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< J.u.s.t > received - very first impression ...

Why oh why is the camera sticking out like that?
Otherwise Screen is a killer.

Congratulations on your new device
The camera sticks out so that if you put the HD2 on a flat table, it wont wobble around or start to rock..

prank1 said:
The camera sticks out so that if you put the HD2 on a flat table, it wont wobble around or start to rock..
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I already love this device so will blindly go with your explanation.
I've actually looked looked at the device side on really closely and the camera sticking out actually raises the device up just enough so the lens isn't flat against the surface therefore meaning less scratches when the device is face up. Excellent design!

Yea, you can tell by the lens's squared housing that it won't get harmed while sitting on a surface.

As well as the raised surround protecting the lens from scratches, I suspect it may also (deliberately or coincidentally) 'protect' the lens from direct light from the flash. I've seen many camera phones where photos taken with the flash have the light bleeding in from the side of the photo where the flash is.

Fatherboard said:
Yea, you can tell by the lens's squared housing that it won't get harmed while sitting on a surface.
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.......... but your suface will. Haha

Another reason is so that you can hear the speaker when you have the phone facing up

How I improved the Mytouch 3G camera

Hey guys, I'm an avid photo enthusiast. I've been less than impressed with the Mytouch 3G camera sharpness to say the least. With apps like "FXcamera" and "vignette" ive been using the phone to take little artsy snap shots more and more.
Today i realized when i took my battery cover off the camera sharpness improved 100X!!! so much better! The crappy flimsy plastic that HTC used in the battery cover is naturally foggy and causes light to streak in pictures.
So in the end i took an Xacto knife and removed the little plastic window from my battery door.
My phone can now take sharp pictures all the time.
I thought I'd share this bit of info! Try it yourself... take a couple shots without the battery cover! Hope this can help my fellow frustrated MT3G owners

don't know about the MT3G, but the Magic (Vodafone) doesn't have any foil on the camera hole on the battery cover...
but though, thanks for sharing

sirdani said:
don't know about the MT3G, but the Magic (Vodafone) doesn't have any foil on the camera hole on the battery cover...
but though, thanks for sharing
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Not talking about the foil. Talking about actually removing the plastic glass thats attached to the battery cover. So theres just a hole instead of having "glass". that little peice of fake glass destroys the cameras quality. if you take a couple shots without your battery door you'll notice a huge improvment.

dills84 said:
Not talking about the foil. Talking about actually removing the plastic glass thats attached to the battery cover. So theres just a hole instead of having "glass". that little peice of fake glass destroys the cameras quality. if you take a couple shots without your battery door you'll notice a huge improvment.
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I think he was saying that the Magic already has a hole in the battery cover, there is no fake glass piece
might be a good tip for MT3G users though!

Your not worried about the camera lens itself getting dirty? I love taking pics too and they always seem to have a hazy/foggy look. I always used a q-tip to clean the peep hole but now I'm considering your method too.

phatmanxxl said:
Your not worried about the camera lens itself getting dirty? I love taking pics too and they always seem to have a hazy/foggy look. I always used a q-tip to clean the peep hole but now I'm considering your method too.
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i tried everything to clean the little plastic peice, even expencive pro lens fluid (called Eclipse).
I think the plastic is just cheap and will always be foggy.
The lens on the camera inside is pretty heavy duty and set back about 1/8" from the cover... so its pretty impossible to hit it with anything. Its also easier to clean that lens than the battery door lens. It really makes a huuuge difference

Yea I noticed a huge differencealso, and I was able to just push out the lens cover out of the battery door with my thumbnail. But Im just afraid it will I will fog up the camera lense too like dust,sweat, pocket lint, etc. Ill just take the battery door off when I take my pictures unless I can find something to replace the lense cover, like some other piece of plastic or something I can glue onto the back. Ill post any solutions.

Took the plastic cover off as well. Wow, now I will actually use my camera...it was pointless before. Crapy design HTC.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/103/imag0044f.jpg
That's odd, my Rogers HTC Magic doesn't have a glass pane on my battery cover.
Taken with my phone.

Taknarosh said:
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/103/imag0044f.jpg
That's odd, my Rogers HTC Magic doesn't have a glass pane on my battery cover.
Taken with my phone.
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No I beleive the OP is referring to the glass or plastic cover over the camera area of the back cover.
My HTC Magic from vodafone UK doesn't have this but I would imagine removing it would be better

I did this and yes the picture quality improves but the music now sounds less deep, less bass.
Try it and cover the hole with your finger and you will see what I mean.

