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.

[loveAZ]

Hi everyone in this forum

Read all your comments, read almost el the reviews and could not find another camera at that price. To get the same quality pics I need at least $100 more.  So I ordered it from Amazon for $185 (they sent me  a case and a 16GB memory for free) and with some discounts that I had I ended up paying total close to $170.  Comparing it to a Lumina S6500 that I just broke trying to clean some dust on the lens, this one is far better and very quick.  Yes, I have the battery indicator blinking  when I zoom  on video but I ignore it . Most important thing the quality of the pictures.
My firmware is 1-14.0.1.0  and cannot update it.  First video recording with repeated zooms lasted about 20 to 25 minutes.  After shutting it off I was still able to records another 10 minutes  (took some pics in between) without  zooming. Still had enough battery at he end  to take pictures with flash - quite a few... I read about covering the middle metal in the battery to stop the red blinking - I also read somewhere that CANON advised not to do that. This is a solid camera,  if you do not want to spend more that 185 dollars on a camera that compares with $350+ cameras, then buy it.  I also bought for $19 the package with two extra batteries and a car charger from Amazon ( waiting for them).
Not sure if I will need them for picture taking, but if I want to take 1.5  hrs video I will definitely have the capability.
If CANON decides to fix this indicator thing good, if not I will still keep the camera as I cannot find another one that takes this kind of pictures or video at this price range.  No reason to complain to CANON as I am sure  from reading your posts  they will do nothing  Thanks for posting all these messages folks
PS
Here is a camera that I thought it compares (if you are willing to spend  almost $150 more)..
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-SX280-HS-vs-Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX50V

[UnionStation]

And that's how Canon can get away with releasing a lemon like this. Despite the financial hit Canon takes from returns and the beating it takes from disgruntled customers, the company knows there are brand-loyal fans who will say, 'Oh well, it's not great but it's good enough.' I had TWO of these cameras and wasn't all that impressed with the photo quality. I found the photos to be a bit grainy (even in bright sunlight), contrasty and overly saturated - acceptable, but certainly not of such great quality that I felt I had to live with this camera's shortcomings. To anyone who can live with the flashing red light, I say best of luck to you. One day you'll be shooting video or photos that you care about and the camera will just shut off. It will be too late when you realize that your wolf-crying warning light was trying to tell you that you really were running out of battery power.

[LSousa]

Sorry but i have bought a camera that Canon said and still saying that can record many minutes on the video mode, and that is not true at all. They still knowing the video problem but they don't admit that. Like the most of the other users, i'm not complaining about the photos they are very good, only about video issue and the unrecognized of Canon about that problem. Canon stills selling a camera that they say that can record many video minutes, but that wasn't true.....

[loveAZ]

If the battery were not up to par or the camera could not use it I would had returned on the spot. But it lasts as expected.
Also if you can point me to a better camera.. I  just cannot own a camera that has a longer battery and the picture is not as good - can you?

Here is a youtube video with an interesting idea of why this is happening to the indicator ( just in case someone has not seen it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLRAFok3jfc

[dswansonil]

The youtube video adds nothing to the information on the battery's performance and the speculation on the cause that previously appeared on this forum which you said you had read.  I tend to agree with UnionStation that you are probably a die hard Canon owner and, as you say, are focused on picture quality.  As with many other users, the severity of the battery issue is dependent on how important the video capability is.  While the SX280 may meet your needs, for many of us, it is not worth even the reduced price you bought it at.  Maybe you should consider why the price has been discounted so low and why Canon never advertised it in their Holiday sales ads.

[Gus]

Absolutely agree... in fact if Canon would give me the reduced price you bought yours at I would take it in a heartbeat.

My poor daughter is constantly charging extra batteries and having this piece of crud die on her as she is out 'just having fun'

Excuse me if I do not believe your story of constantly zooming and getting 25 minutes then shutting it down and getting another 10 minutes... your phrase "lasts as expected" is very close to Canons official explanation after their 'firmware update'

Guy I know works at best buy and he told me the 280's are already being returned from Christmas... Same story, shutting down.

And PS...   I own the SX50 and the photos from the SX280 are filled with NR artifacts at anything above base ISO... Shoot ISO 400/800  and tell me of the good images at anything other than Facebook sized photos

If anyone is still considering this camera after all these threads...  GET THE SX260

[ruko]

I have lots of Canon stuff in my home at present. When these things need replacement I will not consider Canon. This SX280 thing has soured me on thinking Canon really cares about their customers.

[loveAZ]

Covering the middle pin with clear tape RESOLVED the issue with camera shutting off when zooming - Battery was at 3/4 or less at that point when I covered the pin.  Camera then continued recording for  I would say  25 minutes with repeated zooms in and out. I was thrilled!   Of course you do not get the indicator so you do not know how much juice you have left until you uncover the middle pin.  Once it shut down,  I turned it back on and continued recording for 3 more minutes even with zooming.

I was surprised to see that some pics I took yesterday,  and looked good in the camera,  did not come out all that clear  I will test some more but if the pics do not come out great I will return it. It is all about the picture quality after all.  Thanks for reading.

[UnionStation]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not comfortable guessing how much battery life I might have left. As for the photo quality, I've seen the reviews, and I know some people here have disagreed with me, but I was REALLY underwhelmed with the picture quality of this camera. I used to be a Canon fan, and really believed for a bit that I had accidentally changed the ISO. Canon has given up on this camera. I can't imagine why anyone here would defend it.

[naruamil17]

Canon is going back to old processor but better performance:

SX600 HS

16.0 Megapixel HighSensitivity CMOS sensor combined with the DIGIC 4+ Image Processor

Available in March, 2014

Hope all work fine in new model.