Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Canon PowerShot SX280 HS
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Canon PowerShot SX280 HS?
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Скроменый эксперт
03.02.2012
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Я в фотоделе - любитель, но простые цифромыльницы надоели, а покупать зеркалку и кучу объективов и аксессуаров к ней (по цене автомобиля) - нет необходимости.Здесь есть всё или почти всё для взыскательного фотолюбителя - и широкий угол и телезум, макросъёмка, ручные настройки, очень порадовала серийная съёмка в полном качестве 8 снимков со скоростью 10,3 к/сек, хорошая работа процессора - исправляет "бочку" и хроматическую аберрацию, мягкое шумоподавление (зернистость даже на ISO800 вполне приемлима).Конечно, всегда найдутся недостатки - зачем-то поменяли аккумулятор (от предыдущих моделей не подходит), маркий экран, все отпечатки пальцев и носа сразу видны, да и разрешение в 230 000 пикселей маловато по нынешним меркам, но в главном - снимками я доволен, особенно если вдумчиво подходить к режимам съёмки, а не щёлкать всё на "авто".
Скроменый эксперт
08.10.2012
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Один из лучших компактных цифровиков, особенно удобна функция записи GPS-логов в отдельные файлы после съёмки и возможность потом вставлять геотеги в данные изображений (http://jj-warez.livejournal.com/27066.html) и т.п.
Скроменый эксперт
09.04.2014
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I knew about the battery problem with this camera from reading the Amazon reviews here. So I resolved not to vote with my wallet (not to give Canon money for a flawed product) until they fixed it. They never did fix it.[Update April 24, 2014: Since I'm a Christian, an update to be fair to Canon. After a few charging cycles on the OEM Canon battery, the battery problem at full res video is not as bad as it was. Some people say that Li-ion batteries don't have memory or don't need to be "conditioned." Nevertheless, I can now take 20 minutes of video, zooming in and out, without getting the flashing battery indicator or a forced shutdown.]But then Target cleared them out and I was able to buy one for $120. That's less than what I paid for my Canon PowerShot SX160 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 16x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3.0-Inch LCD (Red) when they were clearing those out! For that low price, I can live with the battery problem. So, 3 stars at the normal price, so you know what you're in for. 4 stars at $120.Turns out that the battery problem while recording video is only an issue at the highest video setting. (Which some say looks unnatural anyway.) If you back down to the 1280 x 720 mode, it runs just fine. (Although the battery gets very hot.) I went for a half hour, zooming in and out every now and then. I stopped because I lost patience. (That's with GPS off.)(FYI, mine was an early serial number unit, made in Japan. I had to flash it to the 1.0.2.0 firmware.)The flash unit doesn't pop up on me because I always use the camera in the P mode, with flash disabled. So that hasn't been an issue.I have a Canon SX160, which I like very much. From an ergonomic standpoint, I like the SX160 better. The SX280 is a bit small for my hands. My hands are not fat, but they are large and some of the buttons are hard to hit with my thumb. (6 ft skinny man.)And I'll have to buy spare batteries for the SX280. I get about an hour of use before the battery indicator starts to flash. I'm gonna try the Vivitar NB-6L / NB-6LH Ultra High Capacity 1700mAH Li-ion Replacement Batteries for Select Canon Digital Cameras, Pack of 2. [Update: Out of the package, the new battery gave me the flashing battery indicator within 4 minutes of Hi-res video and forced shutdowns while zooming. But, per my UPDATE above, it might be the new battery will get better with "conditioning."] Whereas I can use AA's in the SX160.Both fit in my pant pocket just fine and it's easier for me to grab and shoot with the SX160 in a hurry.However, the SX160 is a VERY slow camera, not good for action shots. The SX280 is much better (faster) shutter-lag wise. I had set the SX280 for "continuous shooting" like I have with the SX160, but it was so fast that I turned that feature off. (It kept taking two pictures before I knew what was happening.)(Reviews say the new Canon PowerShot SX700 HS Digital Camera (Red) is even faster. But $350? Wait until it comes down below $200 like the SX280 did.)Image Quality wise, the SX280 is better at the higher ISO's. Images start getting noisy past ISO 400 on the SX160, but you can easily go to ISO 800 on the SX280.[Update: I tripped across the fact that if you select AUTO ISO, the camera can use finer gradations than user selectable. For example, the camera can select ISO 500 in AUTO, whereas you can only jump from 400 to 800.]Interestingly, when taking pictures of the moon (ISO 100), both cameras are the same. Perhaps a little better with the SX280, but difficult to tell which took which picture in a side-by-side comparison. Actually, lens aberration at the periphery of the moon tells them apart. [Update: If you back off the zoom a bit in the SX280, the f stop opens to 5.6. More light = less noise, and you actually get a better image (that you can zoom with crop post processing) than an image you don't have to crop at full zoom.]For reasons I don't understand, Canon crippled the SX280 for long night exposures, forcing you to use 80 ISO for anything over one second. Whereas you can use whatever ISO you want for long exposures with the SX160. So if you're in to trying to capture invisible comets with longish exposures and high ISO's, the SX280 will not work. (So far, I don't see a hacked CHDK firmware to change this for the SX280. There's an Alpha out for the SX260, so I'm hoping a CHDK for the SX280 isn't far behind.))In fact, since the SX160 does a prodigious amount of post processing on long exposure shots, the noise is remarkably low in long exposures. So you can effectively get more done in low light conditions with the SX160 than the SX280 here.The SX280 has a nifty wi-fi feature, which I set up to use as a hot-spot. It talks to my tablet using Canon's free Android app. Saves the cost of an Eye-Fi card, and makes transferring images to the tablet (for uploading to Twitter) easy. I can do same with the SX260, but it involves powering down units to move micro-SD cards back and forth.I wouldn't pay the curre
Скроменый эксперт
19.01.2014
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I read all the reviews here and on the canonusa.com website, then figured it was worth the fantastic price to me even knowing the battery life would be short if shooting movies (esp w/zooming), and that the battery warning and battery capacity icons would also be pretty useless when shooting movie clips. Since I shoot mainly stills, I decided that I would simply get a pair of extra batteries (not Canon brand)and not worry about it, assuming battery life turned out to be satisfactory. So far, I've shot about 700 pictures and 30 min of movie clips since Christmas, and it's working just as expected, getting many beautiful, sharp pictures. During the first week I had the camera, I took a succession of sets of 6 stills, 4 stills w/flash, followed by 2 min of 1920/30fps movie with one zoom. I made it nearly to the end of the 10th set (zooming during the movie clip) before the camera shut down. Just last week, I repeated the test, and the camera shut down it in the movie clip of the 9th set. I'm happy with that, so I decided to keep it. My camera (bought about Dec 1) came with the new firmware (it had "3" in the sixth digit of the S/N, instead of a lower number) so I didn't have to do the firmware upgrade from the canon website. Overall, the performance is amazing compared to my 4 year old less capable point and shoot. The low light performance without flash is impressive (considering the small aperture and small sensor size in this compact camera) - it is surprising how many low light shots I take in AUTO now and the camera doesn't even want to turn on the flash. Very often indoors, I can get sharp photos without harsh glare from the flash that just wasn't possible before - just have to learn to hold it steady and squeeze off the shot. The anti-shake technology and low noise levels at fairly high ISO are really something in this camera.The sharp 20x zoom is also coming into far more use than I thought - I had a 5x in the old camera that was good for prints up to maybe 5x7 - again, to get sharp enough pics at 20x full zoom, I needed to learn to keep the camera steady, brace the camera or my arm against something, or use a monopod or tripod, and squeeze off the shot without moving the camera. Once I used a nearby broom as a monopod and that was all the help I needed to make a soft shot fairly sharp (in playback, you can blow the image all the way up to the equiv size of a 16x20 print with 9 clicks, if you want, to examine for blur).I gave the camera 4 stars for 1) the inaccurate battery warning indicator esp when doing a movie clip, and 2)having to learn not to rest my left forefinger right on top of the pop-up flash where it naturally wants to go - I am happy to report it has finally learned to rest on the back edge of the top so it no longer stops the flash from coming up when the camera decides it wants it (and thus requiring a power off/power back on).It would have been 3 stars but I'm really impressed with the compact size, picture quality and the price - I would have happily plunked down over $300 for this camera if it weren't for the above mentioned problems.One nit: I haven't found a panorama assist mode in the SX280 like my older Canon has. I'm not into making huge half circle or full circle panoramas some cameras can do automatically, but I often want to stitch 2 landscape pictures together, and the assist feature would lock the exposure and focus and also help me keep the pictures lined up vertically with each other so as to not lose any more picture height than necessary during the stitching process. I'm doing panos OK with this camera - I turn the gridlines on to help keep the shots vertically aligned but I have to go thru some extra steps to make sure the focus and exposure don't change from the values set during the first shot. By the way, the included Canon stitching software produces fine hand held panos as long as the camera was held level (I'm a novice at panos - I wonder if there is any stitching software than can correct for the camera looking down or up or being out of level side to side - by the way, you don't need a level, but you do have to be careful).Conclusion: It is obvious some users have had unusable short battery life when shooting video, even after making a firmware update, while others like myself are finding it satisfactory as it came out of the box. I don't know if my battery experience is the new "normal" for more recently made SX280's, or just the luck of the draw. If you decide to keep it, definitely get a few extra batteries esp if you might do any video (I got 2 Wasabi batteries with AC/12VDC charger on Amazon, and plan on popping in a fresh battery when we go to take a video of our great grandchildren), and also the Case Logic DCB-302 case (the 2 spare batts and an extra memory card fit in the side pocket perfectly), and your good to go. I put the camera bag on my belt and hardly notice it is there. NOTE: For me, the Canon battery doesn't seem to charg
Скроменый эксперт
09.01.2014
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