CLLC said:
No I beleive the OP is referring to the glass or plastic cover over the camera area of the back cover.
My HTC Magic from vodafone UK doesn't have this but I would imagine removing it would be better
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He is holding his battery cover..
A battery cover is to.. cover a battery to make sure it doesn't fall out. He is holding the right object and mine does not have it either.

i broke down and took out the plastic thing, no problem with the lens getting dirty so far.

my vodafone magic doesn't have the protective lens cover on the battery cover.
it does however have a lens protector covering the lens on the actual body of the phone.
it takes pretty good photos though, so maybe it's made of a different material than on the MT3G?

Yeah not a good idea at all...
Do you think that htc putted the plastic cover there just so it would look fancy?
Guess not.. This is not modding... it is actually kinda dumbing.. Give it a week or two.. and then check for all the dust that you're going to have in there...
And lets not talk about a rainy day... The phone probably will go RIP...
So if I were you all.. Ill stay wit the piece of plastic... That my opinion

Onixraul1 said:
Yeah not a good idea at all...
Do you think that htc putted the plastic cover there just so it would look fancy?
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Actually, HTC didn't put it on their branded Magics... Vodafone's and Rogers' Magics don't have it either... only the myTouch 3G

Onixraul1 said:
Yeah not a good idea at all...
Do you think that htc putted the plastic cover there just so it would look fancy?
Guess not.. This is not modding... it is actually kinda dumbing.. Give it a week or two.. and then check for all the dust that you're going to have in there...
And lets not talk about a rainy day... The phone probably will go RIP...
So if I were you all.. Ill stay wit the piece of plastic... That my opinion
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Since I "modded" the phone i have not had a problem with dust or anything like that. Thats what concerned me the most before I did it. And as for a rainy day, I know better than to take my phone out into the rain.

phatmanxxl said:
Since I "modded" the phone i have not had a problem with dust or anything like that. Thats what concerned me the most before I did it. And as for a rainy day, I know better than to take my phone out into the rain.
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Lol who would go and take pics in the rain with their phone anyway?

You could always remove the battery cover when you take pictures, it might seem odd, but that way you won't have to remove that plastic piece, but you do risk getting your lense dirty faster even if you do remove the cover for a minute or so.

or.... we could just seek out a better replacement.
don't they make clearer plastics we could use to replace this?

Possible reason as to why the Camera Lens Scratches/Cracks - Plastic Lens!

I'm not sure about your EVOs, but if I press in on my lens, slowly and evenly, I can feel it flex in and out, which leads me to believe it's made of plexi-glass. Thus, making the lens weak, and easier to scratch and crack. Seems like HTC went ****ty on this part too.
I love Android, and I don't really know why. I almost want an iPhone 4, but I enjoy my 23% Sprint discount.
Mine isn't scratched or cracked, yet, and I don't use any sort of case, but the photos and video quality still stucks ass. This is just my observation. I have H0003, btw.

Do what I did, just cut a perfectly round piece of clear scotch tape and put over it. Instant and free lens protector. Took me a couple of tries to get it perfectly round, but you can't even tell it's there. Problem solved

Android has nothing to do with the camera lens.
Similarly, hardware issues with one phone have nothing to do with switching OSes entirely.
It's like non sequitur-ville around here. Just teasing, but yes, I suspected the same, especially if you look at how easily it picks up small scratches. It's not glass, I'd guess it's the same plastic that old phones used to have as their screens. But at least the whole back panel can be replaced fairly easily if needed (if you can find a replacement).
zeuzinn said:
Do what I did, just cut a perfectly round piece of clear scotch tape and put over it. Instant and free lens protector. Took me a couple of tries to get it perfectly round, but you can't even tell it's there. Problem solved
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Easy for you to say, Giotto.

Yep...it's plastic. No case on my phone and no screen protector. Looks just like it did when I bought in Jun 4th. YMMV

I haven't had any issues with pics looking bad, i think it does amazing actually. I don't use a case either and I haven't noticed any marks on mine. That piece of plastic you are talking about is not the lens though, it is a lens protector. The lens is the small bluish/black part inside. It is pretty common for those to be plastic. I break them all the time at work (people aren't allowed to bring in cameras, even on a phone, so they break them) and I think all the phone cameras i have seen were plastic protectors.
Edit: I just found this in another thread: http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.10.30/front-element-scratches

SilverZero said:
Easy for you to say, Giotto.
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I'm surprised no one has gotten this reference, or made a mention of it.
I'm guessing you're thinking of the Giotto that drew a perfect circle for the Pope when the Pope asked him, "now what can you do to show me your badass artistic skills?"
Only reason I know him? That was referenced on my application to Rice a while back (it's been 4.5 years since I graduated).

