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[Q] Should I remove the plastic thing on the camera?

Should I remove the protecting thing on the camera of the nexus 5 or will the camera get scrached?

The glass underneath the plastic is recessed so should be OK. That said, you can buy screen protectors with camera covers too.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

The lens is also fairly durable and does not scratch nearly as easily as the screen.
Last, a lens needs to be very scratched up for it to have a significant impact on your pictures.
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/1095/does-a-lens-scratch-really-impact-your-photos/

if you have no need to use the camera, you dont need to take it off. but if you do want to use the camera, take the darn thing off! it wont get scratched very easy, believe me. i probably take more photos here than anyone else, on a daily level, and not a scratch on mine. been using since new years. and those screen savers with camera covers, they reduce image quality. personally, im very anal about the quality of the images, and anytrhing that covers or "protects" the camera lens cover will reduce image quality, no matter if it says it doesnt or someone says they dont notice.

raptir said:
The lens is also fairly durable and does not scratch nearly as easily as the screen.
Last, a lens needs to be very scratched up for it to have a significant impact on your pictures.
http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/1095/does-a-lens-scratch-really-impact-your-photos/
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I imagine the lens scratches really easily but luckily its actually underneath a layer of glass.
As a keen photographer myself, I only partially agree with the link. Probably wouldn't matter on a device like this but as a general rule it would.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I decided to remove it guys and it turned out that the plastic thing accualy doesn't cover the lense anyway it covers the HUGE camera becide it :laugh:

Mazen Amr said:
I decided to remove it guys and it turned out that the plastic thing accualy doesn't cover the lense anyway it covers the HUGE camera becide it :laugh:
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Good job. It would just fall off eventually.
Also please remove the IMEI sticker from the back. Some people think it has a purpose or isn't removable for some odd reason.

bblzd said:
Good job. It would just fall off eventually.
Also please remove the IMEI sticker from the back. Some people think it has a purpose or isn't removable for some odd reason.
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Removed it long time ago

simms22 said:
if you have no need to use the camera, you dont need to take it off. but if you do want to use the camera, take the darn thing off! it wont get scratched very easy, believe me. i probably take more photos here than anyone else, on a daily level, and not a scratch on mine. been using since new years. and those screen savers with camera covers, they reduce image quality. personally, im very anal about the quality of the images, and anytrhing that covers or "protects" the camera lens cover will reduce image quality, no matter if it says it doesnt or someone says they dont notice.
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I don't see how taking photos would scratch the lens =P I think it's more of being in your pocket or leaving it on the table with no case on. Also, as OP found out, the plastic has a center opening for the actual camera and only covers everything around it.
@ OP After I RMA'd my phone I kept the plastic on there. However, after getting a dbrand skin that came with a lens covering, I used it to replace the plastic. A lot of skins now come with them, and as @rootSU said you can order transparent ones that probably will stay on the phone better.

Screen cracks easily?

Over on another (swedish) forum we're seeing some rather disturbing reports of screens cracking for seemingly no reason.
Some have reported cracks after simply placing their phone on a table, others by just having it in their pocket.
Do we have XDA member with similar experiences?

Given the number of times it has dropped from the table because it's so rediculously slippery, to no ill effect on the glass, it doesn't seem too bad. I might have been lucky, though.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

It doesn't crack easily, but it seems to happen yeah.
I know this was an issue with the Z2 as well (know 1 or 2 ppl suffering from it) and hope it's not a wide-spread one with the Z3. The fact that it performs as some hoovercraft thingie floating over flat services is kinda annoying though, fell a few times here as well already but luckily no damage so far.

phones have glass screens. Glass screens break on some occasions. Water is wet.
add every report you can find and what do we get? 20? lets make it 100. Of 100 000 phones sold (which is serious lowballing) that is 0.1%.
so even if it seems bad it's not really an issue

As long as iitgets repaired by Sony you mean....

of course, like on the z2.

i think a lot of people are just careless.. i mean who buys this type of phone and already in less than 2 days of owning it, they managed to cracked the screen by dropping it or sitting on it while in their pocket. sh*t happens but if people were more careful i doubt we'd be seeing all these 'broken screen' threads.
IMO the z2 was one of the most sturdy glass screen phones ever, this z2 drop test is pretty amazing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BGQtfDZNt4
so unless something in the glass was changed between the two versions i don't see how the z3 can be any worse than the z2.

