Xperia z2 camera spot metering doesn't work. - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Has anyone else noticed this? The option for spot metering is in my camera menu but the function doesn't actually work, it will only meter light from the center of the screen, not from where the spot is. Pretty poor! Not sure if my device is faulty, is this the case for everyone else?
Cheers ?

Doesn't work for me either
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Spot metering in the smartphone world means touch the screen to adjust the exposure to that spot, I also own a dslr and am aware of the difference. In other words it sucks in direct brightly lit conditions, eg sun or bright lights, super disappointed! Please fix this with a software update Sony!!!

No, I really hate that it doesn't work.

i guess it's not only me then, came to Sony from M7 because of the camera and now this is faulty

Related

[Q] Camera pink hue :( anyone else?? - SOLVED (AUTO WB/INADEQUATE LIGHTING)

Auto WB issue! Video Link showing dynamic changing in light sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0x1wkt5EU
This ones to all you SGS2 owners...
Today whilst takin' pics of my son, i noticed whilst pointing the camera down at my cream coloured carpet a pink hue was clearly visible in the centre of the shot. I took a snap and the hue was on definitely there... this was during the day time with only ambient light from my large bay windows...
slowly panning up across the room towards the window it seems to fade away, but directly at the light surface its unmissable...
I double checked the shot on my partners DHD, her shot was completely pink, very poor camera!!
Anyone elses S2 suffering from this? a quick google search shows this has also been an issue on other handsets such as the Nexus One and Samsung Focus...
Cheers,
Dickie
This is very important.
Can you make some photos and upload it?
if someone more have the classic tint pink of cheap cameras like other HTCs I am going to cancel my order inmediately.
Here are some untouched Macro shots taken in my backyard in fading light with the Galaxy S II, was a bit windy so the flowers kept moving:
Click for full sized image
I don't know of any sansung Focus.
Can anyone shoot to white walls or cloudy sky?
It is the faster way to see if the camera have the pink tint.
Intratech said:
I don't know of any sansung Focus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol alright smart arse, edited
The shot! 8mp default settings
http://postimage.org/image/7zd9ak9w/
Dickie
just to add, this has been the only time ive noticed this issue, shots taken across the room show no visible signs of this, just the straight shot...
tbh, with the quality of all the other shots ive taken, its not a deal breaker for me, this phone still blows away any other ive used, and i don't find blank white walls/carpets interesting enough to take photos of...
Dickie
That sure looks like something I read about some HTC phone a while back. I'll need to check my phone to see. I wonder if it's software or hardware related.
after some testing i believe this is a software issue, specifically with the AUTO White Balance setting, as i point it to the cloudy sky out the window it looks perfect and when switched to incandescent it goes away!!
like i said before, i don't make a habit of shooting my carpet or my white walls very often!
Dickie
EDIT: when switched to Daylight mode, it also goes away, although it makes the carpet look orange for obvious reasons... Definitely a White Balance issue, the lighting and colour of the carpet requires the correct setting as opposed to the Auto mode, outside or with good lighting the Auto setting is fine! as far as i'm concerned, panic over! lol
dickie2007 said:
after some testing i believe this is a software issue, specifically with the AUTO White Balance setting, as i point it to the cloudy sky out the window it looks perfect and when switched to incandescent it goes away!!
like i said before, i don't make a habit of shooting my carpet or my white walls very often!
Dickie
EDIT: when switched to Daylight mode, it also goes away, although it makes the carpet look orange for obvious reasons... Definitely a White Balance issue, the lighting and colour of the carpet requires the correct setting as opposed to the Auto mode, outside or with good lighting the Auto setting is fine! as far as i'm concerned, panic over! lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That it isn't a white balance issue, it is a hardware problem. HTC got the same problems on a lot of devices before, and they tried to hide it tweaking the colors, but that doesnt solve the real problem.
