Iphone 4S camera problem

[Alex230]

Hello. I have a slight problem with my 4S camera.

It works fine but i have a blurry spot in the upper right corner extending to the lower right. the whole part is blurrier that the rest of the picture.

I think it's a hardware problem ,lens related ,since it's just like it can't focus in that part of the image.

Close-ups come out fine ,sharp overall and no problems.


I tried to restore but no luck. I tried to tap-to-focus on that corner ,same problem.

Here are some shots (full resolution) with the problem:

The lens is clean so dirt issues are out of the question.

I'm running ios 5.0.1 if it makes any sense.



So what's the problem here? Can i get a replacement for this problem? I doubt it's a software issue...

Or is it any other way i can solve it?
Anybody else facing similar problem?

Thanks and sorry for the big pictures ,but otherwise you can't see the spot very well...

 

[Arnezie]

I can't see what your seeing but take it to an apple store and show them , they will swap it out if they can see it.

 

[Alex230]

Oh c'mon ,the right top corner is clearly blurry and out of focus.
I don't have an Apple store here (Romania). I bought it from my carrier ,Orange Ro...but i'm not sure they'll swap it just for this ,but it's so damn annoying, the picture is not sharp in that corner and it messes up the whole shot...

If i take a picture upside down (volume button up) the blurry spot moves to the lower left corner ,so it's clearly a hardware (lens) issue.

 

[Tortri]

Yeah I can see it, esp the 2nd picture. The buildings on hte left are focused but the right side is completely blurry. If you can go to a applestore to show them this and have it replaced. They'd replace it on the spot.

It's definitely hardware. my guess would be is I think internally the top right is slightly lifted ever so slightly angled which would cause the blur.

 

[Tortri]

Oops, didn't read your last post. Honestly I would exchange it with your provider. I had a camera back in the day that got a piece of dust in it and it was in EVERY SHOT I took and it just got more annoying the more I used it. Great shots would be lost to me because of that stupid dust stuck in it.

Exchange it if you can. Hope you have a good carrier and just give you a new replacement (like apple would) and not refurbished.

 

[Alex230]

Oops, didn't read your last post. Honestly I would exchange it with your provider. I had a camera back in the day that got a piece of dust in it and it was in EVERY SHOT I took and it just got more annoying the more I used it. Great shots would be lost to me because of that stupid dust stuck in it.

Exchange it if you can. Hope you have a good carrier and just give you a new replacement (like apple would) and not refurbished.

Thanks for the reply.

I'll go talk to them tomorrow. I bought it just 2 weeks ago. Fact is that i don't know if they'll exchange it just for this...(i hate my country). I hope they will ,if not ,i'll break the damn thing and they'll exchange it on the spot cause i have insurance.
Problem is that i'll end up without a phone for minimum 2 weeks here. (i hate this county again...)

It's not a big of a deal ,i have a DSLR for true pictures, but the camera on the 4S is such a great point and shoot that i'll use it as a back-up ,having the phone always with me, and it's a shame i got a defective lens...it had to be me...

I even searched on the web for people whom have similar problems with the camera and found none.

I searched for a replacement part (faster than RMA and i get to use the phone ,and quite cheap. An iphone 4 non-S camera module with flash is 4 bucks on the web) but didn't found any...

 

[Tortri]

I hope everything goes well for you. I too use my dslr for real photos but the 4s photos makes a great point and shoot when you see that moment.

Best of Luck!

 

[alFR]

The problem is that the things in the pictures you post aren't in the same focal plane (they're different distances from the lens). You might have a defect, but then again it might be that the focus point you or the camera chose was more favourable to the objects on the other side of the frame. To check, set up your phone parallel to a piece of graph paper, printed page etc. (making sure that the phone is completely parallel to the surface of the paper and that the paper fills the frame on the camera app). Take a shot: if the same effect is seen, you probably have a hardware issue and need an exchange/repair. If that shot looks OK, then it's just a depth of field effect.

 

[Alex230]

Thanks alFR.

As i said 2 posts earlier, If i take a picture upside down (volume button up) the blurry spot moves to the lower left corner ,so it's clearly a hardware (lens) issue.

I understand what you say with the focal plane ,but it's not the case here ,both pictures from my first post have a focal plane to infinity.
Regarding the printed/graph paper test ,it's not that visible during close-ups because i think the lens is a little "bent" inwards so from 30-100cm away it's fine ,it's "bent" in the needed focal range if you know what i mean.
I've tested it.

I'll upload 2 more ,one shot normally and one upside down.
Check out the top right in the first one (taken normally, volume button down) ,then in the second one (upside down ,volume button up). The 2nd is sharper and the blur spot moved to the lower left...
I've lowered the quality for upload so that's why they look a little grainy...that's not a problem
Again sorry for the full res pictures that messes up the board

 

[alFR]

Guess you need a repair/replacement then, sorry!

 

[Leonard1818]

I don't think it looks that bad to be honest. You said you're in romania? Perhaps you could find some really hot romainian girls to take some pictures of. Post those in this thread and we'll see how bad the blurry spot is.

 

[Alex230]

Guess you need a repair/replacement then, sorry!

Yeah ,i just went to my carrier's shop and they said they'll call service and ask if they can replace it for this because as i said it's not considered a real fault...

I don't think it looks that bad to be honest. You said you're in romania? Perhaps you could find some really hot romainian girls to take some pictures of. Post those in this thread and we'll see how bad the blurry spot is.

We all know the blur spot will be invisible if i do that

 

[Alex230]

Ok ,sorry for the double post.

I got in touch with my carrier and said they'll change it.
Now ,what are the chances to get a refurbished phone instead of a new one?

I'm scared not to get a refurb with a good camera but with other flaws like reception or battery problems.
Is there any way to avoid this?

Mine works flawlessly except the camera problem.

Thanks.