USB-C Power Delivery
USB PD
USB Power Delivery is the USB-C charging standard that lets a charger and a device negotiate higher voltages, so cameras, phones and laptops charge faster.
Plain USB supplies a small, fixed amount of power. USB Power Delivery (USB PD) lets the two ends of a USB-C cable agree on more — higher voltages and currents — so a laptop can charge from a USB-C brick and a camera can run from a power bank. Many current mirrorless cameras can charge, and some can run, from a USB PD source.
For photographers it's mostly about batteries on long days: one USB-C PD power bank can top up a phone, a camera and a laptop.
How it works
When a PD charger and a PD device connect, they negotiate over the cable's configuration channel: the charger advertises what it can supply and the device asks for one option. If either end doesn't speak PD, they fall back to basic USB power. Cameras that support it usually list USB PD in their specifications, and some only charge (not run) from USB, so check the manual. Cables matter too: higher-power PD needs a cable rated for it.
An example: a full-day conference
An event photographer tethers a camera to a phone for nine hours. The phone does the uploading and the screen is on, so it drains faster than usual. A small USB-C PD power bank in a pocket keeps the phone topped up between sessions, and the camera's spare batteries handle the rest.
Power and CloudTether
When a camera is tethered to a phone over USB-C, that port is busy carrying data, so plan power separately. Keep CloudTether open with Pocket mode, which darkens the screen to save battery, and use a USB-PD power bank for full-day events, as the help centre suggests. Some cameras try to draw charge from whatever they're plugged into, phones included, so watch the phone's battery the first time you tether a new body. See camera tethering cable.
PD versus data speed
Power and data are separate properties of a USB-C cable. A cable can carry 100 W of power and only USB 2 data, or the other way round. Choose tether cables for data first, then check they're rated for any charging you need.
Tips and common mistakes
- Check whether your camera charges, runs, or both from USB PD before relying on it.
- Carry a short, data-rated USB-C cable for tethering and a separate charging cable.
- A cold power bank delivers less — keep it in an inside pocket in winter.
Put it into practice
CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers every shot to the cloud, live as you shoot — no laptop.