If I were you I will return the phone for another one.
kersh said:
That it isn't a white balance issue, it is a hardware problem. HTC got the same problems on a lot of devices before, and they tried to hide it tweaking the colors, but that doesnt solve the real problem.
If I were you I will return the phone for another one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then why when i switch to the correct WB setting for the lighting i'm in does the issue disappear?? the issue only arrises in Auto mode under certain lighting conditions. just took a white sheet outside on Auto - No issue!
Dickie
Maybe in a non-auto mode they know the color temperature that software will apply to the image and then they can tweak the pink tint of the image, but with an auto mode that changes dinamically the color grade they cant adjust the pink tint.
I really dont know, but all of the pink tints problems in all other phones are hardware related issues, I don't know why this is going to be different.
i get exactly what you are saying, but i'm only going by what i'm working out on my device...
at the end of the day, like i said before, its not a deal breaker for me, and ive not had a single issue with it in other lighting conditions...
Also, ive just walked around my room allowing the camera to adjust dynamically, and it does disappear!! i have a standing lamp on, a small window on the opposite wall, and the large bay window at the front of the room, the pink hue is not permanent and is just the Auto WB not being perfect.
Its even visible on video, so i'll upload a vid of the pink disappearing as i walk around the room and the light changes dynamically! Auto WB issue for sure!!
Dickie
Just registered after seeing this...
A pink hue like you describe usually means infrared contamination, and happens on any camera to varying degree. Some black clothing in direct sunlight suffers the most.
Edit: Extreme Example: vimeo (dot) com/5637250
Regards, Matt
I'm just uploading a video to Youtube 720p - WB AUTO
You can clearly see the pink hue fading in and out as the phone auto adjusts to the varying lighting in my home, namely Incandescent light fittings, Fluorecent light fittings and daylight outside.
If i set the camera to a setting for one of those lighting conditions specifically, there is no issue in said condition.
I will update this post when its uploaded with the link - THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT HUE CAUSED BY HARDWARE - ITS SOFTWARE STRUGGLING WITH THE LIGHTING CONDITION!! - phew!!
Dickie
EDIT: the hue becomes very apparent after pointing the camera and any of the light sources directly then quickly moving to a white surface, it then gradually adjusts away...
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0x1wkt5EU
kersh said:
Maybe in a non-auto mode they know the color temperature that software will apply to the image and then they can tweak the pink tint of the image, but with an auto mode that changes dinamically the color grade they cant adjust the pink tint.
I really dont know, but all of the pink tints problems in all other phones are hardware related issues, I don't know why this is going to be different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt Samsung will use the low quality camera sensor that HTC uses buddy.
ScepticMatt said:
Just registered after seeing this...
A pink hue like you describe usually means infrared contamination, and happens on any camera to varying degree. Some black clothing in direct sunlight suffers the most.
Edit: Extreme Example: vimeo (dot) com/5637250
Regards, Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure its the same buddy, it appears in the centre of the image and fades out, i'm 100% certain that this issue is WB/lighting condition related, 10mins and the link will be up if your interested...
Dickie
Intratech said:
I doubt Samsung will use the low quality camera sensor that HTC uses buddy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't agree more there, you should have seen the same shot on the Desire HD, the carpet was entirely pink!! not just a spot in the middle..
Dickie
BTW I just checked my phone and observed the same situation as described by Dickie. After checking for myself I'm certain it's software related. They may need to tweak their auto white balance algorithm.
Please see link above or in OP
Dickie

