Database Users

Polaris camera tweak

Hi, I recently got a polaris and I'm loving (most of) it.
One thing I realy hate, is the way the fps goes way down with video's in low light conditions. I searched trough the registry myself and found some values to increase the fps of video's a bit, but the moment the light conditions change, it get's crappy again.
Is there some way to fix the light condition so it doesn't adjust while making a video?
I love going to parties and I'd like to make some video's. There is enough light there to make a video, but because of the strobing of the lights, the camera thinks there isn't any light and goes to crapy fps mode trying to...I don't even know why it does it, longer shutter timing maybe or something. So I want to find a way to fix the fps, light mode and shutter timing. If that is possible.
Or I would be hapy with any other info you guys can give me on this matter to improve the camera.
In case someone would like to change some camera settings:
HKLM\software\HTC\camera
In the recparam, you can set the framerate at witch the video records. It can handle a bit more then the default setting. The default is 15, I got mine set at 25 witch works fine. The display isn't able to keep up while recording, but the recording itself looks fine on the pc while playing back.
If anybody can help out more with tweaking the camera more, I'd love it!
I'm especialy looking for the light metering settings that change the fps when the light changes.

Clicky!
Welcome ^_^

cellshadow mean welcome to Camera & Graphic issues Polaris club
to get some information about it you can read this loooooong thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=359991
any way, I will teach you a trick to get full performance from Camera and you can shot video if you have enough light
start camera, hide the lens by your hand, press the power button, wait for 5 or 8 sec, press the power button again, remove your hand from up the lens
now you can shot video in 25 frame/sec
if you get any new tweak or trick for camera please post here

Secoseco, your trick really works! The illumination auto-adjust seems to be not processing the image when I follow your steps, so the image is just captured, a bit darker, but almost realtime!
Is there any official fix on this?

XD
Zomg the trick really works. thats nice.

SuperJMN said:
Secoseco, your trick really works! The illumination auto-adjust seems to be not processing the image when I follow your steps, so the image is just captured, a bit darker, but almost realtime!
Is there any official fix on this?
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benleonheaert said:
Zomg the trick really works. thats nice.
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waiting for some one to analysis this trick to solve the camera issue
may be shutter speed, or white balance

Well I know a little bit about imaging and stuff.
Camera's have different ways to alter the amount of light in a recoring. They can change ISO values (higher value means more responsive to light) wich would not affect the shutter time.
The sensor in a camera (video or photo) needs a certain amount of light before it can register the image projected on it. The better the sensor, the higher quality and options. If you got a lesser quality, like in most cell phone camera's, you don't have to many options for changing the sensivity of the sensor. Meaning, if you want more light projected on your sensor in low light conditions, you need a higher shutter time. This is for both video and photo, the way the finer mechanics work differ, but a video is nothing more then a series of photo's put together. Now when the camera, or in our case, our lovely polaris, notices there isn't much light, it sets the shutter speed (for photo's) longer (that's why photo's in low light get blurry) and the fps (for video) lower (giving the sensor more time to register the light for each frame).
How the trick from secoseco works, I do not know, but it works like a charm. It has to be some sort of bug for it to work this way.
Now I know about the wm6.1 that is supposed to increase video preformance, I have not installed it yet. But the thing I want to fix is the way the camera measures the light and addapts to it. There are so many settings, there just has to be one that controls the way camera settings change in different light sircumstances. Because in good light, and with the trick of secoseco, the fps is just fine and the video is good quality. But the moment the light value gets lower, the fps drops waaay down and the video gets crapy. Wich isn't always needed, like at a party when there is enough strobing light to get a good video, but when the fps is still way down.
I want to either lock the fps, shutter time or disable the light measuring or any other thing that can cause the current proformance of video's in low light conditions.
I'll try looking for myself when I'm not working, but I'm new to this phone, so if people come across anything that can help, it would be great. Registry locations of stuff related to the camera, files that control the camera, anything.

Yeah that trick has been around for awhile. However the moment you point the camera to a bright light source it resets again and will lag in low light conditions.

hambola said:
Yeah that trick has been around for awhile. However the moment you point the camera to a bright light source it resets again and will lag in low light conditions.
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what is the benefit to point the camera to the light source during picturing ?

