[FAQ] 5MP*2 or 5MP+2MP ? How to find out and why ...

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Since I am more and more recently annoyed by the same question, I opened this thread to clarify some things once forever.

"Does the 2D camera work for me in this AOSP?", "I have 5MP 5MP +2 MP or MP +5?" or "Software information tells me I have 5M * 2 ... Is this correct?" ...


1. Why this thread?

Maybe you do not even know what that means for you ... Well, lemme begin that way: This thread is only important for GSM Evo 3D users. Why? Because CDMA Evos got all the same lenses: 5MP+2MP.

Now, I explain you why you GSM users should know. Different than the CDMAs, we got two different "camera lense resolutions". What that means? I hope you know that your Evo 3D is able to take 3D pictures, and for this you need at least 2 lenses. But in fact the problem is that you cannot take 3D pictures in 5MP because of seperate technichal issues ... (3D bases on 2 different perspectives, so camera has to take two pics. Therefore you cannot get same refresh rate nor resolution)
Those ones are 5MP twice, and one 5MP sensor and 2MP sensor.

Our lovely devs cooked us some very nice ROMs, also some AOSP / MIUI or ICS Sense 4.0 ... You may imagine that those are only ports or half working builds as evo gsm is not officially supported by those. Main problems are all the same crap: 3D, Camera & (Bluetooth / Phone got fixed mostly) ... Why? Because Sense is not open source code so devs get problems fixing the camera libs or 3d drivers. But suddenly they got some Evos working 2D camera on AOSP and some not ... And thats where the lense resolution gets important.

And whats better? Then, I´d say it depends on what you want: Working camera for aosp and ics sense 4.0 or just a bit higher 3d pics resolution? I can tell you, you can be happy if you have newer 5mp+2mp! You will have working camera for AOSP, MIUI and Sense 4.0 - but "oldfag" users dont be sad. At least you can install higher resolution amaze camera though its not too much

2. WTF?! Why did HTC do that shi´t?!

Well, thats not too hard to understand. First waves of sold Evos in Europe had two 5mp lenses. As I already explained software cannot use the second 5mp because of 3D function. So, HTC was not stupid and thought: "Why waste some money on useless 5MP lenses if we also could just integrate a second 2mp?"
And thats what theyve done: They stopped production of "old" Evos and since about January 2012 you can expect to have bought the new evo if it was a new one ...

3. Okay, how to find out now?

I hope you could follow me to this point ... If not, read it again slowly, ask a noob question or leave the thread without any new knowledge
Seriously, this one is not done in 5 seconds. There are two ways: First one is, well, easy but not really accurate. Second is, of course, more "expensive" but gives you exact results.
One thing to say: DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE APPS LIKE ELIXIR OR GO TO SOFTWARE INFORMATION ... INFO IS INCORRECT AND USELESS - TRUST ME! Software Info gives you all the way 5M*2 as Elixir gives you 5MP + 4MP

Easy way: When was your Evo 3D GSM bought?

--> Pre-Ordered last year? Well, there is definitely no chance you have the newer 5mp+2mp resolution
--> New one from last year? Nice, chance is very low that you got newer resolution but its worth a try, so if you are at this point you should go to second way
--> Used one from end of last year to this year? Good, higher chance that you got newer resolution, but still you should go to second way
--> German "MediaMarkt" or "Saturn" Evo 3D from 2012 special offer? Very good, you can be sure up to 99% to have newer resolution. Try your favour ROMs, I think I can promise you it will work UPDATE: Some people owning these ones report 5MP*2 so rather do accurate way
--> New one from this year ... 99% newer resolution, Id promise 100%

For sure, I didnt forget "hard" way:

UPDATE: Please dont forget this only works for gingerbread sense 3.0/3.5 ROMS !
- Install latest 0.11 amaze camera apk from this thread:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1302943

First, try higher resolution one and find out whether 3D pics crashing for you. If so, you got newer 5MP+2MP and happy flashing
Second, if does not crash, you got older 5mp*2.

Thats it. kk, have to admit that this one was not really hard but its harder than first one

- If you already installed an AOSP GingerBread you dont need my thread because you see whether camera works or not .. - if you have ics then youll have to try flash another Sense 4 ROM anyway :eek:

4. Last but not least ...

Thanks for reading! I hope this helped you out at all! If you have any remaining questions or additions, dont hesitate to reply!
And if it helped you out, please gimme a thanks for my little work
Excuse me if my English is not perfect. I'm just a normal person who still has a life outside of xda and still goes to school. Dared to keep Spelling mistakes or missing commas

Greetings, River.


YOU

Another way to find out if you have 5+5 or 5+2 is to just flash an aosp gb rom. if it works you have 5+2 if it doesn't you have 5+5.

i think the amaze camera method is quite solid, and concrete

checking bootloader date can be wrong, cause S-OFF devices are all showing JULY , and mine before S-OFF was August

so hboot definitely changed the date of the bootloader

anyways, good write up

and, first to press THANKS button

Nice guide, thanks for clearing this up for people, maybe if this thread is kept alive we will stop seeing the same question asked over and over!
Sucks for me though, well kinda, cos I have the early 5*2 ah well. I will only be really gutted if aosp gets 3d functiality

Originally Posted by vipirius

Another way to find out if you have 5+5 or 5+2 is to just flash an aosp gb rom. if it works you have 5+2 if it doesn't you have 5+5.

Alright but I wanted to show you the easier way BEFORE flashing another rom cause many users are much too lazy for that. Sense of this thread is to find whether camera will work for you without flashing and clear out some questions.

@jcsy, thanks m8. Didn't mean to be bootloader date but when you bought your phone will fix that.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using XDA

Originally Posted by River99

Alright but I wanted to show you the easier way BEFORE flashing another rom cause many users are much too lazy for that. Sense of this thread is to find whether camera will work for you without flashing and clear out some questions.

@jcsy, thanks m8. Didn't mean to be bootloader date but when you bought your phone will fix that.

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using XDA

i was adding a tip, some people speculated it was based on the date of the bootloader

Originally Posted by jcsy

i was adding a tip, some people speculated it was based on the date of the bootloader

Oh good! Misunderstood that
Will add it as Tip thank you

Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using XDA

it was entirely speculation and not accurate.. because of the hboot and s-off... it changes the date...

Informative thread! However, it probably should be in q&a, lest you get flamed

Sent from my Ballistic HC fortified, Virtuous Shooter ICS injected EVO 3D

this thread should be in Q&A ...
seriously dev threads become huge mess