So the glass covering the camera lens recently broke on my girlfriend's Galaxy S7. The camera still worked and focused correctly, but I tried to replace the glass.
I used a heat gun to remove all of the broken glass and adhesive. Ever since I did that, everything looks "foggy" in the camera app. It's like there's moisture covering the lens. We tried cleaning the lens with a Q-tip, but it still looks the same.
Anyone know why this would happen? Did I damage the camera unit with the heat? Any advice on what to do? Thanks in advance!
Maybe some adhesive is left between camera module and lens? Are lens exactly the same as the ones before? Just throwing some ideas around because I am honestly not an expert on this, might be damaged module but I don't know enough to say anything.
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, that is possible. Although if that's the case, I don't know why it won't come off. I haven't actually put the new glass cover over the camera unit lens yet, and I tried cleaning the module lens with a Q-tip. Same result. So, I'm wondering if I damaged the unit, or maybe melted the lens slightly. I guess it is what it is. Thanks again!
Wait but is it foggy when you put lens over it? I mean is the whole package there or not? Because that's what lens are for, to focus stuff on the camera sensor. It's not clear from your post if you actually did that or not. Camera without lens with always be "foggy".
Edit: Reading it for 3rd time, is the exterior glass the only thing broken or is there more? Flat glass will not focus image so that is no the issue then. For a second I thought that you have camera module without any glass. Post some pictures I guess, from the camera and of the camera.
Sorry for the confusion. Yes, the exterior glass was the only thing broken. When it first broke, I ripped the shards off, and bought a replacement glass cover online. The camera was still working until I used a heat gun to remove the residual glass and adhesive.
After I did that, I tested the camera again, and that's when it looked foggy. Anyway, I'll post some pictures when I get the chance.
Why would u even use heat gun for that? I changed about 20 camera lenses and all without heat gun, just break the glass and ripp it off, clean the leftover residue , put new glass and bam works... maybe u have condensation?
Can you share a photo taken with the camera? it'll help to figure out what's happening.
Maybe some clues :
- If the lens is made with other material than glass they are heat and chemicals sensitive
- Some humidity got under the lens
- Deep scratch on the lens
- The lens barrel moved for some reason (pushed or not in his rail anymore) or is not calibrated anymore
(btw never use Q-tips to clean lenses they can scratch the lens and coating - Use optical cleaning paper)
NeoDJW said:
Why would u even use heat gun for that? I changed about 20 camera lenses and all without heat gun, just break the glass and ripp it off, clean the leftover residue , put new glass and bam works... maybe u have condensation?
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I was following a tutorial video I found online. The said that any residual adhesive from the old glass might cause an imperfect seal, and any old glass pieces might cause the new glass to crack. So, they removed it with a heat gun. How do you go about cleaning the leftover residue? Just curious. Thanks.
ttf said:
Can you share a photo taken with the camera? it'll help to figure out what's happening.
Maybe some clues :
- If the lens is made with other material than glass they are heat and chemicals sensitive
- Some humidity got under the lens
- Deep scratch on the lens
- The lens barrel moved for some reason (pushed or not in his rail anymore) or is not calibrated anymore
(btw never use Q-tips to clean lenses they can scratch the lens and coating - Use optical cleaning paper)
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Thanks for the input. Here's some photos. This is what an image looks like when taken with the camera currently:
Here's a picture taken with my S7, which doesn't have a damaged camera. This is what the image should look like:
Here's a closeup shot of the damaged camera. I haven't put the replacement glass on yet. I am waiting until this issue is resolved.
Looking at that close up shot of the lens, it does look like there's something on it. I can't tell if those are scratches or residue. Any idea what might be a good way to go about cleaning it? It seems like it would be hard to clean something that small with optical cleaning paper, especially since the unit moves. Thanks again!
Thanks for the pics.
Somehow hard to figure out if it's some Q-tips dust of some melted plastic coating gel.
Yes it's hard to clean such a little surface but try to wrap your Qtips or a small non abrasive tool with the optical paper, add some 100% ethanol or 98% rubbing alcohol on it.
