Sony BCTRP Battery Charger for DCR-HC, DCR-DVD, HDR-HC3, HC5, HC7, HDR-UX5 & UX7 Camcorders

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

Fantastic Investment

As a mom of a young son, having a power cable hanging off the counter with my camera attached was just an invitation for trouble. I purchased this item prior to a Disney vacation, along with a 2nd battery, so that I could charge up one battery while still being able to use the camera (given that Sony decided to go with the odd quirk that you can't charge the battery on the camera unless the camera is completely OFF). This charger is small, light, and fast. It fit easily in my camera bag, and let me leave my cables at home. I love that it plugs directly into the outlet with no cable, and that the batteries don't get hot. This may be the best accessory out there.

(5 out of 5)

Small and light

This is a great buy. It plugs directly into the wall outlet and a handy ability to folding the prongs back into the unit. In my opinion, it is smaller and lighter than the pictures suggest. It seems about the weight of a pack of gum. There is a light to indicate when charging is complete. Seems well built.

(4 out of 5)

Does the job, but suffers from lack of foresight in design.

Last month, I purchased a Sony DCR-SR100 hard disc digital camcorder. After a few weeks of use, I decided on two things:

1) I needed a larger battery to take advantage of the 7 hours of HQ recording the camera is capable of, and

2) I needed an external charger for the batteries so I would not have to plug the camera in, unused, for hours at a time while the battery charged.

I selected the largest available "P" series battery, and purchased both the battery and this charger through Amazon.

The charger is well made, compact, and features a power prong that folds sideways into the body, which is excellent for portability. I found that the charger and a spare battery fit perfectly into the side compartment of the camera bag I purchased with my camcorder.

Being able to charge one battery while using the other in the camera has freed me from the downtime and inconvenience I had experienced prior.

The problem I have with this charger is a poor choice on Sony's part with regards to charge indication. The instruction manual has a chart for each P Series battery, and lists the approximate "normal" charge time and "full" charge time. The difference seems to be that the "normal" charge is mostly -- but not fully -- charged.

The manual states that when you insert a battery and plug the charger in, the indicator light will come on. When "normal" charging is complete, the indicator light goes off. The kicker is that to achieve a "full" charge, the manual says to leave the battery charging for about an hour after the indicator light has turned off. There is no additional visual cue to tell you when or if a "full" charge has been achieved. You essentially have to guess when the battery is fully charged.

I would rather have seen a product with multiple indicator lights, or at least with "flash codes" for the single indicator light so you have a way of distinguishing if the battery is currently charging, and if the charge is "mostly done," or complete and full.

That being said, the unit does get the job done and free you to film while your backup is charging. The battery is usable after the charge light goes off, even if it does not have the maximum life. If you are in the habit of charging your battery overnight, then you can probably be assured that the battery will have a full charge in the morning, even if the charger won't tell you. Other than what some may consider to be a nit-picking gripe, I have no complaints.

(5 out of 5)

No more fumbling over power cords!

As a new owner of a Sony Handycam 26 this was a must have accessory! NO cords, just plug directly into the wall and have it readily accessible the next time you need a powered up battery. The unit is no bigger than one of those plug in air freshners, it stands flush to the wall and has a ready light easily visible. The swivel prong plugs are super feature if you are using the bottom outlet for something else and need to swivel the unit sideways instead of up and down. The prong plugs also fold flush with the unit when not is use! This helps to make the unit even more compact and also no sticking out prongs to scratch the covers of your mini DV's or camera itself! The charger stores super easy because there's no cord to wind or bulk up in your travel bag! YEAH! Super design, super compact, and easy to use.

RECOMMENDED!

(5 out of 5)

Great and useful but beware if you want to buy this product in other countries.

If you see this product in your country, check if it is the same model (even if they say BC-TRP). The Argentina version comes with an AC cable instead of foldable plug. If you want to save place in your bag, better get the USA version and an adapter for the plug otherwise you have to carry the cable.

The same happens with model BC-TR1.