New Fairphone 2 camera

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.

Have a read new camera can not connect. Hopefully you find a solution there.

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 :slight_smile: .)

I can’t help you with the stock camera app and the selfie-cam cause I’m using none of them.

But there are a few things that caught my eye:

) your stock-camera pic is 12MP, the one shot with the open camera app has only 8. You have to set the resolution to 12MP in this app.
) Your last picture shows insane noise from using ISO > 5000. While this is a good approach to catch some more background light when using flash it also eliminates details. Check your chosen ISO setting and limit it to something of roughly maximum 800 or 1600.
) one picture is more bright than the other because it uses more ISO again. The open camera app seems to have more liberal ISO rules in your setup. But it’s all changeable, just play around with the settings a little (e.g. changing to auto ISO instead of ISO HJR)

2 Likes

@AnotherElk
lastest version 17.12.1
also how to set the resolution on the standard camera app? i can set a timer, showing a grid, turn off/on hdr, flash(none, on, automatic) and switch to front cam.

@ungutknut
1, i changed it to 12mp in the open camera app, thanks.
2.iso is set to automatic. i hadnt any problem with it with the old module. i changed it now to 800.
3. like i said before, cant change anything in the stock app.
it is clearly a software problem and makes me upset when fairphone is releasing a new module but are not prepared to make them functional. i now paid for something which makes worse pictures than before and i cant go back.
the stock app worked perfectly fine for me, now i have to use the open camera app, which i dont like. also in messengers like line or whatsapp the camera is set like the stock camera app and not changeable.
this is how the front camera look like when faced to direct light:
https://postimg.org/image/6eww1mf3v/

Must have been Open Camera then already (I switched to that soon with the new modules), sorry for the confusion.
I’m on LineageOS now and can’t check anymore.

Sorry, I made a mistake:

I was expecting (and oddly remembering) the open camera app to be able to limit the ISO somewhere. Which is a very basic feature for any camera - but it looks like this App isn’t capable of limiting the ISO to something like 800. Setting ISO to a fixed value isn’t a good idea unless you’re ok with changing it with every new picture you take. For example 800 will give usable results in dark situations but will introduce much noise to any picture taken in good light conditions.

The reason why I’m still prefering the open camera app over the stock camera app is as follows:

I like the way how to set the exposure: Just tap on the part of the picture you’d like to have exposed correctly and release the shutter afterwards. I think that’s a good tradeoff between manual control and automatic comfort. This approach should also help you with pictures like the last you’ve uploaded.

That said I’m still missing many features - some of which I thought I’ve already used (like exposure modes: spot/integral/matrix). It’s really a horrible app… and still the best I’ve seen so far.

You might be interested in this, today’s update is also about the new cameras …

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thank you for the detail explaination. i am very bad in making photos anyway, as you can see in my examples, so i would like it when the device is working normally, like it did before the new modules. but thank you for all the infomation. i will play around when i am not satifistied with the quality of the picture.

@AnotherElk
thanks, i already installed that and nothing changed with the stock camera app. the front camera is still extremly dark.

i am really kinda pissed, i paid 85 for the cameras and shipping and it got worse. before it was easy, just the stock app and i could do normal good photos, i wanted to have sharper ones, now they pictures are too dark and i have to use an additional app. i kinda feel robbed by fairphone. and i will think twice to buy another “updated” module.
thank you two for the advices

If you’ve had the modules for less than two weeks, you should be able to return them for a no-questions asked full refund under normal consumer law. This is also part of the Fairphone Terms and Condition of Sale:

3.5 You are entitled to cancel your purchase within fourteen (14) days from the day the Product was delivered to you, without explanation and without incurring any penalties.

You’ll need to contact support to do this. They probably won’t respond within the 14 day period, but as long as you clearly indicate that you are within the 14 day period and want to cancel your purchase and ask for instructions on how to return the modules, they should honour the request.

if you read my other comments, you would know, that my fairphone doesnt work with the old modules anymore. also the cameras seem fine, but it seems a software problem.

Yup, forgot about that. This could be a new issue, as people have gone back to the old module before, apparently without problems (e.g. here). Perhaps a reset of the camera app is required to clear settings that are incompatible with the old module. Worst case would be the devs having made changes that require a clean install of the OS to revert back.

Did you aplly the latest update?

update 18.01.1

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