Video focus hunting / Camera keeps refocusing while filming

[daniel_loft]

Hello,

My wife's been having a Honor 10 (COL-L29) for a little over half a year. Everything fine except the camera is constantly hunting for focus. Every few seconds it is refocusing by moving the lens from close-up to infinite and back to correct focus. I've tried it with the latest camera included in software v9.1.0.326 but also with a random 3rd party app. You can clearly hear the focusing camera elements moving.
The most annoying part is during video recording. And since we have a 7 month old baby, she's filming him a lot.
I've tried searching online but nobody seems to have complained about something similar until now.
My OnePlus 5 doesn't do the same thing in the same environment, so I cannot blame some colors, textures or similar.
Will also try posting on honor/Huawei forums in a moment.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated!

 

[cacingbesar]

yeah, I got that problem too..... a bit annoying. Maybe I did not realize, but as far as I remember.....it was not happened on EMUI 8.1. The problem starts after updating to EMUI 9.

 

[damianmcr]

Yeah I've had this to after the last software upgrade.

 

[daniel_loft]

I've been chatting with a support rep today.
Interestingly, she talked like she was aware of the problem (she immediately recognised what I was thinking about) and she asked me when did the problem appeared (like it was introduced by an update).
Clearing the camera's and the phone's cache didn't help. I was thinking of checking out if another phone has the same issue (if I can still find one on display).
Otherwise the rep advised me to go to a service center or contact the seller.

 

[missing meteor showers]

Hello,

My wife's been having a Honor 10 (COL-L29) for a little over half a year. Everything fine except the camera is constantly hunting for focus. Every few seconds it is refocusing by moving the lens from close-up to infinite and back to correct focus. I've tried it with the latest camera included in software v9.1.0.326 but also with a random 3rd party app. You can clearly hear the focusing camera elements moving.
The most annoying part is during video recording. And since we have a 7 month old baby, she's filming him a lot.
I've tried searching online but nobody seems to have complained about something similar until now.
My OnePlus 5 doesn't do the same thing in the same environment, so I cannot blame some colors, textures or similar.
Will also try posting on honor/Huawei forums in a moment.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated!

Huawei has released a patch pack that seems to solve this problem for Honor 10 in China (COL-AL00 COL-AL10 COL-TL00 COL-TL10). I guess the oversea version is on it's way

 

[damianmcr]

Im in the UK and I'm already on .326

 

[thealliens]

I have the same problem and running .326 version .
Glad that i am not the only one.
I found out that if after u ar starting a video and manually do a focus with one finger it stops hunting focusing after.
I first discovered the problem after upgrading to emui 9.1.
Hope this will help others!

 

[daniel_loft]

I was to the service center some 4-5 days ago. The guy there took a look at the phone, I showed him the issue and he acknowledged it. He ordered a new camera module, a mainboard and something else (I didn't understood what he said): I'm waiting for a call from the service center for the actual parts replacement.

 

[thealliens]

So after what u said then this is a hardware problem not a software problem and i should find the nearest shop and have look!
I'm afraid that it's 400 km from me the neareast shop.

 

[daniel_loft]

I don't know what it is. I am checking for a new software version on a daily basis (until I'm called that the parts arrived).
I only reported back what the dude from the official service center told me.

 

[cacingbesar]

I was to the service center some 4-5 days ago. The guy there took a look at the phone, I showed him the issue and he acknowledged it. He ordered a new camera module, a mainboard and something else (I didn't understood what he said): I'm waiting for a call from the service center for the actual parts replacement.

please don't forget to let us know how it goes with the new hardware....

 

[daniel_loft]

So yesterday afternoon got the parts exchanged: mainboard, cameras & back plate. Apparently the back plate cannot be glued back upon removal. The whole thing took some 3.5 hours.
Weirdly the mainboard came with some version 8.1.0.1xx EMUI. I don't know if it was preinstalled of the service tech guy flashed after assembling the phone.
The problem is gone but I cannot say for sure if it is the old software or the new hardware.
When trying to update the software (before restoring with HiSuite) I only got a small version bump (still 8.1.0.1xx). HiSuite was proposing me an update but didn't take it. I want to film something, update, film the same again all while the phone is on a tripod pointing exactly at the same scene.

