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.

[UnionStation]

Has anyone from the UK experienced this battery issue? I remember seeing some talk about this problem from users in Australia, so I doubt it's strictly limited to the U.S. models. Sad, though, that Canon customer service in the United Kingdom would be unaware of this issue.

[videophan]

Gordon Laing, who authored an SX280 review that identified the battery level indicator issue in his review, is from Queenstown, New Zealand. When the review appeared, Canon contacted him and asked him to return the camera for a firmware update that will fix the issue. He is still waiting. It isn't just a Canon USA issue.

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@UnionStation wrote:

Has anyone from the UK experienced this battery issue? I remember seeing some talk about this problem from users in Australia, so I doubt it's strictly limited to the U.S. models. Sad, though, that Canon customer service in the United Kingdom would be unaware of this issue.

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[MarioV]

Yes, the problem is here in Australia as well.   I have firmware version 1.0.1.0 but dont know if that means anything. Maybe the extra 1 means I get 1 more second of video.

Its a nice camera, but we shouldnt have to be beta testers sorting out something which shouldnt have happened in the first place.

Considering this is Canon's first move into >24p video, they must be complete novices at how to make it work properly. 

I purchased the extra warranty so I'm in my rights to either get a refund, replace the camera or exchange for something else, at any time within the 3 years.

I will wait for another month to see if a firmware file is ready for download to update over the CameraWindow software.

Other options:

The Panasonic TZ40 is nice and compact which means there's little excuse not to take it everywhere with you.. however, I just cant get excited over it and its IQ seems meh.

The Nikon S9500 with its 22x zoom seems good, but it doesnt do 1080p60 video.

The Olympus SZ31 seems quite good.  I've had the SZ30 which was quite the pocketful.

I'm considering the Sony HX50.  720mm of reach in the (tight) pocket.  Resized down, the images are quite good. And at least Sony are smart when it comes to video.  I'm not sure, maybe Sony 60p video isnt as detailed as Canon 60p video, but at least you can shoot more of it without the ridiculous hassle.

Mario

[myasg]

Sony. 400 pics per battery. Over an hour of video. Snapshots within video. Along with its many other wonderfull options. Might be a winner.

[filipb]

Hi all, back with some further results from Belgium ...

I've tested with fully charged battery and no sign of the problem.  In fact it is evening here and I am taking pictures without flash even when the moving camera warning is on and have excellent quality!

I've zoomed quite a lot, took some stills, zoomed during filming - is this problem supposed to be there right away with completely full battery?

I did notice on both test occasions, a faint sound coming out of the camera from time to time - as if I hear it working 🙂 though it was not doing any hard work I could think of.  Anyone else noticed the sound?

Oh and yes this morning I had the famous flash pop-up experience - though it does seem more a problem of surprise now than a real problem since my finger is only very lightly resting on it in the natural grip I hold it ...

Just curious about the lens warping on the fringes?  Is this normal for this strong lens to have have the fringes warped?  No zoom, indoor, looking at walls about 1.5 - 2 meters away?

Regards,

Filip.

[RCJ]

Filip,

In my camera the red symbol has come on both immediately upon shooting with fresh battery, and sometimes a bit later, after several minutes of shooting. It will shoot 15-20 minutes of video with the flasher going, then start to shut down.

Odd about your "lens warping." I haven't seen that. Do you mean for still shots or video, and by "warping" do you mean blurring, or vignetting with dark shadows?

[filipb]

Ok, after a few minutes of filming and then zooming while filming the red battery indicator came to live, and stayed there till power cycle - so I guess this confirms the problem after all?

One interesting fact may shed some light on this:  I am using the camera at night indoor with not so strong light condition and I noticed that the screen (naturally) shows a lot of noise in still mode (which only gets corrected in the actual still taken) but as soon as I turn to movie mode, the noise is being reduced at full power (DIGIC 6)!  So this can explain that with the battery a little less full, the problem can start as soon as you switch to movie mode ...

The warping I meant (sorry for the SF term) is curving, bending of the picture.  But I checked it again and it only occurs when I am looking at the corner of two walls and on the right wall there is a small circular picture hanging (a child's mandala drawing) which gets distorted into an elliptic form, skewed angles.  I guess it is just normal in that condition, but it seemed worse this morning ...

Still hearing the faint sound, even with display off - unpredictable when it starts or stops - anyone?

Regards,

Filip.

PS: with regards to the curving: of course perspective will do that, but it seems more skewed than perspective would do, but it may just be a brain trick ... 🙂 - UPDATE: I checked the bending with an old A80 and it is also there, so I think it is normal (is it called spherical aberration?), just now it so visible with the big screen compared to the 9 years old A80! 🙂

[dim]

I have this problem and I'm from Czech Republic. It is the second Canon SX280, and both have the same defect.

[Davy]

Sooooo it does to me look like Canon UK is pulling a fast one.... funny how everyone is having this problems, not just USA but 'over the globe'. This just doesn't make sense at all!

Are Canon UK trying to pull wool over my eyes?  Come on Canon speak up, surely they must be reading these complaints,  I did send Canon UK the link........silence speak  volumes!

Think I'll hang fire on the SX280 and look elsewhere, sorry to the people who are having this trouble... it is no fun and certainly not funny!

The way to resolve this is for Canon to publicly acknowledge the problem - will they, won't they?

Dave

[RCJ]

Canon actually has acknowledged the problem on this forum. Just no solution yet, and an admonition to sit tight. Which I guess I shall, because I waited beyond my vendor's 30-day return window (which should be waived IMHO in event of a defect; I haven't argued that point yet.)