Fairphone 2 camera cannot focus

1 month later: answer.
I have to create an account at a return portal and send my whole phone in, which i am not ok with as my phone works perfectly fine and only my camera is defective - replacing the module helped for others …

However. I am asked for my phone serial number and …
where is the serial number?

Behind my battery there is only this CE1588 sign, on the side the two IMEI, serveral smaller numbers on some parts, but nothing i would identify as serial number. My battery has a serial number, but not my phone ?! Am I blind ?! Someone help pls. (No, its not one of those preordered phones with numbers from 1 to 17ksomething).

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This article should help

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So IMEI1 it is … thx!

Quote in the return portal: Your serial number can be found on the back of your Fairphone behind the battery.

So this is wrong or refers to FP1.

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I also have a similar problem. Macro pictures are just fine, but if I want to zoom on a distant object I only get unfocused pictures.

yesterday, i ordered a new camera module from the fairphone shop to replace the faulty one. i will post here my experience with the new one. will take a few days, though.

The FP2, like most smartphone cameras, only has a digital zoom and not a real optical one. So it’s the same as taking a picture without zoom and then amplifing a detail. With a resolution of 8 megapixels just you can’t get a useful picture…

you’re right, @Irina_Spitznagel, but i can clearly see a difference in zooming “quality” between the cameras in FP1 and FP2. also your kind hint to use Camera ZOOM FX doesn’t make much difference on the performance of the FP2 camera, unfortunately. anyway, if i were to again take a picture of the full moon over pico volcano/açores i’d rather take a real camera…

taken in 2014 with FP1

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Waou! Beautiful photo!!!

I just missed being able to record a piano concert of my daughter because the camera would not focus!!! :rage:

I’m very angry and disappointed… (I also have hot battery and low battery life and reboots)…

My FP2 is a disaster!!!

sorry to hear that but i understand your anger, the pictures from the concert would have been nice to have as a memory. my FP2 is a fine device except for the camera issue.
thx for your appreciation of the picture (taken with FP1)!

I think I’ll go back once more to my FP1…

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Better to fix the camera perhaps? I’m sure they will do it for free.

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I have the same problem too, very difficult to focus with the camera :confused:

Don’t apologize. Great photos. Thanks for your contribution!

I could never do such a pic with mine :frowning:

Well. Got my FP2 back from service today.

Good thing: The camera works now pretty good:

But.

This is how i got my FP2 back:

Cover was not put on properly, I guess with brute force - which caused the broken frame of the display module. (Over the left blue bracket, you can also see some traces on the display itself)

So all in all: I had to send in my whole, functioning FP2 instead of only my camera module because of “we would like to diagnose…”. Had no phone for over a week, got it back damaged …

If you assume some frustration here, you might not be wrong.

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Ouch.
Hope support gets back to you quickly about that. They’ll probably be interested to know about the performance of their repair centre…

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After reading bfb’s story, I’m glad that I got the chance to replace the module myself. Focussing now works like it should.
I’ve made pictures right before and after swapping the camera.

Before:

After:

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curious question: how is the performance now with zooming-in on distant objects? (im still waiting for my replacement camera module, should arrive soon). thx in advance for your reply

The Fairphone only has a digital zoom - as most (or even all?) smartphones. No optical system to change the focal length. A digital zoom is merely enlarging a cropped part of the image without gathering more information, so it can only get worse in terms of resolution (and noise, artefacts etc. as these get enlarged, too).

I’ve never used a digital zoom because of the stated point. I guess the digital zoom of the Fairphone is as unsatisfactory as every other digital zoom.

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sure, i’m aware of that. however, i experienced something that i never saw with the camera ofmy FP1: once you zoom-in at a distant object, the camera briefly shows the (expected) pixelated magnification and immediately turns to a completely blurred version when trying to focus. that’s kind of weird, right?