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.

[scupking]

If people wanted to stay with canon another option would be ELPH 330HS. One review put the picture quality just a little above the sx280. Granted the 330HS only has a 10x zoom.

[RCJ]

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@UnionStation wrote:

I doubt many people here would suggest anyone go out and buy this camera right now, thomasdavies. This debate in this thread has mostly been among people who have and are unhappy with this camera, and are mulling whether to return it or just hope Canon eventually does the right thing and makes it live up to the stated specs. Even after the firmware update, this camera falls short and still has problems in the opinion of the vast majority of those who've commented here. If you want to buy it, knowing what we've all been through, at least you do so with open eyes. Just keep your receipt handy.

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Keep in mind that the "vast majority of those who've commented here" represents about .00000001 percent of people who own the camera. But I totally agree with UnionStation: If you like the concept of the camera, get one from a place with a solid return policy and give it a whirl. If it does'nt work for you, trade 'er in on something else. 

[videophan]

I never counted precise zoom cycles, don't know where you read that. Only two people in the posts seem to be "happy" with the firmware update and that is not a great endorsement for the camera. Whether you carry an extra battery or 5 extra batteries, the $64 dollar question is when do you replace the battery? As soon as the low battery light begins flashing during a video? Do you just stop the video, get in your Canon time machine (an accessory for the SX280 but an expensive one) and turn back time so you can reshoot the video? As I have stated, I have started what was to be a 3-minute video where the battery indicated a full charge IN VIDEO MODE, zoomed in a couple of times in the first twenty seconds, first zoom the low battery warning came on, second zoom camera shut down with "recharge the battery." I guess I need to put a fully charged battery in every time I start a video to be sure I can complete the video and make sure the video is not longer than ten minutes. That is not going to happen in my world.

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@RCJ wrote:

LOL. Well, some people have better things to do than spend their lives counting precise zoom cycles and photos shot. I took a fresh look at the camera with the firmware, used it pretty heavily for a day, for both photos and videos, on a single battery for my normal use, and did not encounter a shutdown. Whether that's good enough for someone else to "base a decision on" is up to the buyer, yes? If I wanted a camera that I KNEW would give me 45 mins to an hour of video use, I would buy a video camera. As it is, I'll use this one and carry an extra $9 battery.

Thomas: If you're worried about all this. If I had my druthers and was starting from scratch, I would by the Canon S110. It has many features of this camera, but with digic 5 processor (maybe better, given the battery issues?), a wider (24mm equiv) and much faster (f2.0) lens, and a useful touch screen. It also will shoot in RAW, if that matters to you. And it has a sleeker, more form-functional body that's more pocketable. It's also a relatively new camera, and I haven't seen reports of battery problems. The major tradeoff: lack of long zoom capability. It's a 24 wide that only has 5x zoom, if that matters to you. Based on my normal use (mostly wide), it probably would have been a better camera for me, as even with the 280's excellent IS, I rarely shoot long telephoto stuff with a P/S. The 110 sells for about 350. I wish I'd bought it instead. Good luck!

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[RCJ]

Can't help you there.

[mcasale16]

I am SO disappointed in Canon! I was one of the only ones to send my (2nd) sx280 from NY to CA-with shipping it was out of my hands for 15 days! Brand new $260 camera needs to be sent back for service!!? Unheard of! Well I did it with good faith! Today I received my repaired camera back- and guess what? The paperwork indicates that it was successfully repaired with the firmware updated..... And.....NOPE- the issue is exactly the same and the firmware code is the originalcode- with a 1 no 2....I Called Canon practically hysterical with disappointment and they replied- "sorry, human error happens- please resend the camera back"!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!????

[filipb]

Canon Belgium has the update - so I guess that the other country sites will start having the update (when translation of instructions are ready?) ...

[pawl]

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@mcasale16 wrote:
I am SO disappointed in Canon! I was one of the only ones to send my (2nd) sx280 from NY to CA-with shipping it was out of my hands for 15 days! Brand new $260 camera needs to be sent back for service!!? Unheard of! Well I did it with good faith! Today I received my repaired camera back- and guess what? The paperwork indicates that it was successfully repaired with the firmware updated..... And.....NOPE- the issue is exactly the same and the firmware code is the originalcode- with a 1 no 2....I Called Canon practically hysterical with disappointment and they replied- "sorry, human error happens- please resend the camera back"!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!????

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I kinda hope this exact mess-up happens with Gordon Laing's return...would serve Canon well to see it large, reviewer's print. I doubt it will happen, but if it did...

[ThomasDavies]

Hi,
Do you think that the canon powershot sx270 hs will have the same problem??

[ThomasDavies]

Also, does the s100 have the same image quality?

[tprevett]

its officially on its way back to Amazon. time to go look at a Panasonic lumix zs19