Amateur Photographer verdict
The Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger is a neat device that offers useful extra features over simple chargers. But you can get faster battery charging if you’re prepared to spend a bit more money.- Very affordable
- Charges two camera batteries at once
- Works as a powerbank
- Battery charging isn’t super-fast
- Built-in SD card reader is very slow
Over the past year or two we’ve tested a lot of devices that are designed for charging, storing and transporting camera batteries, often with additional functions built in. The Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger stands out due to both its versatility and its bargain price, at just $30 / £24. As well as being a dual charger, it also works as a card reader and a powerbank. So what, if anything, is the catch?
Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger at a glance:
- $30 / £24
- Charges two batteries at once
- Works as a powerbank
- Built-in SD card reader
- Two SD card storage slots
- 137 x 78 x 29mm, 103g
- newell.pro
Measuring a shade under 14 x 8 x 3cm, this is a fairly compact unit that won’t take up excessive space in your bag. It takes the form of a black plastic box with smoothly curved edges and a hinged lid.
Open the lid, and you’ll find two battery charging slots plus two SD card storage slots inside, with a small but clear digital display in between them. Pressing a button in the middle shows the charge status of each battery.
Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger key features:
- LCD Display: A clear, bright LCD display shows the batteries’ status during charging or use as a powerbank
- SD card reader: An SD card reader slot is hidden beneath the USB cable, but it’s not very fast
- Built-in cable: A built-in USB-A cable allows the device to be plugged directly into a USB charging block or a powerbank
- Input/output ports: There’s a USB-C input port for charging the batteries, and a USB-A output for using the device as a powerbank
Primarily, the device works as a dual battery charger, using either its integrated USB-A cable or a USB-C port at the back. In my tests using the Sony FZ100 version, it took about two hours to charge a single battery, or four hours to charge two.
That’s on par compared to most cheap USB dual chargers. But it’s pretty slow compared to more expensive units, some of which can replenish two batteries in half the time.
It’ll also work as a powerbank, using your camera batteries to give a 5V 2A output. That could be handy for topping up such things as headphones, or even your phone if necessary. Here, the batteries are used sequentially, which makes perfect sense. Again, their charge status is shown clearly on the digital display.
Thirdly, you get a built-in SD card reader, via a slot at the front that’s hidden under the USB cable. While this is nice to have, the catch is that it appears to be limited to USB 1.1 speeds, which max out at just 12 MBps.
That means it’ll take almost half an hour to copy 16GB of files, which a USB 3 reader could transfer within a couple of minutes. I wouldn’t want to use it for much more than copying small numbers of photos at a time.
Battery compatibility
Newell makes this device in no fewer than 9 versions, covering many of the most popular cameras. The batteries supported are Canon LP-E6, LP-E10, and LP-E17; Fujifilm NP-W126; Nikon EN-EL14 and EN-EL15; Panasonic DMW-BLK22; and Sony NP-FW50 and NP-FZ100.
Notable exceptions, though, are the Fujifilm NP-W235 (which is used in most high-end X-system and GFX cameras) and OM System BLX-1 (for the OM-1, OM-1 Mark II, and OM-3).
Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger: Our Verdict
While the Newell LCD-PB-SD dual-channel charger is a neat little device, the penalty for its affordability lies with its speed. However, if you just want to use it to top up a couple of batteries overnight and as a back-up card reader, that might not be a problem. As a dual charger that can double up as a powerbank and an organiser for spare batteries and SD cards, it’s still great value for money.
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