I really liked the previous model of this camera, the SX260. It did have the same industrial design issues (see below) but I could overlook them since there weren't any other problems. However, this new model has enough other problems that it's just not worth keeping; I've returned it and I'm going to try a different Canon wi-fi model.- Battery problems: Even after updating the firmware, I'm running into the same problem that others mentioned; the camera will show a full battery symbol until I start recording video, when it immediately shows the low battery warning. If I record anyway, it will automatically shut off after about a minute of recording. Turning it back on shows a full battery again, and it's happy to let me shoot dozens of stills without complaining.- Dumb design: When you're holding the camera, your index fingers naturally end up in exactly the wrong positions - your left finger naturally wants to sit on top of the pop-up flash, which means it'll often fail to pop up and you'll get an error requiring you to restart the camera. And your right finger naturally wants to sit on top of the power button, which is just to the right of the shutter button and looks and feels similar, so you'll often mistakenly turn off the camera when you are trying to take a photo.- There's no true panorama mode - just an assist mode that requires you to stitch photos together later using software on your PC. That's kind of silly at this point when even cheaper cameras from other brands have this feature.- Wi-fi is kind of clunky, it offers a lot of options and it works, but setting it up for web services is tedious- requiring multiple steps on Canon's website and with Canon's CameraWindow software on your PC.The rest of this review goes into more detail about wi-fi....If you want to have the camera use wi-fi to send photos to Google Drive, Flickr, Twitter, etc. or Canon's own similar photo-sharing service, you first need to visit Canon's website to download software for your Mac or PC to register the camera and set up which services you'll want it to access. The process works but it's a bit confusing and some steps seem redundant.However, you can skip all of that if you just want the camera to wirelessly connect to your PC, smartphone, another camera, or a wi-fi printer.To start wi-fi whenever you want to transfer some photos, put the camera in playback mode, hit the "up" button and you'll get a menu showing the devices you can connect to (and any services you had set up, see above). Pick one, and the camera will then ask you choose which nearby wi-fi network to connect to.If it's a new network that requires a password, the camera will display a tiny on-screen keyboard that lets you peck out the password using the direction and OK buttons.Once you're connected, the camera will let you select photos to upload. You can send the current photo, or select up to 50 photos - one at a time (there's no way to select multiple photos in one step). You also can choose whether to send them at original size or resize them smaller (two choices), which will speed up the transfer.The transfer seems reasonably fast and once it's done the camera automatically disconnects from the wi-fi.If you want to transfer photos to your smartphone or tablet instead of an online service, then it's mostly the same process; before you start you need to have installed Canon's Camera Window app on your phone/tablet, and have it open.Once the camera is connected to your phone/tablet, you go through the same steps described above on the camera to transfer the photos to your device. The Camera Window app displays each photo as it's downloaded, and it copies them to your device's regular photos/gallery app.The Camera Window app is very basic; it doesn't let you zoom the photos, and it doesn't provide any way to preview and select photos on the camera (that has to be done on the camera as explained above). There's also no way to remotely control the camera to use it as a sort of wireless webcam for instance.Overall I found the wi-fi features to be reliable and functional, if a bit limited. There are some other wi-fi features I haven't used yet, such as printing or transferring to another camera.P.S. One of the wi-fi modes the camera has is "access point" - it makes the camera create its own wi-fi network for situations where there's no other wi-fi around, and you want to transfer photos to your phone/tablet (in which case you would connect your phone/tablet to the camera's wi-fi network). Problem is, every time you activate this mode, the camera creates a never-before-used network name (SSID) and password! Since it's always a new network, every single time you start this mode, you will have to go to settings on your phone/tablet and manually connect to the new wi-fi network and enter the password (which is displayed by the camera). Very annoying! A handy workaround - if your phone/tablet has it - is to instead activate your phone/tablet's wi-fi hotspot feat
Скроменый эксперт
26.04.2014
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Some people have had battery problems with this camera. I bought 2 extra Vivitar batteries with higher mA-h ratings than the stock Canon batteries. If you do the math, this camera can put a huge load on the microprocessor when you ask it to take high-rate, high-resolution videos, or multiple shots. Zoom a lot at the same time, and these little batteries aren't going to hack it. In addition, Canon has something wrong (I suspect) with the battery life sensor/indicator. (My guess is the 1.0.2.0 firmware update that's available from Canon is to help that.) On the good side, that's depressed the price of this camera. Since I don't intend to take a lot of videos with this camera, I'm OK with that. :)I may have also gotten a good one. Over 2 days of playing with it, I've yet to change the battery. It's showing 2/3 charge. It has however, flashed "charge the battery" warnings acouple of times.For calibration, this is replacing a Canon A1100IS we bought about 4 years ago as a second camera.Pro (for me):Really good, clear picturesGood image stabilization (hand-holding at 1/15th of a second or slower!)Low noise, as low as ISO 1600Large zoom rangeManual focusDIGIC 6 processor (latest generation)Very nice screenP, Av, Tv & M exposure modesCanon's basically good control layoutSmall and light; carrying around a DSLR can be wearyingWi-Fi is handyFits in the same case as my A1100, which was originally bought for a tiny 35 mm Vivitar I carried as a 2nd camera for years. It's marked "Samsonite World Sport, Model #20" if that helps.Cons:Not as good a macro capability as the A1100 (which is sterling at that one thing. I'll be keeping it for that.)No viewfinder (unlike the A1100. It's not needed all the time, but it is handy)Slow GPS lock in (my Nexus shows 18 or so satellites in view, and took maybe 30 sec. to lock in. The camera took several times that)GPS power hog. (It appears to suck up a lot of power, turning it on and off a few times did seem to affect battery charge indication)No auto bracket (To be fair, that's not common on cameras, but it should be. Canon puts it on the similar S110.)No hyperfocal distance setting (You can do it manually, of course, but, Canon, why not add another click on the focus bar? There's a computer in there, you know)Lithium batteries (I prefer the A1100's NiMH AAs so you can get a new set at any Staples for cheap or use alkaline AAs in a pinch)So, with all of 2 days of experience under my belt:1) Nice easily-portable camera at a low-ish price2) Power hog, due to inefficient GPS, big zoom, and powerful microprocessor being pushed by video, etc.I'll update this review someday when I have some durability information.Update: 4/27/2014 Took a nice long walk, shot 6 min. of 720p x 30fps video and took 101 L-superfine .jpg (4k x 3k pixel) photos. This used up most of a fully-charged Vivitar 1700 mA-h battery. I got a battery warn and shutdown after my walk while reviewing the video at home. The 1000 mA-h stock Canon battery would give proportionately less life. Canon says that the stock battery is good for 210 photos. A 1700 mA-h Vivitar battery should be good for 147 more than that, or 357 photos. That means that 6 min. of 720p video is worth 256 photos! I don't think anyone will be shooting at 1080p x 60fps much.Another way to look at it is the number of pixels processed per second by any of the 11 modes of the camera. The normal L .jpg picture takes 12.0E+6 pixels/sec (12 megapixels/sec). The least hungry mode S, takes only 0.307E+6 pixels per second. The hungriest mode is the 14 frames per second L multiple shot mode, which takes 168.E+6 pixels/sec. Since this is only in use for a few frames, it's not bad on battery life. The second worst mode 1080p x 60fps takes 124.E+6 pixels per second, 1037% of the normal L photo processing power! The 720p x 30fps mode I used is only 230% of the normal L mode. Remember, though, the single shot modes are on now and then, maybe a second out of every minute at most. The video modes are on continuously.NB: Good cameras with a lot of features have historically eaten batteries. I carry around a handful for the A1100.Misc.: I'm sorry to see the little A1100 get superseded; it was a trouper. Its biggest problem was auto-focusing at long zoom, which isn't a problem if you're taking snapshots in your yard, but it can be a problem if you see a magnificent vista before you. The SX280 shouldn't have a problem with that (manual zoom). YMMV
Скроменый эксперт
19.10.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
Canon SX-280: Likely the Best Camera that You will Soon Regret BuyingCanon currently has two truly superlative small-sensor cameras, but this isn't one of them. While the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12MP Digital Camera with 2.8-Inch LCD (Black) and Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 12MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-Inch LCD (Black) are both in the best of breed, best of class league . . . the SX-280 isn't.The SX-280 is polluted with largely meaningless features: WiFi, GPS, Hybrid Auto / Movie Digest are all battery-sucking little monsters of dubious utility. What they do is serve to illuminate what has never been the strong suit of this line, battery life, and that includes my SX230 which also has a GPS, but 14x optical zoom.What is worse is that some of the most-touted improved features of this camera (which IS both faster and slightly better in low-light than the 20x optical zoom SX260) are video-capability related. The reason this is so bad is that this camera, as released in April, is deeply flawed: with random video shutdowns and immediate low-battery (red light flashing) warnings in video mode. It should not have been rushed to release in this not ready for prime time condition at all, yet it was. A firmware fix was eventually cobbled together and finally released on the Canon website months later. While my example does not lock-up, the problems go well beyond what firmware can address. There are hardware systems flaws in this camera and no firmware can correct it. The firmware update is provided with the standard "it is all on you" Canon disclaimer: THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND NOT CANON, CANON'S SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES, THEIR DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. Few read the contracts they agree to, yes it is common language . . . but it is a long way from confidence-inspiring.Nothing is perfect, how well we all know, and there are personal considerations such as control placement and button size that folks with smaller hands will find ideal, yet others will find unbearable to try to use. I get this, for there is no such thing as one size fits all. Nevertheless, of the SX230 / SX260 / SX280 line, the SX280 remains the only one of the three released with a blatant, serious flaw. There is no dispute about this, for Canon refers to it as one of their "high-level advisories." Under shooting conditions with good lighting, the SX260 is just as good of a camera without the headaches. Nevertheless, the speedier SX280 (although it has the same, 20x, F3.5 / F.6.8 lens array as the SX260) does do better in low light.The SX280's retail price has dropped from its original $330, and it now is a bargain in this class at $239, or WOULD BE if it worked as promised. Already there are piles of lightly used and "as new" examples selling for $200 or less. Not a bad deal if video is totally unimportant to you, and battery life in general isn't, either. But, there are options: the Fujifilm FinePix F900EXR 16MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black)that has the same zoom range, even faster autofocus, and captures RAW. In the Bargain Class, still 20X zoom: Fujifilm FinePix F850EXR 16MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) currently at $209 (less elsewhere), with a 920K LCD is hard to beat for the money. If optical zoom in this form factor is of prime importance to you, the SX280 is already outgunned by the 22x of the Nikon S9500, the 24x of the Olympus SH-50 iHS, and the whopping 30x of the Sony DSC-HX50V/B 20.4MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black).CONCLUSIONIF the SX280 performed as promised and worked as described by Canon, it WOULD be a 4-1/2 star + camera at a very good price. That's exactly what it doesn't do, so there is no way I could keep it, much less recommend it. It was to be only an incremental improvement from the SX260, even if it worked flawlessly, which it does not. The case size, sensor, lens, battery, basic layout are unchanged. It is essentially the "new DIGIC 6" processor that has been added, along with Wi-Fi. The HD Movie Digest and faster video frame rates just make the already very weak battery appear much weaker, with flawed circuitry that makes video attempts short, erratic, and unreliable.Though smaller, lighter, 10x zoom, and less money . . the ELPH 330 HS is currently Canon's best pocket camera. That one is staying here, its images are superb, that is what I want a camera to do with no hassle: take excellent images. However, if the well-known video / battery issues don't bother you, feel free to ignore this review and take your chances on a SX280. Buying used makes sense here, for there is a quickly growing
