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.

[ruko]

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@UnionStation wrote:

Folks, PLEASE do not try this tape over the electrode thing. You're fooling the camera - and working around an important failsafe mechanism. You don't want to play around with lithium ion batteries like this because they WILL catch on fire if overheated or compromised. This is a dangerous workaround. Consider yourself warned.

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I have used this method of tape over the center battery terminal for two years. Not one problem. It's the only way this lemon will take videos for more than 10 seconds. The battery will not charge with the tape attached so it must removed for charging hence no fire danger when charging. Irritating but doable. With the center terminal taped there is no battery charge indicator in the LCD of the camera so you don't know the state of charge. It didn't work properly anyway so no big loss. Without the tape the state of charge indicator would tell me a freshly charged battery was completely discharged after 10 seconds of video.

As many have done I sent this lemon back to Canon for a "fix" and it came back with the same problem. Thanks Canon!

[GON22]

My camera works great with the center battery contact covered.  I keep 3 batteries available. I charge them with the tape on for about 2-3 hours, only the full indicator light does not come on. I have charged them overnight and no problem. Of course, the full light will work if the tape is removed.

[QualityPictures]

@GON22, with the tape on the center contact, what happens in the camera when the battery runs flat?

[GON22]

The camera just stops operating until I put in one of my charged extra batteries. If I am using it a lot, I will just change the battery when I think it  needs it.

Hope this helps, let me know.

[Balb0wa]

well well well: powershot battery problems

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer?pageKeyCode=prdAdvDetail&docId=0901e02480e1c016

[ruko]

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@Balb0wa wrote:

well well well: powershot battery problems

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/support/consumer?pageKeyCode=prdAdvDetail&docId=0901e02480e1c016

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Thank you very much. So, Canon is finally admitting this camera is a potential lemon. I'm wondering if Canon will reimburse me for the postage I spent for sending my camera in for a "fix" a year ago? It came back to me not "fixed". Guess I'll try again because taping the terminal is really annoying and just maybe this time they will "fix" it.

[LSousa]

So Canon can fix the problem now?!

[ruko]

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@LSousa wrote:

So Canon can fix the problem now?!

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We will see.

[bradmoss]

Sorry but the problem is not what the report posted says.

It says it is a false contact that makes beleive the camera the battery is depleted when it's not.

The battery actually gets depleted so the problem is not the described in the report.

[GON22]

I note that my battery did not seem depleted. If I turned the camera off and on, it showed a full battery until I shot video. I am happy with the tape fix.