Flash is ruining my photographs at night!!

wezzel98765 · Dec 15, 2013

Have tried the stock camera app and VSCOCAM as well - but still the flash is ruining my photographs. Haven't got a case on the phone when taking these images and to be honest... it's annoying as hell! Tried it with my girlfriends black Z1 as mine is white - and hers does the same...!

So, I assume that the flash is interfering with what the sensor is picking up, in which case... the phone isn't fit for purpose..?

Examples are being uploaded

Without flash

2013-12-15 04.54.11 1 by wezzel98765, on Flickr

With Flash

2013-12-15 04.53.54 1 by wezzel98765, on Flickr

B1nny · Dec 15, 2013

wezzel98765 said:
Have tried the stock camera app and VSCOCAM as well - but still the flash is ruining my photographs. Haven't got a case on the phone when taking these images and to be honest... it's annoying as hell! Tried it with my girlfriends black Z1 as mine is white - and hers does the same...!

So, I assume that the flash is interfering with what the sensor is picking up, in which case... the phone isn't fit for purpose..?

Well, turn it off then..?

wezzel98765 · Dec 15, 2013

B1nny said:
Well, turn it off then..?

Bit of a smart ass response

Yes it's okay to turn it off, but what if the lighting is bad and I want to take a photo?

B1nny · Dec 15, 2013

wezzel98765 said:
Bit of a smart ass response

Yes it's okay to turn it off, but what if the lighting is bad and I want to take a photo?

Well it's fairly simple, flash pretty much always ruins a photo. Only use it if you really have to. Other than that, superior auto does a fairly decent job and if that doesn't quite cut it for you, you can try manual mode.

Other than that there isn't a whole lot more that we can do. Remember it's still a phone and not a DSLR. Low-light photography relies mostly on the lens that's fitted on the camera as far as I know. (correct me if I'm wrong) Due to the amount of light a real lens can capture and a smartphone lens simply can't.

Also the photo's you've taken maybe aren't that good of an example, the image without flash looks fine to me. I don't know what you're expecting to capture there, but if you want to show off the back of your car, it's perfectly fine.

PS. if that's your car, you may want to blur out the numberplate.

nikola1970 · Dec 15, 2013

I had exactly the same problem with my Z, and i as well heard some people with Z1 had this problem too.

What u should do is to clean your lens and flash well and try it again to make some pictures.

Try it and respond here with what happend.

wezzel98765 · Dec 15, 2013

Thanks for the advice etc

Just wanted to test camera during darkness because I am going on holiday soon and want to know whether to buy a camera or if my phone will cut it enough for what I need it to do

It's one of many of my dad's imprezas... it's got pics of it many places on the web so it doesn't matter

The car was lit from behind me by an outdoor flood light so that's why I could capture it. I was just shocked that the ghosting on the right side of the image happened. Surely this means that the flash is completely unusable as it interferes with half of the image?

eclyptos · Dec 15, 2013

wezzel98765 said:
I was just shocked that the ghosting on the right side of the image happened. Surely this means that the flash is completely unusable as it interferes with half of the image?

Yes, is unusable but if you switch the flash to torch when you make a picture you will see some improvement, same here, and you want to know why? They put the flash to close to the lens.

nikola1970 · Dec 15, 2013

Just clean your lens and flash area well and it will help... That's how i fixed that problem.

wezzel98765 · Dec 15, 2013

eclyptos said:
Yes, is unusable but if you switch the flash to torch when you make a picture you will see some improvement, same here, and you want to know why? They put the flash to close to the lens.

Yes I thought as much... in which case... this means the device is faulty... as it's not useable in combination with flash at night?

an unrectifiable device design

eclyptos · Dec 16, 2013

wezzel98765 said:
. in which case... this means the device is faulty... as it's not useable in combination with flash at night?

an unrectifiable device design

The reasons can be many but for sure if they will made the phone with a flash more distanced from the lens we will not have this issue and in this case is like you said, an unrectifiable device design but is not faulty. You can get improvements by settings the flash sincronizations because I do not understand yet, why if I switch the torch on when I do the pictures at night they come out a little better than a picture with automatic flash. So here between this settings is something not right and that why you. like me too and others, do have this problem making pictures with flash. I will test again few things to be sure and I will post my opinion but now I am 100% sure if the flash will not be so close to the lens we will have less of this brightness in the pictures.

wezzel98765 · Dec 16, 2013

Taken two more images... much better!

Gave the entire rear of my phone a wipe. It may be because I run a fish and chip shop and grease may have covered the back a little bit?

Either way, it seems this issue may have been caused due to dirt that isn't visible...?

WITHOUT flash

Without flash by wezzel98765, on Flickr

WITH FLASH

With flash by wezzel98765, on Flickr

eclyptos · Dec 16, 2013

So you solved the problem, lucky you! I can clean how much I want but when I do the pictures I got always, more or less, the brightness in the pictures at night. I keep testing.

wezzel98765 · Dec 16, 2013

I'll have to test again at original location I took first pictures to see if it happens again.

Will just have to wait and see.. But so far so good

aridoasis · Dec 16, 2013

try putting a piece of white masking tape or white electrical tape over the flash. this should diffuse the light so it's not 'harsh'.

shajar · Dec 16, 2013

i have same issue and more worse also please remove back cover of your mobile becuse if you use flash it reflect try to remove and make foto

[/url][/IMG]

---------- Post added at 07:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:39 AM ----------

i have same issue and more worse also please remove back cover of your mobile because if you use flash it reflect try to remove and make foto
i have other issue also that i get horizontal line in my picture due to effect of the light in the Street
any body can help me to solve this issue please

[/url][/IMG]

koofejood · Jun 3, 2016

I am having the same issue with Z3. Mine even worse. I tried many things to fix. But I noticed the problem came to me after the first OTA update. Now my flash is only for torch.

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Flash is ruining my photographs at night!!

wezzel98765

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B1nny

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wezzel98765

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B1nny

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nikola1970

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wezzel98765

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eclyptos

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