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.

[dswansonil]

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@scupking wrote:

Well I may keep an eye on the post but I'm off to the panasonic world. Going with the Lumix ZS30. That will be my first non Canon point and shoot. Good luck guys....

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How about an update on that camera here?  Would be a good comparison by the same user that might help some of us make a choice.

[videophan]

Same here scupking, very interested in your opinion of the zs30. Uberaugie was going to get one and was asked to report back but nothing so far. B&H has the camera in silver but no other reputable vendors including shop.panasonic has it available at $399. Maybe he ran into the unavailability problem when he tried to order. Thanks in advance!

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@dswansonil wrote:

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@scupking wrote:

Well I may keep an eye on the post but I'm off to the panasonic world. Going with the Lumix ZS30. That will be my first non Canon point and shoot. Good luck guys....

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How about an update on that camera here?  Would be a good comparison by the same user that might help some of us make a choice.

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[dswansonil]

RCJ   One of my earlier tests showed similar results if you just let the video run while the low bat warning was flashing and didn't zoom or turn the camera off but just stopped and started the video.  It really sounds like the lens motor is the biggie power draw.  Did the 280 get noticeable warm when you let it run for the 20 minute video? 

Do you know if there is a user setting for how long the the camera is idle before it initiates an auto shut down?

[videophan]

Someone at Canon is listening. This now appears at the Canon USA site and is available before downloading new firmware version:

[RCJ]

I agree. The zoom function seems to be the killer here. I personally rarely use the zoom much for vid (my use is mostly stationary interview clips on tripod, and maybe a few general wide shots.) But those who would use zoom much during vid would not be happy at all with the cam. The camera did get warm, yes, but didn't seem unusually so to me. A few minutes later I pulled the battery to charge it and it was warm, but not hot. Not sure about an auto-shutdown feature for when the camera is running.

@dswansonil wrote:

RCJ   One of my earlier tests showed similar results if you just let the video run while the low bat warning was flashing and didn't zoom or turn the camera off but just stopped and started the video.  It really sounds like the lens motor is the biggie power draw.  Did the 280 get noticeable warm when you let it run for the 20 minute video? 

Do you know if there is a user setting for how long the the camera is idle before it initiates an auto shut down?

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[scupking]

I will update you guys once I get the ZS30. I will order after I get my refund back from amazon. Just wish the ZS30 had 10 or 12 mp. Over all after reading a lot of reviews the zs30 seems to be the best 20x pocket camera.

[RCJ]

I've been a fan of the Lumixes, but the reviews I've read of image quality on the 30 have been pretty mixed. Also the new Lumixes don't have an external charger, if I understand correctly, which seems nuts. Especially given the price! Anxious to hear about it though.

[myasg]

SONY. WX300. Certainly not the best but a great camera. nonetheless. I will certainly give Canon another chance one day as I did LOVE THE PICS on the SX280. Remember I am a casual user and the SONY Is much more than adequate for me at a good price point and great pics also.

[dswansonil]

Anyone looking at the Sony Hx50? I can be a little flexible on the price if I can get the right mix of photo, video and battery life.

[tprevett]

Okay, so I bit the bullet and bought another SX280 because I simply couldn't find anything comparable.  My original has been sent back to Amazon, refund has been issued, so I picked up another one locally at Bestbuy.. I'm silver rewardszone, so I have 60 days to play..

First off, this new camera came with firmware version 1.01.  so before doing anyting I tried to shoot some video.. got 8:59 in before the Red Battery of Death appeared.  This is 8x longer then my original camera.. my original would blink red within a minute of attempting to record video.

I made the Best Buy guy let me look at each one they had and I made sure to get the one with the latest serial number.

I've just upgraded the firmware to 1.02 (yes I checked to make sure the s/n was calling for the update)

I'll report back as to if the firmware update fixes the issue on this particular camera.