Reviews |Berenstargh NP-FZ100 battery for Sony Alpha 7 Series Review

Berenstargh NP-FZ100 battery for Sony Alpha 7 Series Review

Item: Berenstargh NP-FZ100 battery for Sony Alpha 7 Series Review
Rating: 4
Author: Ali Jennings

Review

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Thursday January 28, 2021

By Ali Jennings

Price when reviewed

£49

Our Verdict

There’s no doubt that the Berenstargh is a quality battery, and at an average of £25 less than the Sony equivalent, that’s quite a saving.

In use, the battery works as you would expect. However, you do have to factor in a 23% reduction in running time. However, at 34% less in cost, it still offers good value for money.

Having used the Sony A7 III since it’s launch I’ve come to realise that one battery will normally see you through most jobs. However, you’d be foolish not to take a second battery as a backup.

The Berenstargh is that battery – it offers enough power to enable you to film over an hour and three-quarters of video footage and capture countless images. Yet, it’s that much cheaper than the Sony-branded version.

For most people, this battery will be the only additional battery that they’ll need, providing plenty of power for most uses and situations. The only time that I would recommend going for the Sony branded original is if you are going travelling without access to a charging point and need every ounce of power you can get. Or of course, if you’re using your camera for power-intensive use, such as filming.

For everything and everyone else, there’s the Berenstargh NP-FZ100.

For

Aftermarket power option
Cheaper than Sony

Against

Shorter running times

What is the Berenstargh NPFZ100?

Batteries are an essential extra when you buy a digital camera, and while you can survive with just one, having a backup is always a good idea.

Buy the Berenstargh NP-FZ100 direct from Berenstargh

The thing is that most manufacturers batteries cost a fortune, for example, the NP-FZ100 which is used in the Sony A7 III, Sony A7R IV and many other Sony cameras costs a staggering £75.

However, look online, and as well as Sony’s own brand batteries, there are countless aftermarket options. The Berenstargh NP-FZ100 is one example and sits at the upper end regarding price and quality.

The battery is designed as a direct replacement for the Sony NP-FZ100 batteries and has similar specifications. However, while both batteries offer the required 7.2V when it comes to the mAh and Wh, the specifications are slightly different. The Sony comes in at 16.4Wh and 2280mAh whereas the Berenstargh is rated at 14.7Wh and 2040mAh, that’s about 30% less in real terms.

Specification

Type: NP-FZ100
Volts: 7.2V
mAh: 2040
Wh: 14.7

Performance

Popping the battery into the camera and it slots into place as you would expect, with the clip securing it into the Sony A7 III. Although a good fit for a battery should be a given, it isn’t always the way.

Powering up the camera and the battery acts as normal, no issues, and you’re straight into using the cameras as if you were using one of Sony’s own batteries.

Of course, there is a difference in capacity between the Berenstargh and Sony’s own brand.

To test out how the camera performed with the Berenstargh, I switched the camera over to shooting 4K at 25fps. I usually expect the camera to be able to film a good two hours of footage per battery.

To double-check I ran two cameras, one with the Berenstargh and the other with the Sony original. Both were charged in the Hahnel Cube, and once they reached 100% inserted into their respective Sony A7 III’s.

Once filming commenced, both cameras would record to their 29-minute limit and then restart. After the third restart, the Berenstargh was getting close to its limit but held out for another 15 minutes before becoming exhausted.

The Sony battery continued for another 30 minutes before it ran out of juice.

The final result had the Berenstargh running time at 1 hour and 45 minutes, while the Sony charged the camera for 2 hours and 15 minutes.