Hi All,

I have an older but wonderful Nikon D850, looking to add usbc charging capability to the cameras so that I do not need to bring a charger. There is a USB 3 port which i do not use, would it be better to swap that out with a USBC connector or add a complete new USBC and where to connect it?

Could someone point me in the the right direction how to research / do this?

Much appreciated!

 

...usbc charging capability to the cameras so that I do not need to bring a charger

???? How will the usbc get charge without bringing a charger ????

 

Welcome to AAC.

Your idea seems impractical, here's why:

The D850 does not include the ability to charge the battery in the camera (USB or not). The batteries must be charged in the dedicated charger outside the camera.

Charging batteries is non-trivial and the circuitry involved can generate considerable heat, added to this is the fact that the camera body will have little or no space to add such circuitry and even if you managed to do this, it would require working with tiny surface mount components and very likely custom flexible circuit boards.

In the end you would have to spend many, many hours and easily spend more than the price of the camera even if you managed to do it.

I know you said you like the camera, but the Nikon Z Series cameras are incredibly more advanced than your perfectly good but old workhorse with its big flappy mirror. I shoot Canon, but I understand your sentiment. I have a Canon 1DX Mark II which I love, but my new mirrorless R3, despite not feeling like home yet, has so much more potential I have to use it. Similarly I have a 5D Mark IV and my R5 is... a new world. You can still use your existing glass, it will work even better than on the D850.

Good luck.

 

I usually shoot with 2 camera bodies, all my other camers have USBC charging.... I tried the z series, very good but I like OVF for long battery life. I often use the OVF to compose and not even take a shot.

The charger would just be a normal phone charger with 5v-12v output approximately. I meant do not need to bring a dedicated nikon battery charger.

 

I usually shoot with 2 camera bodies, all my other camers have USBC charging.... I tried the z series, very good but I like OVF for long battery life. I often use the OVF to compose and not even take a shot.

The charger would just be a normal phone charger with 5v-12v output approximately. I meant do not need to bring a dedicated nikon battery charger.

If your intention is to charge the battery in camera you simply can't. If you want a charger that can use USB Type-C PD input, you can get one commercially. Just as you can't charge the battery with the USB 3 jack, you can't arrange to do it with USB Type-C in the camera.

 

Yeh, I agree, I am looking at cutting a new hole and install a new USBC port and somehow connect it to the battery compartment, but need a electronics tech to help out if it the charging voltage of 8.4 which exceeds the operating volt of 7v, if this will fry the electronics, and if we can put a diode or something which restricts the inflow of volt/currents into the pcb and only into the battery.

 

Yeh, I agree, I am looking at cutting a new hole and install a new USBC port and somehow connect it to the battery compartment, but need a electronics tech to help out if it the charging voltage of 8.4 which exceeds the operating volt of 7v, if this will fry the electronics, and if we can put a diode or something which restricts the inflow of volt/currents into the pcb and only into the battery.

What would you connect it to? There is no battery charger in the camera.

 

What would you connect it to? There is no battery charger in the camera.

To amplify: A USB PD charger doesn't do battery management, it only provides voltage and current as directed by a Battery Management System. The charger will produce, at most, 5V at 2.1A without something that negotiates a higher voltage and current.

 

Yes need something to control the charging profile...

 

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