Can a Canon SX720 HS charge over a normal micro-USB cable, or does it need Canon’s IFC-600PCU cable?
Asked 4/30/2018
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My Canon SX720 HS manual says the battery can be charged inside the camera over USB, but Canon references its IFC-600PCU cable. I’d like to know whether the cable uses a special pinout, or if a normal micro-USB cable will work. If a standard cable can work, what kind of USB power source is required?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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Any USB cable with low enough resistance and a micro-usb end that fits your camera's usb port should work. Very thin cables probably can't handle the current demands of your camera's charging circuit. But there's nothing proprietary about the pinout of the official Canon cable. The wires are just of sufficient gauge and low enough resistance to allow enough power through them.
You need to insure that the other end is plugged into a USB port that supplies 5V/2A power. USB ports that only supply 5V/0.5A, 5V/1A or 5V/1.5A won't be able to charge your camera's battery.
USB ports that supply more than 5V/1A are known as 'High Power' USB ports. The internal insulator for a 'High Power' USB port is usually red (or sometimes blue on motherboards made before USB 3.0 was introduced) instead of the standard black on computers that have them. Since USB 3 is now blue, most of them made since USB 3 came out are red.
Even with a high power USB source, the battery can only be charged in the camera when the camera is powered down.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The IFC-600PCU does not appear to use a special pinout. Based on the community reports, the SX720 HS can charge with a normal micro-USB cable as long as both the cable and power source can deliver enough current.
What matters most:
- Use a decent-quality, low-resistance cable
- Use a 5V USB power source that can supply about 2A or more
Reported working examples included:
- a generic USB cable with a 5V/3A charger
- a power bank with 5V/2.1A output
Reported not working:
- a typical 5V/1A charger
So the issue is likely not proprietary wiring, but insufficient power delivery or a poor cable. If charging does not start, try a shorter/better micro-USB cable and a stronger 5V USB charger or power bank. Some chargers may still behave inconsistently even if their label suggests enough output, so compatibility can vary.
In short: you probably do not need Canon’s cable specifically, but you do need a suitable micro-USB cable and a robust 5V USB power source.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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