How to Charge Canon Camera Battery Without Charger (3 Methods)

So you’re heading out on a shoot, and your Canon camera battery is running low. But you don’t have a charger. What do you do? It’s possible to charge your Canon camera battery without a charger.

Here are three methods to charge your Canon camera battery without a charger. They include:

1. Charge with a wall plug
2. Charge with a power bank
3. Charge with a computer

Have a Sony camera? Here’s how to charge Sony camera batteries without a charger

These methods apply to Canon cameras in general. Depending on the age, type, and model of your camera, not all of these methods will work. In fact, maybe none of them will work. 

Note: For these methods to work, your camera will require a USB port. Some Canon DSLR cameras don’t have these, so check your camera before starting with one of these methods. 

1. Charge Canon Camera Battery with Wall Plug

You can charge a Canon camera battery with a wall plug if you don’t have a battery charger. 

If your camera didn’t come with a power cord, ensure that the power cord you decide to use is compatible with your Canon camera. Depending on what kind of Canon camera you own, it might have come with a compact power adapter or a USB charging cable. 

If you lost yours, here’s a replacement cable (fast charging, 3.1A) that’ll charge most Canon cameras. You’ll want USB 3.0 to USB-C or USB 2.0 Type A to Mini B. 

To charge your Canon camera battery without a charger using a wall plug, you need to:

1. Install the battery in your camera. 
2. Turn the camera off. This is an important step because the battery may not charge while the camera is turned on.
3. Connect your USB cable to your camera. You’ll find this inside the rubber cover that hides your camera connections and ports. 
4. Connect your USB cable to your USB wall adapter. And plug it into the wall.
5. The light will turn off after the battery is fully charged. 
6. Charging time: Approximately 3 hours

Don’t charge the battery for more than 24 hours because it can degrade the battery life. 

2. Charging a Canon Camera Battery with a Power Bank

You can also easily charge a Canon camera battery with a power bank.

This is handy because you don’t have to have access to a wall outlet. I’ve even charged my cameras in my backpack while hiking. 

Which Power Bank Will Charge a Canon Camera?

This is a good question. While most of us have a few power banks in our backpacks or drawer, there is a good chance that those won’t work. 

To charge your Canon camera (including DSLR) with a power bank, you’ll require the USB-C Power Delivery feature, like in this Anker power bank.

Here’s the full description of how this works.

 

Now that you have your power bank, it’s important to make sure your power bank has enough power to charge your camera. 

To determine how much power you need to charge your camera battery: 

• Pull your rechargeable battery from the camera
• Find the specs that list how many mAhs (milliamperes) of energy your battery draws. This will tell you how big your power bank should be. 
• For example, your Canon battery may require 1,400 mAh. If you buy a power bank that puts out 30,000 mAh, then you can easily charge your Canon camera battery. Even a smaller power bank (like this Anker 10,000mAh) can charge your battery up to 10 times (if you have a 1000mAh battery).

To charge your Canon camera battery with a power bank, you’ll need to:

• Install your camera battery in your camera.
• Turn the camera off. This is an important step because the battery may not charge while the camera is turned on.
• Connect your USB cable to your camera. Open the rubber cover that hides the cord connections to your camera and connect the power cord that came with the camera to the cord connection point on the camera.
• Connect the other USB end to the power bank.
• Depending on your camera, you may be able to observe the LCD window on the top part that shows a battery icon, this will show you how much of the battery needs to be charged.

Examine the back of the camera, there might be a light on the lower right-hand side. It will blink red if the battery is low and turn solid green to show the battery is charging.

It should take a couple of hours to charge your battery. Once the battery is charged, the green light will go out, and the battery icon on the top of the camera will show it is charged to full capacity.

If you are having trouble charging your battery, double-check your power requirements and all the settings. 

Officially, Canon says that this isn’t a good solution. But you’ll find actual users who are successfully doing this.

Either way, know your camera specs and the risks involved before trying this. 

3. Charging a Canon Camera Battery with a Computer

You can charge your Canon camera battery with a computer if you don’t have a battery charger.

It’s important to ensure your camera will charge this way because some cameras will have a larger power draw, such as a DSLRs or mirrorless camera. And this won’t work for these types of cameras. 

But if you have a Canon point-and-shoot camera, this method might work for you. Double-check by reading the manual that came with your camera. 

To charge your Canon camera battery using a computer, you need to:

• Insert the battery in your camera.
• Have a memory card installed in the camera because some cameras won’t charge if it’s not in place. 
• Turn the camera off. This is an important step because the battery may not charge while the camera is turned on. It may just want to connect to your computer for data transfer.
• Connect USB cable to your camera. Open the rubber cover that hides the cord connections to your camera. Connect your power cord that came with the camera to the cord connection point on the camera.
• Plug that cord into a USB plug-in your computer

There may be a light at the connection point that will light up while it’s charging. It may take about three hours to charge your battery.

The light will turn off after the battery is fully charged. 

Officially, Canon is on the fence about this. Some of their material says not to do this, while others recommend it. Either way, know your camera specs and the risks involved before trying this. 

Why You Need a Charger for Some Canon Cameras

If you have a Canon DSLR or mirrorless camera, you may not be able to charge your batteries without a charger. 

This is for several reasons.

• The power draw the batteries require is so great that a USB connection may not cut it. 
• The lower voltage supplied through the USB to the camera could take up to eight hours just to charge the battery. 
• Not all Canon cameras have an in-camera charger/transformer installed. 
• You might have an added battery grip holder that attaches to the bottom of your Canon camera, with a charger installed. Make sure only to use the Canon USB adapter to charge it. 
• Your camera might not have a USB port for charging. 

Here are some tips for charging your Canon battery in-camera via USB-C.

 

How to Avoid Battery Charging Issues

While the above methods are great in a pinch, it’s better to keep a supply of charged batteries in your camera bag.

We usually have 2-4 charged batteries when we head out in the morning. And they have always lasted us for the day. 

If you can’t use any of the above methods and are having problems keeping your battery charged, consider the following:

• Purchasing extra backup batteries to rotate during the day
• Put your depleted batteries on to charge when you remove them from your camera. Keeping your extra batteries charging will allow a solid rotation.

7 Tips to Care For Your Canon Camera Batteries

Take care of your batteries to extend their life. Here’s an informational video by Canon Support.

 

Here are seven tips for caring for your Canon camera batteries.

1. Charging your lithium batteries as needed, even if they still have some charge left.
2. Store them in a cool place with some charge left. 
3. When charging your batteries, make sure they are fully charged before stopping.
4. Refer to your camera instruction manual for charging instructions because every Canon camera model is different
5. When using your batteries in cold weather, keep them in a warm place because the temperature makes them run down faster. 
6. Keep backup batteries available. 
7. Keep the battery contact points clean

Charging a Canon Camera Battery Without a Charger

You can charge a Canon camera battery without a charger by using the USB cord that came with the camera and plugging it into a power source.

Because there are so many Canon cameras, not all these methods will work with all models. 

Consult your Canon camera operator’s manual before you try any of these methods. In addition, only use charging equipment that is compatible with your camera. 

By following these methods, you should easily be able to charge your Canon camera battery without a charger.

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