i9505 Front Camera Low Quality - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Good afternoon all. Got an issue that I can see several posts about but never quite got any answers (please correct me or guide me in the right direction if I missed something!)
Long story short, any photo I take in the front camera with my S4 (seemingly regardless of what ROM) results in blurry shots. Snapchat takes fine shots, which confuses me.
The results with any camera app using almost any of the available settings, although varying, give the same basic result. Blurry/low quality images. I haven't yet checked the actual resolution output yet but they have all been taken using full res (2.1mp) and the next setting, if I remember correctly, is 1.6mp.
ROM-wise it seems irrelevant as to what one I use. I had official Samsung 4.4 (I believe) when I got the phone a few months ago, but then went back to using my iPhone briefly. When there was a decent Lollipop released I switched back to the S4, but the front camera issue persists.
Any ideas guys? Thanks in advance and if I've missed anything I should have said let me know.

So you say you had the issue on the official stock too?
If it happens across multiple roms then it's mostly a hardware issue. Or you just have too high standards for the camera

Hey thanks for the reply!
I BELIEVE it worked fine on the stock firmware. It's not an expectation issue, as, for example, Snapchat takes photos that are exactly like what it shows on screen. The photos look incredible on the live preview on the camera app, its the output that's bad quality. I'll try show what I mean in uploaded photos in my next post.

Excuse the face...
With camera app :
http://s28.postimg.org/7wjmn3c25/IMG_20150123_071654.jpg
With Snapchat :
http://s18.postimg.org/qom7oc249/Snapchat_7189980829052747856.jpg
I can try take like for like shots showing screenshot vs output too if that would help.
Thanks

yetep said:
Excuse the face...
With camera app :
http://s28.postimg.org/7wjmn3c25/IMG_20150123_071654.jpg
With Snapchat :
http://s18.postimg.org/qom7oc249/Snapchat_7189980829052747856.jpg
I can try take like for like shots showing screenshot vs output too if that would help.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very ironically I've just had a message on my phone saying 'updating camera software please wait' which SEEMS to have made a slight difference.. Shall see if that continues, but it's still outputting at much lower quality than is displayed.

When you're installing roms, do you wipe everything?

yetep said:
Excuse the face...
With camera app :
http://s28.postimg.org/7wjmn3c25/IMG_20150123_071654.jpg
With Snapchat :
http://s18.postimg.org/qom7oc249/Snapchat_7189980829052747856.jpg
I can try take like for like shots showing screenshot vs output too if that would help.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lolipop based on Google play editon ones or any AOSP, CyanogenMod roms have really bad quality in terms of front camera. that's why i'm stuck on touchwiz because it has a better camera with so much modes. Front and back. :good:
So if you want good camera. go back to touchwiz. But iPhones has a great camera for selfies. so keep the iphone if you take a lot of selfie.

Silent Selfie Camera
Silent Selfie Camera
I have the solution with this app . . . i don 't know why no - one can fix the algorithm . . ! !

dont work
gibrilm said:
silent selfie camera
i have the solution with this app . . . I don 't know why no - one can fix the algorithm . . ! !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plz help anyone. No focus on gt-i9500 lollipop
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Images link:
Code:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3ng27rCjm1rfmY1M1VxU01xN3NheTVXTHNsRUZUNUZJb3p2YnUtUEJtNE1rVEp0bmZfSTQ&usp=sharing

