Modern telephones have long ceased to be ordinary dialers. One of the important functions of the mobile is the built-in camera. The quality of shooting is constantly improving and has already reached such characteristics that the smartphone has turned into a full-fledged camera. But there are times when there are problems with the camera on the phone (or tablet). Why this happens, the main symptoms of a malfunction and how to repair a phone camera will be discussed later in the article.
Basic camera malfunctions
Important! Without diagnostics in any way
Camera problems arise for a variety of reasons. What to do and how much the repair will cost without diagnostics is hard to say. For example, water got into the phone and the camera stopped working. In this case, both the camera module itself and the control circuit can fail. It may be possible to repair the damaged elements, but it may be necessary to replace the camera. The second case - the phone has fallen heavily and the camera does not turn on. In this case, the camera cable may come off and you just need to click it again; the camera matrix may be damaged and it will have to be replaced; there may be problems with the power controller, etc. I think the essence is clear - preliminary diagnostics are needed.
1. Camera error
When I try to turn on the camera, the message "Failed to connect to the camera. Try to restart the device" appears. The reason for such an error may be the ingress of water into the phone, a malfunction of the camera module, or even the appearance. We need diagnostics.
2. The camera does not turn on or the phone freezes
When you try to turn on the camera, the phone does not go into photo or video mode, freezes on the camera shutter, or the application simply does not load and crashes. All other functions work. It can also be observed that if you try to turn on the camera, the phone freezes, does not react to anything, and only rebooting or removing the battery helps. This can occur due to a malfunction of the camera module, for example, after dropping the phone, water getting inside, or even a factory defect. In this case, problems can be both in the hardware part and in.
3. The camera does not focus
When you hover your phone over an object, the camera cannot focus on the latter. Neither manual nor auto focusing helps. Photos are blurry even in daylight. The effect can be observed when near (or vice versa in the distance) the camera takes pictures normally, but when the focal length is changed, it "smears". Lens shift or lens misalignment may be the cause of this camera problem. Sometimes this can be corrected manually, but more often you have to change the camera module.
4. The phone does not save photos
The camera turns on and takes pictures, but the pictures are not saved either in the phone memory or on the flash card. This usually happens when the phone's firmware fails, possibly after a virus infection. Also, the memory of the smartphone can be full and there is simply nowhere to save the pictures. You need to figure it out, but most likely the problem will be solved by flashing it.
5. The camera stopped working after water ingress
Water entering the phone is fraught with the fact that the liquid oxidizes radioelements up to their complete non-repairability. First of all, the control circuits with full supply voltage are rotted away, and this is just the power of the camera flash, screen backlight and others. Repairing a drowned phone is a separate topic altogether, we advise you to take measures according to the article "".
6. Camera flash does not work
In this case, the first step is to check the camera settings and make sure the flash mode is on. Alternatively, you can check if the flash is working properly in flashlight mode. If it does not shine, then the problem is clearly hardware. A malfunction can be observed after water gets into the phone, when the backlight power decays. The LED may fail due to frequent use of the flashlight. There may also be a manufacturing defect during assembly. We need a phone inspection.
As with any automation, automatic focus does not always work perfectly. Sometimes, the autofocus system can focus completely on the wrong part of the frame on which you want to focus your attention, in your photo.
Don't get us wrong: Today's DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are capable of focusing faster than ever before. However, to create truly creative and artistic photographs, you need to adjust the focus yourself.
When will autofocus not work properly?
Your camera may err in autofocus when it lacks light or when photographing solid objects, such as photographing a brown dog in an open field. In this case, the camera simply will not be able to determine the point for focus.
In such situations, the lens will move back and forth, trying to fix at any point. If in this case, there is some foreground object - a bush, a branch, etc., then, most likely, the camera will focus on it.
Moving subjects can be very problematic subjects for autofocus. For this kind of shooting, you need to make sure that you have selected the correct focus mode, this is the only way to get beautiful, clear and sharp images.
Which focus modes should you use and when?
The first thing to decide is whether you want to use autofocus or switch to manual focus mode. There are several situations where manual focus is the best option. To make sure you are in auto mode, make sure the lens is set to AF, not MF.
