Since I bought my M8, I had noticed a steady decline in picture quality. I took a close look at the plastic lens cover and noticed an iridescent sheen and numerous scratches. My old G2 had the same kind of issue, and I remembered being able to fix it with toothpaste.
What a difference.
All I used was some Arm & Hammer baking soda toothpaste, a nice circular rubbing motion with my finger, and a soft microfiber towel to clean everything up.
Here are some before and after pictures, taken with identical settings in manual shooting mode (no editing, of course) -
So as you can see, it's a pretty huge difference. I'm not sure what kind of coating they put on the lens, but it horrifically degrades photo quality over time. I've had a case over the phone the whole time I've owned it, and the only glass/plastic that's scratched has been this back lens cover.
I saw another thread that suggested removing the lens - I don't think that's necessary. I'm back to stock-looking photos with just a little bit of polishing. Time will tell if it remains this way, though. If the coating was some sort of anti-scratch layer, it may get worse.
Thanks for this. I have the same problem and was wondering if there wasn't some way to rub out the scratches. You say you used just a little toothpase and rubbed lightly with your fingertip?
HD Case said:
Thanks for this. I have the same problem and was wondering if there wasn't some way to rub out the scratches. You say you used just a little toothpase and rubbed lightly with your fingertip?
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There is a very informative thread that explains the issue and had to correct it here in the forum.
But, in a nutshell, the M8 has a UV coating that starts to cloud up and is easily scratched due to heat build up in the phone.
This is ONLY a coating and can be remove... The process is simple as stated in the original posters message.
I used q-tips and alcohol... That worked for me... But I have also seen threads that have gone the toothpaste route.
After you remove the coating the lens will look like new.... I have cut up an old un-used screen protector and applied it to the lens as a protective measure.
HD Case said:
Thanks for this. I have the same problem and was wondering if there wasn't some way to rub out the scratches. You say you used just a little toothpase and rubbed lightly with your fingertip?
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Yes, all I did was apply a very small amount of toothpaste (plain, white toothpaste - like Colgate or Arm & Hammer - no fancy gels or anything) directly to the lens, and rub with my fingertip in tiny circles. It took a few minutes, but the coating was able to be removed completely. I was careful to use a damp cloth to clean the toothpaste off rather than just throwing some water on it, just in case all the rubbing loosened a seal on the cover or something.
I have this problem too. Thanks for the tip!
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Thread closed. There are a couple of existing threads that this could have been posted in. Remember forum rules. Please post in an existing thread were possible before creating new ones EG:
Pictures Taken With M8
Build Quality Concerns
Many thanks,
Ghost
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Not sure about you.
But i find my self always sticking my finger right into the camera lense, and it's always hard to keep clean
specially when you are eating with your hands then you do something on the phone and that oily residue is hard to get out without a good wipe.
the problem is i find i spend a lot of time trying to clean it.
So i was wondering if anyone got a good idea to put some sort of screen protector for the camera lense
i was thinking probably i'll cut a small piece of the screen protector and put it on top, since i got many to spare
also i got a few very nice one with mirror coating
problem is... not sure if the mirror coating ones will make the picture less sharp as it reflects back the light
right now the camera is taking very nice a vivid pictures as well as recording, and i wouldn't want a screen/lense protector to cut down the resolution & light input when taking pictures and making videos
specially for night mode photo shots
Food fingers will also be an issue with a screen protector. Unless you use a anti glare one which will most likely degrade the image. You best bet is a case or backing that recesses the camera preventing you from touching it.
it's really hard to avoid touching the camera, and you're right, a screen protector might deteriorate the image quality.
what i've been doing, same with phones i've previously had, is carry a small piece of micro fibre cloth in my wallet. that way, i can make sure my lense is clean.
aridoasis said:
it's really hard to avoid touching the camera, and you're right, a screen protector might deteriorate the image quality.
what i've been doing, same with phones i've previously had, is carry a small piece of micro fibre cloth in my wallet. that way, i can make sure my lense is clean.
