The ZILR NP-F970 USB Type-C PD Power Kit is a good solution for Z Cam cameras, Atomos devices, or any other product that runs off Sony NP style batteries.
This kit was heavily inspired by Z Cam. The USB-C to Lightning cable was designed specifically for these cameras. That’s not to say this is a kit that is only suitable if you own a Z Cam, because that would be selling it short.
Key features
- NP-F970 High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Battery Pack with USB Type-C PD
- High-Capacity Battery 10,050mAh
- LED Power Indicator
- Fast Charging over USB-C PD
- 65W AC Wall Power Adapter with USB Type-C PD
- High-quality USB-C to USB-C cable for fast charging and data with support up to 100W
- High-quality USB-C to Lightning cable for charging via the Battery or the AC Power Adapter with fast charging on support phones
Who is ZILR?
ZILR is an Australian company that initially started out making a new range of HDMI cables. They have now expanded into making power solutions.
What do you get?
The kit comes with the following:
- 1x NP-F970 Battery USB-C PD Battery
- 1x 65W USB-C PD Wall Charger
- 1x 1m / 3.3ft USB Type-C male to Type-C male Data Cable
- 1x 1m / 3.3ft USB Type-C male to Lightning Data Cable
- 1x AC Adapter Plug for UK / Hong Kong / Singapore
- 1x AC Adapter Plug for Australia / New Zealand
- 1x AC Adapter Plug for Continental Europe
Next Gen NP-F970 Battery
The NP-F970 Battery that comes in the kit has a high capacity of 10,050mAh. It is also able to supply USB-C PD. The output from the USB-C PD on the battery is 20W.
What I love about batteries that have USB-C is that you can use them as a power bank. Being able to just have one battery that you can run cameras, smartphones, tablets, lights, and external recorders means you don’t have to carry around multiple chargers and different types of batteries.
USB-C PD Wall Charger
The USB-C wall charger features a GaN chip with USB Type PD at 65W. This equates to lower power consumption and more efficient charging.
It has been designed for use with both PD and QC charging protocols.
The charger features:
- Two USB-C PD ports
- One USB-A port
- 65W Fast Charging
- International Plugs
With three USB ports, you can recharge multiple mobile devices simultaneously. The adapter can output a total of 65W between the three ports, and each individual port has its own maximum output. The first USB Type-C port can deliver a full 65W, the second USB Type-C port can provide up to 30W, and the USB Type-A port can also provide up to 30W. Both USB Type-C ports support USB Power Delivery fast-charging technology.
The USB-C wall charger allows you to not only charge the NP-F970 Battery but also other camera batteries that have USB-C, phones, tablets, laptops, etc.
Cables
The USB-C cable that comes in the kit is USB 3.2 Gen 2 SuperSpeed rated and it also supports fast charging.
On a Z Cam, you can power your iPhone via the USB-C to Lightning cable so you can control and monitor your Z Cam via the mobile app. Now, I don’t have access to a Z cam so I wasn’t able to try this out.
Price
The ZILR NP-F970 USB Type-C PD Power Kit is available for $199.99 USD.
You can also buy the ZILR 74.37Wh L-Series/NP-F970 Lithium-Ion Battery with USB Type-C PD Output separately for $79.99 USD.
The ZILR 65W GaN 3-Port USB Type-C AC Wall Charger is also available separately for $49.99 USD.
The ZILR 74.37Wh L-Series/NP-F970 Lithium-Ion Battery is actually very competitively priced and it is a lot more affordable than options from Sony, Blueshape, and Anton Bauer.
| PRICE | |
| ZILR 74.37Wh L-Series/NP-F97 | $79.99 USD |
| Sony NP-F970 L-Series | $134 USD |
| Anton Bauer NP-F976 7.2V | $89 USD |
| BLUESHAPE Sony NP-F970 | $121.60 USD |
| Fxlion 48Wh 7.4V Battery with Sony NP-F970 Mount | $107 USD |
| SHAPE NP-F980 | $51.92 USD |
| SWIT S-8972 7.2V | $90 USD |
Real World Use
The ZILR NP-F970 USB Type-C PD Power Kit works as advertised. With more devices now utilizing USB-C, it is nice to have an NP-F970 Lithium-Ion Battery that can power those devices. Just having a battery in your kit bag that can charge your phone or tablet can be a big deal if you are out on location away from mains power.
It is also nice to have a charger that is small, fast, and able to charge multiple devices at once. Not having to carry around larger, heavier, and more expensive chargers is always nice, especially when you are traveling.
Conclusion
The ZILR NP-F970 USB Type-C PD Power Kit is a nice, versatile solution that enables you to power and charge a wide array of devices. I’m not currently aware of any other Sony NP style batteries that are currently on the market that offer USB-C PD.
Batteries such as the BLUESHAPE Sony NP-F970 DV Power Pack Battery and the SHAPE NP-F980 6600mAh Lithium-Ion Battery can be charged through a USB Micro-B Input, but not via USB-C. There is also the IDX System Technology SL-F50 Lithium-Ion Battery that has a USB 5V output and a D-Tap, but again, no USB-C.
The kit is well priced, and it offers you something, that to my knowledge, no one else on the market is currently doing.
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