Autofocus offers two different modes, one of which must be set on the camera. These are One-Shot AF (Canon) / Single-Servo AF (Nikon) and AI Servo AF (Canon) / Continuous-Servo AF (Nikon). One-Shot / Single-Servo is the best option for shooting stationary subjects. After the system focuses on the desired subject, you can safely take your picture.
As the name suggests, in AI Servo AF / Continuous-Servo AF mode, the camera continuously focuses on the subject, this mode is more convenient for tracking the movement of the subject. In this case, you can take a picture at any time during shooting, even if the subject is out of focus. This is for faster and more productive work.
Many cameras offer another autofocus mode: AI Focus AF (Canon) or Auto AF (Nikon). In this mode, the camera automatically detects whether the subject is stationary or moving, and accordingly switches to the appropriate mode.
Do not confuse the choice of the autofocus mode with the choice of the focus area, which can also be set automatically or manually.
What is the difference between autofocus mode and focus area?
The focus mode determines whether how the lens will focus, and the AF area determines where the camera will focus... Focus areas may vary from camera to camera model and from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Working with the camera, the photographer has the opportunity to choose whether it will focus on one point, or several. By looking through the viewfinder and holding the shutter button halfway down, you can see how the camera focuses. When focusing on one point, you can move the point.
How many AF points should I use?
It all depends on what you are shooting. If you set focus to multiple points, the camera automatically chooses which to use to focus on the subject.
At the same time, if the subject is large enough, then you may not be satisfied with how the camera focuses. For example, when shooting a monument, the camera can focus on the legs of the statue, while we would like the focus to be on the face. It also runs the risk of focusing on foreground subjects while the subject is in the background.
In the same time, multi-point autofocus may be more productive when shooting a subject against a solid background, for example, when photographing birds against a blue sky. The more AF points a camera has, the more accurately it will focus and better track your subject as it moves through the frame. In other cases, it will be preferable to use multi-point focusing.
Of all the available AF points, center point, provides the best accuracy... It is best to focus precisely on this point, and then, after fixing the focus, move the camera so that compositionally create an attractive photo.
When to use manual focus?
Manual focus can come in handy when the focal length remains unchanged. For example, when photographing an auto race, you can automatically focus on the track, and then, when the car approaches, switch to manual focus and, following the auto, focus manually.
Manual focus is also the only option when the camera cannot concentrate on its own. Some lenses allow you to constantly manually adjust the focus of the camera without having to switch from manual to automatic all the time.
How to focus with Live View
Live View focuses perfectly in manual mode. When switching to auto focus mode, don't expect miracles from your camera.
Auto focus
Auto mode in Live View may work differently on each camera model. Most cameras have fast auto focus and a slower but more accurate mode with face detection.
When shooting a video, the iPhone cannot focus. Is this a phone marriage or a problem with the settings?
Hello Alena.
Focusing issues sometimes appear on iPhone owners, more commonly on Plus models with optical image stabilization.
First you need:
1. Restart your smartphone.
2. Make sure the camera lens is not completely or partially covered. Small debris can get on or under the protective glass, or the module itself can move slightly to the side.
3. Various accessories, such as a metal case, a lens cover, or a magnetic case, may interfere with the correct image stabilization. Remove all optional accessories.
4. Try manually focusing on a specific subject, tap that subject on the screen before shooting.
5. Try any third party camera app from the App Store like Camera + Free.
If problems are observed only when using accessories - you will have to use a smartphone without them, if everything works fine in a third-party application - you need to restore the iPhone firmware via iTunes.
If the problems disappear with manual stabilization or do not disappear at all, you will have to contact the service center. Most likely, the matter is in a defective or faulty camera module.
Sometimes it works like this right out of the box, sometimes it starts to crash over time or after a gadget crash. In the first two cases, you are entitled to a warranty repair or replacement of your smartphone, and in the latter you will have to pay for the repair of the device.
iPhone is one of the most branded and demanded smartphones around the world. The combination of quality and style helped to achieve such popularity. But the owners of this gadget periodically encounter problems during operation. The iPhone does not focus - one of them.
Looking for a reason
Before moving on to the breakdown, you should find out what caused it. Common reasons include:
- damage to the camera when dropped;
- ingress of water or moisture into the phone case;
- system failure;
- lack of RAM for the operation of the application associated with the operation of the camera;
- a problem with the firmware;
- others.
