HTC Amaze Camera faint dark bands, ICS? - HTC Amaze 4G

I've noticed ever since I've upgraded to ICS (could be completely irrelevant of the upgrade.. but I never noticed it before today) that using the Camera on my HTC Amaze has these really faint dark bands.. they are only really noticeable on a solid-color surface in low lighting..
It's very obvious when taking the pictures (on the screen/viewfinder, because I can see them remain static as I move the camera around)
I'm just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this or if it's a sudden defect in my phone's CCD.. I pay for insurance but the lines/bands are so faint and barely noticeable that it's hard to justify $130 to fix this... It just seems so weird because I take such good care of my Amaze.
I've tried restarting the phone, I've tried different camera apps, I've tried adjusting settings manually (resolution, ISO, etc) they appear in all. They also appear in videos. I've tried cleaning the sensor both with the case on and off, no change.
Here are some examples of said "bands". I have no 'control' pictures to show but these are all pictures of a solid color surface.. they are very faint but definitely noticeable once you've noticed them.. it's really annoying and I can't figure out what the problem could be.
I've done extensive searching.. tried multiple keywords "bands" "faint black lines
really can't find any information about this problem, only thing I've found is a couple of threads on other forums for digital cameras.. but nothing that could help me solve this.
I know they are really really faint, but it's very noticeable on the screen when taking pictures of anything solid now, and in low lighting.
So, anyone have any idea? I could shoot for a replacement, but I'm just not sure if I'm willing to spend $130 when most pictures turn out just fine.
I'd also like to add that I rooted the phone and it's unlocked so I'm weary of going for the warrenty replacement (the phone is only a couple of months old). I'm afraid if I do a warrenty replacement with T-Mobile that HTC will come back with it being unlocked and not under warranty, and I'll have a $450 charge from T-Mobile waiting for me... if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing (utilizing warranty through T-Mobile's program with a rooted/unlocked phone) please let me know. I understand that T-Mobile will send you a replacement, while returning the phone to HTC.. but that's about it.

don't like to reply to my own posts but I take it nobody else has/is experiencing this issue? I keep thinking it's 'normal' for low light/solid color situations, but I'd really like to know if others experience the same thing.. if i'm being too picky?
If it's a faulty sensor i'd really like to start the process of getting a replacement, just curious, anyone?

I don't know if this helps, but I don't have that issue with my camera. Using stock app + modified .xml (eliminates compression adding quality)

Damn. Good to know, thanks.
Looks like something is up with the sensor then Really sucks.. still torn between going for the replacement ($130 deductible) or just keeping it.. you can't see it on ANY pictures, really.. only noticeable when looking at solid color surfaces in low lighting.. ugh
decisions decisions
Going to try and throw Android Revolution or EnergyROM and see if that changes anything.. but I doubt it ;/

I think the question you have to ask yourself is "How often will I take pictures where there's a predominant solid color?"
If that would be, I'd say rarely. Then I would keep the phone.

Related

[Q] Why is my friend's s2 better?