[Q] Spot Metering Issue!

Hi,
I was taking some snaps with my S2 today and I was trying to spot meter on some bright lights so that I could expose for them and underexpose the rest of the scene. However, I realized that spot metering only works at the center of the screen. To my knowledge, the phone should spot meter at the point that I decide to focus on. When I tap to focus it should automatically spot meter on that region. That is how it works on my friends HTC legend and thats how it works on my Nikon D300s. Spot metering should be done based on the autofocus point but it doesn't work this way on my phone. I have to spot meter using the center of the scene, keep the shutter button pressed, recompose and then release to take a snap. Could someone explain why this is not working as it should or is this just samsung's weird implementation of this feature.
Galaxy Camera Spot Metering
radicalgel said:
Hi,
I was taking some snaps with my S2 today and I was trying to spot meter on some bright lights so that I could expose for them and underexpose the rest of the scene. However, I realized that spot metering only works at the center of the screen. To my knowledge, the phone should spot meter at the point that I decide to focus on. When I tap to focus it should automatically spot meter on that region. That is how it works on my friends HTC legend and thats how it works on my Nikon D300s. Spot metering should be done based on the autofocus point but it doesn't work this way on my phone. I have to spot meter using the center of the scene, keep the shutter button pressed, recompose and then release to take a snap. Could someone explain why this is not working as it should or is this just samsung's weird implementation of this feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I have noticed the same issue on the S3, spot meter and center wieghted metering only works on the center of the screen, even if your focus point is somewhere else. I dont recall the original Galaxy S being programmed like this, most other phones I have also tried (iphone 4 and iphone 5, droid x) all allow you to spot meter on your desired focused point.
Apparently, samsung beleives your focal point of your picture should always be in the center of your picture! I find this odd, considering they have put so many features in the phone to appeal to photographers, but they seem to have left left out a basic metering function that is available on most other phones, and one that is vital in creating shots with proper exposure control.
Does anyone know of android camera application that allows for more contoll over the spot metering capabilities?
Thanks.
deving said:
So, I have noticed the same issue on the S3, spot meter and center wieghted metering only works on the center of the screen, even if your focus point is somewhere else. I dont recall the original Galaxy S being programmed like this, most other phones I have also tried (iphone 4 and iphone 5, droid x) all allow you to spot meter on your desired focused point.
Apparently, samsung beleives your focal point of your picture should always be in the center of your picture! I find this odd, considering they have put so many features in the phone to appeal to photographers, but they seem to have left left out a basic metering function that is available on most other phones, and one that is vital in creating shots with proper exposure control.
Does anyone know of android camera application that allows for more contoll over the spot metering capabilities?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a really a very interesting topic!! Also Bada 1 linked the exposition to AF, (i took amazing shoots) while in Bada 2 this feature has been lost: the exposure is always weighted to the center of image. It is very common in other devices (for example in my lumia 620) (there you cannot even choose the metering mode...) and cameras too (canon, but not nikon..)
Anyway the old Galaxy S advance has still the exposition calculated on the focus point... Why have they changed? It's a so stupid thing...

[Q] S3 spot metering mode broken?

