The camera on the phone does not focus. Camera Focus: Using Manual and Auto Mode
Our whole life consists of memories. We carefully store them in memory, periodically fishing out the most pleasant and positive moments. For a long time now, cameras have been helping us in this matter. A well-taken photograph can convey to us a variety of sensations: subtle human emotions, the beauty of nature or the violence of the elements. An important help in this matter is the ability of photographic equipment to focus, i.e. to highlight the sharpness of a certain zone or object. But what to do if your camera suddenly stops “catching focus” and the whole image looks cloudy and blurry?
What are the signs of camera focusing problems?
The symptoms associated with this are known to any amateur photographer. This failure is accompanied by:
- Lack of sharpness in pictures;
- The inability to “catch focus” in both automatic and manual mode;
- In some cases, the lens does not retract completely when the device is turned off.
Any of the above signs is a reason to sound the alarm. This function- the most important attribute of any camera; without it it is impossible to get a high-quality photo.
Main causes of failure
This function can fail for two main reasons: software and hardware. The first involves changing the device settings, and the second involves violating the integrity or performance of individual parts of the camera. First of all, make sure that you have not accidentally switched to manual focus setting mode and that all device settings correspond to those before the breakdown. Another reason why focusing does not work is that various parts of the device are damaged. The main ones include:
- Sand or other small particles getting into the lens;
- Focusing motor failure (lubricant thickening, water ingress, etc.);
- The focusing lens position sensor or the lens position sensor does not work.
Eliminating these breakdowns is more labor-intensive and requires special specialist training. Focusing motor and focusing lens are part of one complex system. They are extremely small, and it is very difficult to fix such a breakdown on your own, without the help of a professional. The principle of their operation is as follows: the lens is located on a rotating shaft, which is adjusted using gears connected to a motor. Depending on the position of these components, the focal length to the object.
Troubleshooting
What to do in this situation? If we talk about software violations, then all you need to do is take a good look at the focus settings and bring them back to normal. Troubleshooting hardware problems requires great effort. If the focusing motor malfunctions, you need to completely disassemble the mechanism, wash it and change the oil. Inoperative focusing lens and lens position sensors must be replaced. If sand gets under the lens, you will need to sort out the mechanism and then clean it.
All these manipulations cannot be carried out at home - they require the intervention of a specialist. We employ highly qualified specialists who will carry out quick and high-quality repairs your device.
Modern phones have long ceased to be ordinary dialers. One of important functions mobile has a built-in camera. The quality of shooting is constantly improving and has already reached such characteristics that the smartphone has turned into a full-fledged camera. But there are times when problems arise with the camera on your phone (or tablet). Why this happens, the main symptoms of the malfunction and how to repair the phone camera will be discussed later in the article.
Basic camera malfunctions
Important! No way without diagnostics
Problems with the camera occur due to various reasons. It’s hard to say what to do and how much repairs will cost without diagnostics. For example, water got into the phone and the camera stopped working. In this case, both the camera module itself and the control circuits may fail. It may be possible to restore the damaged elements, but you may have to replace the camera. The second case is that the phone has fallen heavily and the camera does not turn on. In this case, the camera cable may come off and you just need to re-latch it; the camera matrix may be damaged and will have to be replaced; there may be problems with the power controller, etc. I think the point is clear - preliminary diagnosis is needed.
1. Camera error
When you try to turn on the camera, the message "Failed to connect to the camera. Try rebooting the device" appears. The cause of this error may be water getting inside the phone, a malfunction of the camera module, or even the appearance of . Need diagnostics.
2. The camera does not turn on or the phone freezes
When you try to turn on the camera, the phone does not go into photo or video mode, hangs on the camera curtain, or the application simply does not load and crashes. All other functions work. It may also happen that if you try to turn on the camera, the phone freezes, does not respond to anything, and only rebooting or removing the battery helps. This can happen due to a malfunction of the camera module, for example, after the phone has been dropped, water has gotten inside, or even a manufacturing defect. In this case, the problems may be both in the hardware and in the .
3. Camera won't focus
When pointing the phone at an object, the camera cannot focus on the latter. Neither manual nor auto focusing helps. Photos come out blurry even when daylight. An effect may be observed when the camera takes pictures normally near (or vice versa at a distance), but when changing the focal length it blurs. This camera problem may be caused by lens shift or improper alignment. Sometimes this can be fixed manually, but more often you have to change the camera module.