I recently posted that my friend and I have the same phone with the same carrier, the same firmware (2.3.4) etc. I asked why his camera was better, and never got a answer which solved it. I now think this was my folley as it appears that it is actually his screen which is better.
We bluetoothed some pictures we both had aken ourselves to see if it was in fact the camera and although it is not as big a difference when we take pictures on each device his pictures (the same pictures) look slightly beter.
Any ideas why this may be, if i got a botched phone or something? there is a couple of slight scrathes over my camera if tht could make the difference but i doubt it since it's more the fact my pictures are blurry.
Thanks in advance, Harry
HarrySansom said:
I recently posted that my friend and I have the same phone with the same carrier, the same firmware (2.3.4) etc. I asked why his camera was better, and never got a answer which solved it. I now think this was my folley as it appears that it is actually his screen which is better.
We bluetoothed some pictures we both had aken ourselves to see if it was in fact the camera and although it is not as big a difference when we take pictures on each device his pictures (the same pictures) look slightly beter.
Any ideas why this may be, if i got a botched phone or something? there is a couple of slight scrathes over my camera if tht could make the difference but i doubt it since it's more the fact my pictures are blurry.
Thanks in advance, Harry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you check the screen settings? There's one besides 'Brightness'. The screen can be set to something, Dynamic, or something else. This could be it... have a look around and make sure you're on the same settings.
FWIW I read your first post a week or 2 ago, and didn't answer cause it sounds like a really strange problem...and without both phones in my hand I couldn't begin to speculate. I doubt that you got a sub-par phone. Try making photos without holding the device, set it on a level surface. The blur could be from your hand shaking very very slightly, and maybe your buddy has steadier hands than you do. Really, no way to tell without having the phones in front of me. Sorry if this doesn't help. Keep us posted on your findings and good luck!
I saw that some i9100 got a different Camara Firmware possibly he got a better Firmware...
if thats not right someone can still blame me
sean is here. said:
Did you check the screen settings? There's one besides 'Brightness'. The screen can be set to something, Dynamic, or something else. This could be it... have a look around and make sure you're on the same settings.
FWIW I read your first post a week or 2 ago, and didn't answer cause it sounds like a really strange problem...and without both phones in my hand I couldn't begin to speculate. I doubt that you got a sub-par phone. Try making photos without holding the device, set it on a level surface. The blur could be from your hand shaking very very slightly, and maybe your buddy has steadier hands than you do. Really, no way to tell without having the phones in front of me. Sorry if this doesn't help. Keep us posted on your findings and good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's hard without seeing both, we're struggling with both. I have a more recent camera firmware i think as i updated through samsung apps not long ago. I'm not entirely sure about the shake but we have done a lot of photos and we almost always had him take both pictues. Also we both use 'standard' screen mode (we checked).
check to make sure that the camera lense is clean as well, often a smudgy/dirty lense will make bad photos.
I'm actually having the same problem (and have been having it for months). I only noticed it when I was a concert late last year and I was recording on my phone and watching other people's SGS2s record. Theirs was obviously much clearer and did not distort like my camera/footage did (when lights would flash, mines would blur, 'blob' together lights that were close to one another etc. while theirs captured it with clarity). Then I started to notice that when I zoom in, my camera gets extremely blurry, too. I started comparing to a few other people and, yes, on the same settings my camera is much worse. I've tried resetting the camera settings which has proved to do nothing for it.
I was starting to think I was crazy but I've finally found someone else with the same/a similar problem (was extremely hard to Google).
I also updated my firmware via Samsung Apps. It seems to be great in natural light but otherwise, it's really quite poor.
Camera firmware is TBEF04.
Any ideas?
guys it would be better if we can attach our sample pictures. i had similar problem. this is mine.

Fried Lens

So I was an idiot and tried to capture a few quick pics of the Sun tonight at the beginning of the solar eclipse. I knew pointing the Note's camera directly into the sun was risky, but thought I'd see if it would work, and only took 4 super-quick photos.
Unfortunately, it was enough to fry the lens, and now whenever I use the camera on any type of light, solid-colored background, the center of the image has a light brown-ish hue. Taking pictures of normal day-to-day things, I'm sure I probably won't notice, but still...I'm anal about these types of things and knowing it's there is going to drive me crazy.
So, all of the "ZOMG - WTF were you thinking n00b!?" comments aside, what options are there? Are there repair shops out there that can replace these lenses? I'm assuming a replaced lens would fix it. Is this part something I can order and replace myself?
I bought it at Best Buy, and I'm beyond my 30 day warranty, so even if I wanted to be a weasel and try that route, I couldn't. Can Best Buy, or even ATT fix these? (I highly doubt it, but thought I'd ask).
Thanks in advance.
Wow. I didnt know this was possible. Good to know.
Sent from a big ass phone
Found this on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Back-Rear-Camera-Module-Repair-Parts-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-N-7000-i9220-/170843572776
I checked a site I buy stuff from, in Hong Kong, but they didn't have one.
http://www.cnn.cn
As for burning out...just as with looking directly into the sun with your eye can cause damage to the retina, same holds true with a CCD or CMOS camera lens.
Without proper filtering, you can destroy the light sensing elements.
Every Note I've had and used has the same issue, without pointing it at the sun. But honestly mine was in the grass basically pointed directly at the sun for hours yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with it (other than the existing colored spot like yours has).
Are you absolutely sure this problem is new? Are you sure you're not just being over-sensitive all of a sudden and noticing it for the first time and attributing it to the sun because you did something out of the ordinary?
You still have a year warranty on the phone...call up ATT and have them send you out a new phone. Consider this a lesson learned.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Thanks for the response guys, and for the links. That gives me something to think about. I'm hesitant to replace the phone, since I replaced it once already to try to resolve the Black Crush problem (which did fix 90% of it). I'd hate to get a replacement that has that bad problem again. I'd rather live with a bad camera, if you know what I mean.
And definitely lesson learned.
Johnus - I've used my camera quite a bit and not once noticed that problem. I can't say for 100% certain that it didn't exist before, but being anal with these types of things like I am, I'd have to say I'm at least 99% sure it wasn't there previously. I'll leave that 1% open because I'm a man, and according to women, men are always wrong.