There is no benefit in intentionally pointing it at a light source. But if it so happens as you're trying to take a picture or video of something and you do happen to get too much light it will lag again.

Problem
I have problems with Send/Receive email client on me Polaris,not working. Internet connections is ok, help me pls. Sorry for me english.

Thanks secoseco
For real. Thanks secoseco. This trick really works

Wow this trick works like a charm! Many thanks goes to you secoseco!
I think it has something to do with whitebalance because changing it in low light conditions will give me some more fps... but it is still not enough for taking videos!
Too bad that the picture quality sometimes gets worse after using the trick.

Thanks a Million it workssssssssssssssssss..

Auto flash on camera???

guys is there no auto flash on the camera? it seems you must manually select to turn the light on or off, this is terrible and time consuming
any fixes? i still think after the k800i, sony's camera went down hill ;(((

This seems to be the case, I haven’t come across any fixes, and hopefully an official firmware update should take care out it, although…. shouldn’t the coders here be able to outcode official Sony programmers lol

Thats how it is with LED "flashes"
A LED cant emit enough light to really work as a flash, so meh

hmm, yes i hope somebody fixes this, one of the reasons i upgraded from diaond was for a flash camera and well its quite frustrating ;((

Frustrating I agree, I upgraded from a nokia N95 with a LED flash and that knew when the light low and turned on..

patterns said:
hmm, yes i hope somebody fixes this, one of the reasons i upgraded from diaond was for a flash camera and well its quite frustrating ;((
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LED flash is never going to be a flash... even is it's on by default or by light sensor... so deal with it.... I haven't seen any led flash act as a flash..
if you think i'm rude... well.... Maybe I am...
Drunk.....

Well, the point should be that it should still turn ON/OFF automatically, regardless if it flashes just as you push the shutter button, or turns on beforehand when it detects low light.

johnchan78 said:
Well, the point should be that it should still turn ON/OFF automatically, regardless if it flashes just as you push the shutter button, or turns on beforehand when it detects low light.
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thats exactly the point - i believe there is a development for this, just cant find it
and 'ewmdava' your not rude just a muppet

patterns said:
thats exactly the point - i believe there is a development for this, just cant find it
and 'ewmdava' your not rude just a muppet
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Indeed. I dont think anyone expects the X1's LED to be truely "flash", but seriously... other phones can detect low light, and turn on when the picture is taken, then turn off after again. No need to "manually" turn on the light when you want to take the photo. It's pretty stupid.
PLUS this phone has a light sensor, AND just using the camera alone it should be able to detect low light. What gives?!

And I thought I was doing something wrong with my settings that caused the phone NOT to flash. Do other phones with an LED not flash? I'm pretty sure my N95 does.

yes this phone is FULLY CAPABLE of this but stupidly it just hasnt been incorporated!
the Raphael/touch pro has the same issue

You can change in the registry so the LED will start automatically when you start the camera. I think it is good. Because when you need it, it will work and when you don't need it it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect anything. Of course you can turn it of in the settings as normal.
set HKLM\software\SonyEricsson\Camera\PROPERTY_PHOTO_LIGHT to 1
Note: Don't know if it is the same on R1 but I'm using R2 with the latest camera software

Paitor said:
You can change in the registry so the LED will start automatically when you start the camera. I think it is good. Because when you need it, it will work and when you don't need it it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect anything. Of course you can turn it of in the settings as normal.
set HKLM\software\SonyEricsson\Camera\PROPERTY_PHOTO_LIGHT to 1
Note: Don't know if it is the same on R1 but I'm using R2 with the latest camera software
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Interesting tweak!
Not ideal (sometimes you still want it off when in medium light) but certainly better than always off.
I am a bit disappointed that the latest R2 firmware did not include an improvement to the Camera app that would set the light on/off automatically based on the light level. Seriously, is it THAT HARD?
The backlight turns up/down based on the light level... and I know other people have written apps that do things based on how bright it is...

