(Lg v40) why my phone doesnt use the optical zoom?

[Android Central Question]

So i recently been messing around with the camera a lot and came across a problem. When I change from wide angle to standard you can see its using the intended lens. But when i change to the optical zoom it doesnt switch and it just digitally zooms with the standard lense. Not sure what's going on and its lame its only using 2 out of the 3 sensors.

 

[joewoo]

How are you coming to this conclusion? Only by looking at the photo?

 

[Ptm1993]

no, i went from each lens and covered them up and snapped on each one. when I press the telephoto option it zooms in with the standard lens. at the same time when i cover the telephoto lens which is the farthest back right when facing your screen, it still shows a picture. when i go to cover the standard camera while its zoomed it goes black. so it's digitally zooming and not using my telephoto camera. but when i use triple shot it uses all 3 primary sensors. but other than that the telephoto doesnt get used.

 

[joewoo]

no, i went from each lens and covered them up and snapped on each one. when I press the telephoto option it zooms in with the standard lens. at the same time when i cover the telephoto lens which is the farthest back right when facing your screen, it still shows a picture. when i go to cover the standard camera while its zoomed it goes black. so it's digitally zooming and not using my telephoto camera. but when i use triple shot it uses all 3 primary sensors. but other than that the telephoto doesnt get used.

So I have the phone... What I think is happening in the triple shot preview is just a crop of the WIDE... But when you actually take the photo, it does use the 3rd zoom lens...

I covered the zoom lens and took a triple shot and as expected, the zoom photo was the only one with my finger covered...

 

[joewoo]

Ohhh I see what your saying now... When I cover the zoom it does seem to be taking the crop of the normal lens

This is wack... I always noticed the zoom photos quality looked like crap...

Another note, you cant shoot raw with the zoom

 

[Ptm1993]

So I have the phone... What I think is happening in the triple shot preview is just a crop of the WIDE... But when you actually take the photo, it does use the 3rd zoom lens...

I covered the zoom lens and took a triple shot and as expected, the zoom photo was the only one with my finger covered...

Yes, when you live preview all cameras it uses the wide to show the different perspectives. But when you actually click on the single tree logo for telephoto, it does not use that 2x zoom that you should be getting, instead its digital. And with triple shot I said it works, all three take separate pictures for what theyre intended for. But other than that i cant use my telephoto by its self like i can with the standard or wide angle. Whats the point of it if its only used in one feature(triple shot) thats not great and slow? Especially for what it was advertised for, Flexibility.

 

[joewoo]

Yes, when you live preview all cameras it uses the wide to show the different perspectives. But when you actually click on the single tree logo for telephoto, it does not use that 2x zoom that you should be getting, instead its digital. And with triple shot I said it works, all three take separate pictures for what theyre intended for. But other than that i cant use my telephoto by its self like i can with the standard or wide angle. Whats the point of it if its only used in one feature(triple shot) thats not great and slow? Especially for what it was advertised for, Flexibility.

I think youre correct... I'm currectly tryinf to get a reply from lg usa

 

[joewoo]

You know this is weird... I saw what you were talking about before.. But now that im trying to talk to lg about it, I cant replicate the problem

 

[Ptm1993]

Just tested more and in okay light and lower it uses the main sensor on telephoto mode. but when I went outside with a lot of lighting it used the actual telephoto sensor. while outside I covered the telephoto lens and the software switched it to the standard lens digitally zoomed. So in not so great lighting it doesnt click on?

 

[joewoo]

Just tested more and in okay light and lower it uses the main sensor on telephoto mode. but when I went outside with a lot of lighting it used the actual telephoto sensor. while outside I covered the telephoto lens and the software switched it to the standard lens digitally zoomed. So in not so great lighting it doesnt click on?

That seems like the most probable theory

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Just tested more and in okay light and lower it uses the main sensor on telephoto mode. but when I went outside with a lot of lighting it used the actual telephoto sensor. while outside I covered the telephoto lens and the software switched it to the standard lens digitally zoomed. So in not so great lighting it doesnt click on?

Probably true, it's what Samsung does as well. It's because the sensor on the telephoto lens doesn't gather light nearly as well as the primary lens and a digital zoom off the primary looks better when light is low.

 

[Mooncatt]

The one thing that kinda excited me about the V40 and not even fully usable. Grrrr. Hopefully LG pushes out an update that gives you full control over the separate lenses.

 

[Ptm1993]

Probably true, it's what Samsung does as well. It's because the sensor on the telephoto lens doesn't gather light nearly as well as the primary lens and a digital zoom off the primary looks better when light is low.

Did not know samsung did that also. And didnt think about how much light it can take in for a good pic. Makes a lot of sense now. Haha, just glad its not just tied to triple shot and whatnot, that wouldve made no sense.