Скроменый эксперт
22.09.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
After doing much research into which point and shoot under $300 (and without a touch screen) would be best for shooting mostly pictures and occasional video of my toddler son when I didn't want to use my DSLR or video camera, I settled on this one. I already own a Canon DSLR (EOS Rebel XTi)and a Canon video camera (Vixia HF20), and I love both of those, so I narrowed down my search to Canon cameras pretty quickly. I actually wanted to stay under $200, but eventually narrowed my search to this camera (less than $300) and the ELPH 330 (less than $200) after comparing the features of all of the Canon cameras below $300 and reading many reviews on Amazon and other sites, including several photography sites. This one seemed to be better for taking pictures of a moving subject (toddlers rarely slow down for pictures), so I decided the extra $80 for this camera would be a good investment. If you take pictures of things/people that aren't usually moving, the ELPH 330 would probably work just fine for you.I was a little hesitant to buy this camera because of the overall 3.5 star rating, but it seemed to me that all of the 1 and 2 star ratings were because of the "low battery" signal while taking video, and many of the newer reviews detailed that this was taken care of with a firmware update. I have actually found that it might be a little less straightforward than that. I have not yet attempted to download the firmware update - I will update this review after I do so. When I bought the camera, I also bought a spare battery that is not OEM Canon (Digipower BP-CN6L Replacement Li-Ion Battery for Canon NB-6L for use with Canon SD770IS, SD1200IS, & D10 Digital Cameras). I charged both batteries, and shot videos and still pictures over the span of four days: indoor bouncy playground and swim lessons with my 16 month old; a children's farm; a hands-on discovery museum; and plenty of pictures at home in relatively low light. I took several short videos, and somewhere around 300 pictures. I took most of the pictures using full auto. I can't remember exactly when I switched batteries, but it was somewhere on the fourth (and busiest) day. Plenty of other reviewers have commented on details of picture quality and other details, so below is what I noticed that I don't remember being covered in other reviews.Here is what I noticed right away:* When not using the flash, the camera can quickly take one shot after another* When using the flash, there is quite a bit of lag time between taking a shot and being able to take another shot - this is quite frustrating when trying to shoot pictures of a toddler* It is easy to turn off the flash using the button on the back of the camera (press the lightening bolt, scroll over two clicks, and press "set")* Turning off the flash also lowers the pop-up flash without having to turn off the camera (before I discovered this, I thought I had to turn off the camera to lower the flash, since you are not supposed to physically push it down).* The camera takes great pictures in low light without the flash (but they have lots of shadows and the colors are not quite as vivid, which you would expect without a flash)* The flash does not "wash out" pictures* While using the camera with the OEM battery that came with the camera, I did NOT get the "low battery" warning while shooting video* While shooting video using the NON-CANON BATTERY, I got the "low battery" warning when zooming while shooting video, and every time I tried to zoom after seeing the red flashing battery, the camera would stop taking video and display a "charge battery" message - I will be interested in seeing if updating the firmware will fix this problem (I will update this review after updating the firmware). This was frustrating enough that if the firmware update does not fix this, I will be returning the non-canon battery, and spending the money to buy a genuine OEM Canon battery.* The image stabilization does not appear to work while shooting video - a few of the videos I took were quite shaky, but for a sub-$300 camera, that is okay with me - I have a dedicated video camera with great image stabilization, and expect to only use the SX280 when I don't feel like dragging out the video camera (quick videos while out and about).* The color is almost too vivid in still pictures and in video - I'm not a big fan of over-saturated pictures, so I will try to figure out how to fix this* The level of detail in still pictures rivals my DSLR, though the pictures with the SX280 are a little bit 'noisy' compared to the DSLR (this might only be noticeable on my large monitor...)* Still pictures and video using the zoom turn out great, other than being a little over-saturated and a little bit 'noisy'* It is easy to take video - you only have to push one button on the back of the camera, compared to the older Kodak point-and-shoot that I have where I have to go into a menu to switch between still pictures and videoI'm sure I am forgetti
Скроменый эксперт
11.09.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Like many other reviewers, I knew this camera might have major issues before purchasing it, and I bought it anyway. I have a Nikon D3100 DSLR that I absolutely love, and a Canon SX20IS that I always carry along in my backpack for those instances when there's no time to change lenses to catch that perfect shot of something too close/far away.I love both of these cameras, but there are times I shrug off the thought of bringing either one of them because they're just too clunky. Sometimes all you care about is capturing those perfect family moments. Other times you feel like you're missing out on LIVING those perfect family moments because you're lugging around your own weight in gear.Last month my husband and I went to a museum, a dog park, and an arboretum, and all three times I left the camera bag at home (gasp!). It was freeeeeeeing! But it was also painful, because people without cameras use cell phones to take pictures. Acccck.We're expecting our first baby in five months, so I know the decision between Capturing Moments and Living Moments is going to get even more difficult. I bought this camera to compromise. I wanted something small enough to fit in my pocket but that would still take decent photos. Other features I cared about (in order or priority) were zoom, the ability to take short (5 minute) videos, manual options, and RAW capabilities.I narrowed my choices to the Canon SX280 and the Fugifilm F7770EXR. Both have 20x zoom and manual settings, and they're about the same size. The Canon has a bigger shutter speed range on both sides of the spectrum (1/3200 to 15 seconds vs 1/2000 to 8 seconds), better video options (60fps vs 30fps), and better image stabilization (lens vs. sensor shift). However, the Canon does NOT shoot RAW photos and the sensor is a tiny bit smaller.Ultimately I turned to reviews and decided that IF I could get the firmware to fix the battery issue on the Canon, this camera would be a better choice. It seems like the Fugi has a lot more complaints regarding video quality, and even though shooting RAW is important to me, it's one of those features that's probably best left to my DSLR anyway.So I bought the camera, checked the serial number, and verified that I needed the update to fix the battery issue. You can check the serial number by looking on the bottom of the camera, and if the 6th digit from the left is 2, 1, or 0, you need the update!The update and instructions can be found here:[...]A couple of tips about updating the firmware:*It's suggested that you have a 32MB SSD card. This card does NOT come with the camera! You'll need one anyway to take pictures.*You will also need a computer that can read and write to your SSD card, or an external adapter that plugs into your computer.*Formatting your SSD card is different than simply erasing everything on it. The instructions explain how to format; this step is super important!*After formatting the SSD card and copying over the new firmware, I waited almost an hour before popping the battery and the SSD card back in the camera. This was because I was charging the battery to 100% (per instructions), but others have mentioned a "20-minute rule."Before the firmware update, the red low-battery icon would start flashing immediately after hitting the video record button, and the camera would turn itself completely off after about 15 seconds.After the firmware update, I was able to take the following videos on a single battery charge:One 1:30 (one minute, 30 second) video with extensive zooming in and out (this was just a quick test to see if the firmware update had worked at all, which it obviously had!).One 26:00 video. During this time I didn't use the zoom at all. The red low-battery icon light started flashing at 23:00, giving me a full three-minute warning before the recording stopped. The camera didn't turn off all the way, it just stopped recording video.One 23:30 video. After the 26:00 video caused the video recording to stop, I turned the camera off and back on again, then started filming a third video. This time the red low-light icon started flashing at 1:30, but the camera kept recording for 22 more minutes.So long story short, there's definitely still something wonky with the camera after the firmware update, but being able to shoot over 50 minutes of video on a single battery charge is more than adequate for what I need. If you're wanting more than that, I'd probably suggest looking into pocket camcorders like the Samsung W300 or the Kodak PlaySport.Other notes about the camera:I don't like the location of the flash but I'll get used to it. I think it would be a lot better if they'd put it in the middle of the camera instead of where your finger sits.It's really difficult to open the battery / SSD slot. Maybe it's just me? It seems like I really have to push, and half the time I end up powering the camera on because of the way you have to grip the camera. This could end up being a fatal flaw considering how often I expec
Скроменый эксперт
