About this replacement
Sony HDR-TG1 / DSC-HX1 Series — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (NP-FV50)
This is a 7.4V, 600mAh (4.44Wh) Li-ion replacement for the Sony NP-FV50 battery. It fits the HDR-TG1, HDR-TG3E, HDR-TG5, DSC-HX1, and over 400 additional Sony camcorder and camera models. Use it as a spare or as a direct swap when the original cell no longer holds a charge.
- HDR-TG and DSC-HX platform fit: These models share the same NP-FV50 footprint, contact layout, and 7.4V BMS handshake. The connector tab spacing and latch geometry are identical across the series, so the same cell works across all listed bodies without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this cell in an HDR-TG1 body and a DSC-HX1 body. The BMS accepted the cell on first install in both cases. Charge termination triggered correctly at full capacity, and discharge cutoff engaged at the expected low-voltage threshold without any forced shutdown errors.
- First-cycle conditioning on Sony bodies: Run the first charge through the camera body or OEM Sony charger rather than a generic third-party charger. Sony's BMS uses that initial charge cycle to map the cell's discharge curve and calibrate the battery-remaining indicator — skipping this step causes the percentage display to read inaccurately from the first use.
Sony BMS authentication check on third-party cell first install
Sony HDR and DSC bodies run a handshake with the battery during power-on. A new third-party cell that hasn't completed a charge cycle through the camera can fail this check and trigger a "no battery" or "incompatible battery" warning even when the cell is fully charged. The fix is straightforward: seat the battery, connect the camera to its AC adaptor, and let the body complete one full charge cycle internally. After that cycle, the BMS logs the cell and the warning clears on subsequent power-ons.
Battery percentage jumping erratically during recording
This happens when the camera's indicator is mapping voltage thresholds against the original cell's discharge curve, which doesn't align exactly with the replacement cell. The display logic reads voltage at fixed intervals and translates it to a percentage — if the curve shape differs slightly, the number jumps rather than stepping down smoothly. It's a display calibration issue, not a cell fault. Run two full charge-discharge cycles through the camera body and the indicator will re-anchor to the new cell's actual curve.