Travel Photography - Travel-Friendly Nikon DSLR (EN-EL3e) Battery Charger

Can anyone recommend a travel-friendly charger for Nikon's EN-EL3e batteries? Mine has a long power cord and is not variable voltage.

Small and light is obviously a plus. I'm looking for something where the plug (U.S.) is contained in the unit - perhaps a swivel plug in back. No lengthy cord please. Furthermore, I'm looking for something that is 110-240V and 50/60Hz for the AC input so all I need is a plug adapter and not a converter when traveling.

Thanks.

Edit to Add:
I know there are dozens of these on Amazon. I'm just always worried these types of products turn out to be cheap pieces of plastic that break in a week. I'm looking for folks that have one of their own they have put through its paces and can say that it is not a piece of junk.

:confused::confused:


My D80 came with a charger that admittedly has a long wire but is otherwise compact and works on any power. It's happily charged the batteries on Chinese 220/50 power.

It would be hard to make it smaller other than shortening the wire and I don't find the wire length to be an issue at all.

My charger is also 100% travel friendly.... it takes 100-240 AC input... aside from an adapter, what else does one need...????

Have you read the fine print on the AC adapter you have...???

Have you read the fine print on the AC adapter you have...???

My new D90 came with the MH-18a charger. Unfortunately, there is lots and lots of "fine print" to be had.

First, the plastic bag the charger was in specifically had a 2"x4" piece of paper that says among other things "Rating: 125V, 2A min."

Second, the long cord for the charger has a white label wrapped around it just inches from the plug end that says "125V" and nothing else.

Third, the charger backside says "Input: 120V ~ 60Hz." But, underneath this in a separate box it says "Foreign Input: 100-240V ~ 50-60Hz" I have no idea why they list one non-variable Input, then list a "Foreign Input" below it. I'm not sure what it means.

On Amazon there are some reviewers of this exact charger (Nikon MH-18a) commenting on how they've plugged it into foreign outlets and it immediately went dead. One said the light turned on for a second, then off, and never came back on or worked again in any outlet anywhere.

All that said, the stupid 6-foot cord is enough to make me want to get a more travel friendly charger.

That's the charger I have, no problems on 220/50 power. I do agree the labeling is strange but I figured they were giving US labeling to avoid confusing people who didn't understand that it was giving ranges.

What will be the duration of your trip?

The EN-EL batteries hold a full charge for quite a while.

If I will be gone for less than three weeks I will usually just take three or four fully charged batteries - more than enough juice for 2-3,000 shots including chimping.

The extra size and cost of two or three additional batteries is also little more than the size and cost of a travel charger IMHO.

What will be the duration of your trip?

8 weeks. I already have 2 batteries and would rather spend $15 on a charger that is marginally larger and weighs less, than $30-40 on batteries.

Lots of what I want on Amazon. Many have absolutely no reviews. The few that do only have 4 or 5 and they're mixed.

For example: one (http://www.amazon.com/NIKON-EN-EL3-Battery-Charger-Replacement/dp/B001683ZOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242836779&sr=8-1), two (http://www.amazon.com/Maximal-Power-FC600-EN-EL3-NP-150/dp/B001FA0BLW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242836779&sr=8-2), three (http://www.amazon.com/CTA-MR-ENEL3-Battery-Charger-EN-EL3/dp/B000AO8NHS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242836779&sr=8-4), four (http://www.amazon.com/Synergy-Digital-Battery-Charger-European/dp/B000KW1OR6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1242836779&sr=8-5), five (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Cameras-Charger-Nikon-EN-EL3/dp/B000GE47I6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1242836779&sr=8-6), six (http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Wall-Charger-EN-EL3-ENEL3/dp/B001U0U978/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1242836779&sr=8-7).

What will be the duration of your trip?

The EN-EL batteries hold a full charge for quite a while.

If I will be gone for less than three weeks I will usually just take three or four fully charged batteries - more than enough juice for 2-3,000 shots including chimping.

The extra size and cost of two or three additional batteries is also little more than the size and cost of a travel charger IMHO.

I've just about shot out a battery in a day of shooting.

I've just about shot out a battery in a day of shooting.

And in the cases where you might need to use the built-in flash, the battery will drain faster. Granted, the built-in flash tends to be terrible on DSLRs, it does have its use at times.

I've just about shot out a battery in a day of shooting.

And I have DSLR-user friends who have gotten nearly two months of shooting out of a single charge...:confused:

I would bet that most people likely to drain an EN-ELxx battery in a single day's shooting would just as likely already know what chargers/type//number of batteries they need to bring with them.

My new D90 came with the MH-18a charger. Unfortunately, there is lots and lots of "fine print" to be had.

..............

On Amazon there are some reviewers of this exact charger (Nikon MH-18a) commenting on how they've plugged it into foreign outlets and it immediately went dead. One said the light turned on for a second, then off, and never came back on or worked again in any outlet anywhere.

All that said, the stupid 6-foot cord is enough to make me want to get a more travel friendly charger.

Like the OP, I also want a travel-friendly charger.

I had no problem during my recent 3-week travel all over Europe.

What will be the duration of your trip?

The EN-EL batteries hold a full charge for quite a while.

