SX280 - battery life shooting video

[factoryguy]

UPDATED May 5:

I apologize to the forum for mixing two different problems.  They are unrelated.

Problem #1:  User error.  I thought I was using a class 6 SD card but I was wrong. The yellow "!" indicates a pathologically slow card.  Upgrading to a class 10 resolved this problem.

Problem #2: UNRESOLVED.  Red battery indicator comes on prematurely.  On a fresh charge, it'll turn red after recording for a couple of minutes.  On a partially drained battery, it turns red immediately upon entering movie mode or pressing the record button.  Turn the camera off and then right back on in "still" mode and it shows full charge and works fine ... until trying to shoot video.  I have not precisely measured recording times but it'll record for at least 20 (maybe 30?) minutes while flashing red.

[GON22]

I ordered a 4 GK card, you didn't say what capacity card you had used. I saw a not from San Disc that the "Extreme Plus" is the same card as "Extreme". I will try to report on my experience but it's worth as shot.

[Mylze]

Hi  iamgeorge - in response to your 6/7/2014@4:52AM note to me, it was my experience that I got substantially more than 20 minutes video zoom shooting time. However, it occurred in bursts that ranged from 2 - 8 minutes at a time, interspersed (sp?) with a number of stills. I should have mentioned it in my original note, but I purchased a 16 GB memory card. Also, I was shooting video at the easier to use 1920 x 30 fps ( = push a button) rather than the highest video setting of 1920 x 60 fps (which requires turning a dial). For normal situations, the 30 fps produces decent video results for me.  However, I plan to subsequently test out the card at the 60 fps rate; if I get appreciably worse results in terms reduced zoom video time (before the flashing red battery icon shuts off the camera), I'll post that result on this site. I guess the main thing to remember is to buy the SX 280 and the Extreme Plus memory card at places where you can return them if your results are not as good as mine. Also, I wouldn't recommend downloading Canon's firmware fix for this issue. Before I downloaded it, soon after starting the video zoom, the red battery icon would flash, but wouldn't shut off the camera until most of the battery reserve was used. After doing the download, using the video zoom would result in the camera being turned off in about 1 minute.   ...Mylze 

[Mylze]

Hi Bluestar48 - Well, I've learned my lesson...I won't make a substantial camera cost investment until I've seen a lot of feedback, particularly from users. I read the reviews from a number of camera sites and although some "professional" reviewers acknowledged the video zoom/battery problem, I didn't see any of them saying that Canon's firmware solution didn't fix the problem, even after waiting for about 3 or 4 months after the SX 280 became available, which is how long I waited to buy it. Obviously, better to be cautious. ...Mylze

[Mylze]

Hi GON22 - I really apologize...I wrote so much in my original note but neglected to say that I purchased the 16 GB memory card. Also, I saw a SanDisk "Extreme" memory card advertised on sale in today's Best Buy supplement, but it was not the same as the one I purchased earlier at Best Buy, which was the "SanDisk Extreme Plus SDHC UHS-I Card" with (as it said on the packaging) "Speed Up To 80 MB/s* 533X" . ...Mylze

[Bluestar48]

Hi Mylze,  me too, I am not prepared to jump with any new Canon compact until I have seen heaps of posters reviews about it. I would not like to re live the better dissapointment I experienced with the SX280,   the SX 700 has not been commented enough to reassure me.  I was lucky I was able to return the SX280 quickly, otherwise it would have driven me crazy jf I had to keep it. What baffles me here, why some are still buying that lemon to afterwards going on a problem solving spree trying to turn the lemon into an orange.  You can put lipstick on the SX280 as much as you want, it will still be a lemon.

[jomjo]

SX270IS was my forth and perhaps LAST Canon camera.

The suposed fix isn't even for my model (sixth digit on serial number is 4).

The problem isn' even the flashing icon, it's the camera shutting itself off when shooting video. A lot of money for a camera, an actual fraude, because I believe Canon knew all along (or very soon after) the problem they were selling. 

All over the world (Portugal, here) this problem may have turned canon lovers into canon haters, and the bad publicity will pulverize Canon. I hope.

Otherwise, bad guys do always win.

[GON22]

I have not had time to fully evaluate the Card you recommend 4G. I also purchased a 1700 battery suggest by another reader, it does appear to last longer?

Thanks for your info..

[UnionStation]

GON22, could you and some of the other experimenters please do us all a great service and buy one of each type of battery out there and one of each brand and capacity of SD card and figure out which combinations yield the best results? Make sure to try each battery with and without the tape modification. If you don't mind, please run these tests once during the day and once at, say 3 or 4 a.m., to make sure that AM radio interference might not be to blame for the problem. Please get back to us ASAP with your findings.  

[bradmoss]

The camera has already been discontinued, there is no other practical solution that carry several spare batteries. 

That is all, sorry.

[QualityPictures]

If the tape on the center pin of the battery works, I wish Canon would release a firmware that ignored the battery level when recording video. I'd be more than happy to keep track of the time I record video and change the battery when needed. That way I would still have battery level when shooting pictures or when turning on the camera to see the state of the battery.

Come on, Canon. Win back some customers by releasing a firmware that does this.