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.

[bkoldys]

Yes. The shutdowns occur after the installation of the new firmware. Now either I really charged that battery or the new firmware has mitigated the problem somewhat. I got almost 15 minutes of video, with zoom before the red battery icon. After that occured, I could continue video for 5 minutes at a time, with zooming near the end of this period shutting down the camera. I was able to video in these shorter segments about 4 times until complete shutdown in video mode.

The issue may be reduced somewhat, but not resolved. At any time I could restart the camera and shoot stills without any problem .

My problem is I do not know what would be the median time in which a fully charged battery would start to fail while shooting

video without interruption. However LOL I think it is more than 15 minutes. I am past the point of return for the camera and I really like it. I will chill a bit and see if the wind blows in a second firmware update or perhaps the wind sends it back to Canon for warranty work.

[videophan]

I can't say there is rapid battery drain since what I have seen occuring as before has been reproduced with a battery that was not fully charged when I inserted it after the firmware update. All I can seem to conclude is as the battery drains during use, the battery indicator seems to still have two different opinions as to how much battery power remains..not much power left in movie mode but much left in other modes. As you said, it may just be the firmware moves the problem farther down the road toward battery depletion, i.e. the problems don't occur until more battery drain has occurred during usage.  In a sense, that is an "improvement" and may satisfy some of the SX280 owners.

As the camera operates with the firmware update, I still feel the battery level indicator is unreliable. For example, with some battery drain already present, the camera still reports a full battery in manual mode but gives the flashing red low battery warning in movie mode. This past weekend I used the camera for business related purposes and shot approximately 6 two minute videos and 10-15 still shots on a full battery. We wanted another video shot and I asked a colleague to shoot the video. I turned the camera on when in auto mode and the camera reported a full battery. I changed the mode to movie mode and the red flashing light came on. I handed the camera to my colleague and asked her to ignore the the flashing red light and shoot the video. She came back five minutes later and told me there was no video. The video started and when she tried to zoom in on a moving object, the camera shut down with a "recharge the battery" warning. She turned the camera back on and tried again with the same result. Luckily we didn't absolutely need the video, but could have. This, of course, happened with the firmware 1.0.1.0, but I can still see this happening with firmware 1.0.2.0, just at a farther point  in the battery drain, and again, that may be enough for some if it occurs when they feel it is time to recharge the batterry anyway.

I now have a full battery in the camera and will try to test with that to see if there is any difference with regard to when, in the battery drain, the battery level indicator becomes unreliable and if it is significant.

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@UnionStation wrote:
You're the best, videophan! Just to clarify, is it your impression that the sx280 is still experiencing rapid battery drain? I'm wondering whether this firmware update simply lowers the tolerances for the red flashing light and automatic shutoff, rather than addressing the sapping of power that caused the problem in the first place. Is anyone who installed the firmware update seeing an actual camera shutdown, as happened with the original firmware?

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[scupking]

Updated to 1.0.2.0 and as soon as I started taking video the red battery light started flashing. Turned the camera off and back on and shows full battery again. Also looks like the auto white balance is messed up on 1.0.2.0. White things come out as yellow now unless I manualy set the white balance......

[dswansonil]

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@scupking wrote:

Updated to 1.0.2.0 and as soon as I started taking video the red battery light started flashing. Turned the camera off and back on and shows full battery again. Also looks like the auto white balance is messed up on 1.0.2.0. White things come out as yellow now unless I manualy set the white balance......

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So it still sounds like the battery power level reporting bug is still there and, as is almost classic with updates to complex systems, a new bug has appeared that their in-house testing didn't discover.  More egg on the Canon face.  I'm trying to find a local store that has both the Lumix ZS30 and the Sony HX50 so I can do a hands on comparision.  I really want an all-in-one still and video camera with decent battery life to avoid having to haul separates around.

[scupking]

Dswansonil I would love to know what you think of the ZS30 and HX50 when you get a chance to try them out. I'm looking at those also..

[filipb]

I think I am going to wait with the update - no significant improvement of the existing problem and possibly a new bug introduced?  Yes, I need more input from you eager testers out there! 😉

[myasg]

Sony. WX 300. Great little camera. Bargain at $279. Not perfect but well worth it. Zoom. Battery. Pictures in movie mode. Decent WiFi setup. Nice settings. Great pictures. Screen a little weak. Very satisfied.

[scupking]

myasg I looked at that camera seems great only issue no manual controls..... Other wise I would get it...

[myasg]

Understood but I am not that much into manual modes. More a casual user.

[dazzlerbe]

!!! I'm having trouble installing the firmware !!!

According to the included update procedure, in the camera [MENU] you must scroll down to [Firm Update]

I do not have that item in my menu.

According to the screenshot in the procedure, the last 4 items in the menu are:

[Resume] <Last Seen>

[Transition] <Fade>

[Set Touch Actions...]

[Firm Update...]

In the menu on my camera, the last menu item is [Transition] there is no Set Touch Actions and no Firm Update...

Anyone having the same problem ?