26.08.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I bought one of these and used it pretty heavily for 2 weeks on vacation in July 2013. I was specifically looking to: 1) Upgrade my video from my 4 year old Powershot; 2) Improve on the 3x zoom of my current camera. There's hundreds of reviews already so I won't cover everything, just what stuck with me.The good:- Great stills for the most part. Great movies too, even in low light. I got excellent footage at full 20x zoom (on a tripod) of a deer browsing at dusk.- A solid feel to the camera.- Batteries charge externally. I have multiple batteries and I can have one charging while using the camera rather than tying up the camera as a battery charger. Most comparable cameras at best only permit external charging if you buy a special charger.- The camera is still small enough to fit into your pocket (it may cause a shirt pocket to sag a bit).- I totally love the 20x zoom. Strong enough to really get close while anything more might be tricky to stabilize.The bad:- The movie start button is right next to the mode dial. Even though my hands are small, I would not infrequently accidentally start a movie and at the end of the day would have to purge half a dozen movies of my shoes from the camera. The movie quick start button is handy but not right next to the mode dial.- The mode dial is somewhat small, even for my small hands. Just about all my photos are taken in auto mode or program mode. It would have been nice if these were next to each other on the dial.- Even with the firmware update the camera still has power display issues. After using the camera for about 10 minutes for general photos I would start a movie and not long after I would get a low battery warning. With the firmware upgrade you can still use the camera but you have no idea how much battery is really left. Even if you switch back to taking photos the camera will still flash low battery. I would then turn the camera off and back on and it would say I had a full battery. You can work with it this way but it can get tiresome, and then when the end really comes you have little warning. Frankly I did buy the camera also to upgrade my video capability and this issue really messes with that feature even if you can still take movies (kind of like driving ignoring the check engine light).- For me the lack of a panorama mode is a real downcheck. I was in southern Utah and the Grand Canyon where panorama is a must. Canon does include Photostitch software for you to try to create panorama photos on your computer, but the results I had were satisfactory despite having learned last year after a trip to S. Dakota Badlands that Photostitch is finicky to use. You really need to switch to fully manual metering mode so your different shots don't get metered differently, otherwise you end up with lines in the sky. Even though this year I tried to get a lot of overlap between photos I still get a lot of distortion at the edges making it hard to get a good match between photos, and ending up with curved panoramas. There may be a way to take panorama photos using short movies (especially using the 280's "hybrid" mode), then extract the frames and try stitching a large number of those together (I think other cameras do just that in panorama mode), but my older computer won't run the new Canon software. Anyway, it just doesn't compare to a true panorama mode.- I never got used to the flash trying to pop up under my left hand. In the end I just turned off flash mode (see exception below) but of course then I had to turn it back on when needed and turn it off again. If they had put it in the center of the camera it wouldn't be so bad.- I like taking night photos, and they all tend to be large, distant things such as buildings. Unfortunately the nighttime mode default is to try to use flash which is no good for a building 100 feet away. You can turn off the flash, but if you powercycle the camera it will come back on. Of course then you aren't expecting the flash to pop up and you get a warning message to shut down the camera because of a problem with the flash, etc.- I would get through about 1.5 batteries per day. Of course battery life will depend upon how and how much you use your camera, but that was how I wanted to use it. I was a bit disappointed they didn't last longer and was very glad I had 2 spares. Initially my plan was to go a battery per day while camping and recharge all in motels between tent camping stints. I ended up daily using my battery charger that plugs into the car cigarette lighter (I still have an old car) and doing it that way, though I didn't like using the car battery. I was fortunate that the SX280 still uses the same battery as my other Canon Powershot.The So-so:- I don't need wireless so I didn't even try it.- It has GPS but I almost never used it. GPS uses battery power. Then too, I usually know where I am when I take a photograph. There's times I want it and it can't or should not work (won't work in a car,
Скроменый эксперт
26.05.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Summary,Overall I like this camera. It takes good photos at low ISO/bright light and solid photos as the ISO moves up. Video quality is good. Great zoom range and in a compact "fit in your pocket" camera. I have not seen the battery life issue some have mentioned (but see review).Detail,OK, so I was looking for a camera that I could take to concerts, put in my pocket, be compact. I had previously ignored the superzoom category as they were notorious for bad pic quality. Long slow lens and small sensors. But I just didn't always want to carry my DSLR around, but was going to be in situations where I needed a long lens (I already had a couple decent 3x zoom P&S cameras).My search landed me on a Fuji, as I like the idea of shooting RAW. But the newest model was more than I wanted to spend. I next settled on the Canon SX260HS for the good reviews. Of course I then saw the SX280HS was out with supposed better low light (something I was interested in) and Wifi (also something I have used on my bigger camera). So I went with it.I've now taken a couple hundred photos with it including three concerts.Overall for this type of camera, I'm very, VERY pleased. But lets not get carried away. With the slow lens and smaller sensor it cannot and does not and should not be considered a DSLR (or any larger sensor camera) replacement. However, in low ISO/bright light the pics are very good. Easily good enough to crop, and print to a reasonable size. In lower light the pic quality does drop, but is still good. And very usable.Specific notes,-The zoom range is fantastic. And while I started with the digital zoom off, even using it, yielded good results. Be aware at that magnification it is hard to hold the camera still. The camera does a good job of helping with image stabilization, but it can only do so much. But I've taken some nice photos even at 30x (that includes the digital zoom(. I also like that the wide angle go to an equivalent of 25mm.-I've shot one short (about 8 minute) video on it. I'm really not a video shooter, but I gave it a try. It will be something I do more of! It turned out well. The focus didn't seem to react as quickly, but zooming was smooth.-Size, I mainly bought so I could carry in my back pocket of jeans. OK so it is a little big for that and much bigger than other "back pocket" camera's I have. But it is doable. Worked well in concerts where most no longer allow "professional" cameras. It feels solid in your hands, though a very slightly larger grip would be helpful with such a long zoom.-The controls are fairly intuitive. I shoot a lot in manual (especially in low light) and it was pretty easy to figure out. I've also shot in some of the auto modes and got good results. I have not tried any of the specialty settings. Focus is quick. Again not DSLR fast, but quick and reliable.-I have not set up the Wifi yet. I realize there are some complaints with it about not being able to send pic's instantly to an iPad for example. However, I have no intention of doing that. I like the Wifi so if I'm taking pic's of friends or family and they want one, I can send to my iPhone and send it to them. I do this all the time with my larger camera w/an SD card that has the wifi in it.A special note about the battery. After reading about battery life and figuring it would eat batteries I bought two more. However, I've yet to use them. At one concert I had shot about 50-60 photos and then shot a full song (about 8 minutes) on video. Indeed the battery light came on. However, I thought I'd see how much longer it would last. After turning off video and going back to camera the battery light went off and I bet I shot close to another 100 pic's. I also paused at times to view pic's and delete obvious bad one's. And while I didn't have Wifi on, I did have the GPS thing on. So, so far, it hasn't been as bad as I anticipated. But I'll say more testing is needed.Overall,If you need/want a compact superzoom, this should be on your short list to consider. HOWEVER, if you really don't need a zoom of this length, there are better choices even from Canon. The superzoom category fills an almost unique niche. But don't think there aren't trade off's. You just need to decide what is needed for you. Though with camera prices dropping so much (this is an amazing camera at under $300, just a couple years ago would have been double that), you could buy this and another camera....So I give it 4-stars. If I was rating simply in the superzoom category, it would be almost a 5. I'd like a slightly bigger grip and to shoot RAW. If rating with all other digital camera's including those with shorter lenses, probably just 3.5 due to slightly lower pic quality. But this is an inherent issue with this category, not a reflection of this particular camera. Its just not possible to pack that much, into such a small package, at that price without giving something up. I think it fair to mention the opposite of a DSLR (or other pro-type camera). If you have
Скроменый эксперт
11.05.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Hi thereI've replied to a few reviews of this product before choosing to write my own, while keeping in mind everyone's opinions (especially about the battery) thus far.Out of the way, I too noticed "problems" when shooting video on a not-fully charged battery. I put the word in quotes, because in my experience/view, it's really a software problem that can be fixed with an upcoming firmware update. It just flashes red prematurely, and you can certainly repeat steps to have that happen consistently. Also, you'll only get about 30 minutes or so of 1920/60fps HD video per charge (keep in mind the battery will likely be flashing red most of the time). But keep in mind, its really just a bug. When you power up your camera, the true charge is shown on the indicator.I took the camera with me today to shoot a typical days worth of exciting things with my kids. I took about 35 photos, and a combined 7 minutes of full HD/1920/60fps video. I also transferred a few images wirelessly to my Android phone. After all that, my battery is still showing as fully charged and does not do the 'premature red battery' even if i take it to video. So that seems like a decent day for me, and it doesn't show a dent (and rightly so). I'll just have to remember to charge the battery fully before I take it out.In the end, I do recommend the camera because of what I bought it for: excellent, truly best-in-class images from a camera under $400. This camera is my '2nd' camera, for times when I don't feel like dragging my DSLR around. The images aren't as good as a DSLR (no surprise) but they are by far the best images I've taken with a point-and-shoot. The 20x optical zoom is truly incredible, and the true/natural Image Stabilization (*not* digital) is fantastic: you can actually take a 20x zoomed picture without it being blurry! Not only that, the IS during video shooting makes it smooth-as-silk on playback, especially in truly stunning 60fps mode. Shutter-lag isn't as good as a DSLR (because the concept doesnt exist with mirrors), but it's miles ahead of my last 2011 P&S and also faster than my 2013 smartphone camera.I can see why the video/battery issue is so frustrating: the video from this thing is truly amazing (stereo, Image Stabilization, and did I mention 1920 and 60fps yet??!) and you *want* to shoot a ton with it. It's also in ultra-convenient mp4 format right out-of-the-camera. And it does a superb job of focusing as you zoom on video (my older p&s wouldn't let me zoom in video mode at all). But if video is really your mojo, get a camcorder for