Most of the reviews relate to the video capabilities. Is there a long wait when taking two shots of an action event i.e. race or blowing out candles? Does the battery hold up well? Does the picture quality diminish when using the zoom?
501977
No, yes, and yes. The burst mode can take 30 shots in 1 second. The battery holds up well in my opinion. But ive never measured it. And the quality certainly degrades with increasing focal length. The picture quality will be disappointing compared to a DSLR.
49732
Thank you for the tip.I like the camera very much, great zoom, it also has facial recognition.If you get it, one little note, make sure the rec, is on when your recording.I believe I hit it too quick when I put the camera on, and it did not register.Yes I did not record a whole chunk that I thought I did.Wish you the best with your camera stuff.
2073837
Agree with Bob ring's comment. The only thing I am disappointed with is battery life is a little short sometimes. I have got some great shallow water pictures with it. Stills as well as videos. It is a lot of camera for the money. Do not try to change the battery with wet hands. Mine stopped working for a short time until I dried it out. I do really like it. I do recommend buying a couple extra batteries. I have taken around 6000 pictures with mine.
743674
I have had the camera on for taking pictures and video for about 6 hours straight and no issues with the battery. I continued to take pictures and video the rest of the weekend on and off. I have not had to charge it yet. I did not try to run the camera completely out yet either. I am very impressed with this camera so far especially the zoom and colors.
1008613
This camera should do a good job for you. It has a sports setting for capturing very fast action. The camera does an amazing job with focus. While at Disney this summer, I took a photo of a still object that was about 1/4 mile away using the zom feature. The framing and focus were perfect. I mention this because I was moving at aprox 10 mph on a train when I snapped the photo. The only thing you have to keep in mind when using this camera is the location of your fingers on the left. It is easy cover up the pop up flash. You should also have a spare battery.
1591877
1) Battery life from the included battery ~800maH is about 50 minutes shooting at 720p at 60fps. I believe it is a little longer when you shoot at slower frame rates like 30fps. I bought a 1200 maH after market battery which took it to nearly 60 min at 60fps. 2) I usually use the camera in more or less bright sunlight outdoors at a pool. So optical and digital zoom is pretty good under those conditions which are generally optimal conditions for most videocams. I have not tried in lower light situations. 3) It saves in mp4 format which is perfect for most applications. I have a SDHC slot on my Mac and it's easy to copy from the SDHC card to my computer and do whatever I want, share or burn DVD.
2060161
I have not tried it on a sports event yet but it will probably struggle in keeping with the fast action. Auto focus is 'adequate' and not pro-level. I will update this answer when i have the chance to use/test it for that. I can tell you in a moving (freeway speeds)car, shooting at mountains, trees or landscapes, it is fast and accurate.
1918121
I feel the photo and video quality are very good. The zoom is very powerful - enough to warrant a tripod if you want to get professional looking shots. Be aware, though, that the length of the videos you take are limited to about 29 minutes, if memory serves me correctly. We love the camera, though. It has a ton of cool options, however, the most basic functions are on the main controls. Very easy to use.
2189561
The battery life kinda sucks. Sound and picture is pretty good for the price. But don't expect the picture quality of some of the more expensive camcorders. It dosent have that many settings for recording. I bought it because I was going on vacation and wanted a camcorder and thought this was a good price. It dose ok for basic recording but if you want really high quality videos you would probably be better off to go with a more expensive model that has more features. Hope this was some help to you.
1954008
You may have already found the answer to this by now but just in case you haven't, let me say that the sx700 I've just purchased functions extremely well in this regard. So far I've shot close to 300 pictures and 30+ minutes of video and the camera still shows three bars (I use ECO mode which takes a little getting use to). I've heard only positive things about battery life all over the web. We may be in the clear. I too purchased the sx280 -- it was incredible to me that a major company would release a device that didn't work. The SX700 appears to function the way a camera should and has a lot of nice features.
1302973
I have been using mine to record meetings (2 hrs.+/-) and it has done well when using tripod. Sound pickup is pretty good if there are no other noises in the immediate area. Make sure there is adequate lighting on subject. Wish it had a remote for operation (mine does not). Have not tried to Youtube anything (not my intent or purpose), but manual says it's an easy do. I have a dinosaur laptop so downloading and editing is a bit of a chore. Camera does take great stills and freeze frames.
1919427
Video quality from the camera is great. Just make sure you're using the STM lenses otherwise you will get the motor noise when it's focusing. Also, autofocusing with video is a little slow to lock-on compared to most camcorders today.
2168363
Hello Sr's. I have just bought this camera, been playing around with the settings for a coupple of days, its just GREAT. Its not the fastest camera out there, it DOES have a slight delay from PRESS to SHOT, dont know exacly how long, but its noticeable. However this camera, on auto mode, allows you to set an option ON to "fast capture" this will make the Shutter speed way faster... Intented for use to take a pic on a racing event or sports event. I think with this setting ON might be sufficient to capture that lil' angel smile just fine!
1505637
There is a little delay. More on some settings than others. I would say the battery life is good but I would recommend having a backup. I haven't had the camera for long and I'm no expert so I don't know what would be considered normal usage. I have shot over a hundred pictures on one battery and that is with some playing around with the camera also. Hope this helps.
559132
I can't say I'm an expert on this topic, as I've never really had a need for a video camera and that capability was not why I purchased the camera to begin with. That being said, I have used the video feature a few times and must say that the sound quality is pretty darn good. The image remains pretty good when your hand shakes, though I can't imagine any video camera would not have some shake. You can zoom in/out while using the video. For my needs, it's been good. And others have made positive comments on the video I've taken with it... so I think that's positive, as well! Hope this helps! :)
2070028
I have used this for 6 months, and the video is very good, do not see any problems when moving, but if you are looking for something to capture alot of movement, I might suggest a faster camera.
542252
No. Pictures are great. I'm happy with this product. If you let it sit a long time the action shots stick (the shutter stays open). Would be nice for the video, but still takes nice pictures.