[Problem] Camera flash & black pictures

I recognized yesterday when I shot some photos - flash was set at "auto" - that I got only had black pictures...
Anybody knows a solution for this issue?

move your finger off the lense?
sorry, I just had to...
have no idea. I'd say it could cause some software fail which could be fixed by SoftReset? maybe

JLowe said:
I recognized yesterday when I shot some photos - flash was set at "auto" - that I got only had black pictures...
Anybody knows a solution for this issue?
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What was your battery level like, I know when my battery level is low (sub 20ish percent) the quality of the camera and flash (and the final result) is reduced.

really weird, didn't put my finger on the lense and battery is full. if I make a picture with enabled auto flash, the first photo is always black. if I switch off auto flash and enable flash then I have a normal photo.
if opera is running I get memory error of the camera application, also if I have around 133mb of free ram.

xperia x10 Video Camera light OFF switch

I know where the option to shut off the light for the Video recording is but it doesn't shut off. My question is: is there of shutting off the light when i am recording a video on my phone? Maybe and app perhaps? or a way of deleting the setting in video mode? or a work around? anything? Its annoying when the option is there for it to shut off and it doesn't work. Its the same for my gf's xperia x10 phone too, it didn't work for 1.6 after the small update in summer and now it was fixed either with the bigger update. help please?

Take out the phone battery and re-insert. Hope this will solve the problem.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Yes, i have rebooted my cell phone several times. Thanks for trying to help out.

I also have this problem, the video light stays on despite the setting saying "Off".
Using 2.1.

search for xperia x10 flash light on market, it should work

Its on a low brightness. Just a privacy thing so other people know its recording. Kinda like the red light on most cameras
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Oh really? thats too bad, i dont need the like all the time on, it kills my battery faster. I know before the update it used to be able to shut off once the setting was set on "OFF" mode. Ps other phones have the capability to record and have no light at all whats so ever. I dont think its a privacy issue

24karat^ said:
Oh really? thats too bad, i dont need the like all the time on, it kills my battery faster. I know before the update it used to be able to shut off once the setting was set on "OFF" mode. Ps other phones have the capability to record and have no light at all whats so ever. I dont think its a privacy issue
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I agree with AssyrianBLOOD, it's a privacy issue. And don't worry about your battery life, HD video recording will kill it way faster. (For me, Battery life on 2.1 absolutely sucks )

24karat^ said:
Oh really? thats too bad, i dont need the like all the time on, it kills my battery faster. I know before the update it used to be able to shut off once the setting was set on "OFF" mode. Ps other phones have the capability to record and have no light at all whats so ever. I dont think its a privacy issue
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The amount of battery life that an LED takes is so pathetically small that it shouldn't affect anything.
Every phone I've owned has had some sort of light to indicate recording as a privacy measure.

Is it something the manufacture imposed or government regulation? Because i know for a fact not every recording device (smartphones/ipod touch) has a LED or any indicator when you are recording. Secondly, the off setting used to work when x10 originally came out until the so called privacy issue came up. I want to know of a way of shutting it off without trying to cover it. I know HD also drains the battery faster but i am not making HD videos here, i'm making youtube videos for my faceboook and i though my phone does a good enough job. I just dont like the light setting having an OFF setting NOT working. If its a privacy issue than why have the setting to switch it off in the first place?

hey.. Sorry for hijacking the thread
I just came up with a thought.
The photo light does two levels of brightness as we know i.e Low brightness as a privacy feature while recording video and high brightness while switched on manually.
Is it possible(when the 2.1 source is released) that we can make a module to further increase power to the led to make it glow brighter so that we can actually use it as a led flash?? Just a thought
cheers
chetan

I just want to know if there is any of shutting it off thats it. You can hijack all you want once i get my answer ill move on. Im sure someone here knows how to shut off by some means thst doesnt require covering it.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

HD2 camera flash can not be switched on at always on mode

I upgraded to the latest ROM version 3.14.831.3 couple of weeks ago, after that I found the camera flash light does not work when switch to always on mode. The flash light would be not on until I take a photo which acts the same as the auto mode.
I have tried the factory reset, which seems it only restore back to the latest ROM with clean settings, but the problem is still there.
Any one has same issue?

