"Flash On" Doesn't Seem to Work on my Nokia Lumia 928

[coip]

Hi. This is my first post, but I've been reading WPcentral for months now. I picked up the Nokia Lumia 928 on launch day. It is my first Windows Phone. I love the OS (so fresh and intuitive compared to Android), and I'm also really impressed with Nokia's hardware, particularly the camera, which is superb.

However, one thing about the camera is confusing me. In certain situations (sunny days causing shadows on the face), I manually change the flash from auto to on and then take the picture. But the flash doesn't go off, resulting in dark-shadowed faces of those in the picture. If I move into a low-light area, though, and do the same thing, the flash goes off. Is this some type of software error? If I tell my camera I want it to use the flash, it should use the flash, no?

 

[o4liberty]

I believe the sensors in the camera will determine weather the flash will go off even if you have it set to on.
Sent from my RM-860_nam_usa_100 using Board Express

 

[KoukiFC3S]

Same here. Not too happy with that. My Galaxy Camera will always use the flash if it's set to on.

 

[coip]

I see. That is a little disappointing because it is such a great camera otherwise. I'm all in favor of smart cameras, but if I want to manually override a setting, I'm surprised that they programmed it so that I cannot. It was a little embarrassing because I talked my wife into getting the Nokia Lumia 928 because she enjoys taking pictures and I told her it had the best camera (which I still believe is true), but then we tried to take a daylight shot in the sun and shade I tried to put on the flash to remove shadows on the face. After several "what the heck is going on? why isn't this working?" grumblings, she just whipped out her "real" camera and turned the flash on and took the picture.

 

[vonchowder]

i had exact same experience. Subject in shade, could not get them illuminated. have some ideas on how to make it work next time. im sure many others are having this same issue.

 

[vlad0]

Strange.. their Symbian xenons don't have that problem, xenon works on command.

 

[Penny_1]

Hmm, this may not directly solve your problem, but I would try one of two things:

1.) Next time you're in the situation, set the Scene mode in Photo Settings to "Backlight." This is meant to counter the silhouette effect of having a bright light source behind your subject.
2.) Try using a non-default camera app like ProShot. Maybe its manual controls override the automatic flash functions of the camera.

Either way, I'd be interested to know where this goes, so please do let us know if you figure something out.

 

[psiu_glen]

Odd -- I know on my Trophy it has the options of Auto/On/Off and they work as expected. It sounds like the Lumia is treating On as if it is Auto.

 

[coip]

Hmm, this may not directly solve your problem, but I would try one of two things:

1.) Next time you're in the situation, set the Scene mode in Photo Settings to "Backlight." This is meant to counter the silhouette effect of having a bright light source behind your subject.
2.) Try using a non-default camera app like ProShot. Maybe its manual controls override the automatic flash functions of the camera.

Either way, I'd be interested to know where this goes, so please do let us know if you figure something out.

I've tried the "backlight" photo setting and turned the flash to on, but the problem persists. I tried some different lenses apps, but many of them didn't even have a flash option, so I couldn't fully explore that option.

 

[15gdm]

Any update on this? I have the same issue and it's frustrating in the evening when there is light in the background (sky), but whatever you are trying to take a picture of is in the shade.....
Surely this was thought of.....

 

[vonchowder]

one thing I read about on another post here that may help is that the 'shutter' button on the side of the phone actually works like a point and shoot and you can hold it halfway down to lock in the sensed image.

So next time I run into this issue of dark foreground subject and lit background, I plan on using the shutter button to target the correct exposure (by temporarily focusing on the darker parts of the image, holding shuttter halfway down, then moving the camera to intended framing of the scene, then pressing all the way. Not sure if this will work but, its worth a try.

 

[Joel S79]

2.) Try using a non-default camera app like ProShot. Maybe its manual controls override the automatic flash functions of the camera.

I had the same issue yesterday, taking a picture in intense sunlight, but I was using ProShot and the flash didn't fire. I figured it was ProShot until I switched to the normal camera app, and the same thing happened.

Might be a software bug where extremely high light values are overriding the flash. I'm gonna try turning off the autofocus assist light and see if that helps.

 

[sinime]

Very odd... my 920 will always use the flash if set to on... is this possibly a xenon flash issue? If so, is there an option to use the LED flash over the Xenon flash for the camera?

 

[Joel S79]

Very odd... my 920 will always use the flash if set to on... is this possibly a xenon flash issue? If so, is there an option to use the LED flash over the Xenon flash for the camera?

Not that I've seen. My only guess is that the code to disable the LED assist in really bright light might be turning off the flash too. Just a shot in the... erm... dark, but it's worth a try.

 

[Ricardo Goulart]

Same problem here...hope nokia/ms fix this

 

[tigoat]

Count me in! I emailed Nokia Support regarding the flash issue and they recommended a "soft reset" then a "hard reset" if unsuccessful. Had to go with the hard, now it's in its third hour of resetting! From what I'm reading this could take up to twelve hours, then no guarantees, ha! I'll never do that again. Certainly not confident anything will have changed after all is said and done. I can only hope MS can help wth their upcoming SW update....sometime this summer I hear. Oh yeah, I have noticed the LED does flash, just not the Xenon...kinda need em both. Don't ya think?

 

[Ricardo Goulart]

Count me in! I emailed Nokia Support regarding the flash issue and they recommended a "soft reset" then a "hard reset" if unsuccessful. Had to go with the hard, now it's in its third hour of resetting! From what I'm reading this could take up to twelve hours, then no guarantees, ha! I'll never do that again. Certainly not confident anything will have changed after all is said and done. I can only hope MS can help wth their upcoming SW update....sometime this summer I hear. Oh yeah, I have noticed the LED does flash, just not the Xenon...kinda need em both. Don't ya think?

Nooooo! It's not suposed to last this long....do the 3 key combo to hard reset again, it will do the thing very quick. Look in google for " windowsphone brick after hard reset". It appens to me, the phone boot until the gears screen and never ends.... Just do the the key hard reset and you will be good...works for me.

 

[Coreldan]

I've never noticed this. The "auto" feature will decide whether to not use flash or not, but if I set it "on", it will always flash.

 

[sph0308]

Easy way to correct dark pics is to run them through the T-Tap Enhance feature in Fotor app

I see. That is a little disappointing because it is such a great camera otherwise. I'm all in favor of smart cameras, but if I want to manually override a setting, I'm surprised that they programmed it so that I cannot. It was a little embarrassing because I talked my wife into getting the Nokia Lumia 928 because she enjoys taking pictures and I told her it had the best camera (which I still believe is true), but then we tried to take a daylight shot in the sun and shade I tried to put on the flash to remove shadows on the face. After several "what the heck is going on? why isn't this working?" grumblings, she just whipped out her "real" camera and turned the flash on and took the picture.

 

[antsin3d]

This happens to my 928 as well. Maybe try this: hold your finger over the ambient light sensor while you take the shot.