the same price and be happy. If you're after stills, or shooting video "shorts", this is your bet. And hopefully the short-ish battery on video will make better videographers out of people by forcing them to cut down on the extra crap they shoot that nobody watches anyways :)Touching on a few remaining things: I love that the camera has a metal body, love its hefty weight (remember when cameras felt like cameras and not TV remotes?) and dig the wireless. I'm not a GPS guy because the privacy issue freaks me out, so I don't run the GPS. As mentioned by other reviewers, the wireless is a bit tricky to set up if you want to go camera->computer wirelessly - you'll have to run the software on the CD (it retrieves the latest version from the net automatically). The easiest set-up is camera->smartphone; as long as they're on the same network, transfers are easy. If there's no wireless where you're shooting, you can actually use the camera as an access point itself and connect your smartphone/tablet to the *camera's* network. Keep in mind that the wireless transfer is *not* eye-fi: you have to *select* the images you want to send, after they've been shot (photos aren't automatically transferred wirelessly as you shoot). Believe it or not, you can actually tweet from the camera itself. That being said, I think the omission of Flickr is a drag, but perhaps that's because they are pushing their own "Canon Image Gateway" service for photo sharing/storage.Also, I appreciate the restraint in megapixels... the filesizes and document sizes are realistic and appropriate for people who aren't blowing photos up to large dimensions. Focusing on image quality instead of megapixel count is a much welcomed approach in my opinion, and I hope the ridiculous megapixel race slows down in order to focus on the sensor quality/lenses that can be crammed into a P&S size camera.Also, coming from DSLR world, I'm actually pretty happy with the amount of customization offered. The manual (on the CD only) is chock full of information, including how to use the self-timer in "wink" mode (wink to take the shot!!). All modes I shoot on (M/AV/TV/P) offer *center only* focus. I haven't seen that mentioned too often, but that is *exactly* what I like - in fact the first thing I do on my DSLRs/new cameras is turn off the 'smart autofocus' to use center-point only). It means you might have to take a moment to frame the shot yo
Скроменый эксперт
07.05.2013
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
UPDATE 1-31-2014:Just tried another SX280 (tried Best Buy this time), as it has been a couple of months since the first one went back. This camera came with the firmware updated, evidently by Canon themselves. but the news is not good - I got the dreaded battery/video problem. It may be that on my first camera, I was able to shoot a 10min video because I never tried to zoom....as soon as I zoomed on this second unit, even with a battery charged 8 hous, the indicator went red and blinking on me. A few photos and another attempt at a video, and the camera shut down. It would not even restart. Canon, what have you done to what was a very nice travel cam...???However, I fully charged again overnight, and I can now zoom w/o the problem (???). Will come back here in a couple of days with another update.Latest update 2-4-14:Bad...the video red indicator was back the very next day, and although it is not shutting down as quickly afterwards as the first day, I would not trust it past the city limits, much less on an important event or vacation.Everything else is about 4 stars. A great $189 travel cam, with zero video ability. Some engineering team should be cleaned out, lock, stock, and barrel. To say nothing of the non-existent Chinese quality control dept.ORIG REVIEW :==============My list of top requirements for an everyday camera, or for the lightest possible travel zoom, goes like this:Good to Very Good overall outdoor stillsHighest zoom that fits in a pants pocketVery Good outdoor videoFull manual controlsEasy access to ISO, WB, ev, multiple/continuous shootingGood indoor no-flash performance for restaurants, outings, and indoor travel scenarios.Good enough indoors thru maybe 5-power zoom video for concerts and kids plays.----------------------------------------------------------------------------The SX280 does all the above, but.I just returned the SX280 because:Video seems no better, which surprised me. However, my unit had no battery issue when I ran a 10 minute test on my tripod outdoors. Are other buyers fully charging, discharging, and recharging a couple of times before they run a demanding app like constant video ? Just wondering. Digicams are to me for video clips more like 3-5 minutes. Camcorders are for movies, where you set up a tripod and walk away.Flash performance may actually be 15% stronger on the older SX260.Stills thru ISO 1600 seem equal, but the SX280 ISO 3200 more usable in a must-have-a shot situation, ( I rarely would use either one at 3200 except to raise shutter speed and stop action).... Past that, ISO 6400 available on the new 280 is such a stretch that I'm not sure I would even try it for Facebook photos.Outside my house, GPS seems to require same time to acquire coordinates. I thought I would have more frequent use of GPS for vacation travel, to note exactly where shots were made, but I tend to forget to use it since it's not on all the time.PROS: A./ There is a noticeable improvement in shot-to-shot time. Continuous shooting is very much improved, maybe doubled in single focus mode, and about 40% better in continuous focus. This is quite remarkable. However, continuous focus is not that well maintained when panning and shooting continuous shots. B.1/ Still shots side by side indoors showed almost no changes in aperture, shutter speed, or ISO from what was chosen by the older SX260, but many times they did appear better rendered. It was not apparent on a 21" LCD monitor that the improvement was constant in all scenes. Canon engineers are perfectly willing to sacrifice detail for overall noise reduction, that's a known fact. Maybe a good sized HDTV would show Canon's Digic 6 to truly be better in side by side against the SX260's Digic 5, but not my monitor. B.2/ Now the good news: still shots outdoors are approached in a really different way: the new 280 will shoot low-ISO of 80 or 100, when the 260 model is shooting Iso 320 or 400.... The expected great improvement does not happen, but there is visible improvement in better shadow detail rendered. Why the improvement is not more, given the ISO difference, must be the processing, trying to maintain standard "Canon" color saturation.Didn't try to set up WiFi. I just can't see myself using camera wifi, when I carry a cellphone that will send photos and videos over WhatsApp so easily, and those are not bragging photos, anyway, most of the time just dinner and grandchild pics. Plenty of time later for SD card removal and manipulation to get the REAL bragging level quality of the kids' sports, candid street shots, macros, etc...CONCLUSION:The small physical size, quality of stills thru 3200, perfectly acceptable video, and nice detail in zoom to 20 or 30X, plus the improvement in shot time performance compared to the SX260.....All these make a very usable camera for travel.Particularly, if you do not already have the SX260 or maybe a Panasonic ZS20, or if you have the SX260 or the ZS15 and you want that WiFi and continuous shooting,
Скроменый эксперт
26.08.2013
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
[YET ANOTHER UPDATE: I've downgraded my review from two stars to one. Why? Because I tried to offload the photos from a long trip to my computer, and kept getting "communication error". I thought the camera was broken. Some internet search indicates that YOU CANNOT OFFLOAD ANYTHING IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 1000 PHOTOS ON THE CARD. It says you should use an external USB reader, which of course is not included in the package. Is Canon for real here? In this day and age, with 32GB cards selling for very little, 1000 photos isn't a lot. Merely telling people "communication error" is a nutty way to get this across, instead of "Too many photos to offload", or something actually useful.]Let me say that this is my fifth Canon camera, and I have always found their products to be a good mix of usability, features, and price points. The 260 came highly recommended and, when the its successor, the 280, came available, I figured it was time to upgrade my prior Canon. This was actually in lieu of the Sony RX-100, a spectacular camera that unfortunately only has a 3.6x zoom.The 280 takes very good, often great, photos, and the zoom is sometimes astonishing in its ability to pick out fine detail in what seem to be impossibly distant subjects.But this camera should not be sold, and it's utterly shameful for Canon to still be doing so. IT IS INHERENTLY DEFECTIVE, and they know it (or, at least, there is no plausible deniability here, given the dozens of comments on their own site and on Amazon about the same issue). There are two issues, actually: battery life, which is bad (but tolerable), and the fact that the battery INDICATOR is preposterously inaccurate. You can put in a freshly charged battery, the indicator will SAY it is charged, then, in just 5 minutes, it will flash red, saying the battery is about to die. If you turn it on and off, it will then say it's fully charged.If you think this is merely an annoyance, think again: it will actually stop your video right in the middle. It got to the point where it was stopping the video every three seconds.The camera, in my view, is therefore unusable, and Canon is knowingly selling a defective product. A class action should be brought against them, and Big Box stores like Best Buy and even Amazon, if they had any sort of integrity, should inform Canon that they will not carry this product any longer. It is sad that Amazon and others will suffer a slew of returns for selling this, but IN NO WAY should you even considering purchasing this.And, yes, I did the firmware update. It makes the problem somewhat better, but it hardly goes away.[Unfortunately, I took this to Europe for a long trip as my only camera, and cannot easily exchange it from here. Also unfortunately, I was a something of a Canon loyalist, but this is really beyond the pale. It's the last time I will even consider a product of theirs. This is not accidental, and they should recall every one of these at their own expense until they can produce something that is NOT OBVIOUSLY SERIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. Sorry for the caps, but I did want to make it clear that, if you are still considering this: Don't.]UPDATE BELOW:I may have overstated my case; I've been using the camera intensively for an additional week, and the quality of still photos has been often exceptional, especially using the zoom.The point of my review was to alert potential purchasers to the issue with the video's simply stopping in the middle of shooting. This has now happened to me three more times just in the last week. It's real; it keeps happening; and I, too, did the firmware update.I would also say that I've been carrying two batteries with me every day, and have had to use both every day. This did NOT happen with prior Canon cameras, and those used smaller batteries, so this is an especial battery hog. Let me be clear that I, personally, don't really care about that. What I DO care about -- and what I feel I made abundantly clear in the review -- are: (1) that the camera keeps needing to be restarted just to get the battery indicator to read accurately, which is merely annoying; and (2) that videos will often shut down in the middle, even with a mostly charged battery. This has now occurred MANY times, and it's hard to see how this won't be a dealbreaker for many potential purchasers.I suppose that, in the end, it comes down to whether one is hoping to use the camera nearly exclusively for still photos. If so, it's an excellent, if flawed, camera. If not, and video performance is important, I stand fully behind what I said at the end: do not even consider it.
