Help Camera taking blurry pictures- Update- Software issue

[sorka]

Here is a sample. Notice the double vision around the letters. Like the other pictures, the image looked razer sharp when taken. Does not matter if resting the phone to avoid movement. Same results. Must be a defect, since the reviews would have seen this, without doubt. Ditto for folks here as well. No biggie, since will be getting the blue 32gb anyway, as soon as BB gets them in. They kindly left my preorder open.

Blurry, is a fair description.


Update:

I had to delete the blurry example since took up too much forum attachement space with the new picture in the post below. The picture below is basically a non-blurry version of the one that was here. It looked bad, while the one below in spite of low light looks good.

Mine were coming out blurry when when there were backlit subjects until I realized the oily crap on the lense was ruining the pictures. Cleaning the lense fixed it for me. For some reason it never happened on my droid x but on the S3 I'm not used to swiping the lens with a section of cotton shirt before snapping.

 

[quest4JC]

I realized my pictures were coming out dark in well lit areas which made them grainy . I activated the auto exposure setting and they're coming out a lot better now.

 

[burtonvdp]

I just got mine.... ATT if that matters and Im very unhappy with the picture quality... I came from the HOX. All of the reviews said the software wasn't great but the picture quality was about the same. My pictures are coming out worse than my inspire... Blurry, crappy light exposure, and horribly grainy. There has to be something going on... I'll try FX tomorrow but that should just be a work around as the software isnt made for burst or quick shooting.....

 

[ThreeStooges]

Hi everyone, I'm quite new to android, and I am using the default camera program using ICS. I feel the photos taken online or videos on you tube seems to be of much better quality than what I can take it of. I am trying to see if I'm doing something wrong or if it is a setting I should be turning on or off. It's all confusing whether to use HDR, or anti-shake, or whether to use a flash etc.

I have a Canon PowerShot SD780IS that is taking 8MP camera, that is probably over 2 years old seems to be better quality than the 8mp on my phone. I was really hoping to replace this 8mp as an alternative than to lug around with the camera and the phone.

Hope someone can give me answers.

Thank you.

 

[AceMathias]

Here is a pic i took yesterday on my international S3. All default settings, auto focus, no flash. Imo it looks awful especially when you zoom in, it's horribly grainy. Will try and replicate the picture this afternoon on my HTC Despite as I'm sure even that could do a better job.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bzu9CkxlYC7bUmtwSldCc1EzUms

 

[matttye]

Hi everyone, I'm quite new to android, and I am using the default camera program using ICS. I feel the photos taken online or videos on you tube seems to be of much better quality than what I can take it of. I am trying to see if I'm doing something wrong or if it is a setting I should be turning on or off. It's all confusing whether to use HDR, or anti-shake, or whether to use a flash etc.

I have a Canon PowerShot SD780IS that is taking 8MP camera, that is probably over 2 years old seems to be better quality than the 8mp on my phone. I was really hoping to replace this 8mp as an alternative than to lug around with the camera and the phone.

Hope someone can give me answers.

Thank you.

No phone will ever take pictures as well as a dedicated point and shoot camera, like the one you mentioned. Megapixels don't mean much at all. The lens, etc are more important.

As for pictures, if theres a lot of natural light turn down the ISO, and if there's not a lot of light, turn ISO up. That should help a bit. Also, make sure you are tapping on the screen to focus on what you're trying to take a picture of.

Finally, some galaxy s3s have different camera firmware to others. Check to see if there's a software update available for your phone, as Samsung has updated the camera firmware.

I think a guide will move this to the Galaxy S3 forum so you get more responses.

 

[AceMathias]

One thing i have just noticed is that the file size for the photo in my previous post is only 1.3mb even though i chose 8 megapixel quality.

The photos on my rooted HTC desire are over double the size despite only being a 5 megapixel camera.

Are the photos somehow being compressed by the device? If so how do i stop it doing this and preserving the original size and quality?
Cheers

 

[burtonvdp]

So some messing around this morning is starting to show some strange stuff... The examples I'm posting are taken a lower light (No lights on with hardly any sun through tinted windows).... I marked the examples as portrait and stock.

