Camera has focus problems after update to eOS v1.15

Using /e/OS Applications
1

Yesterday I did an eOS Update from v1.13 to v1.15 on my Fairphone 3 (FP3). After that, my build in Camera app (version 1.51.1) has focus problems:

Steps to reproduce / actual behaviour / previous behaviour:

  1. I start the Camera app from the launcher
  2. I have set “Focus Auto”
  3. I tab on the screen to pick the area of the picture, which should be “in focus” (= sharp)
  4. focus is “pumping” a little bit, trying to find the best lens settings
  5. the tabbed area seems to be sharp in the preview
  6. but the tabbed area is surrounded by a red rectangle (it used to be green in v1.13)
  7. I tab on the “take picture”-icon
  8. focus is “pumping” again (it did not with eOS version v1.13)
  9. the image, saved to disk, is blurry

Additional information:

It helps to go to “Settings manager” and tab “Reset settings”. After that, I can change again to “Focus Auto”-Mode and everything works fine.
But after closing the Camera app and waiting a little time (or after a restart my mobile phone). The focus is broken again.

Since you can export your Camera settings from the app, I created two settings-files saved in “working” and “broken” condition. They are found in: ./Android/data/foundation.e.camera/files/backups/
Since I can’t upload XML-files here, I just post the diff: Both files als 99% identical, but the “broken”-file has these three additional lines:

  • <string key="preference_camera_api" value="preference_camera_api_camera2" />
  • <string key="preference_edge_mode" value="default" />
  • <string key="preference_noise_reduction_mode" value="default" />

The original OpenCamera app (version 1.52) does not have this problem.

Workaround:
I installed another camera app from F-Droid. It is working fine for me.

Does anyone have similar issues or an idea, how to fix this?

1 Like
2

I’m trying to reproduce this on my Fairphone 3 running /e/OS 1.15-s-20230916331435-dev-FP3, but I’m failing so far.

Ok.

I don’t get this pumping again, and the auto focus seems to work fine for me.

Are you using the original camera module or the + one?
Are you using /e/OS stable or dev?

3

On my FP3+ running 1.15-stable the camera focus works fine though the rectangle appears red after tapping for focus on a certain area.
Taking a picture results in a fine sharp photo.

1 Like
4

Hi, I have something similar with my Pixel 5 (see Feedback for v1.15 - #42 by Arnaud).
I tried to install OpenCamera with the same unsuccess ! still blurry when I select manual mode.
e/os/ stable
Arnaud

1 Like
5

Same issue here with a FP4, I also reported this in my Feedback for v1.15.

6

I have the original FP3 camera module, not the + one.

My Fairphone is running on /e/OS 1.15-s-20230913330639-stable-FP3. So I am using “stable” I guess.

1 Like
7

Also affected. FP3+ gone from 1.13-s to 1.15-s, and I’ve never seen the focus rectangle going green instead of red ever since. The resulting picture quality seems more or less the same as before, though.

8

I have had the subjective impression that autofocus got significantly worse on my Redmi 8T (ginkgo) as well. It’s of course hard to compare side by side without a second device, but suddenly a lot of photos are out of focus. I think (again subjective impression) that this doesn’t just apply to the built-in camera app, but also to other apps like document scanners.

Before that I was on 1.11 (updates inbetween were not available for ginkgo).

9

I have exactly the same issue as the thread starter with my FP3 (original camera and original camera app), but not sure if it only happens since eOS stable 1.15-s. I feel like this has happened multiple times in the past with other eOS stable versions as well.

I haven’t experimented like Tryrildoth did and I don’t mean to, but what I do to temporarily (for 1 photo at least) solve the issue is one of the following:

  1. I tap on the screen so that the autofocus aims to readjust (it immediately gets totally out of focus), then tap on the take photo button, then the autofocus adjusts to the (hopefully) correct setting and voilá, a sharp photo is taken.

  2. Another option is to restart or minimize/maximize the camera app or tap on the look-at-most-recent-photo button and then go back to the take photo mode. Then immediately take a photo.

The principle behind both options is the same: Do not give the autofocus the time to find the correct setting and only then take a photo, because then happens what Tryrildoth explained: From the correct setting the autofocus tries to readjust, gets to an incorrect setting and then a blurry photo is taken. You instead have to start from an incorrect autofocus setting and let it go from there. Needless to say that both the issue and my “solution” are extremely annoying.

10

Hi,
I have very similar issue with my FP3+ since v1.15 update. I don’t get the “pumping” effect but all my close-range photos are blurry (I cannot take photos of any written pages or screens). The tapping on the screen to get the focus back on does not work at all.

Is the fix part of next release? Anyone knows?

11

I don’t know either, but on my FP3+ the problem didn’t occur, neither with 1.15 nor with 1.16…
The rectangle for focus does not turn green but stays red, anyway my pics are good and sharp, even taken from a sheet of paper hanging on the wall.
Strange.

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