External lenses on the M8?

tryatt

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Ok, they aren't the be all and end all of quality, but they can be quite fun, especially the fish eye.

However, I used to use them on my One X and they were a lot of fun, but on the M8 they don't seem to work. Or, shall I say, the M8 doesn't want to focus with them attached.

Does the M8 use a different method of focusing? Its like it doesn't even try.
macro_fisheye_telephoto_and_wide_angle_phone_lenses_6.jpg
 

kronosqq

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My guess would be that the secondary camera is the issue. This camera/sensor is used for depth of field information and work in tandem with the primary camera. You might try different camera software like Google Camera to see if this resolves the focus issue.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...om.google.android.GoogleCamera&token=PQKXyKO5

That was my first thought, but the secondary camera isn't necessary to take a picture. You can have it covered up with your finger, the camera will tell you you're doing it, but it still takes the picture. You just don't have depth info.

Sent from my HTC One M8
 

tryatt

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Thanks for the replies guys. I initially thought it may be due to the duo camera being blocked, but quickly ruled that out by putting my finger over it and taking a picture without the lens on, and it worked fine (albeit with a warning on the screen.)

But I figured it out, in the end the lens sits too close to the camera sensor, so by adding a couple of extra spacer rings around it you get everything back in focus :)
 

tryatt

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I bought them from eBay, unfortunately the eBay site doesn't work properly from work, but hopefully this link will throw something up - phone lens | eBay

They degrade the quality of the picture (slightly washed out colours - which you can adjust later by increasing colour saturation, and not always that sharp/crisp), but they add a lot of fun :)

Here are some pics (they were taken with my HTC One X, not the M8)

Fish eye -
2013-07-07 07.13.17.jpg
2013-07-13 21.06.43.jpg

Macro of a mayfly sitting on my wall -
2013-06-29 16.50.17.jpg

Personally I wouldn't want ANYTHING even remotely close to this phones camera lens.. :)

Why do you say this? They don't touch the lens itself if you are worried about scratches? Or do you mean from the perspective of putting bad quality glass in front of the camera, degrading IQ?
 

tryatt

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These aren't HTC lenses if that's what you're asking? :)

They are some generic non-branded lenses.

I don't think there are any official or branded lenses out there.
 

ugxvibe

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Why do you say this? They don't touch the lens itself if you are worried about scratches? Or do you mean from the perspective of putting bad quality glass in front of the camera, degrading IQ?

Strictly for the potential scratching.. I'm anally cautious about the lens cover now that I've had to have mine fixed without any external influence causing it.

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
 

tryatt

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You need to stick a metallic ring around the camera which the lens attaches to (magnetically).

It was an added bonus because it added a metal spacer between the lens cover and anything else, so added more protection on my One X. And on the One X the lens cover protrudes from the camera body!
 

juntjoo

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Ok, they aren't the be all and end all of quality, but they can be quite fun, especially the fish eye.

However, I used to use them on my One X and they were a lot of fun, but on the M8 they don't seem to work. Or, shall I say, the M8 doesn't want to focus with them attached.

Does the M8 use a different method of focusing? Its like it doesn't even try.
View attachment 122496

I'm looking for something like this but they all have horrible reviews. Could you share the brand and model or something? And how did you furnish those spacers? Thanks
 

tryatt

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Yep, some of the reviews are funny. People expecting lenses that work at the extremes of optics (fish eye / macro) to be SLR quality on their phone for just a few £/$ !!

They are great fun, and thats about it.

As for the spacer/magnetic attachment, its not a great fit on the M8 (and eventually they do fall off, so you will use up your replacements!), but it does stick around the lens (with a bit of bending to get the most amount of contact).
 

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