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.

[eazycanon]

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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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Thank you Naiomi for the update.

HOWEVER, Canon are now officially  stating that the sx280 can take a 25 minute video BUT only on a FULL battery !. As you'll beware, in the UK this means that it is more than likely that Canon are breaking the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as the camera is 'not fit for purpose' as no user  of a camera would be expected to only take a single full length movie, they should be able to take multiple movies before  having to be forced to change the battery (unless they have a very sympathetic judge). I'm just waiting for the professional media or professional publications in the UK to get hold of the story.

Either that or Canon issue a revised firmware update and supply a stronger battery to existing and new customers of the SX280.

[UnionStation]

I think you're misunderstanding the purpose of the camera, eazycanon. Canon built the sx280 for consumers who have more dollars than sense, who intend to tell all their friends that they have the bestest camera ever made. The mistake we've been making, as Naomi points out, is actually using the camera - trying to shoot video, zooming and the like.

In all seriousness, everyone reading this note should realize by now that Canon has zero intention of making this debacle right with its loyal customers. So your choices are returning the camera if you can, or raising so much cain that the company will think twice about ever doing this again. Apologies to the fellow users weary of my rants, but I chose to do both.

[pawl]

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UnionStation, your more conscientious posts are undermined by your more sarcastic ones...just my opinion.

[UnionStation]

Just trying to keep the conversation lively, pawl. There's a method to my madness - and my anger.

[mcasale16]

Union Station, I AM a tad weary of your rants- but that aside.... Naomi clearly stated that we all have the option of CONTACTING Canon- if we have an issue- Canon is NOT indicating that there is NO recourse for "this debacle". After 5 weeks on this forum- it is clear to me that this is not the place where Canon intends on DEALING with the sx280 issues of we consumers. They prefer one on one- whether WE like it or not. I have had good results communicating with a Canon Customer Service Rep,,,,,, even though admittedly it took me awhile to find one willing to listen and understand. I recommend, the phone, the email, tweeting or messaging through FaceBook. It worked for me.

[UnionStation]

Allow me to translate Naomi's note from corporatese into English: "Canon has your money, and your complaints don't really count. Think of the flashing red light as your friend. But if you insist on complaining, feel free to pack up your brand new camera, send it to us (on your dime), and we'll get to it when we get to it. And by that, we mean we'll just send it back to you and say you're imagining things."

Mcasale16 - you say you had good results communicating with a Canon Customer Service Rep, but note that took you "awhile" - and recommend other users might get results from emailing Tweeting, and Facebooking.

I had bad experiences communicating with two customer service reps and a supervisor who all told me there was no problem back in late April/early May. And you know what else they told me? Send your brand new camera to us so we can "fix" it. Those who did reported back on the results - which were mixed, at best.  For anyone thinking about keeping this camera and hoping for a fix - or thinking about buying one - read Naomi's words carefully.

Canon seems to consider this matter resolved.

[eazycanon]

Hi UnuonStation, I hear what you're saying but in the UK we are pretty well protected against this kind of failure which is why no company in the UK would make a formal statement such as the one in this forum. It's probably why Canon UK doesn't provide its users with a forum. I've had a Sony hx9v for a number of years and I can shoot hours of video with a single battery. Anyway I intend to pass on the story to through UK press and so if they run with it.

[UnionStation]

If I've learned one thing over the 50-some pages of this thread, it's that this camera seems to have problems more serious than a firmware update can fix. It seems the sx280 is over-featured and underpowered by a tiny battery. This should have been caught in the testing phase - and should have been addressed when customers started complaining here and elsewhere. Glad to hear the UK has forms of redress. I'm guessing that sooner or later, someone here in the states will file a class action lawsuit and that Canon will be forced to send $10 checks or free batteries to those who kept the camera. That won't compensate for the hassle, or the lost memories when your camera runs out of juice without warning.

[Bluestar48]

UnionStation wrote: "The mistake we've been making, as Naomi points out, is actually using the camera - trying to shoot video, zooming and the like."

Well my SX220HS has no problem doing video recording and zooming during does not trigger that silly Flat battery warning. I used it last year during my Canada holiday, and I had only one battery with me. I had flat battery only once after overusing it, and I was using it primarily for video recording as I have my Nikon DSLR for stills.

The SX220HS can also shoot Full HD 1920 x 1080 but 30fps compared to 60fps with the SX280, but users have experienced the same battery warning with the SX280 at 30fps. The difference in zooms is only 6x, so my thinking is the SX280 has more problem hardware wise and a firware will never be able to fix, that's why Canon seems to say to SX280 users: "Get over it"

[bradmoss]

Take a look below the camera where the serial number is!!

The voltage indicated where the serial number is (below the SX280) is 4.3V but the NB-6L battery's nominal is 3.7V !!

Maybe this is the problem??