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I will go on an three-week camping trip around iceland. My primary power sources will be the 12V socket of the mini camper (while the engine is running) and a 62Wh power bank (loaded via the 12V socket with a USB charger). The camper itself has no 220V supply, so even if there is a "regular" power supply on camp sites, it might not be very convenient to use that (let's say it is raining).

Which charging equipment would you recommend in that situation?

I came across USB battery chargers like this one for the Nikon EN-EL15 battery (I have a Nikon D7000). I could use it with the 12V car USB charger and the powerbank (and also with a USB wall charger if a come across a usable 220V outlet). Also, it is small and I would not need to carry the original MH-25 charger (and cable) which is quite bulky.

The reviews I read are quite mixed (as with many cheap 3rd party accessories). Some claim that a 2-pin charger may even damage the battery opposed to the original 5-pin charger.

Are there any (verified) objections against such chargers?

Side note: I am also thinking about buying a second battery. From my travelling experience, going with two fully loaded batteries should (almost) be sufficient for three weeks. It increases the likelihood to have access to a 220V socket before both batteries are empty. I would have to carry the original charger but I would not have to rely on cheap equipment. What do you think?

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  • How much shooting do you plan to do over three weeks? – Blrfl Apr 11 '18 at 10:59
  • I guess I will shoot around 2000+ images. Depending on whether I also buy/carry an action cam, I also intend to shoot some film footage with the camera (maybe a few hours at most). – code_onkel Apr 11 '18 at 11:03
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I use an inverter plugged into my cig lighter in my Jeep. Its a mini transformer. Which ups the current to normal 110 household current. I plug my Nikon charger into that so I do my charging while I drive. Works great. I do have 2 batteries. One to use. One to charge. Never had a problem. I bought mine at Home Depot. It's a Black and Decker product.

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  • Technically speaking, it increases the potential (volts) and decreases the current (Ampere) - e.g. from 12VDC @ 10A to 110VAC @ 1.1A. – flolilo Apr 12 '18 at 18:31
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First:

Neewer is a company you can trust in, I have several Neewer products, working fine. So, I don't have a bad feeling about this

More generally speaking:

Basically yes, a cheap charger can damage the cells, because they may not have the proper safety functions as the original one and thus overcharging the cells or following not the correct CV/CC phase for charging. This will most likely only reduce battery lifetime.

Things you should check:

  • Does the charger have a proper CE certificate or similar?

  • Does the company provide other tools from the same spectrum which are rated positively?

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  • 2
    When Li-Ion batteries are involved, overcharging very quickly leads to issues that are much more serious than reduction in battery lifetime! – Michael C Apr 11 '18 at 16:51

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