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.

[iaroslav]

Hi everyone.
I found this thread too late, after my purchase SX270 in Ukraine. I think i bought one of returned cameras, because there is "new" firmware 1.0.2 . Anyway, same problem with my camera, 25 min to red light of video IF you dont touch zoom. When you touch zoom, video recording may record about 5-10 min than red light appear, than you can shoot other short movies - 2-3 minutes (maybe couple) than just shut down when you try to record more video. I can make 20-50 stills without flashlight after that.

So i think the camera is good, but for such money (i bought it here about 312$) i dont think its good deal.
Look at Sony RX100 - yes! 625$ But there is all perfect.

[Sktr]

I solved the problem. I sold the new camera - claimed by Canon factory. This new camera has still the same problem, but I am happy now.

And new user is happy to. How is this possible? ... He doesn"t use video mode on camera. Just "Auto" and sometime "P".

Have a nice day. Maybe we'll meet again someday. Maybe in a competitive forum.

[Sktr]

For me, refurbished camera had still the same problem = Red flashing (low energy) + spontaneous shutdown. Battery on 100%, video record mode ... and when I use zoom, low energy indicator is here (sometimes after 2 minutes, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes immediately...) and subsequently camera turn off (sometimes immediately after low battery indicator, sometimes after 5 minutes later ... ) . When I turn ON the camera, battery indicator = 100% (It's not normal!) and I can take 100 picture (again, It's not normal). But when I go to video mode, again "low battery" and I could wait for shutdown (again, sometimes immediately, sometimes after 5 minutes ...).

This is the main reason why there is this topic in the forum. Firmware 1.0.1.0 and 1.0.2.0 = the same problem.

Yes, I could have taken on a single charge up to 25 minutes of video and more than 200 photos. But the camera itself shutdown several times (in video mode 5 times in 25 minutes, sometime more than 15 times in 25 minutes when I used a zoom). Simply put, I didn't know when the camera shutdown and how long i can take a video . I wanted 1080p 60 FPS camera.

For me, with this problems, it is unusable camera. In my opinion, the problem is somewhere between Zoom, DIGIC 6 processor, video mode and battery. It may be firmware, I don't know. And now I do not care ...

Great video quality, nice zoom, good picture quality, a fair amount and quality aluminum body ... but ultimately useless for me.

I really had a lot of Canon cameras in my life ... but this is EPIC FAIL 😕

[Beetle]

Okay, others were correct, Canon has no interest in fixing the problem! I sent my new camera in and received a letter stating it could not be repaired so they were going to send a new one, I received a refurbished SX280 and guess what? The one they sent is worse than the old one! It will not even do one second of video! Fully charged battery, switch it to movie mode and it immediately shuts down!! GRRRRRRR!!! CANON! I WANT A NEW CAMERA THAT WORKS!!! I will not buy another Canon product until this is resolved!  I did speak with a very nice supervisor who did seem to be genuine, sending it back for another shot.  Soooo frustrating because I paid for a new camera and I would like a new camera, not one someone else has had trouble with.  The first service rep/tech was of no help once again,  I asked to speak to a supervisor and he said there is nobody that could help me, I called back and the other guy let me talk with someone who seemed to care.  Switch to video, flashes then dies, zoom on video, shuts down.  I'm supposed just live with it?

[nicoceo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDsy5E7bh2Y

Anyone try this? could answer any technical, this has technical contraindications? Battery can die forever? and charging can explode? Sorry the video is in German not understand anything I'm from ARGENTINA

[miltk]

no user review i've seen mentions the amount of video time was used before the indicator goes crazy. everyone says "a few minutes".

have you all been trying to video continuously, that is, as long as you could? there's a guy on youtube who shot video in "small chunks"...sounded like he meant 5 - 7 minute chunks, with no problem. i don't know if he turn the camera off and on in between, but practically speaking, why would anyone video for any time longer than a couple of minutes. like for instance, in slow mo, you can only shoot video for 30 seconds - that is just a functionality built into that mode.

just wondering.....thx

[UnionStation]

The previous 111 pages of this thread lay out in excruciating, maddening detail exactly what the problem is and what's been done to try to fix it - mostly on the part of customers. You'll also note the vast majority of people here who've purchased this camera have either returned it or regretted not doing so.

The bottom line for most of us is this: What good is it having a camera that won't accurately tell you when the battery is running out and it's going to just shut down. Yes, you can restart the camera and shoot some more stills. But what have you missed while the camera was out of commission?

Despite our efforts over the past year to educate and warn our fellow consumers about this debacle of a camera, someone comes along every once in a while and seems to think they'll get an sx280 that actually works - and they're sorely disappointed. You seem to be looking for an excuse to buy the camera, so go ahead. Prove us wrong and report back.

[jomjo]

SX270IS was my forth and perhaps LAST Canon camera.

The suposed fix isn't even for my model (sixth digit on serial number is 4).

The problem isn' even the flashing icon, it's the camera shutting itself off when shooting video. A lot of money for a camera, an actual fraude, because I believe Canon knew all along (or very soon after) the problem they were selling. 

All over the world (Portugal, here) this problem may have turned canon lovers into canon haters, and the bad publicity will pulverize Canon. I hope.

Otherwise, bad guys do always win.

[texascanonuser]

Still having problem with battery life.
I did contact Canon in March 2014.
They acted like it was fixed and didn't realize there was still a problem!

What's up Canon?

[jomjo]

A good example of what I said before about the problem in the power department at Canon:

I had a set of batteries that I was going to throw away because they couldn’t even power up simple compact canon cameras, and I tried them on three models. Last week I used them on a sony 20x zoom, on a whole day event, and they are still alive and kicking. 

There's something wrong about the way canon uses power. That's my thesis.