Do you have a air blower pump for camera?, if yes try with that first and if it still stuck on the lens then something melted, Gel coating? not sure. If it's inside well it's probably some gel...unfortunately there is nothing much you can do but changing the camera module.
Hope it's only dust, good luck.
ttf said:
Thanks for the pics.
Somehow hard to figure out if it's some Q-tips dust of some melted plastic coating gel.
Yes it's hard to clean such a little surface but try to wrap your Qtips or a small non abrasive tool with the optical paper, add some 100% ethanol or 98% rubbing alcohol on it.
Do you have a air blower pump for camera?, if yes try with that first and if it still stuck on the lens then something melted, Gel coating? not sure. If it's inside well it's probably some gel...unfortunately there is nothing much you can do but changing the camera module.
Hope it's only dust, good luck.
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Thanks for the advice! I don't have an air blower pump. Can I use a can of air? Anyway, I'll try these tips when I get back in town tomorrow. Thank you again!
Sure a can of air can do the trick, be careful though, some spray liquid and let some residue, test it on a piece of paper first. Tell us how it goes.
Have you washed the phone with water before the glass broke?
Airman1947 said:
Looking at that close up shot of the lens, it does look like there's something on it.
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If the gunk doesn't clear with alcohol (e.g. lens cleaner) then it may be that the lens itself is damaged. If the heat gun made the lens too hot it may have damaged the actual lens itself.
That rear glass looks like the coating is flaking. You might need to replace the module. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Sam...ont-Rear-Lens-Flex-Cable-Module-/192066941308
Thanks for all the help, everyone! So, I tried cleaning the lens with a can of air, and also with lens cleaner on a Q-tip covered with optical cleaning paper. Same results.
Looks like whatever the problem is, it's gonna require replacing the camera unit Darn, wish I hadn't touched it. Was working fine. Anyway, thanks again!
Thanks for the follow up and sorry to hear it didn't fixed the problem. Maybe you could ask samsung to get you a price quote for the replacement or if you're really adventurous you could buy the camera module as a DIY project, be extra careful though you'll most likely avoid your warranty and the IP67/68 (someone posted a link in the thread for the camera unit), or ask a quote in a 3rd party shop?
Airman1947 said:
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, that is possible. Although if that's the case, I don't know why it won't come off. I haven't actually put the new glass cover over the camera unit lens yet, and I tried cleaning the module lens with a Q-tip. Same result. So, I'm wondering if I damaged the unit, or maybe melted the lens slightly. I guess it is what it is. Thanks again!
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I'm having the exact same problem and same question! I just finished replacing my LCD. I took a picture to test it out, before putting the back cover back on, and it worked perfect. Then, I used to the heat gun to replace my camera lens, after putting the new back cover on, and now nothing buy blurry, and even looks like a couple of round water spots. I took the lens back off and tried cleaning it, I've shaken in, reset the camera settings, at this point...I'm afraid I damaged the camera with the heat gun and have to open it back up and have replace the whole camera.
JOFowler said:
I'm having the exact same problem and same question! I just finished replacing my LCD. I took a picture to test it out, before putting the back cover back on, and it worked perfect. Then, I used to the heat gun to replace my camera lens, after putting the new back cover on, and now nothing buy blurry, and even looks like a couple of round water spots. I took the lens back off and tried cleaning it, I've shaken in, reset the camera settings, at this point...I'm afraid I damaged the camera with the heat gun and have to open it back up and have replace the whole camera.
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Aw man, yeah looks like the same thing happened to you. Yeah, I think that the heat damages the lens on the camera unit. I couldn't find a way to get rid of the blurriness.
I ended up just cashing in on the phone insurance for mine. If you have it, I'd suggest doing the same, unless you're feeling adventurous and wanna try and replace the camera unit. Sorry I can't be more help. Good luck!
Related
Hi Everyone
Does anyone know how to take apart the VOX so that the camera lens can be cleaned... mine has some moisture behind it the lens cover.
I have tried to find a service manual but cant find one...
Anyone know ?