Yes, it's the new software version that does that.
I was thinking if we could take the files from the old camera software and put them in this version.
It's annoying not just if you want to use the phone as a flashlight (solved with torch app, but not that handy) but the picture quality in low light conditions totally sucks, because it won't focus when the flash is on.

This is by design... it's SUPPOSED to behave like that! The way the flash illuminated constantly like a torch/flashlight in the old ROM was very annoying... it wasted battery power, blinded your subjects and was distracting for everyone else around. You won't find a conventional 'proper' camera exhibiting this behaviour (actually, they can't anyway due to the way xenon flash tubes work).
The new flash behaviour in the new ROM mirrors how a conventional camera would behave and, IMO, is a big improvement.
As for focusing, I've never had much of a problem and think the HD2 does a very good job in low light most of the time. The only real solution to accurate low-light focusing is an IR focus-assist lamp.

ian_uk1975 said:
it wasted battery power
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+1
Battery Power..

ian_uk1975 said:
This is by design... it's SUPPOSED to behave like that! The way the flash illuminated constantly like a torch/flashlight in the old ROM was very annoying... it wasted battery power, blinded your subjects and was distracting for everyone else around. You won't find a conventional 'proper' camera exhibiting this behaviour (actually, they can't anyway due to the way xenon flash tubes work).
The new flash behaviour in the new ROM mirrors how a conventional camera would behave and, IMO, is a big improvement.
As for focusing, I've never had much of a problem and think the HD2 does a very good job in low light most of the time. The only real solution to accurate low-light focusing is an IR focus-assist lamp.
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If it is by design, HTC should disable the option in the camera mode to have the flash light always on. And also disable the flash light in the Camcorder too, it works totally fine in the Camcorder mode.
Plus they do not mention this change in the ROM description.

xiaohan said:
If it is by design, HTC should disable the option in the camera mode to have the flash light always on. And also disable the flash light in the Camcorder too, it works totally fine in the Camcorder mode.
Plus they do not mention this change in the ROM description.
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I think you're misunderstanding how the camera app is designed to work... when you select the option to force the flash on, you're telling the camera app to always fire the flash, regardless of the ambient light level. The flash LED is not supposed to stay lit the whole time that 'force flash on' is enabled and using the flash LED as a flashlight to see where you're going has got nothing to do with the camera app. By modifying the behaviour of the flash LED in the new ROM, HTC have replicated the behaviour of a regular camera and have enhanced the camera app in doing so. Having the flash LED constantly on has got nothing to do with taking better pictures.
When in video mode, of course the LED should be constantly on as its purpose in that mode is that of a video light. This is correct functionality.

ian_uk1975 said:
I think you're misunderstanding how the camera app is designed to work... when you select the option to force the flash on, you're telling the camera app to always fire the flash, regardless of the ambient light level. The flash LED is not supposed to stay lit the whole time that 'force flash on' is enabled and using the flash LED as a flashlight to see where you're going has got nothing to do with the camera app. By modifying the behaviour of the flash LED in the new ROM, HTC have replicated the behaviour of a regular camera and have enhanced the camera app in doing so. Having the flash LED constantly on has got nothing to do with taking better pictures.
When in video mode, of course the LED should be constantly on as its purpose in that mode is that of a video light. This is correct functionality.
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I think you're right about this. What would be nice is if there was a way to have a little more control over it. For example - if you're in reaaally low light and want to take a picture you can't even see what it is you're trying to take a picture of unless the flash LED is on - so I understand the op's frustration. What would be ideal is if there was a way to tell the HD2 to activate the LED flash X seconds prior to taking the picture. That way you could make it come on for a second or two before it takes the pic so you can actually see what you're takin a pic of.

or, for those rare times when the light must be on when taking pics, you could always turn on the torch and then start the camera.

Any recommended torch app for HD2?

samsamuel said:
or, for those rare times when the light must be on when taking pics, you could always turn on the torch and then start the camera.
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on my device that results in overexposure