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.

[samintx]

I have not read any reports from people who have gotten satisfaction from sending their camera in to Canon. If you got it to work, I'd just forget Canon.

[kyle_h]

I wanted to let everyone here know I sent my camera in because of the service announcment and Canon did not send me a referbished camera, they did some repairs on mine and sent it back. I sent it in because the battery got so loose that the camera would not come on unless i put something to apply pressure to the battery. Here is what it says they did:

"REPLACED MAINBOARD. LOOSE BATTERY CAUSING CONTACTS TO NOT LINE UP. ADDED TAPE INSIDE BATTERY BOX TO GIVE THE BATTERY SECURE FIT. FIRMWARE UPDATED"

Part Description                                Part #

PCB ASS'Y, MAIN                            CM1-8466-000

SHEET, BATTERY BOX                 CY4-6128-000

So far so good. The camera seems to come on quicker and I shot a 6 min video with lots of zooming. I did not see the red flashing indicator even come on.

I am in Canada and the camerea was sent to a 3rd party (Canon told me to send it there) so I am not sure if that has any impact on the work done.

[samintx]

Thanks for that report. Canon repair, from reports here, has been bad...so happy for you and confirms what is wrong with the 280!

[RandomBaritone]

Just wanted to add my experience in case someone comes across this ancient thread in 2017. 🙂 Canon has at long last acknowledged the serious battery problem affecting the SX280 and other cameras manufactured around the same time with a new service bulletin:

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/product-advisories/detail/?current=true&ur...

Canon provided a shipping label, I sent mine in, and four days later I'm the owner of a gorgeous refurbished SX710 with a new battery. I guess sometimes it pays to wait. The program is valid through December 2019, so it would appear they realize they screwed up royally. Hope someone sees this and it helps!

[ruko]

Thanks for the update. Ya, Canon maliciously screwed up for sure. I have the SX280 and sent it in to be "fixed" some time ago. It came back with the same problem. I don't think they even looked at it. Just changed boxes and sent it back to me. I eliminated some of the problem with a piece of tape over the center electrode of the battery which must be removed when it's being charged. It turned me off completely from Canon. The camera does take good pics when it's working.

[samintx]

I love my SX280 with all its problem. I have overcome them like you...and continue to use the camera.

[GON22]

I called Canon and they will check my SX280HS camera! I will be very happy if they correct the battery priblem as it is otherwise a great camera.

[GON22]

This is great news!! Contacted Canon and they will check camera SX280HS! Thanks

[UnionStation]

Nice find, RandomBaritone! Four years ago, Canon was insisting there was no problem with the camera, and many loyal customers decided to just suck it up and stick with a camera we all knew was defective. Says a lot about customers - and it says even more about Canon. One last thought: Take a good look at that service advisory. All of those other cameras have serial numbers with zeroes as the sixth digit, suggesting tens of thousands of cameras potentially affected. The SX280 numbers are 0 to 4 as the sixth digit, meaning hundreds of thousands. Canon refused to admit this camera was a lemon because the camera market was bottoming out at the time, and they chose to throw customers under the bus than own up to its own mistake. 

[samintx]

You are so right. I have not read on report of a customer sending in their 280 and getting back fixed from Canon. I guess we are defective and not the camera as far as Canon is concerned.