Camera's flash timing is off

[billynair]

When trying to take a picture using the flash (either ON or AUTO, either setting does this), i do a half click, the flash shines for and instant, the focus goes in and out then waits. I press the button all the way down, the flash goes off, but the picture is as dark as if there was no flash. I am guessing there is an issue with the timing of the flash. Is there a way to adjust this? is there an update that i need?

(If this was covered before point me to the thread, I searched for it and came up with ROM "Flashing" or other camera issues, I dont mind reading other threads, I just count find one)

 

[billynair]

anyone have an issue with this?

 

[RightGirl]

I am having the same problem.
No matter what setting I use, if it flashes, it does so too early and then the photo is dark. I got the camera in November and it just started doing this about a month ago and I can't figure out how to repair it.
It doesnt look like anyone answered you here, did anyone answer you outside of this thread? If so, what answer did they give.
Linda

 

[billynair]

no answers yet, but I am finding it isnt consistent. sometimes it will flash at the right time, other times it will be off. I tested it at chuck e cheese while I was waiting for my kids to burn through their coins. i took the pictures of the same exact thing at the same exact distance. out of 5 shots, 3 of them were dark, 2 of them were correct. I guess you just need to take a bunch until the flash works

 

[RightGirl]

That may be true, unfortunately, but it wasnt that way in the beginning.
they were all perfect for a few months
and now they're not?
that's not satisfactory
I need to get help from a Verizon store I guess
if I get an answer, I'll post it here for you to try as well

and please do the same if you get one
are we the ONLY people with this problem?
I have to believe we are not

 

[vjromeo]

me too

I have had my moto droid for over a year, and it seems this flash problem has only been happening for this last month or 2... on mine, it seems I often end up with pictures half illuminated other times not at all or just fine.

 

[sst45jeff]

droid 1 camera flash problem

I had the same problem on 2 of the OG droid.
We use the camera a lot for work & at about 10 months I started having the problem you guys are describing with the dark pictures, half dark, 3/4 dark etc. on both phones around the same time.
I tested the heck out of them trying to figure out if it was a bad bounce with certain surfaces or what and never could find any reason for it. except for maybe just not enough light even with the flash. I never got any of these types of photos to begin with so I think it is an issue that comes up with age.
I warrantied it and got a new one.
After struggling with two different refurbished ones with other issues I finally got one that works but occasionally I still get the random 1/2 dark photo.

They never even asked any questions or looked at photos to confirm, they just warrantied it.

 

[indiantechie]

hopefully now that i actually have similar tools that they use, maybe things will make more sense. as 'dumbed down' as some posts seem on there, they just don't always make sense unless there's a diagram of lighting/camera placement.

i agree with the lamp. odd that it's a florecent lamp and came out so red rather than blue. ah well.
on the 4th shot, i think lowering the flash, or moving it slightly to the left might have helped with that fact.
i hear what you're saying. good point. in the future i'll reference lighting in accordance to the camera, not necessarily the subject.

 

[billynair]

mine is refurbished, so it might be old, but why would that matter? is it the hardware dying? software not syncing? Anyway, I am not positive, but it seems like the first attempt will not work no matter what, but any successive shots will work. But once you go back and look at the pics then switch back to the camera, that first shot wont work. See if anyone else is seeing this.

(Test: set up a shot where it will be dark and will not change, like under a desk at work, take a shot, then follow with a number of other shots. look at the shots in your gallery, then switch back to the camera, take a few more shots. Are the first shots not lit, but the following ones are?)

 

[billynair]

nope... over the weekend i tried to take a few pics, and even taking 5 in a row, none of them had the people standing 8 feet away illuminated. this is getting irritating...

 

[LordBalthazar]

I too have been having this problem. Reading over these replies it seems like this has happened recently. Could it possibly have been from a recent patch?

 

[billynair]

I had it from the first day I owned my droid, but that has only been a few weeks, maybe the update just before i go it?

 

[LordBalthazar]

So, apparently my phone has fixed itself. I went to take a pic and realized it was a "low light" pic, but when it took.... it took. So I took about 5 more and they all came out... so I don't know what happened.

 

[billynair]

bah!! no luck for me... I have been playing with ALL the settings, different "scenes", flash on/off/auto, and basically the best is to just take pics where the flash isnt needed at all...

 

[njl1287]

I'm having this issue, with a Droid1 refurb, as well. I have no idea how to fix it but it's driving me nuts.