SX280 will Panorama mode be added in future update?

[Dave2]

Hi,

My wife and I were stronly considering the SX280 as our next camera, in fact we almost bought one until we realized that the camera did not include a panorama mode, this is really a deal breaker for us.

The only way we will be purchasing this camera is if we are assured that there will be a panorama mode added in a future firmware update.

[Skirball]

I highly doubt it.  IMO, Canon isn't very good about firmware updates for new features, they really only fix things that were broken.  Especially for something such as this that can be done by a ton of external programs, including ones that Canon provides with the cameras.

If that's truly a deal killer for you then I'd look for a different camera.

[Limmie]

Make sure you read posts over the past month in considering the 280.  I bought one for a month but ended up returning it for various reasons, including lack of panorama mode.  From having owned various models powershots, and as another poster said, I would not anticipate any firmware upgrades to add new features.  Of the 3 powershots I owned, only the 280 saw a firmare upgrade and that was to address (inadequately as many have observed) a battery level issue.  The others probably could have been updated somewhat through firmware releases but it doesn't seem to go that way.

I posted recently about a pseudo-panorama type feature in the 280, but my computer will not run the newest software so I was unable to test it.  The main issue I have found with many, many attempts to stitch panoramic shots together with Canon's PhotoStitch is you end up with a lot of curvature effects.  I am sure there is a technical explanation for this to do with wide-angle lenses, etc, but the bottom line is, it isn't the same as a true panorama mode.  Perhaps if you can do it from video excerpts it will work, but I was unable to test it,

[Dave2]

Well we had our heart set on the sx280 because it has the best image quality in its class and ultimately the whole point of a ccamera is to get good photos. I really wish cannon had included the panorama mode and a actually useful GPS (no one needs gps data in jpegs, you need gps maps to figure out where you're going).

I dunno, I thought cannon was supposed to be the best in cameras, they need to get their act together from the sounds of it.

[Limmie]

No camera is perfect.  You just have to choose with which flaws you can live.  Both the Sony and Panasonic have their 280 equivalents. Do a general web search.  The Sony's is the WX300 and I forget which for the Panasonic (several models actually).  However, what I disliked about those, especially the Panasonic, is they are set up for charging the battery in the camera which means you are down while the battery is charging (or you pay more for third party chargers which I am not sure I have seen for the Panasonic).

Yes, according to reviews neither the Sony nor the Panasonic are quite up to Canon for picture quality, though for general purposes they are close.  They do both have panoramic mode.

A camera GPS isn't really designed to be a navigation tool if that's what you mean.  The newest Panasonic does include maps (if you don't mind sacrificing a few GB of your storage card for them), though they aren't the highest resolution and I don't know how easy it is to update them.  I wouldn't want to navigate with one.  GPS in jpegs are handy if like me you go hiking or take photo out of the car window and want to know exactly where you took the photo when there's no particular place name.

[Skirball]

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@Dave2 wrote:

I dunno, I thought cannon was supposed to be the best in cameras, they need to get their act together from the sounds of it.

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Best in cameras is a highly subjective term, there are millions of Nikon users out there that would passionately disagree.  Objectively, Canon has held the world market share for quite some time now, but sadly that doesn't necessarily say anything about their ability to address the consumers wants.  Really it says that they're able to convince consumers, over and over again, that they have to upgrade their cameras.   They've been highly succesful financially, so in that context they could say the do have their act together.

There's a near endless list of "features" for digital cameras now adays, presumably someone somewhere finds each of them useful.  Theoretically someone would want all those features in one camera.  I'm not one of those people.  I never use any of these in-camera features as I always shoot raw and post process.  I'd rather combine my photos in post to make panos, or HDR, or what not.  Therefore I'd rather have a simple camera without the additional fluff I don't need.  The camera manufactures know this, and take advantage of it.  There are a gazillion models of cameras out, from bare bones to fully loaded, and a assortment of things inbetween.  Sometimes someone finds the perfect camera for them, with just the right features and no extras...  but mostly the companies want you to be happy enough with your camera and keep eying your next upgrade.   Just $0.02 from a skeptic consumer.