Tether Tools has announced the Case Relay system, a camera attachment that they claim to be the world’s first device that will allow you to provide uninterrupted power to your camera using a standard wall outlet or USB battery pack, such as the ones you use to charge up your smartphone.
The device itself isn’t exactly elegant, as it’s a box connected to two wires: one to plug into your camera and one that connects to the battery pack or wall outlet. The box itself houses a 1,200 mAh battery inside, which powers the camera as you’re switching power sources.
Tether Tools says the device is comparable with Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, with custom battery couplers for each proprietary batter pack. As for what you’ll be powering it with, Tether tools notes that any USB battery pack should work so long as it’s 5-volts.
Tether Tools claims a 10,000mAh battery pack will give you between 3–10 times the amount of power your standard camera battery will last you.
The Case Relay costs $100, plus the money needed to buy the correct Coupler for your camera. So it’s not exactly cheap. Thankfully, battery packs can be had for dirt cheap. Take for example this 10,000mAh power bank, which costs only $9 when used with the coupon code ‘JDI3KZ3Y’.
