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.

[Davy]

Lol, the SX280 is dead and buried and no longer produced.....  don't you Canon fanboys  know they brought a new  SX700  out - I ain't buying it even if it takes see through pictures....!

I hear they improved the battery on the SX270, 60ma/Hr more, " WOW,  gee whizz", what does that tell you? It's a car battery  in a rucksack they want not 60mA/Hr more.

Our local emporioum refuses to stock both of them..... they advertise them but they never have any in, alway's "In 4 or 5 day's" that was when the SX280 came out, the ones they did have had they had to............ return!!!!

Dave

[UnionStation]

Yoron said, "I came to see if there was more people like me that enjoyed this camera, and I still think there are. But as this primarily seem to be a thread about being abandoned by Canon, I guess they move to other places."

If you love the camera, great for you! But if you're looking for fellow fans of the sx280, this thread isn't the place.

For the past 14 months, the people who've posted here have done everything they can to fix the problem and urge Canon to "man up" and admit that this camera fell short of what we all believed to be the brand's high standards. The vast majority of people here either returned the camera, or unhappily kept it because there was no other choice.

The oft-repeated theme here is people who bought this camera with faith in the Canon name, and left with a bad impression of how little the company really seems to care about its customers. The sx280 is, thankfully, nearing the end of its miserable life cycle. Those of us who've gotten burned can only hope to leave some words of advice to anything thinking about buying one of these cameras as they resurface on the used market.

Buyer beware. This camera is a lemon.

[Davy]

Don't wanna get off-topic.....

        but the S100 is making a name for itself..... just how many more Canon products can't  you trust?

Dave

[UnionStation]

OMG. Type in 'S100' and one of the first things that pops up is 'lens error." In fact, there's a whole S100 lens error group on one of the big photography sites. Way to go Canon!

[dswansonil]

Not to mention the shutter button problem thread on this site.

Let the buyer beware!

[ruko]

None of them Davy.

[Davy]

@ruko

Sure is getting that way, what puts me off is their attitude and the way they treat customers with their 'after sales' service.... it puts me off completely.

We can accept a camera giving trouble once in a while but not a whole bunch of them - that stinks!  The very least they could have done with these SX280 owners (and S100's) is to come up with a compromise.

If I buy a new camera I don't want to be ending up with a refurbished unit, I want be having a brand new one or my money back!

It sticks out like a sore thumb, come out with a camera that uses 'standard'  dry batteries or standard rechargeables *may*  prove to be a winner...... if they had done that with the SX280/700 the reaction may well have been entirely different with fewer complaints.

Dave

[noremorse]

I have purchased SX280 HS camera from Amazon paying $299. I am not a power photographer and I use my camera 2-3 times a year when I go abroad or on holiday. I might have taken 2-3k pictures until now. I had the same premature battery warning when shooting video and I updated firmware (1.0.2.0). It resolved this issue but it caused other ones! Now neither can I use my flash nor GPS. Flash malfunctions all the time. Anyone experienced the same? Any solutions to this?

Thank you.

[noremorse]

After contacting Canon CS, this is what I got as a reply:

" Thank you for contacting Canon product support.  I understand that your PowerShot SX280 HS camera has malfunctioned.  I know how frustrating this can be.

The age of your camera and/or the cause of the malfunction will determine your service options.  If the camera is more than one year old, or if the camera was damaged by liquid, sand, or applied pressure or force, it is out of warranty.  We have two options available for out of warranty cameras:  you may participate in the Canon Loyalty Program, or you can send the camera in for repair.  If the camera was purchased less than one year ago, and you have a copy of your sales receipt, the unit can be sent to our Factory Service Center for repair. 

One option you have is the Canon Loyalty Program.  This program allows you to replace your current camera with a refurbished Canon Camera for a discounted fee, and have it shipped via Ground delivery.  The refurbished unit offered through this program carries a one year warranty.  The original non-functioning camera would then be returned to Canon USA for recycling using a prepaid shipping label that would be provided.  If you would like to take part in this option, please call our Sales Department at (866) 443-8002 seven days a week, 8am to Midnight.  Let them know you have been working with email technical support and the Canon Loyalty Program was offered.  Be sure to have your serial number for your camera at the time of your call.

If your camera is in warranty, or you prefer to have it repaired, please forward your digital camera to the Factory Service Center shown below.  When shipping your camera, please be sure to remove the memory card and battery.  You are not required to send any accessories or manuals when shipping the camera.  Be sure to include your name, street address (no P.O. boxes, please), telephone number, and a letter describing the issue with the product.

As we do not provide RMA numbers for service, we suggest using a trackable and insurable service (i.e. UPS, Federal Express, Priority Mail) to ship your camera.  Please package the camera very securely to prevent damage during shipment.

Please send your camera to the following address:

Canon Factory Service
12022 Canon Boulevard
Newport News, VA 23606

Upon arrival at the Factory Service Center, your camera will be logged in to our repair database and assigned a repair number.  Next, the camera will be visually inspected and you will be advised of the findings.
 
A written estimate will be sent to you at the address that you have provided.  The repairs to your camera will not begin until you approve this estimate and make payment arrangements.  If, after receiving the estimate, you do not wish to have the camera repaired, please inform the Factory Service Center of your decision as soon as possible.  If you decline the estimate, the camera will be shipped back to you unrepaired.

When the repairs are complete, the camera will be shipped back to you via Federal Express or UPS.  The length of time for the repair will be dependent upon the nature of the repair and availability of parts, if needed.  Usually, repairs are completed within approximately seven to ten business days of payment.

Once you have confirmed with your shipper that the camera has been delivered, you are more than welcome to contact us for repair updates.  Please include your name, address, and telephone number, as well as the serial number of the camera, in all repair status inquiries. 

For non-warranty repairs, the standard labor cost to make the repair is $174.99.  Parts may be an additional cost.  Cameras damaged by liquid, sand, or applied pressure or force may have a considerably higher repair cost, depending on the results of the Factory Service Center's evaluation.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your PowerShot SX280 HS camera. Thank you for choosing Canon."

They request minimum $175 for defective product out of the box!! How can this be!? I don't use my camera frequently and I have just discovered its issues. One shouldn't pay for a defective out-of-the-box product and should be compensated either by a refund or a new product! Canon should recall these cameras!

[UnionStation]

You've discovered what the rest of have been struggling with - a company that has your money and could care less about anything else. This camera was, is, and will always be a lemon. Buyer beware.