The spot metering function on my camera seems to have stopped working. When you choose spot metering mode in the camera and use your finger to point at a bright object on the edge of the screen, the exposure does nothing. Samsung tech support confirmed that the exposure is supposed to be adjusted to that spot that you touched but it doesn't do it on my S3. It used to work but just stopped a couple of weeks ago. What's even stranger that some S3's seem to work fine but others also don't work - I tried whole bunch of them today in various stores and some work just fine but others don't work at all.Is yours broken?
Homey said:
The spot metering function on my camera seems to have stopped working. When you choose spot metering mode in the camera and use your finger to point at a bright object on the edge of the screen, the exposure does nothing. Samsung tech support confirmed that the exposure is supposed to be adjusted to that spot that you touched but it doesn't do it on my S3. It used to work but just stopped a couple of weeks ago. What's even stranger that some S3's seem to work fine but others also don't work - I tried whole bunch of them today in various stores and some work just fine but others don't work at all.Is yours broken?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is broken as well, it only focuses. That's probably related to the fact that my manual exposure controls also don't work though.
It never occurred to me that spot metering should work according to the area you touch. I had always assumed that spot metering takes the reading from the centrer spot on the camera like a DSLR.
Mine only focuses, it does not meter the point that I touch.
Actually, this functionality has been there from the Galaxy S so it's nothing new or revolutionary!
I think that most people don't use the camera as anything more than a simple point and shoot, which is a pity because its easily as good as the iPhone 4S camera and perhaps even a bit better, and we all know the fuss people make about that.
There are a lot of users wandering around with broken cameras but no one seems to care, as you can tell from the number of responses to the original post!
I was always wondering why my S3 only does spot metering at the center spot. Is this a bug or a feature? I think my spot metering is broken but if it should work only at the center then it's fine. Can somebody clear this up?
I'm so glad someone else has this problem - not in a mean way. It's just infuriating me at the moment - was trying to take a sunset picture today and realised it wasn't working when I tapped on the different areas. Infuriating, but not sure how to fix!
same issue here... my Galaxy S does it wonderfully right with spot metering on the spot I touch... my S3 which has a far better cam miserably fails at spot metering and only takes the center average... so spot metering is just broken
Galaxy Note 2 has same camera hardware and software as the S3. My spot metering worked in the past while on the stock rom. I'm on a custom rom, Jedi rom, and it no longer works. This is a TW based rom so I'm surprised it doesn't work. But from what I'm hearing, users on stock firmware are having problems as well.
Thanks to those who stuck it out diagnosing and raising the level of awareness around this problem. Almost every thread I find has some long-winded helpful genius in it explaining to us how we don't understand what spot metering is and that there is no problem. Sometimes you have to be extremely persistent on the net or your problem will be buried by the highly motivated know nothings.
I hope this problem is figured out. I, for one, would NOT trade a faster camera against one with spot metering. These cameras have tiny sensors and will never be great (I have aps-c and full frames). The ability to expose a particular point properly with no regard for the rest of the frame is the only saving grace for these cameras with so narrow a dynamic range due to the small sensor.
I'm learning in this search that this is a big reason most people take poor pictures with camera phones. They don't know how to use the spot metering to mitigate (somewhat) the limitations of the small sensor. I'll report back when/if I find a solution.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
_atlien_ said:
Galaxy Note 2 has same camera hardware and software as the S3...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And guess what... SGS4 has the exact same issue with their cam!!! Can you believe it? I could for one not... When I was testing out the SGS4 in the phone store with stock firmware... it had no touch spot meter that would measure where I push... but the same dumb center weighted spot meter it has in SGS3 and NOTE2. I am disappointed Samsung... it has the best camera but without a proper spot meter. :crying::crying::crying:
I am starting to think this has been done intentionally to dumb things down a bit... or they have some patent issue with apple or someone else with their "touch to spot meter" tech... sigh... patents...
Sigh... I tried asking about this when I first got my GS3 back in October. Same thing.. I don't get how this hasn't been addressed. You can see my thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1963959
I even contacted Samsung France where I am, Samsung USA, and even my mobile carrier and nobody could answer. The shameful thing was that Samsung's TECH SUPPORT didn't even know what I was talking about. I kind of gave up.
A trick for you guys which seems to have worked for me...
Ironically, before getting the GS3, the spot meter worked brilliantly on my HTC myTouch4G. You would touch a spot, wait for it to register with a beep and then wherever you moved, it locked in that exposure. Try this...
- point the screen to the place you want the exposure to be set for
- tap the screen there to focus
- only when you've seen it focus (green square) and heard it beep signaling exposure and focus lock, press and HOLD the shutter button and move to the framing you actually want
- let go of the shutter to take the picture
I have found that it takes one or two tries but it DOES work. You will see that the moment you let go of the shutter, it will go back to what the exposure would have been where you framed.
Feel free to ask questions if this doesn't make sense.
I can't get that to work. But I may not be following the instructions correctly. The beginning steps aren't clear for me.
Center the desired focal point on the screen then touch and lock that point. Then press and hold shutter. Then recompose picture. Then release shutter.
This doesn't work for me. Holding the shutter button doesn't lock the exposure.
Also wondering if this problem is hardware or software. I installed ProCapture app which is supposed to have spot metering which didn't work on my Galaxy Note 2. Just FYI.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Hi guys! It's a pleasure for me to notice that other people are struggling for this problem!!!:high five:
I remember that my Samsung Wave 2 , with Bada 1.2, gave me amazing shots: the exposition were linked to the focus point. Then with Bada 2.0 all has changed and, independently from the metering method the exposure is alway always weighted at the centre of the image.
Ok one can make recomposition, but it takes minutes and a the results are not so brilliant.
Now I have a Lumia 620: same problem, i'm getting crazy!!
Does anybody knows the reason of this stupid choice??
i select spot-metering mode, point at my brightly sunlight desk, i click different areas of the screen and while focusing the colours seem to change saturation and "fill".. does this mean my metering is working?
Yeah! If the colors of the photo change on the basis of your taps on the screen, then you have the exposure that follows the AF point. You are very lucky!!
Notice that in many devices even if you choose spot metering, the spot is linked to a central point of the image!
But does it happen only with spot or also with other metering modes?
yep mine's broken too not sure if it worked before it fell on the floor but i highly doubt that it worked in the first place it's damn sad that the S3 is such a great phone but has a partly broken cam on 90% of the S3's and still they didn't fix it in the S4
Thank you so much for the quick fix
ive tried over 20 apps
messed around with 100's of setting..... no dice
tinpanalley, your tip is the only way yo make this work
this is by far THE WORST camera a phone could ever had, i feel very sorry for people who purchased the S3 for it's incapable camera.
and the funniest thing is that they screwed up the s4 camera as well, L O L

[Q] White outline in pitch black images, faulty screen?

