Short answer: a BCX204 can be charged three ways, and from fastest to slowest they are a multi-bay charging hub, a PD charger feeding the camera body, and an ordinary 5V charger feeding the body. The gap comes from how much power the body will accept, not from the figure printed on the charger. The pack is quoted at 1950mAh typical, 3.8V, 7.55Wh, with a rated figure of 1900mAh and 7.36Wh. That is not much energy, so any route fills a battery by morning. What needs planning is the order for three packs.
Where each route tops out
Charging through the body’s USB-C port is the least fuss. The cable and the charging circuit both sit inside the camera, and that circuit holds the current down to keep the body cool. In most cases the body draws at 5V, so input lands around 5W. If you are recording at the same time, part of that budget goes to the recording rather than the battery.
A multi-bay hub moves the charging circuit outside the camera. Each bay is fed separately, typically at 5V and 2A, which is about 10W per bay. The value is not speed on one pack but that two or three fill at once.
A PD charger does not set the speed by itself. If the body only draws at 5V, a 65W charger still delivers about 5W. Higher voltage steps only help when the body supports them. Read the input specification in the manual before buying.
Working out the times
Every figure below is an estimate. The formula is 7.55Wh divided by input power divided by 0.8, where 0.8 stands for the combined efficiency of the charging circuit and the cable. Add ten to twenty minutes for temperature, cable quality and idle draw.
- Body at 5V and 1A, so 5W: 7.55 ÷ 5 ÷ 0.8 is about 1.9 hours.
- One hub bay at 5V and 2A, so 10W: 7.55 ÷ 10 ÷ 0.8 is about 0.94 hours, roughly 55 minutes.
- An 18W PD charger into a body that accepts 10W: 7.55 ÷ 10 ÷ 0.8 is about 0.94 hours. If the body stays limited to 5W, you are back to 1.9 hours.
The third line is the one to remember: a bigger charger buys nothing unless the camera agrees to take more.
| Method | Assumed input | Estimated full charge | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body USB-C | 5V / 1A, 5W | About 1.9 hours | Hotel room, car, top-ups on the move |
| Multi-bay hub | 5V / 2A per bay, 10W | About 55 minutes | Two or three packs overnight at home |
| PD charger into body | 18W charger, body at 10W | About 55 minutes | One charger for camera and phone |
| PD charger, body limited | 18W charger, body at 5W | About 1.9 hours | Bodies without higher voltage input |
Planning the night before
Take three packs and a full day of shooting. At seven in the evening two packs go into the hub. One bay needs about 55 minutes, two bays in parallel take about an hour, so both are full by a quarter past eight. The third pack goes in next and is done by a quarter past nine.
With body charging only, the schedule is tighter. One pack takes 1.9 hours, so three take close to six. Starting at seven means the first is done at nine, the second at eleven, and the third at one in the morning.
Charge the pack that goes into the camera first, before the spares. If the evening runs short, the camera still holds a full battery.
If you travel with a single PD charger, pick one with two USB-C ports, one for the camera and one for the phone. With both in use the power is shared and charging slows.
To work out how many packs suit your shooting, check the kit options on the BCX204 compatible battery page and compare the bundles listed under DJI BCX204 batteries.
Can the camera charge a phone
Using a camera battery as a power bank requires the body to support power output, and that is a question for the camera manual. On most action cameras the USB-C port is an input, used for charging and for powered recording, and reverse output is not part of the normal feature set.
If a phone needs a top-up, carry a small power bank instead. At 7.55Wh the BCX204 cannot fill a current phone once.
FAQ
Can a charging hub fill three packs at once?
It depends on the hub. Multi-bay hubs usually feed each bay separately, and parallel charging comes down to total output. When that is too low the bays take turns, generally left to right. Work from the total in the manual.
Does a phone fast charger damage the camera?
No. A fast charger negotiates a voltage step with the body first and falls back to 5V if no agreement is reached. The risk comes from cheap chargers with no protocol and unstable output.
Can I unplug halfway and finish the next day?
Yes. Lithium packs have no memory effect, and shallow cycles are gentler than deep ones. What matters is not leaving a pack flat for months. Charge it to roughly half before storing it.
Does recording while charging slow the charge?
Yes. The body has to feed the recording and the battery at the same time, so part of the input goes elsewhere and a full charge takes longer. The body also runs hotter throughout.