yes it works sssssssss

Related

[Q] Poor picture quality on X10a

Hello,
I've had my X10a for about 2 weeks now and noticed very poor picture quality while taking pictures. My old iPhone 3G takes much better pictures in comparison.
I've read forum posts and have googled for possible solutions, such as different settings (scene recognition and others) which have not helped.
All pictures I take look grainy and pixelated in well lit conditions and worse in not so bright environments. I can notice this while previewing the pictures on the phone however it's exponentially worse when I transfer them to my computer to see.
- Any ideas how to address this issue?
- Firmware issue?
- Faulty camera?
Model = x10a (rooted)
Firmware = 1.6
Kernel = 2.6.29 rel
Build Number = R2BA023
Thanks,
B.
I'm having a similar problem as well,
I've read about the causes being shaky hands, smudged lens, etc,
but I tried a lot of things and I'm having difficulty getting a decent picture. I hope it's not a 2mp sensor they put in there.
I don't think my camera issues are as bad as yours sound to be but my X10i takes worse pics than my pervious C905 did, blurry and bad focusing.
Posted from my X10i using XDA App
I don't have that issue at all. Compared to my iPhone my X10 takes superior pictures. The quality is sometimes grainy when the lit is dim, but in direct sunlight the pictures are phenomenal.
yeh when i used the touch screen to take pictures i always get blurry images. I guess sometimes its the settings you use.
Try out Vignette from the market...It works a lot better than the stock camera app. There's a discussion about it on here somewhere...
Thanks for the replies so far. I'll give Vignette a try.
Hi,
Did you try turning on the image stabilizer?
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
I'm using Camera 360 with a lot better results. The stock camera app compress too much, and using Camera 360, you can set the quality to 80 or even 100%, so now I getting a lot more detailed pictures.
Let me know if this software addresses your problem!
+1 for Vignette. Money well spent.
Yeh I tried the IS setting but that didnt make the image any sharper.
I moaned about pictures too but gave it to a bloke from work who's an amteur photograper (i.e. pervert) and he got some amazing pictures out of it. I guess you need a bit of skill, not that I've got any!!! my pics are all drunk at festivals
wbkang said:
Hi,
Did you try turning on the image stabilizer?
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did I miss this?! I didn't even notice that before. My shots were perfect before but with this it may be a lot better.
I'd post some examples but it wont let me.
IS makes images too soft.
Vignette doesn't have EV control (or iso, aperture, etc)
Camera FX ... i can;t seem to find a way to set it to 8MP.
I will have to try Camera 360.
Sorry, but my X10 takes better pictures than any other smartphone that I've seen, besides the N900.
You're shooting it wrong
With image stabilization my camera has been pretty damn good.
Sent from my X10a using XDA App
Im using the x10a as well, definately something wrong with your camera. I'd try cleaning it like others have mentioned. Here are a couple i took with Vingette that you can compare to.
Here's a picture I took last Friday at night of a bright building using the stock camera app. If you think the image quality is poor, I can't help you.
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You know, you should post some of your images so we can give you advices
I gave Vignette and Camera360 a go, the pictures do look good.
Thanks for all your suggestions. btw those are very nice pics you've captured on your phone.

Best photo you've taken on the GS2

As the topic suggests, what is the best photo you've managed to capture on your Galaxy S 2?!
Examples would be great.
I'm not proficient with photography by any means, but these came out pretty good for a phone camera. I'm starting to find the following:
1) Low light pictures don't look good at all, seems this camera really needs a good amount of light to put out decent looking pictures. But, many standalone point and shoot digital cams have issues with low light as well, so this isn't all that shocking.
2) Pictures taken with flash look really off colorwise sometimes. Many times, the pictures come out with a blueish purple hue.
3 pictures: Macro, close range, and medium to far away.
cmd512 said:
I'm not proficient with photography by any means, but these came out pretty good for a phone camera. I'm starting to find the following:
1) Low light pictures don't look good at all, seems this camera really needs a good amount of light to put out decent looking pictures. But, many standalone point and shoot digital cams have issues with low light as well, so this isn't all that shocking.
2) Pictures taken with flash look really off colorwise sometimes. Many times, the pictures come out with a blueish purple hue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome pics, finding the same with low light, not with the flash issue though. Well I recently went to my sister's wedding and took what has been said to be the best photo of the happy couple...
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This is probably the best photo i've taken on my GSII.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=635956&stc=1&d=1308949101
It's of my mates old LG phone after a crowbar "accidentally" got dropped on it a few times....
My son playing in the fountain in the town centre square in Sundsvall, Sweden. Standard settings on the phone. In bright conditions. Lovely detail in some shots with this camera in the right conditions.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
I still find it hard to believe my SGS2 took a photo of an ant standing ON a bubble of water. Has to be that!
"One Giant Step For Ant Kind"
{click picture for the full version - too big to post full size!}
Awesome thread, I've been amazed at the results i'm able to achieve with the SGS2 Camera. It may not be a DSLR but it's damn good for a phone camera. Anyway, I'll have plenty of pictures to post as time goes on......
ive taken many, dont think the missus would take so well to be posting them up mind
Some great photos here you should get them in my flickr group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sgs2/
Please don't let this thread die!
With the heatwave now in force I'll be making the most of the outdoors today and adding some more pics later. Surely there some other photographic gems out there.
Share!
Regards.
Great thread
This is a macro shot of some lavender...pretty good for a phone cam, huh?
ghostdog276 said:
Great thread
This is a macro shot of some lavender...pretty good for a phone cam, huh?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to enter in macro mode?
Razer(x) said:
How to enter in macro mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open up the camera app and then click Settings -> Focus-Mode...
hope that's the proper translation as i have a german device...
I took this one when I went hiking with my girl and my dog.
A little bit offtopic, but, just little!
Video, instead of photo : Put Full HD on!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7RUS-j5Z24
Just taken in my zafira.... Macro mode at about 2inches from gear stick....
Sent from my SGS2 via XDA App
best pic of my sgs2 so far
Did somebody say macro?! Resized so as not to blow your mind with detail, you still get an idea of the quality with this.
Regards.
freshly smoked...
Took these today
Uploaded with ImageShack.us

