Why is Infinity focus blurry?

[eins2dreivier]

Hey guys!

My 1020 seems to have a problem when set to infinity focus...the pictures end up a bit blurry.
The strange thing is that on autofocus the picture is perfectly sharp...which makes me think this is a software issue rather than hardware.
Anyone of you experiencing the same problem?

I uploaded 2 pictures to show you the issue. Both were taken on a tripod and 2 seconds self timer to avoid handshake. ISO was set at 100 and everything else left on auto except for focus mode.
Autofocus: http://1drv.ms/R8M9Yf
Infinity: http://1drv.ms/R8M5HM

Cheers

 

[Ganjagrel]

I have similar issue. I think that focus in infinity mode lets OIS to float the lens around which isn't the case in perfectly functioning OIS with focus set to auto - it locks on the point and keeps photos sharp.

 

[eins2dreivier]

Updated the start post with 2 pictures...had no time for more. I did hard reset the phone but no change :/

 

[Spider-Mic]

I have a new camera modul and pictures are sharp in auto focus and selected focus (infinity). My first camera had problem to find the sharpest point in autofocus. Most pictures came out unsharp. Also with self seleced focus. If I moved my finger to select the focus point it was going sharper and sharper, but in the end position (infinity) the picture was again unsharp. In my opinion it is a hardware issure.

 

[rQvsnaps]

I have a new camera modul and pictures are sharp in auto focus and selected focus (infinity). My first camera had problem to find the sharpest point in autofocus. Most pictures came out unsharp. Also with self seleced focus. If I moved my finger to select the focus point it was going sharper and sharper, but in the end position (infinity) the picture was again unsharp. In my opinion it is a hardware issure.

You mean you replaced the camera module? Have before and after examples?

 

[jenesuispasbavard]

I've had this problem since I got my phone (must be a problem only on some phones). Probably a software issue where the infinite point in the camera's focus firmware is just set (calibrated) incorrectly.

Anyway, to shoot things further than some 10 meters away I just use manual focus, take it all the way to the top (infinity), and then just a bit down until the 'm' shows up (so it's the last 'm' setting). My 'infinite' pictures are now pretty sharp.

 

[eins2dreivier]

I found a thread about this issue on the official Nokia forums (Lumia 1020 - Problem with "Infinity" Focus - Nokia Support Discussions). Seems like a few other people have the same or at least a similar issue. I'm wondering how common it is and if it's really just a calibration problem.

Right now I can't compare it to another 1020 just to a 808...the latter one focuses perfectly when set to infinity.

I'm really not in the mood to send the phone in and be without it for about 2 weeks...and then there's the chance to get another one with the same problem.

 

[eins2dreivier]

Good news! I just got off a chat with a Nokia employee. He told me that they are aware of the issue and a fix should be expected with the next firmware update.

 

[atherosxd]

same with me that I ended up having the auto focus to do the job and has clearer result

 

[sisqo88]

Damn I thought I was the only one with this problem. I have this issue since the 8.1 update

 

[Paulo Celso]

I have it as well. Additionally, I've noticed that when I use AF to take a landscape picture, selecting the focus point in the middle of the frame would yield blurry edges. If I take a point at the right edge of the frame, then the whole photo gets incredibly sharp, edge to edge.

Another strange thing is that the stabilizing system seems to make the lens unit move slightly after the focus is locked even if you hold the camera steady. I've learned that I need to give it a good shake before taking the picture for the system to become effectively steady.

 

[rQvsnaps]

I have it as well. Additionally, I've noticed that when I use AF to take a landscape picture, selecting the focus point in the middle of the frame would yield blurry edges. If I take a point at the right edge of the frame, then the whole photo gets incredibly sharp, edge to edge.

Another strange thing is that the stabilizing system seems to make the lens unit move slightly after the focus is locked even if you hold the camera steady. I've learned that I need to give it a good shake before taking the picture for the system to become effectively steady.

Really really strange
Same thing here...... I push to focus on the right side of the screen and boom, the whole frame is sharp ???????????

 

[antiochian2010]

I have the exact same issue, and the only workaround besides AF seems to be to go to the last M setting before Infinity.

 

[AndyM72]

From my experiments with my lowly Lumia (I'd really quite like a 1020 but I'm just trying out Windows Phone on something cheap for the moment), what the Nokia camera app calls Infinity Focus isn't Infinity Focus! It seem to set at the Hyperfocal distance instead. It is almost impossible to calculate the true hyperfocal distance of the 1020, because none of the hardware specs that are out there make sense (for instance, it's supposed to have a 7.2mm lens, and have full frame equivalent focal length in 4:3 of 27mm. So that means it has a crop factor of 3.75, which can't be right...)

 

[jojoe42]

I have it as well. Additionally, I've noticed that when I use AF to take a landscape picture, selecting the focus point in the middle of the frame would yield blurry edges. If I take a point at the right edge of the frame, then the whole photo gets incredibly sharp, edge to edge.

Another strange thing is that the stabilizing system seems to make the lens unit move slightly after the focus is locked even if you hold the camera steady. I've learned that I need to give it a good shake before taking the picture for the system to become effectively steady.

That's because of the lenses distortion created by the phone, and also the fact that when you focus dead in the middle, the OIS compensates to keep as much of the focus point you set blur-free - thus the edges will be blurrier

 

[eins2dreivier]

I updated my 1020 to Cyan 2 days ago and tested infinity focus again to see if Nokia fixed the problem.
Well...for my phone they did and they didn't at the same time...
Let me explain. Infinity focus still yields blurry results! But when I set the focus manually to the last point before infinity i get crispy results.
Before the Cyan update setting focus manually to the last point would yield the same result as infinity focus.
My 1020 was basically useless for low light/night shots...

I made a few comparisons with my 808 set at infinity...and the results are great! No more blurr!
I am now 100% sure that this is just a software issue. I discovered the following:
When I set the camera to make a DNG file instead of the highres JPEG the infinity focus yields clearer pictures.
Another observation I made is that the taken picture is perfectly clear while it is being saved. As soon as the saving is done the picture becomes blurry.

I had no chance to make the same tests on another 1020 but I will be able soon.
I also did not yet talk to Nokia support but I intend to do so tomorrow. Really curious about what they have to say...
Honestly I do not expect a fix to this issue now that MS has taken over Nokia...at least it's semi-fixed (for) now

 

[Neil Patrick Faller]

I didnt have this problem before.. Maybe denim update will fix this

 

[BatteryLife]

TBH... I can't see the differences between the two pics xP

I don't have the sharpest eyes around

 

[vraev]

I can;t either. lol

 

[patrikmore]

In the small screen of a mobile phone you can't see the difference, it has to be on a computer and the picture has to be full screen. My advice: don't try to take a landscape with infinity setting. It will be like crap. Has anybody this setting working properly ? Infinity setting exists (I found it) so why a fix or a calibration tool isn't proposed ? For a flag camera I'm really disappointed.