2017 to share my own photographic journey and experiences shooting with Sony Alpha. The site has since evolved into a popular community and resource. You can also find out more about my story here or follow me on Instagram if you wish. I also have a YouTube Channel but haven't published much content over the past year due to spending more time changing smelly nappies and also launching our community forums. However, I do plan to get back to creating content for YouTube in 2021!

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