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? 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... » Read More 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? « Show Less
501976
Love it, regards to waiting you can put the camera in a multi snap mode that will take one shot right after another, battery lasts forever, bought an extra one almost never get to use it, haven't noticed or paid attention to resolution changes on zooming. I also have a Sony Cybershot, the Casio is my goto camera, Cybershot takes slightly better quality pictures when you have the time, but the battery can go dead just sitting around for a few weeks, Casio is always there and ready to go.
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.
501978
No wait time between shots. battery life is exceptional. Picture quality is good...whenever you you zoom past the optical limit and start using the digital zoom it degrades the image quality and that is true with any camera. You will like like the camera, very easy to use.
501979
Hi Richard, waiting time between two shots is relatively long, but there is an function called "continuous shooting" which I like. Battery life time is really great. Zoom does not diminish final picture. In regards high speed video, there is a bug in the software. After lets say 1 minute of the high speed video, buffer gets full and final video is than affected :( Other than that I am very happy with this camera! Cheers, Milan
1608147
I didn't have great luck with it. We were in Europe and finally gave up trying. I'm sure I was probably just missing something but it wasn't happening for me. BUT on the other hand, it took great pics and video. Stabilization feature on still shots worked great.
2126550
Don't use it so much for videos but I recently went to a car show and the battery went dead after 147 pictures. Seems like the battery used to last longer [about 1 yr. old] so I may get a spare, but it's great for the price and I was going to spend $750 to $800 , glad I got this one . Good luck.
1458166
I have performed the firmware update and the camera still has the battery problem during a video session. As some of the other respondents have said, zooming during video is the killer for the battery. I have just learned that I need to have a fresh charge on my batteries before I go to shoot. I try to hold the zooming to a minimum during the shoot (You should do this anyway if you want a more professional looking shot; zooming during a shot looks very amateurish). Just zoom in on your subject to frame it like you want it before you start to video record. Not to diminish the problem, I am not happy with the battery issue. I do however, really like the camera in most other aspects (other than the flash placement). I have learned how to get around it's shortcomings. I really love the beautiful shots I am able to get. The zoom capability is amazing for a small camera like this. I would stack the quality up there with my sons Canon Rebel SLR.
559134
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! :) 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... » Read More 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! :) « Show Less
1560812
If the lighting isn't that good the delay might be rather noticeable. Also one has to take into account zoom. In average I miss 1 out of 10 pictures when shooting kids and pets. I consider this as a good result.
695802
I have an SX280 HS 12.1 MP and love the output quality. If you're going to do much video, you will need to carry a couple of extra batteries as it eats them in video mode. Also, for me, I had a little learning curve with the way I hold it. My left forefinger wants to rest right where the flash pops up. But so far, I'm very pleased with it and have no reservations about recommending it.
1220355
In a word Yes. I only ever shot one video just to see how it worked and the sound seemed weak. Never played on my computer though but did read that others had your same experience as you. Battery saving feature??
460373
It's got good performance in the auto modes. While I haven't used the sports setting, I can say it's got plenty of shutter speed to stop action and good reproduction at ISO settings so you'll get good shots even in low light. The burst rate is good and the auto focus tracks reasonably well. It'll get the job done and you won't need to read more than the manual to get started.
38458
My husband said that the batteries are not great.. We have had ours for almost 2 weeks. and the batteries need to be replaced. But he doesn't mind that cause the picture is awesome.. He really loves it.. also it has video and he thinks that is why the batteries didn't last very long cause he did a lot of videos. But he would buy more of this if he could. Totally recommends it..
1509914
Frederick, I was reading a review this morning of the SX700, which said "The overall speed of the camera is decent when it comes to shot-to-shot performance, and we experienced no lag during our tests, even though a preview showed up immediately after each shot." This certainly confirms that something is wrong with your camera.
2083105
KatherineI also saw the same mixed reviews on the Panasonic Lumix. I took the chance anyway, because I wanted to buy an U/W camera for a friend for her birthday. As it turns out, she absolutely LOVES it! I saw the results. It took great pictures and great video! It may not be one of those GoPros, but for the price range, Panasonic does work, and my friend and her family have had fun using the camera, and they cannot wait until next summer!Hope that helps KatherineGeorge
1893354
Hello Amy. I see that you've not gotten a reply yet for a few days. I own the Canon SX130is camera that is nearly identical to that of the next version, the SX150is. I even owned the previous model of mine now, SX120is. THe only reason for the upgrade was to get HD video and stereo sound. Other than that, I loved that camera too. I've not studied the others you are deciding on but just looked them over. THere's not a "night & day" major difference between them. Differences of 2x zoom power is not major IMHO. Frames per second in burst mode shooting is. Size may be a factor too. But I can tell you why I like my camera. A manual flip up flash allows unmistakeable control over the flash and keeps the camera from waisting power charging for a flash that you didn't need for that shot. The option of complete manual settings is a must. And the advantage of using AA batteries gives you limitless flexibility of power. Don't let the negative reviews tell you that you cannot take lots of photos with this camera. If you get some high capacity rechargable batteries and enough for an extra set, you'll be good. Several here have recommended Sanyo Eneloop brand cells. That they come precharged and hold that charge for extended periods of storage time. A friend of mine used them and swears by them. I use Ansmann 2850 mAh batteries (which are higher capacity) and they give me nearly 200 more shots in my Canon SX20is than what is rated in the camera manual.
1355125
D. Barnes is correct. Although I'm very new with the camera, I am amazed at how well the stability worked with telephoto movie. When photographing our grandson's football game, the camera was set to full zoom, and the view finder shown the movie as shaking terribly. I was certain it would be unviewable (a word?). But after downloading, it was quite amazing how steady the movie appeared. Impressive.
1105411
Lasts very little. In my 8Gb card I believe I should be able to fit about 74min of HD movie in MP4, but the battery won`t last anywhere near that. I still have to do some further testings, but my guess is that it lasts about 25~35 minutes. Since I haven`t done any tests with the camera only shooting movies, I am not sure about these values, it`s just a rough guess. Anyway, I find that the biggest problem is that it only warns you that the battery is about to end when it is already over, so you don`t get any extra seconds once the battery sign starts blinking (missed some great shots because of that). I carry two batteries with me and I am buying a third one, simply because this camera deserves it (video quality is superb and photo quality is good), I am overall happy with the camera. You just have to adapt yourself to change the batteries more frequently.
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.
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.