If you’re in Sony’s Alpha system, the NP-FZ100 battery is a familiar sight. It powers a huge range of cameras, from the a7R V to the a6700, FX3, and FX30. While the battery itself is a solid performer, Sony’s charging solution is a basic, single-slot affair with little feedback beyond a blinking light. This has created a huge market for third-party solutions, and the FirstPower NP-FZ100 Dual LCD Charger Kit is one of the more interesting options. It promises not just to charge your batteries, but to do so faster, smarter, and in a more convenient package.
Build and Design
The FirstPower charger looks quite modern. It is a compact plastic case measuring about 4.5 × 3 inches, designed to hold and charge two NP-FZ100 batteries simultaneously. The design is clean, with a simple hinged lid that snaps shut.
If I had to describe it in just a few words, I’d say “think AirPods case for Sony batteries,” although this comes with an important caveat. It’s a great travel option, letting you carry two batteries securely (thanks to a little retaining latch in each compartment), all while charging via USB-C from the wall or another battery bank.
It also has two slots inside the lid for storing SD cards. While this is a good concept for organization, I found the slots to be quite tight. You have to use a bit more force than I am comfortable with to slide a card in and out. It works in a pinch for an emergency backup card, but I would be hesitant to use it for daily card storage.
It is also important to clarify what this device is not. Its form factor might remind you of that AirPods case, but it has no internal battery of its own. It is purely a charger that must be plugged into a USB-C power source to function. Pairing it with any of today’s slim USB power banks would be easy, letting you charge on the go, but I’d love to see a future version include a battery in the case for a truly effortless recharging experience.
Performance
The distinguishing feature of the FirstPower charger is its LCD screen. This display is a significant usability upgrade from the OEM charger experience. Enabled via a power button on the side, or when charging, the screen turns on and displays the charging status for each battery individually, showing a clear percentage of capacity and the real-time wattage being delivered. It shows exactly how much charge you have, and you can even field-check battery levels without needing to swap them into a camera.
The screen is a bit of a fingerprint (and dust) magnet, but is bright, easy to read, and far more useful than a single flashing LED.
FirstPower claims the 20 W charger can fully charge one or two batteries in 1.5 or 2.5 hours. To achieve this, you need to pair it with a fast-charging power adapter of at least 18 W that supports standards like Quick Charge or USB Power Delivery. In my testing, these numbers hold up, charging nearly empty batteries in a little over 140 minutes. That speed is a welcome feature when you need to quickly turn batteries, and I’m always happy to see things standardize around USB-C.
The kit includes two of FirstPower’s own 2,600 mAh NP-FZ100 replacement batteries. They offer a slightly higher name-plate capacity than Sony’s 2,280 mAh OEM batteries, but in practice, I don’t think you’ll see a major difference in uptime. Still, FirstPower’s batteries are well regarded, and this type of lithium battery has been essentially commoditized. I run a variety of NP-FZ100 batteries and never notice a difference between them in operation. As such, these two batteries alone are a far better value than Sony’s OEM offering at $80 per battery.
However, there is a caveat that comes with all third-party batteries in Sony cameras. Due to a deliberate software lock by Sony, these batteries will trigger a nag screen and prevent the camera from showing battery capacity. This occurs in a few cameras running the latest firmware, including the FX3 on version 4.0 or higher and the FX30 on version 3.0 or higher. It’s not the end of the world based on today’s implementation, but it could be annoying for some users.
What I Liked
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Fast, dual-slot USB-C charging that really does top up two NP-FZ100 batteries in about 2.5 hours.
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Clear LCD readout showing per-battery percentage and real-time wattage, letting you check capacity without popping a cell into the camera.
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Compact “AirPods-style” case that protects the batteries in transit and still fits easily in a bag.
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Two included 2,600 mAh batteries that cost far less than Sony’s OEM cells yet perform similarly in the field.
What I Didn’t Like
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No built-in power bank, so you still need to keep a USB-C wall plug or power bank handy.
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Tight SD-card slots in the lid—useful in a pinch, but fiddly for regular card storage.
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Glossy screen attracts fingerprints and dust quickly.
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Sony firmware nag screen prevents in-camera battery-percentage readout when using third-party cells like these.
Value
The value proposition is where the FirstPower kit really shines. The charger comes with two batteries, which on their own are roughly a $45 total value, based on third-party NP-FZ100 pricing. This means the charger itself, with its fast-charging capability and LCD screen, effectively costs around $10.
Considering that pricing, the kit is a good deal. It combines a smart charging experience with a compact, travel-friendly design. It offers a far better charging experience than what comes in the box with your camera, and the excellent price makes it an easy recommendation. The FirstPower Dual LCD charger kit is available now.