Screen Defect, What Can it Be?

Hey everyone, so I bought a Droid DNA about a week ago. The unit is near perfect; no SIM card issues, audio issues, overheating issues, battery issues, etc. Using it for about 2 days in, however, I discovered a minor imperfection. Specifically, the center of the screen seems to have something of a bright white pixel that is visible on a white or light-colored background only, more so at a specific angle and in a darker setting and looking at it very close. Most of the times, it is virtually unnoticeable, unless you know where to look for it. Now, it doesn't bother me that much in day-to-day usage, and I honestly don't want to go through the hassle of setting up a new phone, whether exchanging in-store or through a Certified Like New Replacement. This is strange, though. I don't think it's a dead pixel, as it is not black. I don't think that it's a stuck pixel either, because it's only viewable on a white back background, and if it was a stuck white pixel, should be viewable on a black background as well (which it is not). I'm attaching some macro shots I made with my DSLR. Any ideas?
Definitely a hardware issue, you should go for replacement
v-b-n said:
Definitely a hardware issue, you should go for replacement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Figured as much Still, I'd like to know exactly what it is. I don't think it's a stuck or dead pixel, it doesn't behave like either. I don't think it's dust, as I've had that on an iPad once and it was darker and looked different.... it just seems like a cluster of overly bright pixels in that area, or perhaps a back light problem.
I have that too!
I noticed the same thing (slightly different spot), and have been debating sending it in. I don't really want to have to go back to my thunderbolt now though. Did you end up sending it in? If so, how long did it take?
OccamsRazer said:
I noticed the same thing (slightly different spot), and have been debating sending it in. I don't really want to have to go back to my thunderbolt now though. Did you end up sending it in? If so, how long did it take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up not sending it in. I think its not that big of an issue. Worst case, I'll request a replacement towards the end of my one year warranty, so that I can have a relatively new phone for the remainder of my contract. Backing up everything and setting up a new phone would just be too tedious. Again, I don't think its a big issue.

[Q] Need help Identifying HTC Ones defected cameras....