4. Phone doesn't save photos
The camera turns on and takes pictures, but the pictures are not saved either to the phone's memory or to the flash card. This usually happens when the phone’s firmware fails, possibly after infection with a virus. The smartphone’s memory may also be full and there is simply nowhere to save the pictures. We need to figure it out, but most likely the problem will be solved by flashing it.
5. The camera stopped working after getting water
If water gets into the phone, there is a risk that the liquid will oxidize radioelements until they are completely beyond repair. First of all, the control circuits with full supply voltage are turned off, and this is precisely the power supply for the camera flash, screen backlight and others. Repairing a recessed telephone is a completely separate topic; we advise you to take measures according to the article "".
6. Camera flash does not work
In this case, the first thing to do is check your camera settings and make sure that the flash mode is turned on. Alternatively, you can check if the flash is working properly in flashlight mode. If it does not light, then the problem is clearly hardware. The malfunction can occur after water gets into the phone, when the backlight power supply rots. The LED may fail due to frequent use flashlight. There may also be a manufacturing defect during assembly. The phone needs to be examined.
Many amateur photographers, having received new camera, they immediately begin to use it for its intended purpose - they remove everything and in large quantities. After some time and hundreds of pictures, some people start to wonder how their camera works. For many, the real discovery is the ability to use autofocus control.
Focus is one of the most creative tools in photography. This is the power that can draw your viewers' attention to one specific object from the entire world around them, and it is simply incredible. Below you'll find some tips to help you take control of your new camera's autofocus. They are suitable for both DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but the menu item names may vary from model to model.
Cameras don't focus on objects
The first thing that will help you understand autofocus is to realize that cameras don't focus on trees, or basketball players, or mountains, or any object at all. Cameras focus at a certain distance, and everything that is located at that distance from the camera will be in focus. If a person located two meters from the camera is in focus, then all other objects located at this distance will be in focus. When you pick up a new camera and press the shutter button halfway to focus, you will see a lot of illuminated squares (or dots, depending on the camera model) in the viewfinder. This does not mean that the camera will focus on all these points, this indication only shows which objects are in at the moment come into the camera's field of view. It often happens that most of these squares (or dots) do not fall on the objects you would like to focus on. Let's figure out how to fix this.
The camera focuses at a certain distance and everything located at this distance will be in focus. In this photo, the camera focused on the area where the dog's face is located. Since the girl is behind this distance, her image is out of focus.
Focus Area Mode: Single or Manual
In order to match the focus with the objects you would like to focus on, you need to change the focus area mode. The default settings give you all these squares (dots) lighting up at random order. By changing the focus area mode to Single or Manual, you can choose which area of the viewfinder the AF point should be selected in. Area selection will be available using the arrow buttons or dial on the camera. On some camera models, to access the ability to change the focus point, you will first need to press a dedicated button.
Select focus area AF-S
By selecting the focus point, you can choose the distance at which the camera will focus
If you let the camera choose its own focus area, you won't be able to predict where it will focus.
Focus Mode: One Shot or AF-S
Once you have control over the camera's focus area, you should select a focus mode. Most cameras have a default mode that detects whether an object is moving in the frame or not, and adjusts the focus accordingly. This mode may be called AF-A, or AFF or AI Focus. However, this mode has a disadvantage. For example, when we focus on one spot and then move the camera to change the composition, this autofocus mode interprets the camera's movement as the subject's movement and adjusts the focus accordingly. As a result, the subject in the image may appear out of focus. So you need to use this mode very carefully.
To get sharp images in most cases, it is preferable to use the single-shot autofocus mode, most commonly called AF-S. In this mode, the camera focuses on a point in the viewfinder and stays focused on that point as long as you keep the shutter button half-pressed. Focus does not change even when the frame is recomposed. This focusing mode will allow you to get a much higher percentage of sharp shots.
In this shot, objects were moving towards or away from the camera, so the AF-C / AI Servo mode worked very well
Another focus mode, AF-C or AI Servo, is for shooting moving subjects that may get closer or further away from the camera. When using this mode, you must be sure to maintain your point of focus on the moving subject. Even if you keep the focus point on your subject's eyes, this mode is not recommended for portrait photography, as the camera will constantly adjust the focus slightly in anticipation of your subject's movement, which tends to result in less than sharp images.
In this shot, my model was sitting still, so AF-S / One Shot mode was perfect
In some cameras, you may find other focusing modes, such as 3D tracking and face detection, etc. They may show good results in some situations. But most of the time AF-S/One Shot will be best choice for you.