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i do have that, problem is, oily residue is hard to remove with the micro fibre cloth
it just smudges it around, the only way to take it out is to go to the washroom get a tiny bit of soap (or wet cloth tissue, like the ones you can get from KFC) and clean it with the micro fibre cloth
I never took the protector off that comes with the phone.
It was quite funny. The screen protector I bought came with a protector for the camera lens but no matter what I couldn't get it on.... I discovered that the camera came with a protector already on it, lol.
this would probably be your best bet. it's an oleophobic (supposedly oil repelling) screen protector that includes 3 extra pieces for the camera lense as well.
http://www.sgpstore.com/product_info.php/products_id/1497
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Just use your thumb.
1. Don't eat greasy food, it's bad for you--bad for your smartphone, too.
2. Use a fork instead of your fingers.
3. Barring those smart-alecky suggestions , perhaps there's an opportunity for someone to develop a sexy after-market back for the SGS--one which makes for easier battery changing and has a sliding window over the camera lens. Does something like that already exist?
If you get a Martin Fields screen protector it usually comes with a additional cut out protector for the camera lens. It's pricey though, but the film is good quality and you don't get any bubbles.
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Does anyone know how to remove small scratches from our screen?
I made a very small scratch accidentally while I was removing the paint covering the ffc hole.
Also does anyone know exactly what type of black paint t-mobile used to paint the hole? If we can figure the color out anyone who needs to send their phone in for repairs can just paint it again and remove the camera.
Sooooo any thoughts?
nothing huh.. x.x
since the glass is actually a ceramic, I'd say you're going to be hard pressed to remove a scratch. I'm not sure though, but you might try a clear acrylic to fill the scratch. I don't know on the other part.
Clear acrylic won't fix the scratch because acrylic has a different refractive index than glass.
Your only options are to either polish the scratch (not likely), or learn to live with it.
There might be glass repair products out there, but I don't know of any
gotya, thanks.. do you believe it will make a big impact once i get the camera installed? like ruin the image.
you can try dry mustard and vinegar mixed together, apply and buff (attach a q-tip to a dremel)...
MichaelB91 said:
gotya, thanks.. do you believe it will make a big impact once i get the camera installed? like ruin the image.
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Doubtful, the scratch is going to be so close to the low resolution lens that I think you won't even be able to tell.
thanks you
Removing glass scratches
Removing glass scratches are tricky. I posted before how to polish plastic. The same is true with glass only there are no solvents that degrade glass so no worries there (couple of acids do but you can't buy).
Here is what you need to do :
1. Mask off EVERYTHING you do not want touched
2. then you can use a dremel with a small buffing wheel or puff ball (you can get @ home depot or Lowes... etc
3. I would use fine polishing compound and then High gloss compound (you can get from an auto body shop (the same for buffing out a newly painted car)
4. Be VERY careful not to heat up the surface or you can crack the glass.
Finally, this will take awhile (maybe as long as an hour) and if the scratch is deep it will warp the surface and make some of the display deformed looking so look at it carefully and decide if this is worth the effort.
The other crap on the market that are fillers, really do not work for small scratches like this. they are designed for larger blemishes, so the chances of these staying in place are slim to never
hope that helps
Not sure what kind of paint was originally over the camera opening but I imagine nail polish would be an effective (and cheap) substitute. With an amount so small would someone notice the difference?
I'm just going to wait and see if the camera can see clearly through it, and ill decide what do to after that.
Thank you (everyone) for all the help. I really appreciate it
Has anyone else noticed that the recessed lens for the Aria camera attracts lint from your pocket, and you really can't easily clean that lint off without something like a Q-tip?
Seems like it'd be simple enough to have some kind of stick on film cover that you could clean externally without any tool such as a Q-tip. With lint in there, the camera is pretty much useless. With a clean lens, the camera works great.