Hey guys, I've never posted here, I mostly just lurk and try to learn things.
My question is a bit difficult to explain but I'll try my best. Do me a favor and take a photo while completely covering the camera lens, then view the photo in the gallery. Make sure youre in a dark room and viewing the photo in full screen, wait a second for the back and task manager buttons to turn off as well.
Is your picture completely black or are the outside edges and corners fuzzy and white almost?
My previous phones are Galaxy S1, 2, 3 and 4 along with the Note 3 (which I miss :/ ) never had a problem like this, I do believe some GS2s had a similar problem with the screen being spotty in black images.
thanks.
redline06 said:
Hey guys, I've never posted here, I mostly just lurk and try to learn things.
My question is a bit difficult to explain but I'll try my best. Do me a favor and take a photo while completely covering the camera lens, then view the photo in the gallery. Make sure youre in a dark room and viewing the photo in full screen, wait a second for the back and task manager buttons to turn off as well.
Is your picture completely black or are the outside edges and corners fuzzy and white almost?
My previous phones are Galaxy S1, 2, 3 and 4 along with the Note 3 (which I miss :/ ) never had a problem like this, I do believe some GS2s had a similar problem with the screen being spotty in black images.
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there, I did a test for you on mine, when i was in my room with my lights on but completely covered the lens and mine came out fuzzy. It seems that the s5 camera is very powerful picking up the slightest bit of light !
Then I turned off the lights in my room and did the same test, this time it was pitch black.
Did you try turning all your lights off in your room?
Thanks for your input, my initial test was in a room with the lights off. Looks so bad :/
redline06 said:
Thanks for your input, my initial test was in a room with the lights off. Looks so bad :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that with my camera too. The exact same thing happens to me too when I cover the camera, in both lighted and unlighted rooms. But I'm pretty sure it's normal. When your ISO is on auto, you'll notice that the camera turns up the ISO past what you can manually set it at (800). So since they're bumping up the ISO so high (probably ~1600 in dark areas), there's going to be considerable amounts of noise, even with very low light.
You can see for yourself that if you compare auto ISO and ISO 800 in a dark room, the latter will be much more pitch black like you expect it to be.

Duff camera?

I think I have a duff camera on my new Z2, took some photos of a off white coloured box and a wooden desk and green horizontal banding on the photos. I also noticed what looks to be an oscillation in brightness when previewing a picture before taking the photo.
Has anyone else noticed this behaviour? I have requested a replacement as this is not something I have seen before and don't think it should be doing this.
The other query is about image stabilisation, stabilisation can be enabled in manual mode but cannot when using the superior auto mode, is this correct?
Thanks
Mine performs great. I'd ask for a replacement because it seems like a defect.
Fluorescent tube lighting by any chance?
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
There was fluorescent lighting but it didn't affect an iphone taking the exact same picture, my old Galaxy S3 wasn't affected by fluorescent lights either. If the Z2 is affected that badly by lights in the ceiling it is pretty crap and will definitely be getting a refund.
We will see if the replacement is any better but I don't have a huge amount of confidence that it will be.
George_2010 said:
There was fluorescent lighting but it didn't affect an iphone taking the exact same picture, my old Galaxy S3 wasn't affected by fluorescent lights either. If the Z2 is affected that badly by lights in the ceiling it is pretty crap and will definitely be getting a refund.
We will see if the replacement is any better but I don't have a huge amount of confidence that it will be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be an attachment showing the banding on the photograph.
Point any digital camera near a fluorescent light and you'll see why I asked that. It's not constant light, they pulse and taking photos of white objects bounces the pulsing back to the camera, iphones may be different due to a rolling shutter what ever that means but I know for a fact galaxy s3 did the same because I had two of them and I spent a long time in my flourescently lit shed trying to take photos of white snakes.
Look here and read the section on disadvantages and sub section on flicker effect.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

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