Have you deleted / purged the camera apps data and cache via settings - apps - storage? Perhaps this initializes the cameras.
Didn’t work, regrettably. Thanks for the suggestion, though 
I recently received a new FP2 with the new camera modules and I have the same problem, front camera has extremely low exposure, almost black in a bright lit room.
Just tested a third party app after reading this thread and that seem to do the trick for me as well!
Running Fairphone Open 17.11.2.
Hey guys,
I had the same problem/solution. Anyhow, it’s surprising that the selfie camera doesn’t work with the stock camera app.
@ support team: Any idea what might be the reason
I’d like to see more picture comparisons!
The selfies camera does not work with Linphone either, c.f. Frontcamera creates dark images with some software.
To use another App is not a solution for video calls because my conversational partners have Linphone on their phones, e.g. iPhone5.
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Sad to hear it’s broken at the moment, but thanks for introducing me to Linphone
Broken for the moment ?
This moment has been lasting for 3 weeks by now.
I bought and installed the new front camera module. I have the “dark exposure” problem, which is really annoying when trying to sign up for online services which need to verify my identity via a video call in their own app.
Is there any known work-around for this problem?
Have you applied the latest update?
I have Fairphone OS 17.12.1 (“Your operating system is up-to-date”).
For me the built-in camera app works fine with the front camera, but most of in-app cameras have very low exposure.
Just for the record … Does the Updater App show the version number?
I don’t know the Updater App myself (did always update Fairphone Open OS manually back then, using LineageOS now) … but if it only says you are up to date without explicitly confirming the currently installed version, you could be in for a surprise.
The currently installed Fairphone OS version is reliably visible in Settings - About phone - Build number.
Thanks Lidwien, I checked that thread, but the problem is different from mine. I never get any error messages related to the camera. Instead, the internal camera app always works perfectly, but when other apps use the front camera, exposure is super low, i.e. I only see my face properly in full bright sunlight. With normal room lighting and no light from windows the picture is almost completely black.
AnotherElk, yes, my updater app shows both the OS version 17.12.1 and that the system is up-to-date. In “About phone” I see “FP2-gms-17.12.1 release-keys” as the build number.
Top module info is “Front camera 5MP – OmniVision OV5670”.
I have upgraded the front and back cameras to the new ones. In “About phone” I see a 12MP and a 5MP camera, but when I’m in the camera app settings the selfie camera is still max 2MP like the old one. Does anyone experience the same? The OS is updated.
There should be something in the settings of the camera App where you can set the new higher resolutions (Open Camera on LineageOS here, so can’t say exactly where).
I have read it quite often in replies to issues:
Try clearing the cache of your camera app.
Maybe that helps?
so i am quite upset, both “new” cameras are worse than the first one, and i cant install the first one again, it will say “the new hardware is installed” but all i will see is black.
so the normal camera app on my open OS will show the back camera very dark, the front camera is just black if you dont let a light shine directly into the lense.
with the open camera app it is much brighter, the front and the back camera. why is it that? i am not a fan of the open camera app, but if have to use it to see anything.
camera app back:
https://postimg.org/image/u54p9i4i3/
front:
https://postimg.org/image/f9661x8iz/
open camera app back:
https://postimg.org/image/ana1tm50b/
front:
https://postimg.org/image/ejndpmkuz/
both with flash
i cleaned the connectors, moving the parts a bit before i put the screws back in, etc.
also does this look like 12MP?
https://postimg.org/image/jwc83jizf/
(open camera app)
any advice or suggestions or is it even normal?
Version? (Settings - About phone - Build number)
I had to set the new resolution at least for the main camera (don’t remember about the selfie camera) in the camera App manually when I installed my new modules.
(I wonder how pictures would look like with the protection foil still on, but I don’t dare to ask whether it was removed already 
.)