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.

[dswansonil]

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@Naomi wrote:

Hi everyone,

We want to address the comments we’ve seen regarding the early battery warning on the PowerShot SX280 HS in movie mode even after installing the latest firmware.  Because a greater amount of power is consumed by recording movies than for shooting stills, the battery warning is designed to appear early in order to safeguard your recordings.  This is more likely to occur if the zoom is used frequently during movie recording and when the video quality is set to FullHD Mode.  However, movie recording can still be carried out for the officially stated length of time (25 minutes on a full charge).  If you need further support, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.  For contact options, please click here.

Thank you.

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So if I zoom in and out in full HD, 1080/60p, I will be guarenteed 25 minutes of video?  Should I buy a timer or stop watch to track the time used?

[videophan]

Amazing! The "problem" we were having with the low battery level indicator coming on very early during video recording is not a problem at all; it is a "feature" of the camera. I wonder if other manufactueres will now begin including this "feature" in their cameras.

Just to reiterate my issue before return of the camera...with the firmware 1.0.2.0 update, my camera, in video mode, went from sufficient battery indication prior to beginning of video capture, to low battery flashing red indication on the first zoom, to complete shutdown on the second zoom for a capture length of 40 seconds. Where was the  slightly depleted, but sufficient battery indication in this process?  My camera actually worked better with firmware  1.0.1.0 in that the low battery warning came up much earlier and was a really effective warning albeit a false one for most of the video capture. In my opinion, if the flashing red battery level indicator is a "feature", firmware 1.0.2.0 broke it.

Happy Trails! 

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@Naomi wrote:

Hi everyone,

We want to address the comments we’ve seen regarding the early battery warning on the PowerShot SX280 HS in movie mode even after installing the latest firmware.  Because a greater amount of power is consumed by recording movies than for shooting stills, the battery warning is designed to appear early in order to safeguard your recordings.  This is more likely to occur if the zoom is used frequently during movie recording and when the video quality is set to FullHD Mode.  However, movie recording can still be carried out for the officially stated length of time (25 minutes on a full charge).  If you need further support, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.  For contact options, please click here.

Thank you.

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[scupking]

Dswansonil, I ordered from Panasonic for 349.

[Bluestar48]

I have returned my SX280 and have taken the Panasonic ZS30/TZ40, well I not happy with it. Focus at the longer end is very bad both with stills and video. You can bet better result on auto but still not that good, but shooting in P or A mode is impossble as focus is just a hit and miss. I will return it tomorrow. The SX280 is way better at focus indoor, it would have been a top camera without the battery issue.

[dswansonil]

Disappointing.  😞 

Anybody out there with an HX50V?  RX100?  FZ200?

[UnionStation]

I guess Canon has just acknowledged that we BELIEVE there is still a problem with the sx280 but disagrees.

[dazzlerbe]

I believe Canon does not know what an "empty battery indicator" actually is.... it's an indicatator that the battery is nearly empty, let's say max 1 minute of usage left before the camera completely dies....

Just enough time to wrap shooting and turn the thing off actually....

The latest official statement from Noami/Canon is complete bulls**t, why would anybody in the world wants a flashing empty battery icon after 30 seconds of filming, when actual filming can continue for 20 minutes... then when the battery *really* dies, it's really a surprise to the user!!

It's just canon saying "we have no idea how to fix this problem, we have no idea what we are doing, we don't care about our customers and their complaints, and let's just put out an official statement so we can go on with our little ignorant lives..."

I'm pretty sure this was my last Canon purchase ever..... I've already switched printers, now I'll switch camera's too...

[pawl]

Setting aside an annoying red blinking light which does not reflect any true sense of the word "warning" (and which I can't imagine Canon will get away with with its customers), when Naomi (Canon) stated "...movie recording can still be carried out for the officially stated length of time (25 minutes on a full charge)" even with zoom in HD, I think she put the company in a very tough position. Simply put, if anyone does not get the HD, zooming, 25 minutes of video, then the camera is faulty and can rightly be returned for repair or replacement (or refund). Canon would be beyond foolish if they were not currently working on another firmware update; I believe they are doing just that, and I don't consider it positive thinking.

I've copied the page with Naomi's statement, and suggest do the same, in case it is ever removed.

My repaired unit is due back today.

[UnionStation]

Pawl: Have you sent your camera in twice - or is it just now coming back after you sent it in the first time. What's the turnaround time, just out of curiosity?

[videophan]

Scupking, what is the window of return policy at shop.panasonic? I looked but couldn't find the info.

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@scupking wrote:
Dswansonil, I ordered from Panasonic for 349.

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