Tether Tools ONsite USB-C 30W Battery Pack Review

Tether Tools are known for their tether cables, these enable you to link your camera to a computer and remotely control its functions. With the Tether Tools USB-C 30W PD Battery Pack, the company is looking at other devices that can be tethered to the camera, and an external power source seems like a good fit.

The Tether Tools USB-C 30W PD Battery Pack gives your camera a power boost by supplying power through USB. The device is designed to work with any camera that can charge through a USB connection, such as the Sony A7 III. Plug a compatible USB cable into the camera and then into the Tether Tools USB-C 30W PD Battery Pack, and you’re set to go.

As well as the powering cameras directly, it can also be used to power any device that can be charged through a USB Type-C port or USB Type-A port.

The Tether Tools USB-C 30W PD Battery Pack is a power pack like many others; however, with the Tether Tools brand, you can be assured that the power you’re putting through your camera is exactly what it says it is.

Tether Tools are known for its iconic orange cables and quality, and this quality is evident in its new line-up of products.
The Tether Tools USB-C 30W PD Battery Pack is a battery pack that supplies your camera with a portable power boost.

The full sleek metal design is simple but stylish, and although a functional product, looks great with the Tether Tools logo printed down the side.
There’s very little to the ONsite USB-C 30W battery pack, just the two USB ports, one A and one C type and a power button on the side. When the power button is pushed, four blue status lights appear to show how much charge is left.

To use, it’s a case of plugging in the cable you need and then plugging it into the camera. Of course, the camera needs to be able to charge or be powered by USB in order for this to work, if the camera does then you are set to go. It’s that simple.

The way the new ONsite range has been developed is very clever; each component is available separately, so you can build the system that you want and as you need.

When looking at the ONsite USB-C 30W Battery Pack, the one additional accessory that I would recommend is the StrapMoore. This is simply a strap that enables you to quickly attach the ONsite battery pack to a tripod leg, lampstand or anything else you can wrap it around.

Plugging in a USB Type-C cable into the battery pack and then the other end straight into the camera instantly starts to provide power. This is shown on the Sony A7 III by means of the small power sign next to the battery level indicator and confirms that the pack is supplying power.

That’s as simple as it is; usually, on a day’s shoot, I’ll get through two batteries per camera and as I embarked on a four-day shoot, the thought of not having to unmount and unplug the camera, albeit once a day, felt like a great idea. All these small things add up, and although a battery change will only take a few minutes, it’s often the signal for everyone to take a break and that can last a lot longer.

Plugged in and strapped to the side of a tripod with insulation tape, this is where the StrapMoore is useful, you can get on with using the camera as normal. It might not be the most elegant of solutions visually, but it works.

In use, I ran the camera for two and a half days without needing to swap the battery or charge the power pack, which equates to my usual usage of five batteries. The camera had a battery and a battery pack, so it extended the use by four batteries or two days, which is impressive.

As well as being used to power the camera, it could also be used to charge other devices. To do this, plug in the relevant USB cable and then connect that to the device that you want to charge. All easy enough, and again, the power pack did the job and charged several devices with ease.

The Tether Tools ONsite USB-C 30W Battery Pack is a simple device but extremely useful. There’s little to think about it; charge it up, plug it into the power input of your camera, and it works. Likewise, when charging other devices, it works the same way as a mains USB plug, or at least it does while it holds enough charge.

The design is simple but offers everything you could need from a power pack; the 9600mAh capacity is enough to fully recharge four Sony NP-FZ100 batteries and keep your camera running well beyond its normal limits, heat allowing, of course.

It also enables you to charge other things, including your phone. It doesn’t enable you to power your MacBook Pro i9, but neither does the 96w power adapter that Apple supplies and the national grid, so that’s no real surprise.

Ultimately the Tether Tools ONsite USB-C 30W Battery Pack is an extremely useful device. Considering four Sony NP-FZ100 batteries will set you back £260, the cost of £46 for The Tether Tools ONsite USB-C 30W Battery Pack is amazing. However, make sure you also buy the StrapMoore, or you’ll have sticky tape over everything.