Not all focus points you see in your camera's viewfinder are equally effective. The center focus point is usually more accurate. It is more sensitive and can actually do a better job than points located in the outer areas. The central point is always cross-type, which means it works better in low light conditions. Additionally, your lens is brighter in the center, which also makes the focusing process easier and more accurate.
In this situation, the camera will have a hard time focusing on the dark faces of people in the foreground, so focusing on the center point is a great option.
Like any automation, auto focus does not always work perfectly. Sometimes, the autofocus system may focus on a completely different area of the frame that you want to focus on in your photo.
Don't get us wrong, today's DSLR and mirrorless cameras can focus faster than ever before. However, to create truly creative and artistic photographs, you need to adjust the focus yourself.
In what cases will autofocus not work correctly?
Your camera may fail to autofocus when there isn't enough light or when shooting solid-colored subjects, such as a brown dog in an open field. IN in this case the camera simply will not be able to determine the point to focus.
In such situations, the lens will move back and forth, trying to fix on at least some point. If in this case, there is some kind of foreground object - a bush, branch, etc., then, most likely, the camera will focus on it.
Moving subjects can be very difficult subjects to autofocus on. For such shooting, you need to make sure that you have chosen correct mode focusing, this is the only way to make beautiful, clear and sharp images.
Which focus modes should you use and when?
The first thing to decide is whether you want to use autofocus or switch to manual focus mode. There are several situations where manual focusing is the best option. To make sure that you are working in automatic mode, make sure that the lens is set to AF, not MF.
Autofocus offers two different mode, one of which must be installed on the camera. These are One-Shot AF (Canon) / Single-Servo AF (Nikon) and AI Servo AF (Canon) / Continuous-Servo AF (Nikon). One-Shot/Single-Servo best option for shooting stationary objects. After the system focuses on the desired object, you can safely take your photo.
As the name suggests, in AI Servo AF / Continuous-Servo AF mode, the camera continuously focuses on the subject, this mode is more convenient for tracking the movement of the subject. In this case, you can take a photo at any time, even if the subject is out of focus. This is designed for faster and more productive work.
Many cameras offer another autofocus mode: AI Focus AF (Canon) or Auto AF (Nikon). In this mode, the camera automatically detects whether the subject is stationary or moving and switches to the appropriate mode accordingly.
Do not confuse choosing an autofocus mode with choosing a focus area, which can also be set automatically or manually.
What is the difference between autofocus mode and focus area?
Focus mode determines whether how the lens will focus, and the autofocus area determines where the camera will focus. Focus areas may vary depending on different models cameras, and from different manufacturers.
When working with a camera, the photographer has the opportunity to choose whether it will focus on one point or several. By looking through the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button halfway, you will see how the camera focuses. When focusing on one point, you can move the point.
How many AF points should you use?
It all depends on what you are shooting. If you set focus to multiple points, the camera automatically selects which ones to use to focus on the subject.
At the same time, if the subject is large enough, then you may not be satisfied with how the camera focuses. For example, when photographing a monument, the camera may focus on the legs of the statue, while it would like the focus to be on the face. In addition, in this case there is a risk of focusing on foreground objects while the subject is in the background.
At the same time, Automatic multi-point focusing can be more productive when shooting a subject on plain background , for example, when photographing birds against a blue sky. The more AF points a camera has, the more accurately it will focus and better track the subject as it moves through the frame. In other cases, it will be preferable to use multi-point focusing.
Of all available AF points, center point, provides the best accuracy. It is best to focus exactly on this point, and then, having locked the focus, move the camera so as to create an attractive compositional photo.
When to use manual focus?
Manual focusing can be useful when the focal length remains unchanged. For example, when photographing a car race, you can automatically focus on the track, and then, when the car approaches, switch to manual focusing and, while tracking the car, focus manually.
Manual focusing is also the only option when the camera cannot concentrate on its own. Some lenses allow you to constantly adjust the camera's focus manually, without you having to switch from manual to automatic all the time.
How to Focus with Live View
Live View focuses well in manual mode. When switching to auto focus mode, don't expect miracles from your camera.
Auto Focus
Auto mode in Live View can work differently in each camera model. Most cameras have fast autofocus capabilities and a slower but more accurate mode with face detection capabilities.
Manual control
Live View helps with manual focusing, since using the screen you can enlarge part of the screen and make more fine tuning focus. This is especially convenient when landscape photography and macro. The photographer's task is to produce fine tuning, since the difference between sharp and clear can be significant.