photos look great

When someone talks about the G Note photos looking bad, just show them
these. All taken on auto mode, fine mode. Cropped.
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The last photo I crudely washed out the little girls hand out of the frame.
how in did you get so close to that cute lil creature?
I just put the phone within 12 inches of his face. He was very docile. I even had him sitting on my shoulder. Not sure if he was scared or what his problem was, but he let me hold & pet him without too much moving around.
What attracted me was we were in the back yard, and heard this noise that sounded like a dog, it was this little guy. I looked all over this small tree, didn't find a nest of any kind, no other squirrels any where. Street next to the tree...didn't see any road kill. Not sure if he fell out of a tree, was abandoned or what his problem was. Plan on checking tomorrow to see if he is still there...take some shots with my dSLR.
Cute little Pup.
If the sounds were like a high-pitched 'yelp' that is normally an indication or associated with a call to either a mother calling her Pup/Kitten or the same calling the Mother.
Good shots btw..... Clear and evenly lit. The latter one I would have maybe used flash but that would have more than likely scared the little guy away.
I had a look at all three EXIF Data. Nice to see there were variations.
The last one gave results of:-
Camera Maker: SAMSUNG
Camera Model: GT-N7000
Image Date: 2012-03-24 17:05:30 +0000
Focal Length: 4mm
Aperture: f/2.7
Exposure Time: 0.010 s (1/100)
ISO equiv: 64
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Average
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No (enforced)
Orientation: Normal
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
Comment: User comments
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows
Great shots of the little critter!
I really love the picture and video quality of my Note!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Those really are some very nice looking pics, thanks for sharing them.
Hi m8, awesome pics and you are right the colors are so beautiful.
cheers
Macro-mode looks great too
Normal auto-mode:
I think it is not so safe when a squirrel gets so close to somebody
Video quality is pretty nice too.
just made this video of our retarded kitten to try out
http://youtu.be/GvWCbb_tC_M
It does take awesome photos for a pinhole camera, doesn't it?
mR.fR34ky said:
Hi m8, awesome pics and you are right the colors are so beautiful.
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use macro for work, it's fantastic. I work on office machines, and you know how much the factory likes it when you send them a photo of what you are describing?
anonymous572 said:
Macro-mode looks great too
Normal auto-mode:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lg camera is the best for close-up video because the stock one doesn't focus (or I don't know how)
phbruintjes said:
Video quality is pretty nice too.
just made this video of our retarded kitten to try out
http://youtu.be/GvWCbb_tC_M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that a Bengal?
Sent from my XT910 using XDA
I think most people who were complaining about photo quality were, like me, doing so before the recent OTA firmware updates. When on KKA the focus didn't seem to work at all - since updating to LA4 the camera is focusing properly (in most cases) and I've got some great shots.
If you guys don't know about it, check out Pano - I've created some amazing panoramas with it.

