new s5 camera

[1cws5sam]

Thanks in advance, all, for any advice here.

Just got an S5active (moving up from S3, just in time for S5 obsolescence...)

So far so good, except for one nag. The camera does not focus. Or at least - there is never a GREEN anything. Dot, square, whatever. It never turns green.

It appears to "focus" in that it's doing work to improve the shot - I can see it fade in and out of (not) focus - but in the end, after I take the pic, when I zoom in it is always blurry, sometimes extremely so.

I'm not expecting miracles, I realize it's a "phone" and not a "camera" - I am just asking if it should turn GREEN before shooting...anyone?

PS - before ya waste valuable worktime keystrokes - I tried various modes, image this that the other on and off, mp of all sizes, and NO, there is no plastic on my lens.

It simply never turns green.

WTF?

 

[SpookDroid]

It might be that you have a bad unit. I'm assuming that there is at least the focus indicator? Does it turn red all the time, then? I had a similar issue on my first Note 4, where it wouldn't focus unless it was pretty much in macro or within a few feet from the phone. Got it replaced, and problem solved.

Here's how you can test if it's the hardware. Download a 3rd party camera app from the Play Store. If it still can't focus, it's hardware. If it does, then it's a bug in the camera app and either a factory reset or a ROM re-flash from your carrier should fix it.

 

[1cws5sam]

Thanks for the quick reply.

The only indicator on the screen is the "meter" indicator, kinda that half circle thingie, black-and-white, er, gray-and-white.

There is no green, and no red.

I just tried a friend's phone - his is six months older - and it does the same thing - but also, it takes bad pictures (just like mine).

Just to be clear - should I see a RED or GREEN ...anything?...when I am trying to take a photo?

 

[SpookDroid]

Sorry for the confusion. You are correct, there is no green/red indicator in the S5/Note 4 cameras. Weird haha never noticed. Basically yeah, you see the focus point animation but it either focuses or not.

 

[Travo79]

Did you take the plastic film off of the camera lens?

Edit:
Sorry, I wasted my keystrokes!


Posted via the Android Central App

 

[1cws5sam]

Verrrrrry funny! Seriously, I thought that was IT. That little plastic thing was, in fact, on there. But there IS A HOLE IN IT for the lens. So after I got it off...no change. (This was yesterday - before I posted.) Meantime - I still am disappointed in the camera. I have read several reviews today which include sample photos - that I can open in "full size" on my PC - and zoom in, in great detail. This is not the case with my camera. Whether the photo'd object is three feet away, or thirteen feet away, in good light, flash or no, zoom or no - after the fact, when I look at the pic, any zooming looks like I'm looking through rippled water or something. "Pixellated" doesn't quite cover the awfulness of it.

 

[SpookDroid]

Could you upload a couple samples? I know the plastic cover has a hole in it, and I don't pretend to understand the magic behind it, but I KNOW that if you left that on the Note 3, the camera would struggle. Off comes the plastic, camera works. But in your case it seems to still be failing.

 

[Travo79]

I wasn't trying to be funny, I seriously failed to read that part of your post before responding, so the joke is really on me.

Just a shot in the dark, and it may have no bearing on the situation at all, but are you using easy mode? I know this mode limits a lot of the camera's functions, but I doubt it would effect focus or overall picture quality.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[1cws5sam]

No prob Travo, thanks for your input in any case.

I took off the tiny plastic thingie, even with the hole in it, but that was two days ago, no change.

Thanks, all, for the ideas - I'll try to post a sample or two today, probably should do some work for now!

 

[1cws5sam]

I failed to post a sample picture, but might not have to now.

Remember, I just got this phone last week, so my entire camera experience revolved around The Office and The Home After Work. In other words - it was dark.

This weekend, I took several photos outside (snow covered here), and they are pretty good! Spectacular in some cases. So - i don't think the camera is misbehaving - I think I was just expecting too much in a (relatively) "low light" scenario.

If that makes sense - let me know, and we'll call it a day on this issue. Appreciate the support.

 

[Kidson]

I have just received my new Samsung S5 - I have read on the forums of others having difficulty in focusing and I am having the same problem - The icons does not turn green or red and whilst I can get a reasonable focused photo it is not sharp.
I have cleared the camera cache but this has not helped - still no geen or red.
Is this a known problem on the camera and the only option is to return and hope the replacement will be better?
please advise - many thanks