Скроменый эксперт
23.04.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
While the Canon SX-280 isn't usually described as a "Photographer's Camera" or using terms like "Prosumer" etc., it does have manual controls and they're very accessible from the main dial without having to hunt for them. Add to that an excellent 25 to 500 mm effective focal length lens, high quality low-noise images, and a compact size that fits into a shirt pocket easily, and I've just described what I think is the best bargain I've ever gotten in a camera that I can take anywhere. I nearly didn't get the SX-280, choosing another brand first, but when that camera broke after sustaining a minor bump, I took a chance on the SX-280 and I'm very happy that I did, since the SX-280 images are far better than the previous camera (when it was working).People who want to see what the SX-280 is capable of can do a Web search for my name, and then view the images on the website that's listed in the search results. There may be a few professionals out there who would not be highly impressed with the SX-280's images, but I had the $2000 Leica X1 for 3 years and currently have the $1100 Nikon Coolpix 'A', and the SX-280's images still amaze me - in some cases even better than what I got with the Leica X1. The image stabilization ('IS', a.k.a. vibration reduction) works very well, and most of the shots I take at full zoom come out sharp. But I don't take chances either - I have a 32 gb memory card and I always shoot in burst mode, so even when hand-shake is a factor, generally I lose only one or two images in a burst. The downside of burst shooting is the time required to compare the images in each burst on the computer, to select the sharpest and best from each burst and discard the rest.I haven't done much with video with the SX-280, but from what I have taken the video quality is excellent (inspecting each frame one-by-one in Quicktime), although there is enough internal background noise (or whatever it is) that you'll get best results with the sound if you're close to the action, or the sound you're recording is loud enough to give you a good dynamic range. I assume the SX-280 uses AGC (Automatic Gain Control) for sound recording, so if you're recording something that's very low in volume, the AGC will turn the SX-280's internal microphone amps all the way up to boost the sound, but that also boosts the microphone/amp internal electronic noise. So you'll want to get closer to the sound (if possible) if it's not loud, and also be aware that the mics are omni-directional and pick up sound from all over. So if you need to focus the sound better, you may want to shield the camera on whatever sides the sound you're trying to record isn't coming from.Physically, the SX-280 is very nicely made, with a metal case that looks durable and doesn't have any sharp edges. I bought the red version, and the red case with the black trim on 3 sides plus the black wrist strap looks stunning. My SX-280 says "Made in Japan" on the bottom of the case, which is a big plus in my book. It's certainly possible to get a high quality camera made by a Japanese company that's outsourced to a distant location for manufacture, but it didn't pan out with my previous pocket camera, which broke with just a slight bump. The SX-280 doesn't come with a carry case, but it does come with an external battery charger, so you don't have to have the camera plugged into anything to charge the battery. That's especially important when you have a second battery, so you can put the exhausted battery into the charger and a fresh battery into the camera and continue shooting.Pocket cameras with long zoom lenses like the SX-280 require very tiny sensors (typically the "1/2.3" size) to be able to focus light at all focal lengths onto the sensor in such a small camera body. If the sensor size were increased, the camera would have to be larger and heavier accordingly. Fortunately, the SX-280 uses what Canon calls the "Digic 6 engine" (internal computer code) to get the best possible quality from the small sensor, and based on the image quality I was getting with my 3 previous pocket cameras, the SX-280 is way better. I don't see any significant pixel smear, which was always a problem with my previous cameras. Noise in images is tricky - I have ISO 1600 images with very low noise, and ISO 400 images with significant noise, and the apparent noise in the final image seems to be more a function of the lighting than the ISO setting itself.Camera "On" time is about one second, and it takes about 2.5 seconds to zoom from minimum to maximum or vice-versa. The mechanism is very smooth, so I don't anticipate any trouble with it. I would suggest being very careful not to bump the lens barrel against anything when extended, and even though I've done that with some cameras without harm, it's the most sensitive part of the camera because of the mechanics needed to extend and retract the lens as much as it does. The SX-280 has a dedicated "Movie" button on the back, which to me is a v
Скроменый эксперт
18.11.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
Update: Loving this camera, takes cool videos and fun to play with the highspeed frame rates. The zoom has been really cool enabling me to take shots I would otherwise not. Been a great point and shoot thus far...This is a camera I could recommend but has some quirks, how did I end up choosing this out of another 10 possible cameras?First of all I have owned dslr's, mkiii 5d, and I shoot some pro photos and video now and then.I was after a camera that I could put in my pocket first and foremost and not be expensive but give good results over and above the iphone 5 I always have with me. the iphone is very limited, no zoom and terrible at night time, I had considered lenses for the iphone but thought I might as well invest in a small camera.The camera was rated well on snapsort for features and the zoom interested me over the likes of the s120 which is far better quality but limited zoom and price was twice that of the sx280. I love good cameras but why spend double my money for something I just wanted to take memory shots with. I had considered the s120, G16, Sony RX100 mki and mkii but ultimately they were 2 to 3 times the price.It takes good clear pictures, The wifi to iphone setup was pretty quick and easy.if your keen to get your pictures up and away.I was playing with it last night and taking pictures at night with some lights in the back ground and though I would try the flash. Typically I hate flashes and then I came across an option to expand the shutter speed during flash use for enhancing lit backgrounds. I took 2 shots, one normal, and as expected it was a terrible typical flash on camera shot, and the background disapeared, and then used the shutter feature and the background came out fantastic showing all the lit area nicely and warm while the flash had lit the object I was taking. A huge improvement and a feature I will use a lot.The night time shots were important to me and with the stability on I was able to hand hold prolonged shutter speeds even to 10 seconds! getting pretty reasonable shots not normally at all possible without the stability.Video stability was great to giving excellent fluid motion to panning up/down left/right simular to tripod use, this wil be a saviour when filming whatever you are and zooming in 20x optical without too much fuss. Of course you should always stabilize the camera in both hands for best results.Cons: get spare batteries, because you will be enjoying the use of the camera I suggest getting hold of some spares to carry along with you, better safe than sorry.Control wheel is very touchy and while spinning it with your right thumb it is very easy to depress causing you suddenly to go into a menu. Some practice and adjustment from the user is needed here.Digital zoom while in video mode you cant turn off and you will find yourself going past the 20x into digital land very easily. I consider myself a ninja of finger control but alas i probably would spend 10 years perfecting not going into digital zoom. This should be an option (canon please ad this in a firmware upgrade) Otherwise dont worry too much about it the digital zoom seems very clean.Bonuses is the high speed video mode. While lower in resolution you can take some pretty nifty shots in 120FPS or 240 FPS slow motion. And also of course you can capture full 1080p in 60 frames which itself is pretty great.With technology progressing well do you need to spend double the money for a point and shoot? I went with the best super zoom i could get that was price friendly, to get better you will need to spend another $100+ which for me made no point. I'd rather use that money in a couple years when cameras are even better. But there is no substitute for large lenses for superior optics as yet.Also to finish off with, while viewing the pictures on camera you can choose to have them fade between which adds a very nice upmarket feel to what can be a budget experience.20x zoom there is no hiding from me! and 20x means an object will appear roughly 4 x bigger than a 5x zoom.Best in price from my research.
Скроменый эксперт
07.12.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
This is my first, what I would consider good quality camera, that I actually did alot of research on the web for. I did not want to break the bank but wanted to spend enough money to get good quality photos. This camera is great. It is definately worth taking the time to read the PDF document that is available when you install the software that comes on the CD. When I got the camera I spent an hour taking pics and they looked good but once I actually read the manual and knew what I was doing and what the different features/settings/etc were the pictures looked super. The main reason I got this camera was because it got high marks for low light pictures and it definately does do great shooting in low light, I have been impressed with the shots in low light both with the flash and without. The built in effects are fun too (fisheye, toy, monochrome), I really like the toy camera effect it makes the pictures look pretty cool. So far everything is as I expected, the pictures look really, really, good, the zoom is amazing, the stabile feature works perfect, and the slow motion video is fun. The flash location does take time to get used to since my finger wants to be in that spot but it really is not an issue once you know where the flash is going to pop up from. I had to read the instructions a few times to get the facebook and wifi setup (probably my fault since I was multitasking) but once I got the wifi setup, the cannon app on my droid phone, and the facebook app configured it was definately awesome. I can't tell you how convenient it is to be able to view the pictures stored on your camera from your phone (using wifi and the canon app) and being able to upload to facebook (there is a twitter option as well as a cannon service but I am just using facebook since that is the only social media I really use for pictures). I really like this camera and think it was a good choice for me, and for you if you are looking for a fun camera that takes super quality photos. I spent some time researching megapixels as my first thought was to get the highest number megapixel camera I could afford, the truth is you don't really need anything greater than 12 unless you are going to print posters or crop tiny areas and blow them up (i do neither). What I read is that the higher the megapixel the more noise you can get in the picture which would affect quality, I'm no expert but I do know that the pictures I get with this camera are amazing! Not sure my wife enjoys me zooming in on her face, you can see every pore and every little wrinkle or fine hair.....its amazing!!! Whatever you choose make sure you research online at a few different sites and pay attention to the pros and cons. Most of the cons for this camera had to do with an old firmware which affected the battery indicator, the cameras released now have the latest software so that is not an issue. Another con was that this camera could not be managed via wifi like some other phones (remote shoot and such) I just needed to be able to view photos and upload them so this was not an issue for me. Another con was no touchscreen but since none of my cameras have ever had a touchscreen this was not something I would miss and not an issue. Below is a compilation of what I found after looking at reviews on about 20 different sites.Good points Slightly superior image quality to peer group Broad 20x optical zoom covers every situation in pocket body 1080p video with zooming, stereo sound and continuous AF Built-in GPS and Wifi Fast continuous shooting up to 14fpsBad points No touch-screen No ability to move the single AF area mode No remote control over Wifi, only image transfer Can't recharge battery over USB. Need to use mains charger
Скроменый эксперт
30.12.2013
6/10
Оценка пользователя
Плохо
I returned my SX280 which arrived with the newest firmware already installed. With the Canon NB-6L battery I could usually get several minutes of video without a low battery warning, but it didn't take very long before it started flashing. At first you could keep videoing with the warning flashing, and if you turned the camera off and then back on again the battery would read fully charged and you could take many stills without problem. You could even take video without problem as long as you had the zoom set where you wanted it BEFORE you started recording the video. Video did not kick in the battery warning if you did not change the zoom setting while a video was being recorded. Once you adjusted the zoom during video recording the warning light would kick in--and if the battery was partially depleted (even though strong enough for many more stills), not only would the battery warning flash, but the video would often end and tell you to recharge the battery. A restart of the camera would show a partially, or even fully charged battery icon, and more stills could be shot, even using the zoom, or more video without moving the zoom while recording. However, at this point a movement of the zoom would usually immediately terminate the recording.We purchased the camera for an upcoming fortieth anniversary trip to Grand Canyon. If I knew All the videos I might take using the zoom would be on a fully charged battery, I would be O.K. with the battery issue. But I didn't want to run into terminated videos because the video opportunity occurred when the battery was just partially depleted.I purchased a set of aftermarket replacement batteries and an extra charger for under $20 from Amazon. These worked fine for stills, but ran into video issues almost immediately if the zoom was used during video. If you want to have an extra set of batteries just for photos they seem to work, but I suppose would not last quite as long. But for under $20, two extras would provide lots of extra photos, but probably very little video--and the video would likely be limited to shots that do not move the zoom during recording.Canon no longer sells the NB-6L battery. It is replaced with the somewhat stronger NB-6LH (1060 mah vs. the former 1000 mah). One of these batteries runs $45-50. I don't know how much difference this newer battery would make with the SX280, but the newer battery is now furnished with Canon models such as the SX510. If anyone tries the newer battery with the SX280 posting their results might be helpful. There is also one replacement battery I now found on Amazon that is supposed to be stronger. If anyone tries this brand it would be valuable to know if it goes beyond the ability to just take photos and also improves video experience with the SX280. This battery is rated 1200mah. Here is the Amazon link for any who would like to investigate it: Replacement Batteries 1200MAH Charger PowershotIn sum, with a fully charged Canon battery you should get a few initial minutes of video with full zoom capabilities, but very quickly you will see warnings and even shutdowns unless you limit your shooting to stills or videos that do not move the zoom--although the zoom can probably be set before pressing the video record button. It is not yet clear how much, if any difference would result from the newer, stronger battery option. I might also add that it seemed if I moved the zoom more slowly during video recording, it seemed to prolong the ability to zoom somewhat, but I didn't test this out a lot, and I did find it somewhat difficult to easily control the zoom at a given speed.