Sample Camera Image: Stock ROM vs. Custom ROM

My wife injured her thumb recently and I took two pictures of her hand. One with the Stock ROM and another using CM9 and UCAM, which gave me the best results overall on any custom ROM. I thought I'd share the two pics so you could see the difference that the Stock ROM and Camera combination actually makes.
Both shots have identical lighting and background, etc. You can clearly see the distinction in the two images in terms of quality.
https://picasaweb.google.com/110532...authkey=Gv1sRgCNvT65ykjcnmpwE&feat=directlink
Flash and exposure etc. set to AUTO on both cameras and neither image has been retouched.
i have no problem with cm9 stock cam
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Take the same photo in the same lighting, etc. using the stock camera. Otherwise, there's no way to judge it. I had good shots with the CM9 camera on occasion, but I found that, overall the stock camera beat it nearly every time, and this direct comparison was just an example, so I thought I'd share.
I'd be interested in a comparison shot in the same lighting, etc. using the stock camera on the same SII if you can do it. That's how I did mine. Same device. Different ROM/Camera. This isn't my way of slamming CM9 or custom ROMs, because I loved CM9 while I was running it, and I may go back to it again, but the camera issue is a big one for many, so I thought I'd share the pics to give people a good comparison.
donalgodon said:
Take the same photo in the same lighting, etc. using the stock camera. Otherwise, there's no way to judge it. I had good shots with the CM9 camera on occasion, but I found that, overall the stock camera beat it nearly every time, and this direct comparison was just an example, so I thought I'd share.
I'd be interested in a comparison shot in the same lighting, etc. using the stock camera on the same SII if you can do it. That's how I did mine. Same device. Different ROM/Camera. This isn't my way of slamming CM9 or custom ROMs, because I loved CM9 while I was running it, and I may go back to it again, but the camera issue is a big one for many, so I thought I'd share the pics to give people a good comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok i will inastall wannam rom just for testing camera :fingers-crossed:
yahyoh said:
ok i will inastall wannam rom just for testing camera :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. I look forward to seeing your results.
here we go stock cm camera app :
sammy rom UHLPS :
as i said before there is no deference or maybe i'm blind
I don't see much difference either. The only thing I wonder is if maybe we have different camera hardware modules, because mine does seem to make more of a difference than yours, as my pictures illustrate, particularly in situations where the flash must fill in for shadows, etc. The stock camera does a better job of not blowing them out, as you can see.
donalgodon said:
I don't see much difference either. The only thing I wonder is if maybe we have different camera hardware modules, because mine does seem to make more of a difference than yours, as my pictures illustrate, particularly in situations where the flash must fill in for shadows, etc. The stock camera does a better job of not blowing them out, as you can see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aha i found it u have old camera firmware
latest one is SCEF02 for our camera module u have SCEE09
We can see differences, but with only one sample it’s hard to conclude. Me too i really want to see pictures samples between stock and custom rom.
Where we can see another samples of this comparison ?

Front camera on Snapchat

I looked for this topic on the Internet, found many people with the same issue, but haven't found any answers.
When I use the front facing camera using the camera app, in medium light conditions, at the beginning, it's a bit dark, but the camera obviously seems to adjust few moments later so that the picture is very clear, and by very clear I mean it's not dark in any way. In the same exact moment and conditions, I open snapchat, the picture on the screen is very very very dark, I can't stress enough on the significant difference between the two pictures. I wonder what is the reason for this? and is it fixable?
Anyone? Is my question unclear?
About the camera.
When you are in a movie hall and come out if it after 2 hours do you see everything clear in a jiffy?
Exactly that way a camera needs to adjust its brightness and exposure..it is a machine anyway..
About the snapchat thing..I couldnt understand it very clear..do you want to say that the brightness does not increase or something..
This maybe a snapchat developer thing..they havent provided us with the exposure settings and stuff..
The same exact way, many camera apps differ from one another..instagram has a better picture quality in lowlight/frontcam than retrica (my opinion).
So it differes from app to app..dev to dev.
Just like Google Camera and Samsung Stock Camera app.
Samsung knows its max so they pitch in 70-80% of the best..
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
Thanks for answering, and yes that's what I meant, the camera does adjust its brightness and exposure in the stock camera app, but not in snapchat, the picture stays very dark. The issue is, it's not a lowlight condition I'm talking about, it's perfectly clear in the stock camera app, but too dark using snapchat. It may be a developer thing after all, so thanks again.
Okay just to be clear, here are pictures i just took with both apps. The room is well lit, can't be normal.
using the camera app:
using snapchat:
It can't be normal for such significant difference to exist.
odaibasha said:
Okay just to be clear, here are pictures i just took with both apps. The room is well lit, can't be normal.
using the camera app:
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using snapchat:
It can't be normal for such significant difference to exist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is the app brother
Snapchat has something weird in that case..it cannot auto adjust exposure values..
If you save these photos..see the ISO in the porperties..maybe you get the answer by yourself
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
DeepankarS said:
It is the app brother
Snapchat has something weird in that case..it cannot auto adjust exposure values..
If you save these photos..see the ISO in the porperties..maybe you get the answer by yourself
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I get the cause here, but is it fixable? Is there anything I can do?
odaibasha said:
Yeah I get the cause here, but is it fixable? Is there anything I can do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be frank..i dont have any idea
Press Thanks if I helped
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4 via XDA app.
A workaround would be to make the pictures with the normal camera app. Then use the Xposed module "Snapshare" to send the pictures you took to snapchat.
Lennyz1988 said:
A workaround would be to make the pictures with the normal camera app. Then use the Xposed module "Snapshare" to send the pictures you took to snapchat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's what I'm doing right now, but it would've been a lot easier if they fixed the app itself.

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