Cheers
SteveC
You can carefully pry off the silver back (saying 2.0 megapixels) with a small knife and then you'll have access to the plastic lens-cover, which also can be removed. It's just glued to the back.
However, I have the same problem... It's like a haze on the plastic, haven't been able to clean it :-( Have been thinking to just remove the plastic lens cover, pictures are much clearer without it!
x11freak said:
However, I have the same problem... It's like a haze on the plastic, haven't been able to clean it :-( Have been thinking to just remove the plastic lens cover, pictures are much clearer without it!
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Same problem here but I'm afraid the camera lens won't take the dirt and dust which it is exposed to even when using and transporting the phone very carefully. Thus I did not remove the cover yet, although the photos do look somewhat hazy.
so i dropped my fuze the other day taking it out of the case and when it hit the ground the cover and battery came off and out. i put it back together to inspect the damage and didnt see anything wrong (i was outside at night in a parking lot). when i got back to my house i looked over the phone again in the light and noticed that it looked like my camera lens was all cracked. it turns out that only the square piece of glass in front of the camera was broken and i peeled it off and the camera seems to work fine without it. does anyone know if this affects the lens at all by being exposed and where i might be able to get another square glass cover??? the original one seemed to be glued down so i dont see why i couldnt glue another thin piece of glass overtop of it???
you can probably check out how thick the glass was and then cut off a small piece and glue it down with a normal glue just so it sticks... it's mostly to protect the lens,
yea it has to be 1 mm at most its really small. i'll take it to a camera shop and see if they have anything i can use to fit in where it was. thanks
i dropped my first fuze from a short distance and that little piece of glass broke around the sides. i think its just a noise filter. the camera still worked but there was alot of extra noise which almost seemed to pulse on the image. im taking better care of my replacement fuze.
did att give you a new replacement for free? i think i am just going to hold on to this one and flash it a few times until the fortress comes out sometime at the end of the summer.
I rarely take pictures with my sensation but the other day my wife and I were out and I decided to take some pictures when i noticed a dot on the screen. Initially i thought the dust was on the outside of the lense so I simply tried blowing it off, then I tried wiping, then figured out it has to be under the lense. I know for sure its dust because when i zoom in on the camera it looks like a big ass black cotton ball. How do I get this one speck of dust out from under the lens ? I think I can take a duster can to it but is there a way to take the lens off then place it back without any damage?
thanks in advance guys
I have the same problem. Came here hoping there is solution
I've heard some people removing the lense with a tiny screwdriver.
If you look at the top right of the lense, there's a tiny gap where you should be able to remove the uppest lense.
Even though it might sound possible, this operation requires a lot of caution. Personally, I wouldn't recommend doing this as it probably voids your warranty.
Htc should be able to solve this problem for free, as dust shouldn't be able to get inside the camera.
When I turn on front camera I see myself mugish, like there is fog around me.
I think that there is something on front lens, because in the left bottom everything is perfectly clear.
Has anyone here experienced such thing?
And has anyone here tried to clean their front camera lens already?
Thanks in advance
well, ehm...the quality sucks actually
or, you can open the back cover, the front glass of your front camera might have caught much dust.....or, if the dust reached inside, which is a tough case coz the camera is sealed in good way all around, blowing near the camera and around it would do the trick...
arabology said:
well, ehm...the quality sucks actually
or, you can open the back cover, the front glass of your front camera might have caught much dust.....or, if the dust reached inside, which is a tough case coz the camera is sealed in good way all around, blowing near the camera and around it would do the trick...
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I have to wipe mine once a week. The front camera is indeed a dust catcher.
hi
I use a Q tip LIGHTLY I MEAN LIGHTLY moistened with alcohol, then i take a dry Q TIP and clean after that. PLEASE make sure the first Q tip is barely moist, just slightly because you dont want to WET the lens. be careful and gentle and it works wonderfully. This is how i clean my lens. Im sure their are other ways but the Q tip really gets in there and cleans it good!! Good Luck..
sshede said:
I have to wipe mine once a week. The front camera is indeed a dust catcher.
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yeah, thanks to the innovation of hTC keeping the front camera hole open
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