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.

[noremorse]

It was my first Canon experience and it will be the last.

[peterdev]

The above post is not very helpful........

How long have you owned the camera? (If I look at the U shaped price curve it would seem like you purchased in May 2013)

The two issues you mention - flash and GPS - have not been issues experienced by people contributing to this particular message board. The issue here is insufficient battery power to allow multiple operations while using the highest quality video.

I have read most of the contributions on this subject and I do not believe that a software update has ever caused flash and GPS malfunctions. I hope if someone has experienced this they will detail what their resolution was.

[UnionStation]

Actually, I think the post was extremely helpful. The SX280 is an exercise in corporate hubris. Canon made a lackluster camera, and a loyal customer refuses to sink any more money into a company with utter disdain for its customers who dare expect a camera an accurate battery meter. 

[noremorse]

@ peterdev

I am talking about stand still image capability of this camera, which in fact must be capable of since it is a camera not a video recorder. I am not facing problem with video recording unlike taking pictures. In none of modes flash is working even when the battery is fully charged. Don't you think this is an issue? I also get a strange noise when when I am not playing with the camera (i.e. zooming in/out etc.). I strongly believe that this camera is faulty out-of-the-box. I have just discovered it because I have not been using it frequently though I have owned it more than a year.

[UnionStation]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the sx280 is defective and unfixable, and that Canon could care less about helping anyone stuck with this sorry excuse for a camera. 

[lalau]

recall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UnionStation]

Recall? Don't hold your breath. This camera has been discontinued and replaced by a new model (with its own problems). If you're thinking about buying this camera used or refurbished, DO NOT DO IT! Look back at all the complaints, and you'll see that Canon denied the problems with this camera from the very beginning, and never made things right with customers.

[4thFootPvt]

I have solved the battery issue.

The trouble is that the battery contacts and the camera power contacts don't stay together.  The battery is just a bit too small for the space, and the tab that holds it in place is on the wrong side of the battery.  

My solution is to add a bit of the fuzzy part of velcro to the inside of the battery door.  It holds the battery contacts securely together, and the problem goes away.

If you happen to use the ACK-DC40 AC adapter kit, you'll need to punch a small hole in the Velcro to allow the power plug to get through to the adapter, but if you don't use one, just stick the Velcro strip on the inside of the battery door, and your problem is solved.

[samintx]

Has anyone resolved the battery problem with the SX280 HD? I am still under warranty but after reading one of the posts where the factory said they couldn't fix and sent a refurb that was worse has made me wonder....do I want to send it in if no solution and I may get a worse camera! 

I have till Dec 2014 on my warrenty. Love the camera except for this battery problem...I charge the battery and after a few still shots the camera indicates I need to charge the battery!

[4thFootPvt]

The problem has a fix. See the post above your own. It's not a firmware issue. It's a physical connection problem.