Camera auto-focus.

[kmitchell]

The problem I'm having is if something (like say my hand) passes too close to the lens the phone focuses on it and can't recover (focus stays fixed at about 3" and everything else is blurry)

All camera setting are set to default and the only camera app I'd had installed was a panorama app which has been since uninstalled...

Hope this is a simple software fix since I otherwise really like the camera.

 

[shadowhawk2020]

Well, whatever it was I wasn't waiting around for a fix. Best Buy exchanged it no questions asked.

 

[LegacyEvoAce]

If the camera focuses on something VERY close (~3" away), it seems to lock the focus on this and only stopping/restarting the camera app will allow the camera to re-focus (pushing the hardware shutter/tapping on the screen doesn't help)

There is also a definite clicking/popping sound when closing the camera app when it "unlocks"

Anyone else seeing this?

I definitely hear the popping/clicking sound especially if you put your hand/object to close to the camera.

 

[mikep7779]

just an update, i received a replacement device and it works fine.

 

[crxssi]

If the camera focuses on something VERY close (~3" away), it seems to lock the focus on this and only stopping/restarting the camera app will allow the camera to re-focus (pushing the hardware shutter/tapping on the screen doesn't help)

There is also a definite clicking/popping sound when closing the camera app when it "unlocks"

Anyone else seeing this?

Not on mine

 

[crxssi]

it will 99% be a software issues since the camera lens has no moving parts.

I don't believe that is correct. How can an optical system change focal length through software only?

 

[kmitchell]

Got a replacement phone (identical hw & sw versions as the original) and the problem is gone; focuses as expected.

Still makes the popping/clicking sound when focusing sometimes, but as long as it DOES focus, I'm okay with that.

 

[Darth Mo]

it will 99% be a software issues since the camera lens has no moving parts.

The camera lens does move for focusing, it's just that it moves a really tiny distance because the lens and sensor are so tiny.

There is no way to change focus software only unless you're purposely adding a blur effect to simulate a reduced depth of field. But even then you're not changing focus, you're applying post-processing.

 

[BroadcastJunkie]

alright, lets clear some things up. auto focus means the lens moves in and out. fixed focus means its fixed and does not move. since this phone has auto focus, it means the lens moves in and out hence the popping/clicking sounds you hear. the 3D did this as well, it was just not as high speed about it so you didnt notice it, unless you noticed random sounds around you like myself. second you might be holding your button halfway down. the shutter button, physical one. unlike most phones, this one does not focus when you hit the halfway point in the button press, but instead (IMO better then focus) the phone locks the focus in to what you are focused on. backwards from what most phone do, which is refocus. this is a dslr setting which, wasnt on any phone so most people, all you having problem aren't accustomed to.
when you hit the point of focus you want. hit the halfway point which will lock the focus. now you can press it all the way, or move the phone to any point, and have that focus locked in. great for all sorts of nice pictures. please, learn to use your phone before you claim its broken. sure there maybe someone out there that has a broken focus mechanize. but this makes it sound as if thought no one has a working camera while its working perfectly and you just dont know how to work it

 

[kmitchell]

when you hit the point of focus you want. hit the halfway point which will lock the focus. now you can press it all the way, or move the phone to any point, and have that focus locked in. great for all sorts of nice pictures. please, learn to use your phone before you claim its broken. sure there maybe someone out there that has a broken focus mechanize. but this makes it sound as if thought no one has a working camera while its working perfectly and you just dont know how to work it

I definitely appreciate your explanation of the focus lock from holding the button halfway. A bit of a change from my Evo 3D and one that will take a little getting used to.

That said, I most certainly did have a broken focus mechanism in my first phone. The replacement does not get stuck as described above. However, after my experiences attempting to describe the problem (to see if it was HW or SW) I admit that I became a bit hypersensitive to the sound of the camera focusing

All of that said, I'm taking some really nice "motion" piks that I would never have been able to capture with the 3D.

 

[crxssi]

I definitely appreciate your explanation of the focus lock from holding the button halfway. A bit of a change from my Evo 3D and one that will take a little getting used to.

No, actually it is exactly the same as the Evo 3D operation. The only difference is there is no "locked" sound or visual indicator. So if you didn't know it WAS doing something by half-pressing, you wouldn't really know.

They should fix this by adding back the green bracketing confirmation and the "beep beep" sound.

 

[Habiib]

Here is a video I made testing the auto-focus while recording video. I chose an aquarium, because I've seen some cameras get confused over what they are focusing on. Some would focus on the glass itself and others had a hard time choosing an object to focus on (when many things are in motion). I'd say that the camera does a pretty good job of adjusting its focal points. You will notice some of the fps drop when the lighting changes though.. Also ignore the music :-[

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNAKvFe6GE[/YT]

 

[kmitchell]

Well, I got a week of working camera... focused and everything...

Today I tried take a picture, and the camera app results in a black screen. Only button that works is the gallery button. Occasionally the phone notices that the app is hung and offers to send a bug report.

I tried a factory reset, just in case it was due to some other app causing trouble. No dice. Looks like another hardware problem... Third evo's a charm?

 

[Mercury81]

Well, I got a week of working camera... focused and everything...

Today I tried take a picture, and the camera app results in a black screen. Only button that works is the gallery button. Occasionally the phone notices that the app is hung and offers to send a bug report.

I tried a factory reset, just in case it was due to some other app causing trouble. No dice. Looks like another hardware problem... Third evo's a charm?

Which rom are using?

from Evo4GLTE on Android Central

 

[kmitchell]

Which rom are using?

stock. Very odd. Every once in a while, it seems to sort of capture an image, but looks like a crazy instagram overexposed split-screen thing.

 

[kmitchell]

Just returned phone #2. Would-be phone #3 had focus issues (just like phone #1). Phone #4 seems fine. We'll see if it makes it more than a week. Serial #s between all of the phones were very close, so maybe there was just a bad batch...