Chargers

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Here's a weird question... where do you have your chargers?

I'd love for them to be convenient on the top of my desk, but the Canon chargers are designed to plug directly into an outlet. There's no cord to run down under the desk. This means I'd need a power strip on top of the desk. The charger for my Nikon P&S is just the opposite. It does have a cord. Add in the AA battery charger for the speedlite and the USB charger for the GPS track recorder and it's a real mess. In all, I need to be charging 6 things at the same time, and would really like them to all be there together. This means either crawling under the desk to get to batteries, or living with a big, ugly power strip and tangle of wires on the top of the desk.

Has anyone found a practical, convenient solution that's also reasonably esthetic?

 

[zackiedawg]

I haven't had an issue as such because I don't leave my chargers hard-wired or plugged in - mine are always put away in a drawer at my library desk. I pull them out when charging is needed. I went through the trouble when having my library office built (formerly a formal dining room which I had absolutely no purpose for), I decided to have power wall outlets installed right at desk level - two of them, with two outlets each for a total of 4. There are also power outlets installed under the desk which is where all the computer hardware is plugged in to a USB backup system, so the 4 up-top outlets are free to use as needed - phone chargers, camera chargers, plugging in my tablet, and so on. I typically run as many as 3 chargers simultaneously, especially the night before photo days - one charger for the DSLR battery, one for the mirrorless battery via external charger, and one for the mirrorless camera to charge a second battery in-camera. I've added a label to each power cord or charger so I know what's what - since I have so many in that drawer - between the tablet, ipod, 3 cameras, phone, laptop, kindle, and so on.

 

[photo_chick]

My camera charger stays in my bag and when I need to use it (and am at home) I usually plug it in the bathroom. It's the only really easily accessible outlet I have most of the time.

My other chargers... my son and I use the same one since we both have Android devices and it lives by his computer. Since it's technically his charger because I lost mine at a dance convention. The AAA/AA battery charger lives near the Xbox, since it's most frequently used for batteries for those.

DH and DD both have iPads and they keep their chargers in their bags because they're always charging when they're out.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

When we get back from a shoot, I can have 5-6 batteries to charge with three chargers. I plug them in wherever I can find an extra outlets!

 

[handicap18]

I keep my Nikon charger plugged in and on my bureau. For my canon video camera I just pull out the charger when I need it.

In the end it all comes down to where you keep your equipment in your house and what kind of a setup you have.

You could always use just an 8' extension cord. Those don't take up to much extra room on top of a desk or dresser or bureau or what ever you use.

 

[mom2rtk]

I keep my chargers, cords and power strip all in a bag in a corner of the living room. The ones I use most frequently get taken out and left on the dining room table in between charges. Then when I'm ready to take a trip, I can easily grab that whole bag and pack it into my suitcase. I also keep the extra batteries in there that only get charged and used when I travel.

 

[bob100]

Here's a weird question... where do you have your chargers?

I'd love for them to be convenient on the top of my desk, but the Canon chargers are designed to plug directly into an outlet. There's no cord to run down under the desk. This means I'd need a power strip on top of the desk. The charger for my Nikon P&S is just the opposite. It does have a cord. Add in the AA battery charger for the speedlite and the USB charger for the GPS track recorder and it's a real mess. In all, I need to be charging 6 things at the same time, and would really like them to all be there together. This means either crawling under the desk to get to batteries, or living with a big, ugly power strip and tangle of wires on the top of the desk.

Has anyone found a practical, convenient solution that's also reasonably esthetic?

why not put an extension cord on the charger?
I don't worry about camera batteries too much, it's the charger for the cell phone and tablet and laptop that have to be convenient (and get in the way)