Can anyone suggest a good solution to this problem?
I have noticed the exact same thing you are mentioning. I wish they would have done something better with the design but oh well! Don't have any good solutions but will monitor this thread to see what others do.
Rip the tip off a qtip and use it like that dry worked perfect for my camera
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I think the idea was probably to keep fingerprints off.. that part works perfectly. I just twist the corner of a kleenex/papertowel/napkin and stick it in there & turn it
Don't use a twisted napkin/etc... good way to get scratches. Now, I know our Aria isn't like a Nikon DSLR... but still, a scratched lense will kill any photos you take.
Get something like a lens pen or an air cleaning blower. They're fairly cheap, and can be used with multiple devices... not just your Aria!
Edit: Another item you can use - for all the guys out there with electric shavers - the little brushes that come with your shaver to clean the heads/etc can also be used to clean out the camera for the Aria. (I noticed one on my desk and wanted to add to this.)
Duplicate post........
Put black tape over the cam grill and pull off when using the camera. Like a manual shutter haha.
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OK obviously you can just clean it by jamming something in there or carry around a lens cleaning pen or whatever, that's not the point. The point is to come up with a solution that is not such a pain to clean it. My wife & daughter both have iPhones and they just take them out of their pocket and shoot a picture. If I'm going to have to clean the danged lens with a q-tip or a lens cleaning cloth or whatever EVERY TIME I USE IT then the camera is pretty much totally useless on this phone.
A clear plastic cover would work brilliantly. The reason this collects lint is because the lens is down in a hole. It wouldn't collect lint if there was a lens surface flush with the exterior of the phone. Also a lens surface level with the exterior of the phone would be very easy to wipe off with your shirt tail or whatever if it had a fingerprint on it. But the lint is guaranteed to be there if you put your phone in your pocket as it is and it's a royal pain to get it clean.
mr72 said:
OK obviously you can just clean it by jamming something in there or carry around a lens cleaning pen or whatever, that's not the point. The point is to come up with a solution that is not such a pain to clean it. My wife & daughter both have iPhones and they just take them out of their pocket and shoot a picture. If I'm going to have to clean the danged lens with a q-tip or a lens cleaning cloth or whatever EVERY TIME I USE IT then the camera is pretty much totally useless on this phone.
A clear plastic cover would work brilliantly. The reason this collects lint is because the lens is down in a hole. It wouldn't collect lint if there was a lens surface flush with the exterior of the phone. Also a lens surface level with the exterior of the phone would be very easy to wipe off with your shirt tail or whatever if it had a fingerprint on it. But the lint is guaranteed to be there if you put your phone in your pocket as it is and it's a royal pain to get it clean.
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eh not quite that easy of a solution. HTC Tilt 2 had a plastic cover flush with the backcover of the phone to cover and protect the recessed camera lens. it still managed to take horrible shots with it...because the plastic cover was prone to getting tiny scratches almost impossible to see, but picked up by the camera lens. removing the cover made pictures FAR clearer and better.
unless they start making gorrilla glass to cover and protect the camera lens..we're stuck with wipe and shoot.
So here's one of the few pet peeves I have about the Aria. The camera lens is recessed in the case, and it collects dust. My mother has the same phone (got hers a year before me), and she always complained that the pictures were not sharp. I looked at the phone, and the lens had picked up a significant amount of lint and dust from being in her pocket. Is there any way to prevent this? Perhaps a case that covers that area with a clear panel? I might just slap a bit of screen protector over the area. Of course, it's easy to clean it off with a qtip, but i'd rather avoid the problem alltogether.
Get a microfiber cloth and place it over the camera hole, then get a pencil and use the tip to push on the hole and clear the lense
Signatures are fancy.
Qtips work for me.they fit perfect.
As far as prevention goes ,I have no clue.seems like you would have distortion from a piece of screen protector or similar. Give it a try who knows.
