China electricity and digital cameras?

[chatisfaction]

I'll be travelling in China for the first time later this year and I'm looking for info on recharging camera batteries while there. What do I need in the way of a converter and/or plug adapter and does anyone have any warnings or tips about what to do or not do to get the most effective charge?

[wander]

You will need a plug adapter. Sorry I cannot tell you which one as I carry several that have collectively met our needs around the world. Not sure which one I used in China.

 

Adaptor/converter needed? Depends on your specific battery charger. For my two Sony digital cameras the charger can work with either type of electicity so no converter is needed anywhere in the world. Some chargers must be used in conjunction with a converter. Check in your manual, or in our case the information is printed on the back of the charger.

 

After writing this I read your other message and realized that this response may be repeatitive, but I do think I added more information here. Hopefully others will respond as well.

[goeurope]

I'll be travelling in China for the first time later this year and I'm looking for info on recharging camera batteries while there. What do I need in the way of a converter and/or plug adapter and does anyone have any warnings or tips about what to do or not do to get the most effective charge?

 

See the World Electric Guide at http://www.kropla.com/, which has electrical information for travelers to many different countries. (It even has pictures of plugs.)

 

Also, check the charger specs in your camera's manual: Your charger may work over a wide range of voltages with nothing more than a plug adapter.

[chatisfaction]

goeurope

 

Thank you for the link. I'll take a look, and hope to find the information I need.

I've had instructions from my son to bring back as many pictures of everything as possible so I'd hate to have to disappoint him!

[new_cruiser]

All the digital camera battery chargers that l've ever seen have the ability to work over a wide range of voltages without a converter. You usually won't need to look at the manual to determine that. You can check that your charger does this by looking at the label around where the safety labels like UL are. There should be a line that says something like Input: 100-240 V 1.8 A (The ~ means the voltage is AC and the number before the A is the current required - 1.8 Amps was just the current for the particular adapter I was looking at). If the range of numbers before the V goes from below 110 to above 220, you should only need a plug converter and not a voltage converter.

 

There is a standard little kit with about 5 plug converters that you can buy at most travel stores and such. That has worked for all the plugs I've run into in Europe and Asia.

 

As I mentioned in the reply to your other post on this, a lot of the travel voltage converters don't really regulate the voltage (meaning the voltage can vary as the current draw changes). I suspect that using something like that is the reason some people have had trouble getting a good charge.

 

Also, don't use the 110 voltage outlet marked "shavers only" to charge the battery.

[tommui987]

I'll be travelling in China for the first time later this year and I'm looking for info on recharging camera batteries while there. What do I need in the way of a converter and/or plug adapter and does anyone have any warnings or tips about what to do or not do to get the most effective charge?

 

I used a converter which worked well. I also usually carry a dozen plus batteries with me just in case!