After the 4.4.2 update, I've discovered that some of the photos I took on Sunday have a small bright blue spot in the photo. No photo's prior to the 4.42 update contain the blue spot.

I can't discern any pattern. About 25% of the images I took today have the spot. The spot is in different places on different images. The intensity of the spot is typically bright blue but sometimes it is dim. The lens appears to be clear but if it was a spot on the lens, then it should be in every image, but it is not.

Here is a sample image:
http://i.minus.com/ibbn8kuXNPPC2k.jpg

Anyone have any ideas on what might be causing this?

 

I RMA'd the phone and started over with a brand new model but ran into the same problem!

So it isn't likely hardware. Either it is 4.4.2 Android software, camera software or some combo of my apps.

I am hoping that some others with a Nexus 5 here can try to duplicate the problem.

All you have to do is take a bunch of images at 8MP in HRD+ mode with the setting sun full in the image frame (like the same link above).

For me about 30% of the images I take in this mode seem to have the problem. The blue spot can be bright or dull and can move around the frame.

 

This is not like any example of lens flare that I have ever seen. I do have a couple of examples of real flare in the recent batch I took.

Anyway, if it was flare, then wouldn't it manifest itself differently in different hardware? Especially since these cheap plastic camera lens are probably not finished to any exacting specifications. But I am seeing the exact same effect in two different cameras - always ONE small blue spot ONLY and generally in the same area (perhaps the exact same area) when the light source is in the same place. The spot can be quite faint or very bright. Lens flare doesn't work like this.

And there are some photos shot with the sun directly in the frame that do not show a blue spot, but most do. So maybe something to do with the way the light source rays hit the camera sensor?

Actually, I am surprised at how well the photos come out using HDR+ when pointed directly into a strong light source like the sun. So I do want to experiment and take more photos doing this.

 

Interesting. Yours looks more like real flaring with the purple surround. And your dot is white as opposed to mine, which are all shades of blue. I only have one or two images with true flaring. None of the other 20 or so exhibit flaring, just a solid blue circle (varying shades of blue). I have blown the images up to 10x but still did not see any flaring, just the solid spot getting more pixelated.

Was your image taken at 8MP with HDR+ enabled?

 

I also have red/purple flare with two images where the sun is near the middle of the frame. Other than that, all my spots are blue and w/o any evidence of flaring.

The spot does move around in the image depending on where the sun (light source is positioned). But the spot is ALWAYS the same size, with clear defined edges and there is always only one spot.

Other than this single spot, I have gotten some really nice exposures using this technique of shooting into a low sun with HDR+ enabled!

It will be interesting to eventually find out if this is a hardware issue, software issue or part of the design and impossible to fix.

 

I did some more experimenting today.

The spot occurs regardless of being in HPR+ mode or not. Pointing the lens at the sun, I can watch the dot move around the screen as I move the phone. With the sun in the center, I always get real flare, which is understandable. Away from the sun in the center, the flare disappears and the single circle varies in intensity.

Since this is always one single spot and others have the same issue, I wonder if what we are seeing might be the infrared sensor, which might become evident with the increased heat of the sun that would be picked up when the phone/camera is pointed at the sun?

 

Just to update, Google is still investigating this problem. I have pointed them to this thread also.

 

I thought I would update this report by letting everyone know that Google continues to sit on their collective arse regarding this problem.

Two months ago, I received the following email:

On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 2:57 PM, <googleplay-support@google.com> wrote:

Hello Joe,


We have escalated this issue to the next level of support, but as of right now, we have not been provided with any new information regarding the issue with the blue spots in your pictures. As soon as we have been provided with more information on this issue, we will be able to update you.


Please reply directly to this email with any questions you may have.


Thank you for contacting Google and have a great day!


Thanks,


Claire
The Google Support Team






​

When I had not received any further info two months later (April 21, 2014), I sent off yet another email asking what progress had been made?. When I did not receive a reply by April 29, 2014 to that email, I sent another email asking for a response and status.

As of today, I have not received a reply to either of the last two emails, which would seem to indicate that Google support is going silent and will put this problem on their ignore list. Not exactly a good way to handle customer support.

Is anyone aware of any Google problem escalation process when their support group drops the ball? Anyone have a customer advocate contact point or Larry Page's email address [lol]?

 

Yes, Nexus 5 was replaced back in December. Made no difference.

What is most frustrating is be toyed with and left twisting in the wind with no resolution to this problem and no apparent interest in getting to a resolution. It seems that Google's MO is to just lie and ignore as long as possible, hoping the person goes away..

 

NO, that would not be a SOLUTION, it would be a BYPASS. The solution would be for whomever is responsible (hardware or software) to fix the problem.

With most (all?) cameras I have had before (film + digital), taking a raw shot into the sun w/o a filter generally isn't a good idea. But I have gotten some very good shots doing this with the Nexus 5 w/HRD+ enabled. I don't take shots with the sun in the center (that just causes too much flare) but even with the sun partially in-frame and off to the side or top, the single annoying blue or white dot shows up.

I was at least hoping that Google would care enough to dig into the problem and if nothing else, tell me that it wouldn't be fixed until the Nexus 6 or some future software upgrade.

But nooooooooooo. Google support just seems to sit around scratching their rear-ends while lying that anyone is really looking at the problem. Don't be evil my eye. How about don't treat your customers as if they are dumb, blind and stupid?

I hope someone can escalate this to some of the bigger Android/Nexus bloggers. Maybe they can get some attention from Google. Because I am obviously too small to warrant any real attention from them..

 

Just to update, it appears that Google Support has decided to simply ignore my requests for any kind of update. I made two update requests in April but received no reply to either.

I've never known a support organization where they resolved a problem by ignoring the user. But I guess that is entirely possible at Google. Perhaps this is why the average Google employee only stays at the company for about one year.

 

[shrug]. I've gotten no feedback from Google/LG to date as to IF the problem is as you sate or something else. Or if it could be fixed. Or WHEN it would be fixed. All I've gotten is promises of "being escalated" that went nowhere.

The useless people over at Google Nexus support seem to just sit around sucking on their thumbs and ignoring problems that they can't explain/fix by either swapping hardware or reloading the phone software.