If I will be gone for less than three weeks I will usually just take three or four fully charged batteries - more than enough juice for 2-3,000 shots including chimping.

The extra size and cost of two or three additional batteries is also little more than the size and cost of a travel charger IMHO.

+1 ^

And in the cases where you might need to use the built-in flash, the battery will drain faster. Granted, the built-in flash tends to be terrible on DSLRs, it does have its use at times.

I think I've used it once--it's too wimpy to do much (other than if you are using it to command off-camera strobes.) VR lenses also drink battery power, though.

And I have DSLR-user friends who have gotten nearly two months of shooting out of a single charge...:confused:

I would bet that most people likely to drain an EN-ELxx battery in a single day's shooting would just as likely already know what chargers/type//number of batteries they need to bring with them.

When you're shooting digital there's no reason not to shoot a lot of shots. I have it set to auto-bracket with 3 shots (and I curse the design--it won't auto-fire the three shots! You can set it to repeat fire and hold the trigger through three but that's it.) Sometimes one of the bracketing shots does better than the supposedly correct one.

That's the charger I have, no problems on 220/50 power. I do agree the labeling is strange but I figured they were giving US labeling to avoid confusing people who didn't understand that it was giving ranges.

I have used the MH-18a in Italy, Australia, etc and never had a problem either. It is very light and the cord comes in handy when outlets are limited.

I have used the MH-18a in Italy, Australia, etc and never had a problem either. It is very light and the cord comes in handy when outlets are limited.

Yeah. I wouldn't mind a shorter cord but it's not a big deal. I don't see what the big deal is here.

Can anyone recommend a travel-friendly charger for Nikon's EN-EL3e batteries? Mine has a long power cord and is not variable voltage.

Small and light is obviously a plus. I'm looking for something where the plug (U.S.) is contained in the unit - perhaps a swivel plug in back. No lengthy cord please. <<<...rest snipped fro brevity...>.

Your laptop's cord may do the trick. I travel with the EN-EL3e charger but leave the power cord at home. I'm able to use my Thinkpad X60 laptop's power cord with the Nikon charger to charge the battery overnight when not using it for the laptop. So there is one less cable to take.

I use this as a travel charger for my D80 EN-EL batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/AC-DC-BATTERY-CHARGER-NIKON/dp/B000FBL3U0

The swivel power plug does feel a tad loose but it's only vulnerable to damage when it's pulled out. There's also a spring lip where the battery attaches which seems like it could be dinged, but I've hauled it over numerous trips covering 4 continents without problems. The small form factor is great compared to the stock charger which has a much too long cable.

I use this as a travel charger for my D80 EN-EL batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/AC-DC-BATTERY-CHARGER-NIKON/dp/B000FBL3U0

The swivel power plug does feel a tad loose but it's only vulnerable to damage when it's pulled out. There's also a spring lip where the battery attaches which seems like it could be dinged, but I've hauled it over numerous trips covering 4 continents without problems. The small form factor is great compared to the stock charger which has a much too long cable.

Darn. I just bought the Nikon version since I needed an extra.

Does this comment from the reviews make sense to anyone?

charge time appears to be considerably faster than the nikon version, which probably means the batteries will run out faster too.

Darn. I just bought the Nikon version since I needed an extra.

Does this comment from the reviews make sense to anyone?

Yeah, I think that it is somewhat analogous to car cell phone trickel chargers; that is that a slow and steady charge conditions the battery to holder a greater charge for a longer period of time.

As for the real-world physics - dunno.

Also, for those having a problem with the Nikon charger's long cord, just take it to an electrician or your local electronics repair shop and pay the guy $10 to short it for you.

I use this as a travel charger for my D80 EN-EL batteries.

http://www.amazon.com/AC-DC-BATTERY-CHARGER-NIKON/dp/B000FBL3U0

............, but I've hauled it over numerous trips covering 4 continents without problems...

Thanks for the link. What's more important, your own experience with it. ^^
I assume the D80 and D90 use the same model battery. I need one for D90.

I take the original cord and the charger. Honestly, I believe it weighs nearly nothing. I have three batteries as well, but recently, they don't seem to be holding the charge as well. I wouldn't want to be on the trip of a lifetime -- or of the month and not be able to get the great shot because you don't have any charge left in the battery.

If you are going to take a converter/adapter for other things -- your phone/ipod/laptop what is another oz. unless you are backpacking in the wilderness or something.

I take the original cord and the charger. Honestly, I believe it weighs nearly nothing. I have three batteries as well, but recently, they don't seem to be holding the charge as well. I wouldn't want to be on the trip of a lifetime -- or of the month and not be able to get the great shot because you don't have any charge left in the battery.

If you are going to take a converter/adapter for other things -- your phone/ipod/laptop what is another oz. unless you are backpacking in the wilderness or something.

I usually carry several electronic gadgets with me on trips: 2 P&S + D90; notebook; cell phone; iPod; GPS. Each item has its own charger and cord. Space and weight become a problem. I would love to get rid of most of the cords, if not all.

I usually carry several electronic gadgets with me on trips: 2 P&S + D90; notebook; cell phone; iPod; GPS. Each item has its own charger and cord. Space and weight become a problem. I would love to get rid of most of the cords, if not all.

Yeah, I wish there were some standardized power sources out there!