To charge a Canon G7X battery in the camera, you need a Mark III body with its USB Type-C port, an NB-13L cell seated inside, and a powered source such as a wall adapter or power bank. The original Canon PowerShot G7 X and the Mark II expose no charging port, so those two generations require the separate CB-2LH charger every time.
This guide walks through which model you own, the cable and power source that actually work on a Mark III, and how to read the indicator lights once the cable clicks into place.
Why G7 X Owners Ask About In-Camera Charging
The G7 X series has lived in jacket pockets, carry-on bags, and hotel nightstands since 2014, and that lifestyle breeds a specific anxiety for you: the charger stays home while the camera travels. A wall adapter or power bank feels universal, and the urge to plug in and top off feels obvious.
That hope runs straight into a hardware wall. Canon’s NB-13L lithium-ion battery is shared across all three generations, but Canon never added a charging port to the original G7 X or the Mark II. Only the Mark III ships with a USB-C input on the left side of the body, which leaves about two-thirds of G7 X owners still planning trips around the dedicated charger.
Travel tip: Pack a spare NB-13L battery before any trip longer than two days. Swapping a charged cell into a Mark I or Mark II takes five seconds and removes the charger-or-cable question.
The shared battery hides a generation gap
The NB-13L cell is identical across the lineup at 1250 mAh, so backup batteries bought for one body fit all three. The charging path changed between Mark II and Mark III, which catches owners who upgrade from an older model and assume older habits still apply.
G7 X Model-by-Model Charging Capability
Three generations, three different answers. The table below shows what each body actually supports, because the answer to whether you can charge a G7X battery in the camera flips from “no” to “yes” the moment the Mark III badge appears.
| Model | In-Camera Charging | Port Type | Charging Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| G7 X (original) | No | None | External CB-2LH charger only |
| G7 X Mark II | No | None | External CB-2LH charger only |
| G7 X Mark III | Yes | USB Type-C | USB cable to wall adapter, power bank, or computer |
Mark I and Mark II bodies expose only a mini-HDMI port and a proprietary AV/USB combo jack used for data transfer, never for charging. If you are holding one of those cameras, skip the cable hunt and reach for the wall charger.
How to identify which model you own
Flip the camera over and look at the badge above the LCD. The original G7 X shows a plain “G7 X” mark, the Mark II adds “Mark II,” and the Mark III carries the “Mark III” label. A faster check sits inside the menu under the wrench icon: open “Camera Info” or the “About” screen, and the firmware version lists the exact body.
Canon firmware files follow the pattern G7X, G7XM2, or G7XM3, so the suffix settles the question in under a minute.
Cables, Ports, and Power Sources That Actually Work
Mark III charging requires three things: a USB Type-C cable, a powered source, and a battery seated in the camera. The wrong cable is the silent failure that wastes the most time, so identifying the right one matters.
- USB Type-C to Type-C cable: The port on the Mark III is a true USB-C jack, so a C-to-C cable works with modern wall adapters and newer laptops.
- USB Type-A to Type-C cable: Most existing wall adapters still ship with Type-A outputs, so an A-to-C cable remains the most common choice for travel.
- Data-rated cable, not charge-only: Any cable carrying the USB-IF logo or labeled for data transfer handles the charging handshake correctly.
- 5V/1.5A minimum power source: Wall adapters rated at 5V/2A or higher charge fastest, and laptop USB-A ports typically deliver 0.5A, which still works but takes longer.
The 1.5A threshold matters more than it sounds. Plug a Mark III into an old 5V/0.5A phone charger and the camera charges on a timeline closer to five hours than two. Higher-amperage sources such as a 10,000 mAh power bank or a 12W iPad-style adapter cut that time almost in half.
Knowing which adapter or power bank trims the wait matters most once you can actually feed current into the body.
Heads up: Cable damage is the single most common reason a Mark III refuses to charge. A frayed connector, a bent pin, or a cheap gas-station cable can supply power intermittently even when it looks fine. Carry one known-good cable as a backup.
Step-by-Step Procedure for Charging Inside the Camera
The Mark III charging routine takes longer to describe than to execute. Three minutes of work buys a full battery without ever touching the CB-2LH dock.
- Power the camera off: Holding the playback button or leaving the camera in shooting mode lets the charging circuit negotiate but produces more heat. A clean shutdown keeps the cell cooler.
- Seat the NB-13L battery and close the door: The battery sits in the bottom compartment, gold contacts first, until the orange latch clicks.
- Connect a USB-C cable to the left-side port: The jack hides under a small rubber flap near the strap mount. Plug the other end into a powered wall adapter, power bank, or a powered laptop port.
- Watch the rear indicator light: A blinking green LED near the viewfinder confirms active charging, and a solid green light means the cell is full and the camera has stopped drawing current.
- Disconnect and power on: Unplugging before the solid-green stage leaves a partially charged battery, which is safe to do at any time.
