Very noisy camera on Samsung S4?

[airborne]

Very noisy camera on Samsung S4 - Grinding Buzzing noise when I start the Camera app?

When I start the native camera app it makes this horrible sounding buzzing/grinding noise, its enough to actually make the phone vibrate. Tried some other camera app like FV-5 etc and that's even worse. It's only when you start the camera app for the first time or you switch apps that it has this issue, otherwise it finds focus fine and fast. Tried the image stabilization on and off and it didn't make a difference. When the buzzing happens the camera view/image on the screen goes all wavy. Also sounds like something loose around the camera area, when I shake the phone you can hear something rattling around.

Seems like the camera's focus motor is a little fritzed, has anyone experienced something similar or know what it could be or possibly a fix?

 

[airborne]

Your autofocus motor is moody. This is a known s4 fault but as its out of warranty it will be at your expense. There was a bad batch that had these

Will it get worse and worse till the camera dies or starts struggling to focus?
As it is the noise sounds like grating gears but otherwise the camera focuses fine.

Seems to be quite a common issue with Samsung's(though I've had 4 Samsungs in the past with no issue like this at all), S6 and Note 5 also seems to get it, check this thread:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...rates-distorts-viewfinder-after-starting.html

Also mentioned happening after updates, this S4 has just been updated to Lollipop 5.01, I don't know what it was like before on Kitkat.

 

[airborne]

What the heck!!!

Thought I'd google it some more despite telling myself to stop being stupid and accept the fact the camera was toast(from past desperate and fruitless attempts to try use google fu to fix the impossible), any way I found this thread:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4/367577-galaxy-s4-auto-focus-camera-problems.html

One guy mentioned to change the metering mode to Matrix mode, which seemed to make a lot of people happy:
Settings >> Metering Mode >> Matrix

Seems the problem is solved, the camera has been flawless since, was always focusing nicely but the grinding when starting the app or bringing the camera forward from the background is now gone, totally. Will test further but I'm hopeful!!

 

[airborne]

Speak to soon, back to the same old buzzing/grinding

 

[genetic]

It's the auto focus mechanism that gets confused and goes into a tizz. It's a common problem on many devices.

Usually it's caused by starting the camera app without it being able to focus on a object successfully (such as on a table or your hand in front of the lens).

Tapping lightly on the camera module itself when it does this usually fixes the issue.

 

[airborne]

It's the auto focus mechanism that gets confused and goes into a tizz. It's a common problem on many devices.

Usually it's caused by starting the camera app without it being able to focus on a object successfully (such as on a table or your hand in front of the lens).

Tapping lightly on the camera module itself when it does this usually fixes the issue.

That is pretty much it but in this case it's more than just focus hunting, the focus mechanism just goes crazy, making the whole phone vibrate is going to be terminal for the camera mechanism in the long run.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

By the way, the rattle sound when you shake the phone is normal for all phones with Auto Focus Cameras.

 

[airborne]

By the way, the rattle sound when you shake the phone is normal for all phones with Auto Focus Cameras.

Ya I compared it to another phone both rattle, this s4 just a whole lot more, probably not related to the grinding issue though.

You can pickup a complete s4 camera module on eBay for under R100, anyone know how decent they might be?

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Ya I compared it to another phone both rattle, this s4 just a whole lot more, probably not related to the grinding issue though.

You can pickup a complete s4 camera module on eBay for under R100, anyone know how decent they might be?

Just ensure the module is the correct one for your S4, as the I9500 (Exynos) and I9505 (Snapdragon600 S4 with LTE) use two different modules.

No idea how decent they may be, the guys at XDA may have a better idea.

 

[airborne]

I have the LTE I9505 version found a camera module for R50 incl ship!
www.ebay.com/itm/Back-Camera-Module...505-i337-i545-L720-M919-R970-DP-/112138050355

And here's one for R65 and 84 sold, must be at least functional, just wonder what the image quality is, the camera contains the sensor and lens/autofocus can't be that cheap to make them decently/to OEM spec?

www.ebay.com/itm/Back-Camera-Module...505-i337-i545-L720-M919-R970-D-/172056005441?

 

[genetic]

I have the LTE I9505 version found a camera module for R50 incl ship!
www.ebay.com/itm/Back-Camera-Module...505-i337-i545-L720-M919-R970-DP-/112138050355

That is not a original Samsung camera - it's a cheap knock-off. The image quality of that will not nearly match that of the OEM part from Samsung.

You'll need the original OEM part if you want the same quality. (around R490 excl shipping)

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Parts/Samsung-Galaxy-S-IV-S4-Rear-Facing-Camera/IF229-018-2

 

[airborne]

That is not a original Samsung camera - it's a cheap knock-off. The image quality of that will not nearly match that of the OEM part from Samsung.

You'll need the original OEM part if you want the same quality. (around R490 excl shipping)

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Parts/Samsung-Galaxy-S-IV-S4-Rear-Facing-Camera/IF229-018-2

That makes sense can't see an OEM camera being that cheap.

Well the camera seems much better as the day has progressed, almost no noise seems pretty normal, apparently the phone wasn't used for months, maybe the camera just needed to get run in a little bit, dodgy but still!
Time will tell. #hopeful

 

[genetic]

That makes sense can't see an OEM camera being that cheap.

Well the camera seems much better as the day has progressed, almost no noise seems pretty normal, apparently the phone wasn't used for months, maybe the camera just needed to get run in a little bit, dodgy but still!
Time will tell. #hopeful

Don't open the camera app when the camera is on a table or if there is a abject right in front of the lens - it usually solves the issue. Stops the camera getting confused.

What firmware version are you running? Upgrading to the latest 5.0.1 may solve the issue.

http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/GT-I9505/

 

[airborne]

Don't open the camera app when the camera is on a table or if there is a abject right in front of the lens - it usually solves the issue. Stops the camera getting confused.

What firmware version are you running? Upgrading to the latest 5.0.1 may solve the issue.

http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/GT-I9505/

It's running 5.01, it's unfortunately not a focus issue per say, it's a mechanical mechanism problem, it's not related to close objects when starting the app.