Portrait Mode:
Took a much better photo imho AND was a lot smaller file while keeping with the size

Stock Settings:
Took a much noisier photo AND was a LOT larger file...

Oddly enough though according to the captured settings they took the same exact picture with the same exact settings.....

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B28Il1GrRackZEhSQnFPVTBDVEE/edit

I'm going to do some more messing around but my biggest gripe is that once you close the camera app completely it loses the portrait setting and goes back to default.

The bigger problem if portrait does workout is it wont keep the setting once you close completely out of the app.

 

[rapidsandroid]

I have been getting good photos out of my S3. Quit pleased actually considering how poor the Nexus' camera is & thought Samsung may not have fixed their camera.
Maybe try an app like Avairy to clean them up a bit.

 

[burtonvdp]

I have been getting good photos out of my S3. Quit pleased actually considering how poor the Nexus' camera is & thought Samsung may not have fixed their camera.
Maybe try an app like Avairy to clean them up a bit.

Honestly I think its a camera software problem or internal setting and I really don't want to modify every picture I take. I know this thing is capable of some beautiful pictures and given a lot of people aren't having this problem I'm leaning toward trying to fix the stock software instead of a work around.

 

[burtonvdp]

Oh and I'm on Camera version 1.5 if that helps?

 

[Kuhns787]

If you are using a case and get a blurry picture try removing the case and taking the picture again. I had a case on a Vivid that was causing the pictures to look blurry because it was blocking some of the lens. I changed the case to a different kind and all was good.

 

[dervari]

I took this one outside today. It doesn't look blurry, but there was plenty of light.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/qit50128s7txr50/2012-07-22 13.57.58-2.jpg

 

[rapidsandroid]

Honestly I think its a camera software problem or internal setting and I really don't want to modify every picture I take. I know this thing is capable of some beautiful pictures and given a lot of people aren't having this problem I'm leaning toward trying to fix the stock software instead of a work around.

Perhaps try a factory reset. I know it a hassle, but maybe it will reset the camera software. I know I had an initial bug with my last phone (HTC Incredible) & that fixed it.

 

[burtonvdp]

Perhaps try a factory reset. I know it a hassle, but maybe it will reset the camera software. I know I had an initial bug with my last phone (HTC Incredible) & that fixed it.

I've been toying with the idea but for now I just cleared the app data and trying to relearn the camera.. I have noticed after doing that and tapping the screen for focus I've been having better luck. It is taking a long time to focus IMHO though.... More testing to come.

Im not using a case but I can see where a bad case could affect picture taking.

 

[AceMathias]

I took some pictures outdoors yesterday in the (surprisingly) sunny British weather. Results were much better than the indoor one i linked above.

Will try and upload the one from the petrol station, as the detail when zoomed in was great!

Will have to try and always use flash indoors to boost the light conditions. Is there a way (like on HTC one X) where it either automatically or manually controls the amount of flash, so you don't over expose the photos?

 

[Ken7]

For those of you whose camera has no problems, what settings are you using? Specifically:
-Is anti-shake on?
-What metering mode are you using? Center weighted, spot?

I think I may have one of the bad batches because a lot of my pictures are hit-or-miss, even in rather well-lit places.

I noticed a bizarre thing about anti-shake on mine. In video mode it produces a really bad stutter when panning. If I turn it off, my videos are much smoother.

 

[Serdroid12]

I'm on stock, and even with Anti-Shake ON, it still takes blurry pics. This is my first smart-phone, but I've anticipated for over a year now reading reviews here and there and each one of them saying how good the camera was, and well.. blurry pictures aren't really any good.

I've read all your replies, about the dirty lens, and I went to clean mine to see if it helped and I noticed there was like a piece of ~6mm "hair" or strain INSIDE the lens, where I couldn't get to... obviously.

Not really sure how these things work, but would that cause the focus to be off?

 

[Kuhns787]

I'm on stock, and even with Anti-Shake ON, it still takes blurry pics. This is my first smart-phone, but I've anticipated for over a year now reading reviews here and there and each one of them saying how good the camera was, and well.. blurry pictures aren't really any good.