Heat tells the real story during a full charge cycle. The Mark III’s left-side port area warms up under fast charging, and stacking that heat with a hot car interior or a windowsill in direct sun can push the battery temperature past its comfort zone. Charge in a ventilated spot, especially during the final hour when the cell tops off from 80% to 100%.
Why the camera stays off during charging
The Mark III powers down the sensor and image processor the moment a USB-C cable negotiates a charging handshake. Pressing the power button interrupts charging to run the camera, which is why Canon labels the port for charging only. The Mark III cannot pull power from a USB cable for live shooting, which keeps the charging circuit simple and the cell protected.
Charging Times, Indicator Lights, and Usability Limits
A depleted NB-13L inside a Mark III takes roughly two hours to reach full when paired with a 5V/2A source. The same battery plugged into a laptop’s 0.5A USB-A port stretches that window to four or five hours, depending on the laptop’s power management. The numbers shift with battery age, ambient temperature, and remaining charge, so a partial top-up from 40% to 80% often finishes in well under an hour on a fast source.
Three indicator states cover every situation you will encounter. A dark LED means no power is reaching the camera or the battery is already full and the circuit has stopped drawing. A slow blinking green LED means active charging at a healthy rate. A rapid or amber blink signals a fault such as a battery that has dropped below its safe operating voltage or an ambient temperature outside the 0°C to 40°C range.
Warning: Charging below freezing or above 40°C damages lithium-ion cells permanently. A glove compartment in winter or a beach bag in July both push the battery past its safe range.
What about overnight charging?
Leaving the Mark III plugged in past a full charge is safe. The internal charging circuit stops drawing current the moment the cell reaches 100%, so a battery can sit on a cable for eight hours without overcharging. Heat remains the only real concern, and a cool nightstand beats a warm power strip tucked behind a TV.
Even with a steady charge routine, the cell can still refuse to take current when something deeper is wrong.
Troubleshooting When In-Camera Charging Refuses to Start
Four symptoms cover nearly every charging failure on the Mark III. Walking through them in order solves the problem about nine times out of ten.
- No light at all: Swap the cable first, then try a different power source, since the battery may already be at full charge and the LED stays dark by design.
- Blinking green that never settles to solid: The cable is negotiating poorly or the source is sagging below 1.5A. Move to a wall adapter rather than a laptop, or swap in a fresh cable.
- Battery charges only partially: Confirm the power source can deliver at least 1.5A, because a laptop in sleep mode drops its USB output to 0.5A or less, which trickles charge but never completes a full cycle.
- Mark I or Mark II owner who skipped ahead: No cable will save you, so the only path is the CB-2LH wall charger, sold separately from Canon and most major retailers.
One more failure mode catches travelers who bought a third-party battery: aftermarket NB-13L cells without a working authentication chip sometimes refuse the charging handshake entirely. The fix is either a Canon-branded cell or a reputable third-party brand with confirmed compatibility.
When to suspect the battery itself
A battery that holds charge for ten minutes of shooting then dies has crossed the 300–500 cycle lifespan that most lithium-ion cells manage. Charging indicators behave normally because the cell accepts current, but capacity has collapsed. Replacing the battery solves a problem the cable cannot.
Bottom Line
The answer to whether you can charge a Canon G7X battery in the camera hinges on the badge on the bottom plate. Mark III owners get genuine USB-C in-camera charging with any reasonable cable and power source, while Mark I and Mark II owners need the CB-2LH wall charger and no cable trick will change that.
Knowing your model turns the question from a guessing game into a five-second check and keeps your bag lighter on the next trip.
FAQ
Does the Canon G7X charge via USB?
Only the G7 X Mark III supports in-camera USB charging through its USB Type-C port. The original G7 X and Mark II have no charging port on the body and require you to use the dedicated CB-2LH wall charger to refill the NB-13L battery.
How long does it take to charge a G7X battery in the camera?
A full NB-13L charge inside a Mark III takes about two hours with a 5V/2A power source. Weaker sources such as a laptop’s 0.5A USB-A port stretch the same charge to four or five hours, depending on the laptop’s power profile.
Can you charge the G7X battery without the charger?
Only on the Mark III. A USB Type-C cable connected to a wall adapter, power bank, or powered computer port charges the NB-13L while it sits inside the camera. Mark I and Mark II owners have no in-camera option, so an external charger remains the only path.
Is it safe to charge the G7X battery while it is in the camera?
Yes. Canon documents and supports in-camera USB charging on the Mark III. The internal charging circuit stops drawing current once the cell reaches 100%, so overnight charging does not overcharge the battery, provided your camera sits in a ventilated spot.
What cable do you need to charge a Canon G7X in-camera?
A USB Type-C cable is required for the Mark III. Either a C-to-C or A-to-C cable works as long as it is rated for data and power delivery. A charge-only cable without data lines can still supply power, but a known-good cable avoids the most common handshake failures.