If you wan't to skip the back story, just head down to the problem and question, thanks.
Let me start of by saying that I've loved HTC since the Sensation saved me from years of being brainwashed and enslaved into using iPhones.
But, It's actually more of a love/hate relationship... During the year or two in which I used the Sensation 4G (loved it) - I went through about four different ones due to them always having some sort of silly hardware issue.
I've been using the HTC One (m7) the month after its initial release and it is by far the best phone I've ever had in terms of feel, quality and features. It's pretty much an all around perfect phone.
Anyway, that being said... In search of a solution - I written my current problem below which has been haunting me relentlessly.
.
The problem: During my time with the HTC One, I've had to get it replaced twice due to the camera sensor eventually giving into the heart and becoming fault. Leaving me with an horrible blue, purple, orange, red, etc... tint in almost all of my semi low light photos
Question: I've heard from a rep in the past that HTC delayed on the release for the Max until the camera issue was resolved.
It's been some time since I was made aware of that and the max has been out for a while now as well so I'm a bit confused or maybe I just don't want to believe that my beloved HTC is continuing to ship faulty cameras after being aware of the problem.
Anyway, Is there any specific starting production date from which they actually stopped using the crappy sensors vulnerable to the heat generated by the phone it self?
If so - Is there anyway to tell... for ex. serial number, revision? Pretty much any liable distinction, I'm a bit frustrated + a little desperate since I can't seem to find one my self. I would like a solution to this before replacing into number three. Sigh.
T-Mobile versions by the way. I've also tried all the updates, custom roms, diy fixes etc... nothing works.
Help is greatly appreciated, thank you. Save me. lol
Any input?
Camera version is "st vd6869(1.0) cinesensor 2013-04-12"
If I turn off all the lights, I just get a pitch-black image. Leave a 60-watt table lamp on, point at the wall, and there doesn't seem to be a tint other than the yellowish light put out by the bulb. However, image resolution leaves quite a lot to be desired. Zooming in a bit more than a fourth of the way produces noticeable grain of all sorts of colors.
What does it say when you open /sys/android_camera/sensor ?

Question Do you have this display issue/defect?

Hi all!
Shown is an unfortunate issue I've had with the displays of two 1 IV's (US/512Gb models):
(just uploaded this as of posting so the higher res may still be encoding)
I use my phone frequently at night and the display is noticeably off/blown out/seemingly defective at lower brightnesses, especially in the evening. I've already been through the exchange process once for this problem and it took weeks, luckily I caught it in the return window. Now I'm deciding whether to try yet another exchange or just return the new one, because sadly this issue is a deal breaker for me.
Please let me know if you're experiencing the same issue so I can determine whether or not I want to gamble my time with another one of these, as I strongly suspect/fear this could be a widespread hardware defect that has gone relatively unnoticed. Either that, or I got two phones from a clearly bad batch.
Link to image shown in video if you'd like to see if yours has the issue.
You can see the problem best in scenes with very dark color gradients, mostly in the very black range. Most of the time it's not exactly easy to notice especially if you're not looking for it. The display looks flawless and brilliant at 90% and above, although interestingly "creative mode" also seems to degrade color quality. I had an Xperia 1 II before this and creative mode didn't have that perceived negative effect at all. In fact I had exactly 0 of these issues on my mark II.
60/120fps, HDR, etc all don't seem to change the issue, nor did a factory reset or the Xperia Companion app as suggested by Sony. I'm going to escalate me case with them tomorrow to see if I can get any more info. Found another thread about the issue/similar issues.
Sorry about the novel. I'm kinda sad about this whole thing because I otherwise absolutely love the phone.
Yup everybody has this issue. I'm convinced people who say they don't have it are just too blind to notice. I've not seen any video of a 1IV that shows a screen that doesn't have the issue. I always just keep my screen at 90% brightness and just the "Extra dim" quick toggle to make it less bright. If I'm in bed on my phone I use OLED Saver to make it even darker.
Well, I can't see that on mine.
Maybe not the best example, but this is a picture I took this summer, one is at max brightness and the other one is at some 60%. Tried with some other darker photos I have and no traces of that green tint.
Also, my phone switches to dark theme at night and with automatic brightness it certainly goes way below 90% and still everything looks black. Or at least not that obviously green.
...You realise that's not how a screenshot works, right?
Yeah, was just an example photo. But cannot reproduce that. Found topic on reddit, gonna try some HDR stuff but have to say that if that's what triggers it than will certainly never have the problem with it.
Just borrow a mate's phone and film your screen while you adjust the brightness above and below 90%. The difference is very obvious.
Then it should be obvious to my eyes also, like in his video. And that does not happening on the above photo. Anyway, gong back home tomorrow so will play with it a bit more.
No issues on my rooted device.

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