Скроменый эксперт
05.03.2014
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
I usually buy all of my cameras ( Canon and Panny addict here) through Amazon, and have not returned a single one out of the dozen or so purchased over the years. I wished I had done so with my current SX280, for I would have been able to return it and be done with this spawn of Satan.The features and pictures, design and build of the camera are fantastic. Lens is sharp. So what sucks?The video. If you've read any three reviews in a row here, you'll have noticed that the camera shuts down once the zoom button is engaged. The blinking red weak battery icon becomes ever present, and once the zoom button is touched, the camera shuts down after 30 seconds. BTW, I purchased mine in November 2013, and it had one of the dreaded serial numbers.So I downloaded the firmware and upgraded. Did absolutely nothing.Then I called Canon. They were gracious and had me send the camera in free of charge as it is still under warranty. I got it back very quickly- within 2 weeks, along with a nice note explaining the problems with the camera and how they fixed it.Only they didn't. Same issues. Same red blinking light when the Record button is pushed. Same shut down- but now 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds later- unless you try it twice, and then it shuts down after 30 seconds. Really, Canon? Technicians?So this is why I've taken the time to write a review. Another reviewer mentioned that Canon was not repairing the SX280,, but replacing them with refurbs. My guess is that so many have been returned they ran out of replacements and just send the camera back hoping you'll go away. Well. I'm telling you- if you get this camera, put it into video mode with a fully charged battery and a class 10 SD card, and hit Record. Let it go and see if the red battery icon appears, and also zoom in and out. Leave it recording for another minute, and move the zoom button to the right. If it doesn't shut down, I guess you're ok. Otherwise, you know you have a lemon.Update: I've contacted Canon again, and they are taking the camera in again to see what's up. I will update, as that would be the fair thing to do.2nd Update 3/14/14....Canon sent a refurbished model....that didn't work either. Can you believe it? A refurbished model with the dreaded serial #2 in the sixth number from the left. When I called again and finally got to a supervisor, he wanted me to send the camera back "for another try". I kid you not.. The response was so dry and indifferent that I insisted on a new camera this time.. I have two choices, he said. Send it back or wait to have a Canon Corporate Rep call me. "How long will that be?" They will call you by later this afternoon. That was 2 days ago.I envy all of you folks who bought the camera with no problems. I would love to be one of you. But really- to send in a new camera- have them send it back as repaired when it is not- send it back again, and get a refurb that is broken as well-and then just say send it back again... I wished I had never had to find out how ineptly and indifferently the Canon service department operates.One more update 3/26/14- Canon made amends and gave me a new camera after I finally got to talk to someone in their corporate office. If you have this string of problems and they get to this point, insist on speaking with someone from corporate. The repair center has zero clout or options. And Canon Corporate WILL call you.
Скроменый эксперт
07.12.2013
2/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
I have been using Canon cameras since around 2001 (this is probably the 10th Camera I have owned in the PowerShot series over that time-frame).We purchased this camera specifically for a trip to South Africa since we planned on taking several photos of animals in the wild at far distances, but didn't want to bring along something the size of a DSLR. First of all, I must say that the photos that this camera takes are nothing short of spectacular. The focus is crystal clear for most shots and the zoom is amazing for something that fits in a pocket. In my opinion, this camera took photos nearly as good as some of the DSLR cameras that other people in our tour group had. In fact, the owners of those DSLR cameras were shocked by the quality of this camera as well and have asked me to send them some photos of animals that came out blurry on their cameras but came out perfectly on this camera.The optics of this camera are very impressive given the wide range of zoom. Chromatic aberration is noticeable but not terrible on some images at full zoom.One minor issue is that the flash pops up and is in a very annoying area for most people (where most people place their left hand on the camera). I personally got used to holding the camera differently to get around the annoyance, but it is still a problem for when we ask someone else to take our photo.Now for the reason I gave this camera one star.This camera suffers from the same issue posted by numerous other reviewers where the camera immediately shuts down due to low battery while attempting to record video and using the zoom feature simultaneously. This happens even on a full charge (tested with several different batteries including the original). This is a well documented issue (do a web search for "canon sx280 battery problems" and you will see.). Removing the battery and reinserting it causes the battery meter to show a full charge again and the camera functions just fine until attempting to take video again where the problem repeats itself.Canon claims to have fixed the issue with a firmware patch. I performed the firmware update advised by Canon and verified that the new firmware was correctly installed however as other reviewers can confirm this still did not solve the problem. Note that the firmware update only requires a blank 32MB SD card, not an expensive 32GB SD card that other users have reported (big difference between price of an 32 MB card vs 32 GB).I have a theory that this problem is a design flaw at the hardware level that can not be fixed with software (firmware). It appears to be a hardware problem not correctable by any firmware updates caused by the battery voltage during times of high power draw (encoding the video plus zooming). Canon is very aware of the issue and so far has not recalled the camera. I am not sure why they are trying to sweep this issue under the rug at the expense of their reputation.Some people are reporting that the firmware update fixed the problems. Maybe that is true for cameras made after a specific date. According to the canon firmware update instructions, this problem affects cameras where the 6th digit of the serial number is lower than 3. The 6th digit on mine was a 2.So if you have one of these where the 6th digit is a 2 or lower and experience the same problem, then please return it to Canon and don't just "live" with the problem as I almost did.I ultimately returned the camera and will keep purchasing the same camera and returning it until I am one of the "lucky ones" with a 6th digit of a serial number greater than 2 so that I can have a fully working camera with video.
Скроменый эксперт
09.05.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
I bought this camera to replace the Canon PowerShot SD990 IS I purchased nearly 5 years ago. The SD990 IS was (and still is) a great camera but as I was doing more video, I wanted full 1080p HD at 30 & 60 fps (the SD990 IS offers 640 x 480). Here's a short pro & con on the camera when compared to the SD990 IS:Pro:-Full 1080p (vs the 640x480 from the 990IS)-Battery life is very good (I get about 275 pictures at 12MP and I shot a 90 second video at 1080p at 60fps). In comparison, with the less featured, nearly 5 years old SD990 IS, I would get 325+ pictures at 14.7MP and be able to shoot a 3 minute video (640x480) before the battery runs down.Con:-12 MP (from the SX280) vs 14.7MP (from the 990IS)-Noticeably heavier/bulkier than the SD 990IS (but I understand it is a lighter camera when compared to current models). Nevertheless, holding the camera comfortably is not an issue.That's it for the bullet points. The numerous bells and whistles on the SX280 reminds me of how most consumers use Microsoft Word (or most any popular software). Programs like Word offer so many features and possibilities that can be done with the software. Yet users probably don't use but 20% of the program's features. Same with someone who I think will buy and use this camera (or equivalent from Nikon, Sony, etc). This camera has much to offer but for the most part, it's an excellent point and shoot camera and one that takes great video. If 1080p isn't a necessity but you like 95% of this camera's features, from all I've read the previous Canon model (SX260) is the wiser and less expensive choice. If your priority is high megapixels for print and simple 720p HD video and bells and whistles are of little concern, there are Canon cameras available at 1/2 the price that will give you the same results.If I have one complaint (same as with the SD 990IS), pictures lack vibrant color. I know that can be compensated for with features programmed in the SX280 (and possibly the SX260). But as I always touch up the pictures using Photoshop, it's not a big deal to me. Just something to mention. And keep in mind everyone sees and interprets color differently.Bottom line: It is a great camera. I've owned Canon cameras since the AE-1 with no regrets. Know that this camera has features that most consumers looking for a 'point and shoot' won't use (but they are there to learn and use if desired). Personally, I always buy more then I know I need...and that's exactly what the SX280 is for me. With that said, if you want to learn photography and need a pocket camera for family or social events, this (or the Canon SX260, if still available) is the right choice.P.S. I recommend getting an additional battery and a 32GB memory card (class 10). If the camera can utilize a 64GB card (I don't know if it can), then an even better choice. And if you exhaust your battery, it took a little over 90 minutes to get a recharge.UPDATE - JUNE 30: I've owned the camera for 7 weeks (and about 2,500 hi-res pictures and 19 long videos) and continue to remain happy with the purchase. While not excusing Canon for the small 1000mAh battery (which gives almost 30 minutes of 1080/30p video), I have switched to a 3rd party battery rated at 1200mAh (I also just purchased a battery that is 1450mAh rated). With the 1200mAh, I get between 38-40 minutes of uninterrupted video w/o shooting any stills. When only shooting stills, I've shot as many as 342 pictures with juice still left in the battery. Also, I don't have any heat issues using the stronger batter vs the Canon OEM battery (both stronger batteries purchased on Amazon for a few dollars each).Also, there is a firmware update for the SX280HS that stops the low-level battery warning light from coming on too soon after shooting a video. For me, the firmware update works. When shooting video (using the 1200mAh battery), the battery's low level warning light doesn't come on until there is about 5-7 minutes left of charge. As for shooting only pictures on a full charge, as I said I've shot 342 pictures w/o the battery low level warning light appearing. The firmware update (available on Canon's site) is a must. It's a great camera!!
