camera is really blurry

[TurboCam]

Does anyone else have issues with the camera being blurry?

I was just using one of the document scanning apps on my DX, and i couldn't get it to capture a decent image that was good enough to read the captured document. So, then, I tried taking pics of other things, and I noticed that the camera isn't focussing (or is permanently out of focus) on anything at short viewing distances.......about 1 to 2 feet away..which really suck if you are trying to capture legible print!

 

[powermanaf]

Do the images look in focus before you take the picture, and then afterwards come out blurry? Or do they not focus at all?

If they look in focus before you take them but then turn out blurry, it's most likely because you are moving (ever so slightly) and the shutter speed it slower to capture more light. Try taking the pictures in a better lit area and see if that helps.

When I played with the Droid X in the store I was able to focus within a few inches of the price sheet and the macro shots came out pretty nice.

 

[TurboCam]

I found the "macro" setting and that seems to work better, but these shots are still too blurry for the document scanning app.

 

[kilofoxtrot]

Quit moving your hands....

Seriously closeup work requires a steady hand.. brace your elbow into your side if you can, take a deep breath and hold... etc etc. Little things like these add up.

 

[ottscay]

Apparently the problem is that the camera button requires quite a push, and as a result there's usually some motion when the shutter goes off (erm, when the CCD captures the light). Anyways, if you engage Image Stabilization it helps a lot (I forget which website I learned that on, but it was a good trick!).

 

[TurboCam]

I don;t think you can sue image stabilization and macro at the same time.......they are different "scenes" on the phone. Pretty stupid of motorola if you ask me!

 

[anon(40252)]

I found how you take the picture is important. I half press to focus and then press and hold until the pic is complete. This seems to help stabilize pressing the button. A lot of people seem to press and lift their finger causing problems.

 

[mclarryjr]

You might have something on the outside of your lens you might want to clean it.

 

[anon(40252)]

Having said that ... I just went back and loaded my pics on the computer and several of them are blurry. Also the indoor pics are terrible. The outside ones are gorgeous though!!

I also compared to my pics taken on my Evo. The Evo is far better. However, the phone can take good pictures so I wonder if this can be fixed with SW updates.

 

[bart151]

Im actually quite dissapointed in the picture quality. From what I can tell from using it, the Incs pic quality seems better hands down . Mine isnt at clear or crisp.

 

[theiphonewannabe]

If you are wanting to take pictures of documents indoors, you will want to have a desk lamp directly over them. A lot has to do with the shutter speed. The lens needs enough light to take a picture and it will generally stall the shutter. The Palm Pre and the iPhone have less of this problem indoors because they process the light more efficiently.

 

[DaRkL3AD3R]

Ok hang on. Let me clear these things up as I've taken and seen plenty of pictures from this phone with superb quality, no blur whatsoever. Here's a few tips that should hopefully get you taking better, less blurry pictures:

1: Don't use any type of case or skin that overlaps the camera button when you take pictures. If the case interferes with the button, you're going to be more prone to moving the phone in general while pressing the camera button and moving while taking shots leads to horrendous blur. So be sure to take any case or skin off before shooting.

2: I find that when you do take the picture, press the camera button on the right side (looking at the screen) until its in focus and keep holding it down. Now when you're ready to take the picture, gently roll your finger towards the middle of the button and press slightly. You should feel the button tilt to the middle and click in. Be extra careful not to move even the smallest amount during this process, as this is where the blur happens.

3: Indoor shots on this phone suck, sadly if there isn't AMPLE lighting available (and I don't mean relying on flash here, if you are you're screwed...) then expect your shots to be grainier than your fiber plus cereal. The only thing you can do to minimize noise is to force the ISO sensitivity to 100. But this may diminish quality elsewhere, so switch it off if you have proper lighting.

4: This might seem like a dumb thing to say, and I don't mean to offend your intelligence, but if you're trying to focus and the focus cross-hair goes red, you're not in focus. Keep messing with it until it goes green. You'd be amazed how easily this can mess with your shots

5: Last tip, if you don't have a microfiber cloth on you, get one. Wipe that camera lens gently but thoroughly each and every time you open that camera app. You'd be amazed how smudged the screen gets from accidentally touching it with your fingers during normal phone use.

Here's a link to the pictures thread from here on the Droid X forums with some great shots (even a few from me of my backyard! check em out ) and as you can see, many of these shots are quite good for a cell phone camera. Just practice to make perfect!

Edit: er apparently the link doesn't want to work -_- it keeps saying page not found. Anyways the thread is on Page 5 of this forum. Give it a looksie

 

[katrina2475]

Having said that ... I just went back and loaded my pics on the computer and several of them are blurry. Also the indoor pics are terrible. The outside ones are gorgeous though!!

I also compared to my pics taken on my Evo. The Evo is far better. However, the phone can take good pictures so I wonder if this can be fixed with SW updates.

I hope so too! My brother's Evo takes much better pictures than my X.

 

[sicario666]

How do i get the focus reticle to show? As well as activating image stabilization...

 

[DaRkL3AD3R]

How do i get the focus reticle to show? As well as activating image stabilization...

If you aren't seeing the focus reticle it means you have Face Detection on. When Face Detection is enabled and theres no face available, you will not see the reticle.

Image stabilization is done through the Scene: Steady Shot. Lame that you can't use it with any other scene, but eh it doesn't seem to help too much anyway. I suggest using Auto for general usage and Macro shot for really close up pics. That should just about cover your needs.

 

[rjdangerous]

I just uploaded pics from X onto pc, they are super clear even at a large size. I don't know if it's the camera or operator?

 

[doctorlove316]

@DaRkL3AD3R

Here's the link. I wanted to post it too just to show that good pictures CAN be taken with this phone. Good tips, BTW.

http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-x/22993-lets-do-post-pictures-taken-your-droid-x.html

 

[DaRkL3AD3R]

@DaRkL3AD3R

Here's the link. I wanted to post it too just to show that good pictures CAN be taken with this phone. Good tips, BTW.

http://forum.androidcentral.com/motorola-x/22993-lets-do-post-pictures-taken-your-droid-x.html

Thanks avlfive. Not sure how you got it to link properly but well done lol.

 

[doctorlove316]

Thanks avlfive. Not sure how you got it to link properly but well done lol.

Had to actually click on the 'insert link' button. Weird. I tried the normal copy and paste way first and it did the same thing it did for you.

 

[wildman]

I have learned after experimenting with camera that it takes a nice picture outside but I usually ran into issues when taking one inside but the trick that I have learned in that the camera seems to give a clearer shot inside without flash if the area is well light because the flash usually adds to much light that causes photo to be dark because the camera tries to compensate for the extra light. Try disabling flash inside and I think you will notice a better quality shots.