The three units, quickly: mAh (milliamp-hours) is capacity, or how much charge the pack can deliver; V (volts) is voltage, the working potential it operates at; and Wh (watt-hours) is energy, equal to capacity times voltage, which is the honest measure of how much work a battery holds. For the NP-FZ100: it’s rated 2280mAh / 7.2V / about 16.4Wh, which is simply 2.28Ah × 7.2V ≈ 16.4Wh. Compare across batteries in Wh, not mAh, because two packs with identical mAh but different voltages hold different amounts of energy. We’ll take each spec apart below and show where it actually affects you — runtime, air travel, charging. If you want the more practical version of this comparison, see 2280mAh vs 2400mAh.
The specs side by side
| Spec | Full name | Meaning | NP-FZ100 value | What it affects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mAh | Milliamp-hours | Capacity: how many milliamps for how many hours | 2280mAh | Runtime comparison between same-voltage packs |
| Ah | Amp-hours | mAh ÷ 1000 | 2.28Ah | The intermediate step in Wh math |
| V | Volts | Nominal working voltage | 7.2V | Compatibility with the body; whether it works at all |
| Wh | Watt-hours | Energy = Ah × V | About 16.4Wh | Cross-model comparison and airline rules |
| Cutoff voltage | — | The point at which discharge must stop | Set by body and protection circuit | When “0%” appears on your camera |
mAh: familiar, and the most misused
Capacity, plainly stated: a 2280mAh pack should theoretically deliver 2280mA for one hour, or 1140mA for about two. Intuitive — but only if two conditions hold:
- Equal voltage. Two 2280mAh packs at 7.2V and 3.7V differ by nearly a factor of two in energy.
- Moderate discharge rate. Heavy draws — bursts, 4K recording — lose energy to internal resistance, so usable capacity comes in below the rating.
So mAh is a fair comparison only between the same battery type at the same voltage, such as a 2280mAh NP-FZ100 against a 2400mAh one.
V: decides whether it works, not how long it lasts
Voltage is set by the camera’s design. The NP-FZ100 is nominally 7.2V, though the real value drifts across the charge range — a little higher when full, falling near empty, until the body hits cutoff, declares 0%, and powers down. Key points:
- Voltage has to match the body. Wrong values trigger errors and can cause damage; it’s one reason different battery families don’t interchange.
- Higher isn’t better. Anything outside the design range is unsafe, not faster.
- Same family, same voltage. Both NP-FZ100 and TNP-FZ100 sit at 7.2V, which is exactly why they swap freely.
Wh: the number that actually compares
Wh folds capacity and voltage into one energy figure, and it has two practical jobs:
- Cross-model comparisons. Different voltages? Convert to Wh for an honest comparison.
- Airline classification. Aviation rules are written in Wh. At about 16.4Wh the NP-FZ100 stays below 100Wh, so spares ride in carry-on and never in checked bags; details in flying with NP-FZ100 batteries.
The 2400mAh version works out at roughly 17.3Wh — still far under 100Wh, same rules apply.
Turning the three numbers into runtime
The basic relationships are simple: frames ≈ available energy ÷ energy per frame, and for continuous work, runtime ≈ energy ÷ power draw. Take a 16.4Wh pack: if your body pulls around 5W while recording, that’s roughly three hours; push the draw toward 8W and you’re down to about two.
That explains a lot of familiar frustrations:
- You never hit the rated frame count. Official CIPA figures usually sit between 500 and 700 frames, and real shooting commonly lands at 60%–80% of that — less for video and bursts.
- A 5% capacity bump feels like nothing. 2280mAh versus 2400mAh is about 5%, which translates to a few dozen extra frames.
- Switching bodies changes more than switching batteries. Differences in body draw are often multiples, dwarfing any capacity gap.
Which number to look at when buying
| Your question | Look at | Supplementary note |
|---|---|---|
| Will it work in my camera? | Model plus voltage (V) | Wrong model makes extra capacity worthless |
| Which option has more capacity? | mAh | 2280mAh vs 2400mAh is roughly a 5% spread |
| Comparing across battery types | Wh | Wh = Ah × V |
| Can it go on a plane? | Wh | Under 100Wh follows standard spare-battery rules |
| How long will it shoot? | Wh plus your body’s draw | Runtime = capacity ÷ power draw |
One thing people overlook: ratings aren’t measurements. Ratings are not measurements: inflated claims do exist, and every pack loses capacity gradually across its cycle life.
FAQ
Does more mAh always mean longer runtime?
At equal voltage in the same body, generally yes — but often by less than you’d guess. 2280mAh to 2400mAh is around a 5% difference, worth dozens of frames, while your camera settings swing things further.
Why compare in Wh rather than mAh?
Because mAh ignores voltage. Energy is capacity times voltage, so only Wh tells you what a pack actually stores.
Is 7.2V too low or too high?
It’s the nominal value the camera was designed around; matching it is what matters. There’s no benefit to “more volts,” and exceeding the design range creates risk.
The pack doesn’t list Wh. How do I get it?
Divide mAh by 1000 to get Ah, then multiply by nominal V: 2280mAh ÷ 1000 × 7.2V ≈ 16.4Wh.
What about the charger’s output specs?
Check that output voltage matches the pack’s rating and that current is within a sensible range. Warm during charging is fine; uncomfortably hot means stop and investigate — review our battery care notes.
Bottom line and buying notes
One sentence to keep: type and voltage decide whether it works, Wh decides how long it lasts, and mAh ranks options inside the same family. YO’s NP-FZ100 compatible battery is rated 2280mAh / 7.2V / about 16.4Wh at around $17.89, with a battery-plus-charger kit at about $22.93 and two batteries with a charger at about $36.74; Sony’s original sells for $70 and up. For a little more energy, the TNP-FZ100 (2400mAh / about 17.3Wh) is around $19.66, or about $39.92 in the two-battery kit. To see how these translate into real frame counts across bodies, check the NP-FZ100 runtime database. Studios, rental houses, and resellers needing 100 units or more should request pricing through the wholesale inquiry page.