The iPhone camera does not focus - reasons and what to do. Taking high-quality photos using Android
Very often I hear a question from newcomers to the series: Why doesn’t my DSLR focus on black or white or misses in the twilight?!
All this once again indicates that the person did not even try to understand or study the principle of focusing of a modern SLR and did not bother to look at the instructions for his own camera, where, in the vast majority of cases, this is explained.
How your DSLR's autofocus works
Surely, you have encountered a situation where the camera moves its zoom lens, scrolling it back and forth, in an attempt to focus. Most often, this means that there are no contrasting objects or their boundaries in the place where you are aiming the focal point.
Here you need to understand the essence of, let's say, the contrast focusing system that modern DSLRs use.
In order for your camera's autofocus to work, there needs to be contrasting boundaries around objects or between objects. The ideal focal point will be a clear boundary between black and white. An ideal case for an autofocus system can be represented by the following figure:
An excellent example from everyday life that describes this case would be a man in a black suit and white shirt, or vice versa.
Naturally, we can assume that the closer in tone, color or brightness similar boundaries of objects are, the harder it is for the camera to catch on to this area with autofocus.
This case can be well illustrated by the following figures:
I think you've already guessed that the bottom picture is more difficult case for the focusing system of a DSLR and the closer the objects are to each other in tone/brightness/color, the more difficult it is for the camera to focus on that area.
Even you need to look closely to understand which area is lighter, but our eyes are much more perfect than the camera matrix.
An excellent example of the picture below would be an attempt to photograph a smoothly plastered gray wall. Just for fun, be sure to try it to fully understand.
Why does my camera miss autofocus at dusk?!
Precisely because of the low contrast between objects. And the darker the twilight, the lower the contrast and the greater the chance that the camera will miss autofocus or simply take a long time to focus. In other words, it is difficult for the camera to select the grayer one from two equally gray objects and to understand where the contrast boundary between them is.
In these conditions, it would be a big mistake to use automatic focus point selection rather than manual selection. The bottom line is that in the automatic focus point selection mode, the DSLR will manically cling to some kind of flashlight street lighting, but not for your friend, who is standing under this very lantern.
And if you don’t control where exactly your camera was focusing, then you will get a beautiful photo with a sharp flashlight and a blurry friend.
What affects the quality of the autofocus system of a DSLR?!
It is unlikely that you will be surprised by my answer that the quality of autofocus depends on the camera itself, the lens and their combination, as a whole.
- The brighter and better the lens, the more tones/midtones the DSLR sees and the easier it is for the autofocus system to work.
- The better and more expensive the camera matrix, the more tones and halftones this camera can distinguish. Naturally, the more expensive it is.
Accordingly, a combination of a good lens and a good camera will allow autofocus to work more accurately due to greater visibility of those same contrast boundaries that are so necessary for the autofocus system.
Now, returning to the beginning of the article, try to answer the following question for yourself:
Why won't my camera focus on solid white or black?! In general, on any plain background!?
If you can answer this question, then you have not read this article in vain and I can congratulate you on beginning to understand the principle of operation of the focusing system of your DSLR. And you can already expect a reduction in the number of frames with focus errors.
iPhone is one of the most branded and sought-after smartphones all over the world. The combination of quality and style helped to achieve such popularity. But the owners of this gadget periodically encounter problems during operation. The iPhone doesn't focus is one of them.
Looking for a reason
Before moving on to the breakdown, you should find out what caused it. Common reasons include:
- damage to the camera when dropped;
- water or moisture entering the phone body;
- system failure;
- shortage RAM for the operation of an application related to the operation of the camera;
- problem with the firmware;
- others.
Attention, there is a reboot in progress!
The most basic way to deal with things that don't focus iPhone camera- reboot the gadget. This method works with almost everyone mobile devices and computers. The fact is that when you reboot, the system restarts all the services necessary for the smooth functioning of the phone.
It is possible that one of the services associated with the camera was faulty or closed as a result of a failure. There is nothing critical about this, and the gadget will not require repairs.
Phone is rebooted, free up some space
Physical damage is not always the reason why the iPhone 5 camera won't focus. When you have multiple apps running on your phone at the same time, one of them may crash. This is not necessarily camera software, but any other software as well.
Absence normal functioning due to the RAM being full. Although the iPhone is a powerful gadget, it cannot work simultaneously with several intensive applications at once. Try not to turn off necessary programs. To do this, double-click the "Home" button and pull up the window with the application that is no longer required.
Recovery
Still having a problem with the camera? Well, let's try another way. Connect your phone to your PC and use iTunes. Reset your phone to factory settings to return the device to its original appearance. The data will be saved, but the settings will be lost. There is nothing critical about this, the main thing is that the system will return to normal and the camera will begin to function normally.
Nothing helped?
If the camera, as before, refuses to work normally, then the problem is not in the system, but in damage to the device itself. In this case, you should not do anything yourself, but rather contact the Apple customer service center, where they will diagnose and repair the camera, if necessary.
In the section on the question: The camera does not focus on the smartphone. I can’t focus the camera on a smartphone, can this be fixed? given by the author Galina Gerasimova the best answer is Does the camera on your smartphone support autofocus? Maybe there is a fixed focus distance.
Cat Maru
(93031)
Phone model?
Reply from 22 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: The camera on the smartphone does not focus. I can’t focus the camera on a smartphone, can this be fixed?
Reply from Opro lgppra[newbie]
ahhaa yes yes))
Reply from German Tretyakov[newbie]
How to fix camera not focusing: Typically, in this case, neither a firmware update nor full reset settings don't help. Moreover, it is the firmware update that most often causes this problem. And to eliminate it: Go to the store Google applications Play and download an application alternative to the pre-installed “Camera”. For example, Snap Camera or any other. Install it. Go to the settings menu of the new application and select the operating mode (scene mode) “Landscape”. *As a rule, this procedure fixes the problem.
Reply from Ruslan[newbie]
I had a similar problem on a Samsung A3 2016. Procedure: 1) Restart the phone (this is exactly what helped me, because after the update, after some time the problem with FOCUS occurred) 2) If it doesn’t help, install third party application for the camera. Anything with which you can take a photo.3) Reset the camera settings, in standard application android.p.s. If these steps do not help you, then most likely you have a problem with the hardware (hardware).
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! Without diagnostics
Problems with the camera arise for 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 the 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 of the flashlight. There may also be a manufacturing defect during assembly. The phone needs to be examined.
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 this type of shooting, you need to make sure that you have selected the correct focusing mode, this is the only way to have a chance of capturing 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 modes, 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 may be more productive when shooting a subject against a 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 points autofocus, 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 perfectly in manual mode. When going to automatic mode focus, 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 because you can use the screen to zoom in on part of the screen and make more fine tuning focus. This is especially useful for landscape and macro photography. The photographer's task is to make very precise adjustments, since the difference between sharp and clear can be significant.