A229 Pro - Out of Focus

[supersabroso]

My new A229 Pro camera is partially out of focus, the blur is very annoying on the right side of the camera and I can't read any number plates. Does this footage look normal like Viofo support are stating and is it blurry on your dash cams as well or am I correct in saying that I've been given a lemon and should have it replaced under warranty? It's been like this from the start (actually a lot worse due to HDR, when I turned off HDR, the resulting image is far better as you can see.) I have the latest firmware.

All my footage from the A119, A119 Pro, A129 Pro & A139 Pro have been in focus and clear. I'm really not impressed with this nasty blur from their flagship A229 Pro dash cam. I've tried tilting the camera up as much as possible as my bonnet is crystal clear, I think the fixed focus has been set to the wrong spot.

 

[mentadent]

Yes that looks like a lemon to me. Your glass is clearly clean so it can't be that. Have you cleaned the lens any any CPL glass?

 

[supersabroso]

Yes that looks like a lemon to me. Your glass is clearly clean so it can't be that. Have you cleaned the lens any any CPL glass?

Thank god, I was getting worried that it was just me as Viofo told me there's nothing wrong with my footage and that it's not blurry. That's a mix of images with CPL, without CPL & tilted up/down to avoid focusing on my bonnet in case it had auto focus (Viofo support said that it was a fixed focus). No, I haven't tried to clean the lens as it looked crystal clear after removing the stickers out of the box.

 

[mentadent]

It's worth checking the lens and CPL for fingerprints/smudges. It could easily cause that. Just look at them in an angle in the light.

 

[Nigel]

I've tried tilting the camera up as much as possible as my bonnet is crystal clear, I think the fixed focus has been set to the wrong spot.

Looks like it is focused too close to me, otherwise good.

It would be interesting to see an image with it tilted down so that we can see some much closer stuff, like your dash, to see how close it is focused.

 

[vessk0]

Same problem on my side!!!
It got worse through the weeks of use!!!

 

[supersabroso]

Wow vessk0, your is even worse than mine! Hopefully this is not a common manufacturing defect, otherwise @VIOFO-Support really need to tell their QA department to get their act together!

I've cleaned the CPL (we know it's not this as I've done videos without it), I've cleaned the dash cam lens, I've cleaned the inside of my windscreen, I've cleaned the outside of my windscreen. I've even put it back on the horribly blurry HDR that Viofo support requested of me. Nothing has fixed it, please refer to the images. Yes, it definitely looks like my dash camera is super focused on my dashboard approx. 0.5m away.

First image is in motion with HDR, last 3x images are with the stationary car.

 

[lufa6977]

As it is, the problem is likely unfixable and you will need to request a new lens from Viofo. Of the 4, A229 Pro I have looked at, all 4 have a glue on the thread of the lens
body that prevents adjusting the lens yourself...providing one is capable of that. Changing the lens is relatively easy but one does need to be handy with such work or at
least be willing to carefully work through the lens change.

 

[Dashmellow]

Of the 4, A229 Pro I have looked at, all 4 have a glue on the thread of the lens
body that prevents adjusting the lens yourself...providing one is capable of that.

Many of us on the forum have a lot of experience modifying dash cams with aftermarket lenses and refocusing dash cams that have gone out of focus. It is a trivial matter to remove and refocus a glued-in lens. One merely uses a hair dryer or heat gun to carefully warm up the lens module until the glue softens at which point it can be unscrewed easily. After cleaning the old glue off the lens threads, reinstalling it and refocusing it, the lens is secured with a small dab or two of (inert) UV setting cement and/or using a lock ring.

 

[Dex_]

I`m also has out of focus issue on main camera. And fix it by myself.
Sorry for link to another forum but does not have ability to rewrite it and repost here all photos.
My auto translated post at 4pda.to about fixing focus with compare pictures

 

[LateralNW]

My new A229 Pro camera is partially out of focus, the blur is very annoying on the right side of the camera and I can't read any number plates. Does this footage look normal like Viofo support are stating and is it blurry on your dash cams as well or am I correct in saying that I've been given a lemon and should have it replaced under warranty? It's been like this from the start (actually a lot worse due to HDR, when I turned off HDR, the resulting image is far better as you can see.) I have the latest firmware.

All my footage from the A119, A119 Pro, A129 Pro & A139 Pro have been in focus and clear. I'm really not impressed with this nasty blur from their flagship A229 Pro dash cam. I've tried tilting the camera up as much as possible as my bonnet is crystal clear, I think the fixed focus has been set to the wrong spot.

I agree with you it does appear out of focus.
Lets see if @VIOFO-Support can sort it out for you.

 

[frontier]

Wow, that's way worse than I expected. Definitely not normal.

 

[phhaily125]

Jesus christ why does every batch of viofo still have defective products?
Maybe 229pro is not my choice