 

[daniel_loft]

So yesterday afternoon got the parts exchanged: mainboard, cameras & back plate. Apparently the back plate cannot be glued back upon removal. The whole thing took some 3.5 hours.
Weirdly the mainboard came with some version 8.1.0.1xx EMUI. I don't know if it was preinstalled of the service tech guy flashed after assembling the phone.
The problem is gone but I cannot say for sure if it is the old software or the new hardware.
When trying to update the software (before restoring with HiSuite) I only got a small version bump (still 8.1.0.1xx). HiSuite was proposing me an update but didn't take it. I want to film something, update, film the same again all while the phone is on a tripod pointing exactly at the same scene.

 

[Techanderer]

So yesterday afternoon got the parts exchanged: mainboard, cameras & back plate. Apparently the back plate cannot be glued back upon removal. The whole thing took some 3.5 hours.
Weirdly the mainboard came with some version 8.1.0.1xx EMUI. I don't know if it was preinstalled of the service tech guy flashed after assembling the phone.
The problem is gone but I cannot say for sure if it is the old software or the new hardware.
When trying to update the software (before restoring with HiSuite) I only got a small version bump (still 8.1.0.1xx). HiSuite was proposing me an update but didn't take it. I want to film something, update, film the same again all while the phone is on a tripod pointing exactly at the same scene.

I just got a new Honor 10, a week ago. I made all the EMUI updates before testing the camera. I noticed the horrible focus in and out problem, and I was prepared to send it back to the seller. After I searched a bit, I found this thread and I realized it may not be a hardware problem, but a software problem. I'm now downgrading to EMUI 9.0 and hooping the HiSuite allows me to downgrade later to 8.1 to test if the problem disappears. BTW, the post processing of the photos in low light is also horrible, especially with people's faces. But I want to keep the phone because of the size, price and specs.

Do you have any more information about your case? Had you the opportunity to do the tests with 9.1?

 

[daniel_loft]

I haven't update it yet. My wife keeps on postponing it.
Right now it is on 8.1.0.104 and it wants to install 8.1.0.151.
The problem seems to be almost gone, except for critical situations (carpet with high contrast pattern), but even then it is barely noticeable.
It will stay on this software for the time being...

 

[Techanderer]

I haven't update it yet. My wife keeps on postponing it.
Right now it is on 8.1.0.104 and it wants to install 8.1.0.151.
The problem seems to be almost gone, except for critical situations (carpet with high contrast pattern), but even then it is barely noticeable.
It will stay on this software for the time being...

I have an update on my side. I downgraded to 9.0 and I still had the problem. But when I downgraded to 8.1 the problem simply disappeared! I'm using the build ending in 151, so I think you can upgrade to that version with no problem. If you upgrade to 9.0 and the problem continues, just make a backup before upgrade, and then you can downgrade to 8.1 again and restore with HiSuite (very simple and fast do downgrade).

When you have the problem, you can "fix" it downgrading to 8.1 with HiSuite, but we don't know why some people have the problem, and apparently a lot of people don't have the problem at all. If your works now with 9.0 or 9.1, it probably have something to do with some hardware change in the Honor 10 production that caused the problem.

 

[cacingbesar]

anyone tried other camera app? I'm gonna try Open Camera

 

[daniel_loft]

I've tried some random app. I don't remember the name, but the behaviour was the same.
I've mentioned this in the initial post.

 

[Techanderer]

I seems that I only have de problem with 9.1 (in the 2 version available). I 'm testing 9.0 and it seems ok.

 

[thealliens]

I seems that I only have de problem with 9.1 (in the 2 version available). I 'm testing 9.0 and it seems ok.

So it's a software problem after all.
I am curious, did u downgrade, and the downgrade wiped your ur data?