How do you keep your camera lens scratch-free?

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Quist

Senior Member
May 23, 2007
174
11
I apologize if this has been covered a 1000 times, but I did a cursory search and only run into threads about the screen cover or full-body protection, i.e. the lens cover is almost always just mentioned in passing.

I'm one of the many who have discovered that the plastic lens cover integrated into the battery cover is extremely prone to scratches. I've ordered two extra covers from Expansys, but at this rate, I'll need to get a new one every 2-3 months.

On previous phones, I tried various screen covers that either came with a lense cover (Martin Fields) or cut one out myself, only to find that the clarity of the plastic screen covers causes the pictures to come out hazy or milky. This is partially due to the difficulty of removing fingerprints, but even more due to the fact that screen protectors aren't really designed to be crystal clear like a camera lens is. I invariably took them off and risked it, but on most of my other units, the only thing that was real glass was the lens cover. Not so on the Desire.

Does anyone have any advice on this front?
 

hoppi05

Senior Member
Mar 14, 2010
261
40
i use the martin fields lens cover that came with the martins fields screen cover... its very good for the price....
 

albert_htc

Senior Member
Apr 5, 2010
594
31
I had an old screen protector that I cut a rectangle to cover the lens.
Looks OK but not perfect.

I may try to cut a circle to cover it properly.
 

A|ex

Senior Member
Oct 8, 2008
1,113
66
Hong Kong
I am not sure how you damage it, i keep my phone in its pouch, when i take it out or put it back down i put the phone ontop of the pouch so the camera is not touching the surface. A cover would i assume make the picture loose quality?
 

Quist

Senior Member
May 23, 2007
174
11
I'm generally very careful with my phones, but accidents happen and I managed to get a bunch of hairline scratches on the lens cover after just 6 weeks with the phone.
 

Quist

Senior Member
May 23, 2007
174
11
Not saying that they haven't made progress, but I used to have a Martin Fields lens protector on my old Omnia i900 and found that the plastic of the lens protector caused hazy pictures even when clean.

I'm beginning to wonder if a liquid solution might be the way to go. Something like clear nailpolish that could be removed and reapplied if it got scratches in it. Anyone hear of something like this?
 

Phoenixx2000

Member
Jan 23, 2008
19
1
I've got the same problem, a lot of little scratches at the lens cover which make my photos not as sharp/clear as it should be. I think with the pouch I recently ordered the problem is over, but for now I must order a quite expensive new battery cover.
 

jmpmjmpm

Senior Member
Sep 28, 2007
165
23
Bridgend
Not saying that they haven't made progress, but I used to have a Martin Fields lens protector on my old Omnia i900 and found that the plastic of the lens protector caused hazy pictures even when clean.

I'm beginning to wonder if a liquid solution might be the way to go. Something like clear nailpolish that could be removed and reapplied if it got scratches in it. Anyone hear of something like this?

The liquid would have to be perfectly flat and of uniform thickness to prevent refraction, I doubt such an application could be achieved "at home"
 
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abc27

Senior Member
Apr 16, 2010
783
137
I just use a thick gel skin for my phone and a padded microfibre pouch.


The thickness of the skin makes the lens very deeply recessed so it's way safer.
 

naimmkassim

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2010
1,299
101
Selangor
I had an old screen protector that I cut a rectangle to cover the lens.
Looks OK but not perfect.

I may try to cut a circle to cover it properly.

Lol..u just give me a got idea!! Im going to try it on my sensation!!

Edit: Actualy i already try the rectangular one and its fit perfect. Tomorow i wil try to cut it in round shape one ;P

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App
 
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Wekkel

Senior Member
Apr 3, 2010
230
60
www.tweakers.net
take out the lens

Perhaps too obvious, but I knocked out the camera lens in the battery cover. After more than a year still no scratches on the camera itself and perfect pictures (at least, for this camera unit). Protection is sufficient with a pouch.
 

naimmkassim

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2010
1,299
101
Selangor
Lol..u just give me a got idea!! Im going to try it on my sensation!!

Edit: Actualy i already try the rectangular one and its fit perfect. Tomorow i wil try to cut it in round shape one ;P

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

Crap!! It just dont work..after few days dust started to accumulate between the rectangular screen protector and the camera lens. More scratch now!! Crap..crap!! >¦c

P/s: i did try to cut the screen protector round, but the glue of the screen just come out during cutting process..not work also..

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App
 
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braddersss

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2011
71
3
london
www.ukgaragetube.co.uk
just remove the scratched up bit of plastic and stop worrying, the lens is countersunk below the case anyway,

i removed the plastic lens from my battery cover after having the desire for about 2 weeks, 6-7 months later my pictures still come out as sharp and defined as when new,
if you get any dirt on the camera lens simply take off your battery cover and you can clean it easily,
 

naimmkassim

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2010
1,299
101
Selangor
just remove the scratched up bit of plastic and stop worrying, the lens is countersunk below the case anyway,

i removed the plastic lens from my battery cover after having the desire for about 2 weeks, 6-7 months later my pictures still come out as sharp and defined as when new,
if you get any dirt on the camera lens simply take off your battery cover and you can clean it easily,

The worry part is during clean up the camera lens. If i wipe it with some chemical n tissue, there is a high risk the lens get scratch ;c

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App
 

kuwlij

Member
Aug 16, 2009
44
2
well as i said mines been fine for the last 6-7 months, i just take the battery cover off and give it a wipe with my t shirt or something, no scratches so far,,

This may not be necessary!
I've been having this issue for ages too.. i clean the plastic lens but it appears to be scratched as pics come out hazy, just like other posters above. I have just pushed out the plastic lens on the battery cover as suggested and sure enough pics are instantly clearer.. however when inspecting the plastic lens cover i realized two things
* the sticky part is very sticky!
* the inside of the plastic part (the sticky side) appears to be dirty..

i cleaned it with one of those cloths you use for specs and since it's still very sticky i put it back in.. tried a few shots with the battery cover on and off, and i' can't notice any difference.. no longer hazy!

sure though, knocking it out avoids having to clean in form the inside .. but i'm afraid of scratching the inside lens.. that one's more difficult to replace :)
 

Garfield1970

Senior Member
May 4, 2005
91
20
Bascharage
Another option for those worried about their lens ...

Amazon ( Sorry, I only found it on the german site ) has this item listed :

http://www.amazon.de/Ersatzglas-Kam...WWGK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1320922089&sr=8-3

It's a saphire glass replacement lens cover for our beloved Desire , and apparently is very scratchproof (according to reviews) . They had a slight quality problem early in the manufacturing process, the first items came out slightly too large, but it seems that's fixed by now ...

I will order one and give it a try , as I have quite bad scratches in mine after 1.5 years of normal use and don't really want to leave the camera itself uncovered :)