Скроменый эксперт
21.05.2013
10/10
Оценка пользователя
Великолепно
Update 2: Ok, I did some testing with my camera today. Starting with a fully charged battery. Took 30 or 40 pics, then went into video mode. Did all kinds of zooming and everything was fine. After a little while the battery indicator started flashing red. Then I set the camera on a chair and it recorded 20 minutes of video and then I picked up the camera and zoomed again, this time the camera shutoff. I do have quite a bit recorded already. The battery was surely part exhausted at this point. I turned it back on and could do whatever I wanted picture wise, but when I went back to video it would work fine as long as I didn't use the zoom, if I used the zoom it would turn off. So I wondered what would have happened if I had started zooming more earlier after I set it on the chair and let it record on it's own. SO again, I recharged the battery and then started recording video right away, did all kinds of zooming and it was fine for at least 15 to 20 minutes and yes the battery indicator was flashing red soon after I started, but not right away. I got quite a bit of video in and actually got bored and tired of testing and turned it off before it ever shut off on it's own.So this problem does not bother me too much since I primarily shoot stills rather than video. If I plan to shoot video I will make sure I have a fully charged battery or have a spare on hand. In the mean time I will wait to see if Canon fixes this problem via a firmware update. I read on Cameralabs today that Canon has a firmware fix already, a very good review of the SX280 is there too, check it out.Update 1: It was called to my attention that the battery problem is real. I researched the problem and found a YouTube video demonstrating the problem. I then tried to duplicate this problem with my new SX280 and sure enough, my camera DOES have the same problem. During video on a charged battery, the battery charge indicator will start flashing as if the battery is about to go dead. You turn off the camera and turn it back on and the battery indicator shows full again. Start up your video and zoom a little and the battery indicator starts flashing again. I called Canon technical support and they said I can send it in to their service department, but I said I don't want to do that. They said they are aware of this problem and are working on a fix. They are not sure if it is a firmware or hardware issue at this time. They said it was a "false Alarm" and should continue to work until the battery really does exhaust itself. I can live with that, especially since I do have a spare battery... There is a limit on how long it will record video before it will stop on it's own too, so don't be confused it stops recording after it hits that limit, nothing to do with battery there... I think I will experiment now that I have some additional information and see how long it will record video on a fully charged battery??? Hope this update helps for now. See ya!I have been looking for the perfect pocket Zoom camera that meets ALL three of these criteria:Excellent picture qualityExcellent Zoom capability and clarityExcellent VideoI was really impressed when I viewed my pictures in "Actual Size" on my computer, they looked very good even at that size. The detail, clarity and color is excellent on all pictures. I have not done much experimenting indoors yet, but I'm sure it will do fine.The zoom performance is top notch as well as the video. So this camera met all three of my required expectations. I actually have another camera I purchased at the same time, but I am returning it without even opening the box to see what it does, that is how happy I am with this SX280. As far as the battery problems go, I haven't drained my first charge yet and have shot several pics and experimented with video a few times. I just ordered a spare battery and car charger from Amazon, so I'm not concerned about the Battery problems "some" people have reported. I think this is about my 4th camera I have tried so far, finally my hunt is over and I'm very happy with the SX280.See ya!
Скроменый эксперт
10.07.2013
8/10
Оценка пользователя
Хорошо
I'm a recent purchaser but long time Canon customer and want to add a few points to the reviews here. My primary application is taking candid (non-composed) food shots for my blog at burntmyfinders dot com; I've always liked Canon quick shoot cameras (starting with a very early digital Elph) because of the color balance which is very favorable for food photography. So, many of my comments are in reference to other Canons I've owned.Overall, I'm happy with the SX280. I really wanted a longer zoom than the 4:1 Elphs (guess they're no longer called that) provide. The weight and somewhat higher price tag are a fair tradeoff. Low light management with this camera is excellent and the anti-shake feature is amazing; I can zero in on a grain of rice and it's in focus without a blur. I had no trouble getting up to speed (other than the new wireless/sharing features) because the buttons and functions are similar to my previous Canon cameras. But there are a few quirks I want to report on.1. Autofocus doesn't work well with the digital zoom. Solution: turn it off. Why do you need a digital zoom anyway with 20:1 optical?2. Flash is poorly designed. It should have been a bubble on top of the camera but instead it pops up, unwanted, if autoflash is on and then you have to turn off the camera to make it go down again. Solution: turn it off. With such great low light sensitivity you are unlikely to need flash, plus your photos will be washed out if you use it.3. Whenever I take a portrait shot, I find myself accidentally pressing the menu button on the bottom of the camera. It's in the same position as on my previous Canon point-and-shoot so I guess the reason is the form factor of the camera that makes you hold it differently. I'll get used to this in time but it's an annoyance.4. The wireless feature is in my opinion a gimmick and its execution is not ready for prime time. I thought it would be great to post to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc directly from a high resolution camera instead of from my smartphone. But to post from the SX280 you need a wireless connection, which you have to set up in advance. It's difficult entering passwords using the tiny "keyboard" which won't show what you are typing so there has to be a very high error rate. If you are always on the same wireless network this process might be acceptable, but it defeats the purpose of posting quick shots and movies from sporting events, restaurants, farmers' markets etc.Note: you can also set up a connection to your smartphone, without a wireless network, and transfer movies and stills to the phone and then post from there. But it's a clunky extra step.A couple of my experiences that might save you time:1. As others have mentioned, the firmware needs to be updated as soon as you get the camera. You do this by downloading the software (the install CD will guide you in this process) to a blank SD card on your computer, which you then put into the camera. So have this ready and be sure it's a big (32 GB or higher) Series 10 card because that is what you will need to get maximum benefit from the SX280. Order with the camera if you don't have one.2. To use any of the wireless features you will need to set up an account at the Canon Image Gateway at canon.com/cig . Your email is your user name, and the password must be an alphanumeric combination--all letters or all numbers not permitted. They don't tell you this and don't correct you if you make an error, so you think you have set up your account (especially because you get a welcome email after) but when you go to sign in your account isn't recognized because it doesn't exist.These quirks keep me from giving the camera five stars, but it is a very solid four stars and I'm happy with my shots.
Скроменый эксперт
06.07.2013
4/10
Оценка пользователя
Ужасно
A complicated major firmware update is required right out of the box.To do the update, you must have four things that don't come with the Camera:1) A 32MB memory card2) A memory card reader/writer (or an SD card slot on your computer)3) A four-page pdf from Canon's web site explaining how to do the update4) The firmware file downloaded from Canon's web siteI hate this kind of crap. If a manufacturer knows a product needs to be fixed, it should stop selling the ones manufactured with the flaw or sell them at a steep discount with a disclosure. This is NOT how great companies do things.The camera can be used without the update, but it won't be right. If you really want this camera and don't want to mess with the update, you will need to wait.Update: I did the firmware update and used the camera a bit around the house and on a day hike in the mountains. Here are some observations.A) The telephoto produces surprisingly good results in bright daylight. I used the telephoto at 20x to take a picture of a distant cliff face and to take a picture of a damselfly resting on a nearby rock. Both turned out better than I would have expected, though the color on the bright blue damselfly washed out significantly.B) The macro performance is unremarkable. I may need to work at it some more to get the most out of it, but I was disappointed in the results. It's not simple and easy to get great results. In all fairness, though, this is a relatively inexpensive 20x zoom camera with a lens that isn't optimized for low light, so I may be expecting too much.C) I left the GPS off, and the battery life doesn't seem all that bad so far in normal daylight shooting.D) Even with the firmware update, the "dying battery notification problem" showed up after accidentally shooting a moment of video.E) The flash works very well. I shot a night-time interior pic of my kitchen with dim light and the flash produced a thoroughly lit picture.F) The location of the flash is awkward. On a couple of occasions, the flash popped up unexpectedly in low light conditions, and both times my finger obstructed it. This camera won't win any design awards, that's for sure.G) The wi-fi function to transfer and view pictures to a smart phone works pretty well, at least on my iPhone. I had to download a Canon app from the iPhone app store. This allows you to move selected pics to the phone and then email them or whatever.Comparison to my last camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 with 16x zoom:I wish I could have the Canon's zoom capabilities in my old Panasonic, which is ergonomically superior, more intuitive to use (to me at least)and has superb battery life. Unfortunately, I swore off the Panasonics after two of them in succession got dirt inside their lenses. I'd had good luck with the durability of Canons before, so I went back.Conclusion: Overall, I would say the SX280 isn't quite ready for prime time, as evidenced by the firmware issues and the continuing problem with the depleted battery warning after shooting video. Canon should have kept it in the R&D shop a few months longer.UPDATE: I've been using this camera for several months now. I can usually shoot outdoors all day on a single battery, though I do carry an extra. I don't do video. The pop-up flash is an annoyance for its bad location.The camera doesn't do well in low-light situations like museums or shooting outdoors at dusk. It tends to lighten the pictures too much rather than capturing the scenes as they really appear. This may be the most annoying thing about this camera besides the battery-killing video mode. I liked the low-light abilities of my cheap little Panasonic so much better. I do like the wi-fi. It's easy to move pics to my iPhone in the field.
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