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.

[ThomasDavies]

Thanks for quick reply, I will probably still go for sx280, as I will not be using video much

[videophan]

Thomasdavies,

To be more specific...I put a fresh battey in, formatted the SD card and took three videos (no stills). About ten seconds before the third video ended the flashing low battery symbol came on. I did use the zoom a lot but only when I saw something interesting as I panned outside. The total video time was about eleven minutes. When I turned the camera back on again in video mode and began recording, battery indicator indicated a full battery, even was able to zoom with no warning. The battery indicator in video mode takes a giant leap from full to dangerously low with nothing displayed in between. Something is very wrong. Oh, I have the updated firmware.

"A bunch of stills" and a "few short videos" are not something that I would base a decision on. I can't speak for others but I am not expecting four hours of video as you might expect from a camcorder. What I do expect is the SX280 to record 29 minutes of video under zoom, on/off, refocusing, etc or somewhere in the ballpark as the specifications for the camera state. I don't think eleven minutes is even close. I am also expecting a camera that has a reliable battery level indicator, not one that goes from full charge to low battery indication with the mere slight zoom of the lens during recording.

I should also say that maybe I could have recorded more video, but who wants to risk a complete camera shutdown (after all, the low battery indicator is warning you that you are approaching the state) if the video you are capturing is critical? I have experienced this withe the updated firmware in place: full battery indication when video started, a couple of zoms during recording shut down the camera with "recharge the battery."

---

@RCJ wrote:

---

@ThomasDavies wrote:
Hi,
So I'm guessing that the firmware update haven't solved the battery indicator problem, if so can anyone suggest another canon camera that is equal in image and video quality?

---

Well, it did "solve" the battery indicator problem on mine, to the extent that I've used the camera for a full day, shot a bunch of photos, shot a few short videos, and never had it shut off or exhibit the low-battery indicator. Not once. That's basically what I bought the camera for. If you want hours of video time, you might buy a video camera. Failing that, best of luck with your quest.

---

[RCJ]

LOL. Well, some people have better things to do than spend their lives counting precise zoom cycles and photos shot. I took a fresh look at the camera with the firmware, used it pretty heavily for a day, for both photos and videos, on a single battery for my normal use, and did not encounter a shutdown. Whether that's good enough for someone else to "base a decision on" is up to the buyer, yes? If I wanted a camera that I KNEW would give me 45 mins to an hour of video use, I would buy a video camera. As it is, I'll use this one and carry an extra $9 battery.

Thomas: If you're worried about all this. If I had my druthers and was starting from scratch, I would by the Canon S110. It has many features of this camera, but with digic 5 processor (maybe better, given the battery issues?), a wider (24mm equiv) and much faster (f2.0) lens, and a useful touch screen. It also will shoot in RAW, if that matters to you. And it has a sleeker, more form-functional body that's more pocketable. It's also a relatively new camera, and I haven't seen reports of battery problems. The major tradeoff: lack of long zoom capability. It's a 24 wide that only has 5x zoom, if that matters to you. Based on my normal use (mostly wide), it probably would have been a better camera for me, as even with the 280's excellent IS, I rarely shoot long telephoto stuff with a P/S. The 110 sells for about 350. I wish I'd bought it instead. Good luck!

[UnionStation]

I doubt many people here would suggest anyone go out and buy this camera right now, thomasdavies. This debate in this thread has mostly been among people who have and are unhappy with this camera, and are mulling whether to return it or just hope Canon eventually does the right thing and makes it live up to the stated specs. Even after the firmware update, this camera falls short and still has problems in the opinion of the vast majority of those who've commented here. If you want to buy it, knowing what we've all been through, at least you do so with open eyes. Just keep your receipt handy.

[scupking]

If people wanted to stay with canon another option would be ELPH 330HS. One review put the picture quality just a little above the sx280. Granted the 330HS only has a 10x zoom.

[videophan]

I never counted precise zoom cycles, don't know where you read that. Only two people in the posts seem to be "happy" with the firmware update and that is not a great endorsement for the camera. Whether you carry an extra battery or 5 extra batteries, the $64 dollar question is when do you replace the battery? As soon as the low battery light begins flashing during a video? Do you just stop the video, get in your Canon time machine (an accessory for the SX280 but an expensive one) and turn back time so you can reshoot the video? As I have stated, I have started what was to be a 3-minute video where the battery indicated a full charge IN VIDEO MODE, zoomed in a couple of times in the first twenty seconds, first zoom the low battery warning came on, second zoom camera shut down with "recharge the battery." I guess I need to put a fully charged battery in every time I start a video to be sure I can complete the video and make sure the video is not longer than ten minutes. That is not going to happen in my world.

---

@RCJ wrote:

LOL. Well, some people have better things to do than spend their lives counting precise zoom cycles and photos shot. I took a fresh look at the camera with the firmware, used it pretty heavily for a day, for both photos and videos, on a single battery for my normal use, and did not encounter a shutdown. Whether that's good enough for someone else to "base a decision on" is up to the buyer, yes? If I wanted a camera that I KNEW would give me 45 mins to an hour of video use, I would buy a video camera. As it is, I'll use this one and carry an extra $9 battery.

Thomas: If you're worried about all this. If I had my druthers and was starting from scratch, I would by the Canon S110. It has many features of this camera, but with digic 5 processor (maybe better, given the battery issues?), a wider (24mm equiv) and much faster (f2.0) lens, and a useful touch screen. It also will shoot in RAW, if that matters to you. And it has a sleeker, more form-functional body that's more pocketable. It's also a relatively new camera, and I haven't seen reports of battery problems. The major tradeoff: lack of long zoom capability. It's a 24 wide that only has 5x zoom, if that matters to you. Based on my normal use (mostly wide), it probably would have been a better camera for me, as even with the 280's excellent IS, I rarely shoot long telephoto stuff with a P/S. The 110 sells for about 350. I wish I'd bought it instead. Good luck!

---

[RCJ]

Can't help you there.

[RCJ]

---

@UnionStation wrote:

I doubt many people here would suggest anyone go out and buy this camera right now, thomasdavies. This debate in this thread has mostly been among people who have and are unhappy with this camera, and are mulling whether to return it or just hope Canon eventually does the right thing and makes it live up to the stated specs. Even after the firmware update, this camera falls short and still has problems in the opinion of the vast majority of those who've commented here. If you want to buy it, knowing what we've all been through, at least you do so with open eyes. Just keep your receipt handy.

---

Keep in mind that the "vast majority of those who've commented here" represents about .00000001 percent of people who own the camera. But I totally agree with UnionStation: If you like the concept of the camera, get one from a place with a solid return policy and give it a whirl. If it does'nt work for you, trade 'er in on something else. 

[mcasale16]

I am SO disappointed in Canon! I was one of the only ones to send my (2nd) sx280 from NY to CA-with shipping it was out of my hands for 15 days! Brand new $260 camera needs to be sent back for service!!? Unheard of! Well I did it with good faith! Today I received my repaired camera back- and guess what? The paperwork indicates that it was successfully repaired with the firmware updated..... And.....NOPE- the issue is exactly the same and the firmware code is the originalcode- with a 1 no 2....I Called Canon practically hysterical with disappointment and they replied- "sorry, human error happens- please resend the camera back"!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!????

[filipb]

Canon Belgium has the update - so I guess that the other country sites will start having the update (when translation of instructions are ready?) ...