What's the problem? You question HTC's build quality?
Enjoy the EVO for 2 years or 1 and then get an EVO 2.
MMMMMM EVO 2 WILL have gingerbread!!!!!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

pekosROB said:
I'm surprised no one has gotten this reference, or made a mention of it.
I'm guessing you're thinking of the Giotto that drew a perfect circle for the Pope when the Pope asked him, "now what can you do to show me your badass artistic skills?"
Only reason I know him? That was referenced on my application to Rice a while back (it's been 4.5 years since I graduated).
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You get the cookie!
novanosis85 said:
What's the problem? You question HTC's build quality?
Enjoy the EVO for 2 years or 1 and then get an EVO 2.
MMMMMM EVO 2 WILL have gingerbread!!!!!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Wasn't this whole Evo 2 / Sabor thing pretty much accepted as a fabrication?

Camera Lens BENDED!

Beware: the camera lens on the back of our SGS II is made of cheap plastic. I learned the hard way.
Yesterday I was using the camera and all was really good. Today all photos were blurred. I checked and noticed a small bend, yes a bend, right in the middle of the camera lens. It is not a scratch, which has been my concern since buying the SGS2, it was a bend. I may be wrong, but glass should not bend, it scratches. Now I don't have a lens anymore, I have a prism.
The phone did not fall, or was treated badly. Most probably, I put it in my pants' front pockets, as I have done for years with my HTC phones (horrible cameras btw, compared to the sgs2), there may have been a contact with a harder surface (a key, maybe, but I don't suppose so), and the lens bended. It's a real pity. I'm considering now removing the "lens" as it is not the actual lens, just a cover I guess, and see if this works.
This may be the best and most expensive cell phone right now, why couldn't Samsung put a real glass (like apple does, btw) to protect the camera?
I hope this warning helps others not to get into the same problem. Maybe using a leather pouch can prevent this from happening (I was using the mesh cover case).
A previously super happy owner, now a very desolate one...

what did you do to your phone? Don't blame samsung for something you physically you did.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

thats strange? a bit of plastic with those dimensions shouldn't bend at all, unless put under direct heat and pressure? :S

can you post pictures taken and a picture of the lens?

I don't have another camera with me to photograph the lens. Besides, it is hard to see the bend, you need the correct angle for the light to hit it and be able to see. But attached is a picture I took with the cell. Kind of artsy...

I would have thought that if it did actually have a bend in it (which seems like an awfully difficult thing to have done), that it would cause a distortion and not just producing a blurry pic like that.
Looks more like something has been smeared across the lens cover.

It's not the lens that bended, it's the protective screen on top of the lense. Looks like glass to me, but it's possible to be plastic. Any way, i doubt it could bend unless you put a lot of pressure on it.

As I said, it was in the front pocket of a not so tight pants, so there might be little pressure, normal pressure as every cell phone suffers in this situation, but nothing exceptional, not much. Nobody sat on my lap as well... That would be a worthy reason at least.
I've had smartphones for the last 6 years, done the same thing since. I'm not asking for a replacement or whatever, so I have no reason to minimize my responsibility.
My point in posting is that it happened. Just trying let others know to not make the same mistake. It is not as solid a construction as, say, the HTC HD2. It needs more care.
Just beware, hope it does not happen to others.
PS: And no heat also, not a teenager anymore to have so much heat near the crotch area...
PPS: Yes, it is the protective screen. My hope is I can get rid of it, and have my camera back. Unprotected, but taking photos, with lots of care from now on...

OP, stupid question: that lens glass out of the box was protected with a transparent plastic film I think, just like the screen. Did you remove it?
Can you make a shot of the lens using a bathroom mirror perhaps, in macro mode?

mbernstein said:
I've had smartphones for the last 6 years, done the same thing since. I'm not asking for a replacement or whatever, so I have no reason to minimize my responsibility.
My point in posting is that it happened. Just trying let others know to not make the same mistake. It is not as solid a construction as, say, the HTC HD2. It needs more care.
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I agree with your here. The way Samsung designed the back of the phone makes it very easy to scratch/ even bend (like it happened to you) the protective screen. I had a HTC Touch HD before and the back of the camera could never touch the surface where the phone was put. With Samsung if you put your phone on a rugged area you might end up damaging the protective screen easily.

