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.

[pawl]

Well I, for one, appreciate all comments! UnionStation and Videophan, I've disagreed with you both off and on, but doff my cap with respect to your (our) persistence!

[UnionStation]

Absolutely agreed, pawl - and right back at you. I think all of us here are on the same side - and that's not to say any of us are against Canon. I'll bet the vast majority of us bought this camera with little hesitation because of Canon's good name. I've been the happy owner of many awesome Canon products - but this camera and the way the company has handled its problems leaves me a less of a Canon fan than I've been in the past. It's up to Canon to win back our trust.

[completelocks]

I'll bet the vast majority of us bought this camera with little hesitation because of Canon's good name. I've been the happy owner of many awesome Canon products - but this camera and the way the company has handled its problems leaves me a less of a Canon fan than I've been in the past."

Totally agree

[RCJ]

Union: Not rhetorical at all. Everybody needs a hobby, and clearly your "heat" is bringing Canon swiftly to its knees. Knock yourself out, and let us know when someone cries uncle.

BTW, read my post. I wasn't "questioning your right to comment, and in fact said so. I just honestly wondered why anyone who had already returned their camera would bother to do so. Logical question. 

[josh_a]

I just returned my SX280 as well. Disappointing! I really don't want to hit the market again. I made an assumption based on the Canon name and on the positive reviews of the earlier SX260.

[UnionStation]

Mock me if you want, RCJ, but Canon and all big companies pay attention to what's being said about their brand. If enough people complain and start returning their defective cameras and refusing to buy them, you'd better believe even a company as big as Canon will eventually bend. They're betting we'll all just grumble a bit and take whatever they give us. There's power in numbers. My hobby is taking pictures with a working camera, not complaining about defective products to a company that seems not to care. If I can help a fellow consumers thinking about buying or returning the sx280 avoid the frustration we're all experiencing, it's a worthy investment of time.

[completelocks]

here here

[completelocks]

reply to an email, I received the folowing this morning. This is from canon uk.....

Dear Mr. White,

Thank you for your reply.

We would like to inform you that there are no known issues regarding PowerShot SX280 HS. If there were any known issues, they would be announced in the important information under PowerShot SX280 HS on our Canon website.

[eazycanon]

Hi Dave

I've ordered mine from ebuyer and I'm expecting it tomorrrow. I'll post an update after that.

I did speak to Canon UK's technical support team before ordering who  stated there were no issues recorded on their system. What they did say was that even though each model may look the same from different parts of the world ,they are not. I'm presuming that they are manufactured in a number of different locations and that they are made available in the order of Asia Pacific-> Australasia -> USA ->Europe.

That said the proof will be when the goods arrive. At least in the UK we protected by the Sale of Goods act and also Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

I'll update ASAP.

[videophan]

If you use Camera Window (Canon software) to download images, the opening window gives battery capacity. I had the camera in M mode when I connected the camera via USB, I turned it on and opened Camera Window. This was the display:

I then turned the camera off, changed to movie mode, and turned the camera on with USB still connected. I opened Camera Window and this was displayed:

I guess all this indicates is that Camera Window displays battery capacity as reported by the battery level indicator but clearly the battery cannot have two widely disparate levels at the same time. Incidentally, I turned the camera off a third time, changed mode to auto and turned it back on. This time Camera Window again reported the battery capacity as full.