Well I accidentally tested the sturdiness of the phone when I pulled my jacket up and forgot that phone was on top of it. Well nice 1,5m fall with some momentum and not a single scratch. Phew.

Its Gorilla Glass 3, so I don't think it should be any weaker or stronger than other Gorilla Glass 3 phones out there. Any quality issues is probably Corning's fault.
Update: according to Sony they use both Gorrila glass 3 and Dragontrail glass. I have heard Dragontrail is slightly less scratch resistant but thats about it.

abhinav.tella said:
I have heard Dragontrail is slightly less scratch resistant but thats about it.
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On the contrary, Dragontail is harder than GG3...... resists scratches more - but at the detriment to viewing angle quality which is why DT is on the back.

I didnt't notice ANY scratch resistance of the glass backplane. Just use it carefully for a few days - enjoy a nice collection of scratches to stay. Deeply disappointing.

Agreed, seems no matter how careful I am it'll just pick up tiny scratches on the back..seemingly from little specs of dust..I don't understand.

cheetah2k said:
On the contrary, Dragontail is harder than GG3...... resists scratches more - but at the detriment to viewing angle quality which is why DT is on the back.
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There is a table in this link, it shows GG3 as being higher on the hardness scalle by small amount over Dragontrail.
http://en.miui.com/thread-39439-1-1.html
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ladelfm said:
Agreed, seems no matter how careful I am it'll just pick up tiny scratches on the back..seemingly from little specs of dust..I don't understand.
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Wow, you guys are scaring me.

I think the cracked screen problem is not from dropping it, or sitting on it. It's that the screen cracks by itself even when just sitting on a table somewhere. People are blaming the temperature difference between a hot phone and a cool surface for stressing the glass and cracking it.
I dunno, I'm in no hurry to upgrade just yet, we'll see.

delete

I posted some pics in another thread here. Hoping it's just a fault with the device
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=56122962&postcount=7

BBC Watchdog did a story on this for the Z1, now there are new complaints coming in about similar issues on the Z3.
BBC Watchdog link for Z1:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/05/3...peria-z1-cracking-screen-issue-sony-responds/
I chose this phone over the M8 due to the Camera, I kept insureance for the Z3 with T-Mobile just in case I get this issue when my phone arrives. Depending on how things turn out with more and more people complaining, I might just have to get the M8.
HTC gives free one time cracked/damaged screen replacement within 6 months in US as part of HTC Advantage. Sony should do the same, especially with their screen issues.
There are theories about uneven expansion of surfaces under heat stress causing cracks due to the way the glass is glued.

I have not experienced the cracking issue but I did notice a scratch on the glass on the back of the phone not even a week after getting it. It's not too bad, and not even really visible in direct light, but you bet I slapped a case on that thing as fast as I could.

h3ckman said:
I have not experienced the cracking issue but I did notice a scratch on the glass on the back of the phone not even a week after getting it. It's not too bad, and not even really visible in direct light, but you bet I slapped a case on that thing as fast as I could.
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I'm sure its a minority getting this issue but still seems to be a lot more than other manufacturers which is alarming. I made my dad get the HTC M8 over the iPhone 6 just for HTCs' Advantage program of one time free screen replacement.

I'm so glad I bought the white version because I can barely see the scratches on the back! It used to drive me crazy on my old black Z1 :silly:

Bad picture quality because of camera lens!

Has anyone else seen this? My camera quality slowly got worse and worse. I went to get my phone replaced under warranty and got hassled around because of the known hairline back that happens around the microphone port so I decided to take the lens off. It takes perfect pics now. I'm very gentle with my phones. It's in perfect condition so I don't even understand how the lens got this way. Bought a new one on ebay for $4 and will replace it myself. Here's what my pics look like.. One is the front camera and the horrible looking one is the rear camera.

