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How to dramatically improve your camera (picture and video) quality

For those that see a vast difference, have you had your desires for a long time? My Desire's kept in the HTC case and I can't really see a difference whether it's photo or video .

Huh? The issue isn't a difference between photo and video quality, but the difference between taking pictures with the (more or less scratched) lens protector of the back cover on or off.
 
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Just a thought. The Martin Fields screen protector for the Desire comes with a protective disc that covers this very camera porthole. I've had mine fitted since I got it and the difference (case on and off) isn't that noticeable.

It's just that I'm hoping to sell the phone on eBay one day so don't wanna wreck the back cover. Can you get replacement original battery covers?
 
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TBH, this was a design fault by HTC. A small lip of half a millimetre would have stopped the scratches. Same goes for the screen. The only reason I have a screen protector is because it is flush with the body. Putting the phone down either front or back will lead to scratches.

I always put my phone down on its back and the scratches to the lens and the silver bit were obvious after only a copuple of days. Not surprising when they are the first bit to hit a hard surface.

I have now knocked out the lens protector and pictures are brilliant again. I did at first put a screen protector over the lense but they were still fuzzy.

Gonna take my chances now, and as the lens is recessed I think it should be ok.....only dust to worry about now !!

Maybe someone should start selling lens covers on ebay? 10 for a fiver would be reasonable.....I am sure there would be profit in that, and considering how easy they are to pop out and replace I would deffo buy some :)

Good find that they can just pop out OP.....I knew it was down to the lens scratches and was going to buy a new back cover.

I have only had my phone about a month and half, and do feel I should not have to do this so soon ! BUT...The desire still rocks :cool:
 
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What does that matter? We're talking about how much better the quality is with the piece of plastic gone

Yeah which is why I said another issue to why pictures and videos don't come out/play as good as when we are taking them is because of the desire's compression rate. It's a related issue but if we're gonna be pedantic like that, lots of others posts in other threads won't matter.

And btw the difference isn't that great for me probably because I have a lens cover and take a lot of care with it!
 
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I was puzzled why pictures I took earlier on looked so much better with better contrast and clearer than those I'm taking now. The plastic lens cover is incredibly scratched rather than dirty & I can't improve it with cleaning. I put it down to the production delay of 6 weeks before my aluminium proporta case was available. Take the cover off & the difference is amazing. Well spotted.
 
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This is all just huge RED HERRING though isnt it.

Its an answer to a problem that shouldnt exist...ie...dont let your phones camera lens cover get scratched to hell - Put a case on, even a silicon cover with keep the lens from contact with surfaces when face up.

mine isn't actually scratched at all, it just has some sort of grime i can't get rid off on it.
 
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The lens protector is held by a double side contact tape, just punch it with a pen from the inside out.

I shattered mine by doing that but what the heck, i dont need it anyways. ;)

Plus you can stick a small piece of screen protector to prevent scratching the camera lens, and foam around the hole to block the dust.

So, just to make it clear. All I need to do is remove the back cover and gently push a pen from the inside of the plastic cover and it should come off. Right?
 
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That is where the toothpaste solution comes in. Mine got light scratches in it, which was actually only in the plastic protection coating (grime). Get rid of it with toothpaste, tissue paper and a bit of direct pressure and you will be horribly surprised. Now my photos with and without back cover is indistinguishable. I did however get a barely there case to take the lens out of harm's way.
 
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Huh? The issue isn't a difference between photo and video quality, but the difference between taking pictures with the (more or less scratched) lens protector of the back cover on or off.

I meant I couldn't see a difference between photos with the lens protector on or off. The same when I compared 2 videos against each other. Guess I'm just lucky (crosses fingers and touches wood).
 
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mine isn't actually scratched at all, it just has some sort of grime i can't get rid off on it.

Same here.

My desire is 3 weeks old and I had it in a case since the second I got it. I have barely visible scratches but the problem is the plastic itself, the material is just not suitable for using as lens protector.

Same here, no scratches just grubby and can't get rid of it.

Its a massive design flaw imo
 
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Just tried this out by taking pictures in front of my window with daylight coming in and the differences are lot more noticeable now, my carpet doesn't look washed out at all like it does when I've got the cover on :)

I wonder; if this problem is caused by the grime that gets on the lens cover, then if that grime gets on the lens itself the pictures will in theory look awful again? So it's probably a bad idea to remove the lens cover without putting something else on to cover the lens..

Maybe a screen protector on the lens is the best route then.

That said, I can't actually see any grime on my lens cover! :eek:
 
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People who say that their lens has a grime or dirt they cannot get rid of ,have an abrasion problem ,not defined scratches but millions of micro scratches that make acrylic go cloudy,When you polish it it will seem to get worse then with more polishing it goes clear as you abrade the top coat.
when model making at work we have to polish the cut ends to make them clear again,Brasso works for me ,but may be a little harsh for this.
You may be better of with Applesauce scratch remover ,designed for Ipod screens pre glass
 
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People who say that their lens has a grime or dirt they cannot get rid of ,have an abrasion problem ,not defined scratches but millions of micro scratches that make acrylic go cloudy,When you polish it it will seem to get worse then with more polishing it goes clear as you abrade the top coat.
when model making at work we have to polish the cut ends to make them clear again,Brasso works for me ,but may be a little harsh for this.
You may be better of with Applesauce scratch remover ,designed for Ipod screens pre glass

thanks ukzen, that seems to be what mine is rather than grime i guess :p
 
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Have popped my plastic bit back in again and ordered some polish.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who keeps it out for a while how the lens stands up against scratches.

Once I have polished the protector back to new (hopefully) I will do some comparison shots of new and without and see if the plastic distorts pic quality even when it is not scratched.
 
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Good spot, I'd noticed my photos weren't as clear as when I first got the phone but hadn't considered this.

Used a cotton bud rather than a pen to push the old cover out so there was less chance of damaging it. No keen on the idea of leaving the bare lens exposed so I've found a small square of clear plastic and taped that to the inside of the cover. Seems to be working so far.
 
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Hi All

Got my Displex today and cleaned the lense, it seemed to have grim or something on the inside so I removed the glue type stuff and cleaned it all.

I have now put the lense INSIDE the phone as it sits perfectly in place and is held by the lense. It is odd that the case had a cut out to fit the protector on the inside, I wonder if this was the intention originally? This *should* have the upside of protecting it when I put the phone down as the lens protector is recessed, also, the lens itself is still protected :D

Win Win

Thanks to the op !
 
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