I've read all your replies, about the dirty lens, and I went to clean mine to see if it helped and I noticed there was like a piece of ~6mm "hair" or strain INSIDE the lens, where I couldn't get to... obviously.

Not really sure how these things work, but would that cause the focus to be off?

If you are still in your return period I would take it back to where you purchased it. If not contact Samsung you have a one year warranty.

 

[samtycun]

For me, when I try to take picture my zooming it..the picture quality gets very bad..any idea how to improve that

 

[lovesyorkies]

My S3 is taking terrible pictures also! If there is a light on in a room it will pick that up and cause a terrible glare! NEVER has this problem with ANY other phone I have owned! Went to Verizon and they told me it is fine and it is NOT! Have a co-worker who has the Glaxzy S2 and that phone takes awesome, crisp, clear pictures. What's up with this! Hope someone can help me! Thanks!

 

[amyeliz88]

I was having the same issues with my Samsung Galaxy 3 camera and brought it back to Verizon after a few weeks. They gave me a brand new phone and the camera works perfecctly. More than likely if your camera is not working (very blurry pics or noticeable poor quality), then it's just your particular phone. Try to get a new one.

 

[mstevatia]

The problem is definitely with the phone. Even my old Nokia N73 with 3 Mega pixels clicked much better & sharper pictures.. I have claimed a warranty replacement the next day I bought it. the blurry image was so much blurry that you can't recognize even the faces of the people sometimes. leave aside claims of sharp and crisp images. And I took the images in open broad daylight. so no question of bad lights. it clicks some exceptionally good pics sometimes but very bad most of the times, even if the hand or the subject is not moving atall. ( I tried placing the mobile on a hard table and taking the pic of the roof with voice command, so no hand shake possible). the warranty guy updated the firmware ( through kies) The issue has come down a bit. but it stills clicks blurry images many times ( atleast one in every 5 clicks)
SAMSUNG.. are you listening....

If I follow either of the attachment links I get a "invalid link specified" error.

In any case, quick 101 on camera stuff:

A digital camera consists of three main components:
Lens
Shutter
Sensor

The lens is a piece of glass that all light passes through. To control the amount of light that passes through the lens it has a disc that sits behind the glass that has a hole in it. The size of the hole can change, this is called the aperture.

The shutter sits behind the lens. You can think of this as a trap door that is normally shut but opens and then closes very quickly when a picture is taken. When open the shutter allows the light that flowed through the lens to hit the sensor.

The sensor sits behind the shutter. It is sensitive to light, so when the shutter opens it "sees" the light and from that it can form the image.

So, we can control how light or dark an image is in three ways:
We can make the aperture bigger, a bigger hole in the disc means more light gets in.
We can open the shutter for longer, the longer it is open, the more light we will have hitting the sensor.
Finally we could make the sensor more sensitive to light. This is known as the ISO setting.

Doing each of these things has disadvantages:
A wider aperture has an effect on depth of field (google it..). It can also cause pictures to become slightly out of focus because the optical part of the lens isn't very good when "wide open". Most lenses give their sharpest image in the middle of the aperture range.

A longer shutter time can cause blurry pictures, this is because the camera picks up movement from the person holding the camera, even if very slight.

Increasing the ISO setting will make pictures "noisy" or grainy, detracting from the overall appearance of the image.

So, back to your blurry pictures - it could be you are taking pictures in low light, the camera probably widens the aperture as far as it can go, increases the ISO setting as much as that can go.. but its still too dark so it can only increase the shutter time, it probably ends up too long and causes the camera to pick up shake.. causing the blur.

It kind of sucks, but I think phone camera technology is amazing for what it can handle, we have to remember it isn't meant to replace a DSLR or even a compact camera, phone cameras are just for snaps.

 

[lanroo]

Pls my s3 camera doesnt focus again... d pics are blur.. I hav tryd to reset.. checked all d settings and everything seems normal but d pics r still blur.. any idea wat I cld do?