When you say camera lens, are you talking about the protective plastic piece? That's not a lens, it's just a piece of protection stuck on like the plastic cover found on your screen when unboxing. The actual camera lens is glass and would be tough to scratch.
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

No... I understand.... Protective plastic was removed a LONG time ago. My photos appear cloudy as well, and slowly getting worse. if I look at the lens it looks like it's got a sheen over it and no matter what I do I can't rub it off I can't clean it off. What do I want for a buck though I guess.... right? Dollar phone.

I was able to clean the sheen off with some tooth paste, q-tip then some alcohol to shine it up. Works great now, no scratches

My bro's Verizon model doesn't have the coating. Maybe it was a mistake during assembly, didn't get cleaned off at the right time.

Haze on camera lens and photos.

Over the past few days my pictures have started looking like they were all taken in a 1920s jazz club.
I took a photo on the 9th of my living room setup that came out perfectly clear. The next day I noticed that pictures were coming out a little fuzzy, having a hard time focusing, and there appeared to be a slight film on the lens cover. The picture I post below is from today and the haze seems to cover almost the entire lens cover.
I removed the film the day I purchased the phone and haven't made any changes to my daily routine that may have brought this about.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Hair dryer on medium for a minute or so? Should I RMA? Anyone else having this problem?

Is there any kind of condensation under the lens?

igothacked1 said:
Is there any kind of condensation under the lens?
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I can't tell what it is but there is definitely something under the lens. However, I checked the water indicator in the sim tray and it seems to still be white.
Edit: I know you can't really tell anything from those photos. In the first one, even though it is out of focus, you can tell there is definitely something on the lens.

I can't tell much by the photos, but the camera and finger sensor ship with protective vinyl covers. The one on my finger sensor was particularly hard to remove because it was cut and aligned so perfectly, there was no lip to grab. I had to use tweezers to remove it.

sublimaze said:
...The one on my finger sensor was particularly hard to remove because it was cut and aligned so perfectly, there was no lip to grab. I had to use tweezers to remove it.
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Yeah, I distinctly remember the fingerprint protector being a pain to remove. That's why I know there isn't a protector on the lens...

hiko36 said:
Yeah, I distinctly remember the fingerprint protector being a pain to remove. That's why I know there isn't a protector on the lens...
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Ah, I completely missed that in your OP. My S6 takes the best photos of any phone I've ever owned, I have zero complaints about that. Your photo is definitely hazy. I have never taken a photo like that. If you are still in your return period, you should exchange it.
Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

There is definitely something wrong there. Return the device while you can.
Can't really tell from the pics, but you might have condensation in the inner elements of the compound lens.
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Thanks, gents. Looks like I'll be filing a warranty replacement on Monday.
The only thing I can think is that when I went for a run with it in an armband the morning it started and somehow sweat got in there. I guess they weren't kidding when they removed the water proof rating from the s5.
I attached a couple pictures from before it started. This camera seriously is phenomenal.

What is this under the lens cover?

Something under the lens, near the top: http://imgur.com/a/SMXPU
I'm not sure what this is but looks like a speck of dust? But I'm not sure. What do you think? Is there a way to remove it without taking off the back cover completely (e.g. tapping the phone downwards, tapping the covert itself, etc.)
Not sure how it affects (or if it even does) image quality.. haven't noticed anything too unusual

Yep, looks like dust to me and I have mixed thoughts. One hand I say don't worry if it doesn't impact images, but also think if dust got in how dust/water proofed is the device?

cliffr39 said:
Yep, looks like dust to me and I have mixed thoughts. One hand I say don't worry if it doesn't impact images, but also think if dust got in how dust/water proofed is the device?
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I'm thinking more like dust went inside during the assembled of the device
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

I have the same thing and quite a bit... Doesn't affect most outdoor images, but if you I a desk light at a certain angle, the dust spots are more apparent (they look like floaters in your eye). I had the lens cover replaced when I had the left blur problem. JerryRigEverything said the lens cover is plastic and scratches and loosens up very easily if you use a knife to poke it...

It looks like water vapors to me. Did you sink it in water? That's how my HTC camera looked after taking water. Could be that your device is not hermetic anymore. There is a test for that, using your service menu / pressure sensor and gently pushing on the screen. Google it up.
If it's not water but dust, you'd better test it though, as you don't want to put it in water if it's not water/dust proof anymore.
Xperia Z5 E6653