Have you been using the LED as a torch or anything like that? Perhaps the heat could have warped the plastic?

kreoXDA said:
OP, stupid question: that lens glass out of the box was protected with a transparent plastic film I think, just like the screen. Did you remove it?
Can you make a shot of the lens using a bathroom mirror perhaps, in macro mode?
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Sure, I took the plastic out. I saw no point in having a very good phone camera weakened by the plastic.
I tried to take the photo you asked, but was not successful. But as I said it was a very small bend, which makes the light enter the lens like a prism. Very difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
Actually, there was a power outage in the area I'm in now, but I don't recollect to use torch that much... I remember I used it for a while, the used some screen light, then on to Kindle. Id on't suppose it was torch, but could it really be so silly like this?!

mbernstein said:
Sure, I took the plastic out. I saw no point in having a very good phone camera weakened by the plastic.
I tried to take the photo you asked, but was not successful. But as I said it was a very small bend, which makes the light enter the lens like a prism. Very difficult to photograph with a normal camera.
Actually, there was a power outage in the area I'm in now, but I don't recollect to use torch that much... I remember I used it for a while, the used some screen light, then on to Kindle. Id on't suppose it was torch, but could it really be so silly like this?!
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Wow, I just tried pushing on mine with my nail, it moves a teeny tiny bit, but it springs right back up Maybe something in your pocket just happened to touch the middle of that little piece of plastic, and just managed to apply enough force to bend it beyond the recovery point, so your plastic piece did not spring back up.
I fully understand what you mean now. But not sure what your options are. It is clearly a physical damage. I would not advise trying to take that piece out and bend it straight, you will mess up the actual lens.

mbernstein said:
A previously super happy owner, now a very desolate one...
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flash back stock firmware, reset custom download counter with jig, return under warranty saying the camera takes blurry pictures

godutch said:
flash back stock firmware, reset custom download counter with jig, return under warranty saying the camera takes blurry pictures
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I believe warranty doesn't cover physical damage though.

Ingvarr said:
I believe warranty doesn't cover physical damage though.
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they wont know if you dont tell them plus they wont inspect the phone in that detail closely at the camera, worth a try. IF you bough it from a store, bring it back there and get a replacement.

Hi,
I have the same issue as yours.
Where is your SGS2 made in when you take out the battery and look at the back sticker?
Mine says "Made in China"
Wonder if yours is made in Korea or China.
Please share~

I would send it in too, your chances are good to get it repaired!

Mine is made in: Korea
I would try to replace it if I had bought it in my country. I bought it through a friend from Xpansys US (a UK phone), and I'm now in Brazil. I guess I would have so many troubles with customs here to send it out and back with no guarantee to have it replaced...
My idea is not to take the plastic out, and try to fix it. It is to just take out. I will have a hole there, but there will be nothing distorting light that comes into the lens. I will have to be extra careful, but considering how easy the plastic which was supposed to protect the camera was damaged, extra care is the name of this phone for me.
And I'm not complaining about SGS2's plastic finish as opposed to the metal/glass ones of iPhone or HTC. I actually like this, including the back cover. After you get used to it, it is kind of cool. And it is light. I just wished there was a cover or that Samsung used a hard glass on the camera, or perhaps that the plastic was so tiny and receeded that nothing could reach it. I always like the way Sony and Nokia used to put a sliding cover over the camera lens in their phones. With such a thin phone as ours, I wouldn't mind the extra thickness. Or like my HTC Kaiser, where the plastic was actually on the cover. If it was scratched or broken you could replace the back cover... Sorry, just venting my frustration.

Don't leave that hole uncovered. Your lens will get dirty in no time. Pocket lint , dust and dirt will accumulate in there and break the lens autofocus mechanism. Just don't even think about leaving that hole uncovered.

Just an odd question about the battery cover

Never really noticed because I've had a seidio case on since new, but my cover seems too be a bit too small. The front bezel sticks out about the thickness of a piece of paper. This probably normal just thought I'd ask.

Mine was just like that too. I took apart the phone and found out that my camera wasn't seated properly. May not be the same for you, but it might be something to look into.
Tappin and talkin kindle fire + cm9 lovely

I think this is normal and intended as it protects the screen from pressure. My phone looks like yours as far as you described it and as i wrote it makes sense as to protect the screen.

yeah thats about the best way I can describe it. The battery cover snaps on just fine, but when you feel with your finger it feels like the front part is just a tad bigger. Its not an issue I just never noticed it. I took the batter cover off and everything seems fine.

Here is kinda what I noticed, Im not talking about the gap between the two but how the bezel just protrudes from the cover on the left side.

I have the same thing, it's really annoying. Also, it squeaks -.-

MaXmeOliver said:
Also, it squeaks -.-
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+1 here

No squeak here.