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GregTheDiver said:
So here's one of the few pet peeves I have about the Aria. The camera lens is recessed in the case, and it collects dust. My mother has the same phone (got hers a year before me), and she always complained that the pictures were not sharp. I looked at the phone, and the lens had picked up a significant amount of lint and dust from being in her pocket. Is there any way to prevent this? Perhaps a case that covers that area with a clear panel? I might just slap a bit of screen protector over the area. Of course, it's easy to clean it off with a qtip, but i'd rather avoid the problem alltogether.
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One of my very few peeves with this phone. The only practical remedy I've found for it is to get a holster for the phone. Its still convenient for spur of the moment pics and its safer than your pocket anyways. Also, I work in construction and it gets really bad with dust and dirt at work so what I do is I have a piece of duct tape stuck to the inside back of a silicone case I only use for work. I don't use the camera or speaker at work so it works.
Sent from my cm7 Aria.
This is also my only issue with the phone. I usually use a Q-Tip, but that's if I'm at home really. On the road all of my pictures have a "haze" to them.
The same problem here. I need to keep cleaning the lens out with a bud or microfiber cloth. Pictures get all hazy otherwise.
That and the speaker crackles at max volume.. my only two complaints about this lovely device.
Same boat here. The speaker crackling is most annoying. I use a Q-tip for the lens.
Q-tip. Works great. You can also flip the silicone case to cover the lens and switch it when you need to.
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yea the speakers arent the best. I work at a sheet metal fab shop, so alway's getting lazer dust around the speaker, and it does crackle at high volume,
you can pick up replacement speakers for about $14.99
Code:
http://www.repairsuniverse.com/htc-aria-screen-replacement-and-parts.html
got my screen from there. quality parts.
yea there really isnt anything that can PREVENT dust from the camera screen. just keep some q tips in your car ( thats what i do there cheap enough ) and some cleaning solution. ive found that my wifes eye contact solution works good with a qtip.
find maybe a snap on case, or something, that helps keep it out of your pockets.
Try this
I have made some little foam stoppers to push into the hole to keep the dust out. I took a thin (about 1/4") sheet of foam that was used as packing for electronic components, and then used a one hole paper punch to punch out the stoppers. They stay in pretty well, but they're kind of hard to get back out. I can remove it with my fingernail, but not very quickly. Those with long nails might fair better.
Hi, ive been getting a lot of questions from people whether or not the logo at the back is baked in the anti shatter film.
I just wanted to share that I removed mine(back) and the logos sony, xperia, g lens and nfc icon is inside the glass so no need to worry.. the film is really dust magnet so better remove it. downside is that the glass doesnt feel smooth and it is still the same fingerprint magnet as the film. only difference is it doesnt accumulate dust anymore except the ones that come from your hand.
you can buy glass cleaners with oleophobic property to solve this problem.
the only thing im wondering now is whether or not the color on the frame will come off in time. I hope its not paint and the metal is purple itself as i got the purple one. the same reason why Im hesitant to wash it.. especially the silver on the sides Im not sure if it will come off with frequent washing.
as for the front, do not remove it as the sony logo is baked on the film. unless you dont intend to keep the logo. anyway, thats it! I also have couple of questions I hope you guys can help me with.. these are general issues of phone usage. here is the link.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2577174
thanks!
I can help you to answer that metal question: As mine has fallen to the ground several times and my metal frame got damaged a bit, I can see that the metal seems to be all purple. No use of paint.
:good:
nevertheless it is a pain, having to realize, that you actually can't get that flawless beaty back, once the metal is chipped...
the_brad said:
I can help you to answer that metal question: As mine has fallen to the ground several times and my metal frame got damaged a bit, I can see that the metal seems to be all purple. No use of paint.
:good:
nevertheless it is a pain, having to realize, that you actually can't get that flawless beaty back, once the metal is chipped...
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im relieved to hear that. thanks alot.. I hope that goes the same to the silver metal frame..