Attention, a reboot is in progress!
The most basic way to deal with the iPhone's camera not focusing is to restart the gadget. This method works with almost all mobile devices and computers. The fact is that when you reboot, the system restarts all the services necessary for the debugged functioning of the phone.
It is possible that one of the services related to the operation of the camera was mistakenly or closed as a result of a failure. There is nothing critical in this, and the gadget will not need to be repaired.
The phone is restarted, free up some space
Physical damage isn't always the cause of iPhone 5 camera not focusing. When multiple applications are running on the phone at the same time, one of them may crash. This is not necessarily the camera software, but any other.
The lack of normal functioning is explained by the filling of the RAM. The iPhone, although a powerful gadget, cannot work synchronously with several capacious applications at once. Try to disable unnecessary programs. To do this, double-click on the "Home" button and pull up the window with the application that is no longer required.
Recovery
Still a problem with your camera? Well, let's try another way. Connect your phone to your PC and use iTunes. Reset your phone to factory settings to restore the device to its original appearance. The data will be saved and the settings will be lost. There is nothing critical in this, the main thing is that the system will return to normal, and the camera will begin to function normally.
Nothing helped?
If the camera, as before, refuses to work normally, then the problem is not in the system, but in the damage to the device itself. In this case, you should not do anything on your own, but rather contact the Apple Customer Service Center, where they will diagnose and repair the camera, if necessary.
If you are reading this, then, most likely, your smartphone has repeatedly refused to focus at the most inopportune moment of shooting. This problem can affect both the main and the sefli cameras, but it is worst if both cameras were affected. Even in this case, you should not worry too much, since we have a solution for such a case, which will surely help solve the problem for most users.
The problem, when the smartphone camera suddenly stops catching focus, catches up with me periodically and not rarely at the most suitable time for this. At some point, I thought about the fact that every problem should have a solution, and then I went to the Internet looking for a solution to my, as it turned out later, not a unique problem - this happens regularly and not only for Android smartphones, but also on iOS.
One of the authors from the phoneArena resource had a similar focusing problem on Samsung, but he also notes that this in no way means that the problem applies to the entire Galaxy S line and does not apply to smartphones from other manufacturers. This author has faced a similar problem before, but on other smartphones like iPhone 6, Huawei P10 and Galaxy S8.
If you have already looked on the Internet for solutions to a similar focusing problem, then you have probably come across tips about restarting your smartphone, forcibly closing the camera application by unloading it from memory, clearing the cache, and so on. However, since this problem is most likely related to the hardware of the device, in this article we decided to skip such "solutions", but you can still follow these tips, as they can help you too.
How to fix a smartphone camera that refuses to focus
Cameras can focus by changing the distance between the lens and the sensor. Your smartphone has a set of tiny lenses that move back and forth, changing positions so that the light coming through the lens hits the sensor, which determines what is in focus and what is not. Don't get hung up on this and try to figure it out, it's just that all you have to take away from this is that your smartphone has tiny moving parts, and sometimes they get stuck.
After you have tried all the basic troubleshooting methods, such as force-closing the camera application and then unloading it from memory, restart it and find the manual focus settings. Now try moving the slider left and right to see if that changes focus. Probably not, but it's worth a try.
Now that you've tried everything else, it's time for the simplest, but equally effective, way. Flip your phone over and tap the camera with your finger. Seriously, just bang the camera. In most cases, this should help the camera focus again. If that doesn't work, try shaking the phone or tapping it hard on the palm of your hand. The fact that you twist and bang on your expensive smartphone with your palm may seem strange, but do not get hung up on it, as it can really help, and sometimes this is the only way out of this unpleasant situation.
What is causing the problem and is it worth worrying about
There are many different reasons for focusing problems. As I wrote above, sometimes this happens due to the fact that small and constantly moving elements of your smartphone's camera just get stuck. Sometimes this can be facilitated by the ingress of some small particles or moisture inside the smartphone. It all depends on how carefully you use your device. If you handled your smartphone very carefully and really can't understand what is wrong and why the camera cannot work properly, use the tips in this material. And if this does not help, then you are on the road to a service center, but just contact an authorized one.
Have you ever faced a similar problem? If so, how did you manage to solve it?
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