Camera lost focus over time?

[voodoobs]

Hello all,
I don't look at my camera footage very often, but I thought to maybe check on the health of the SDCard.
When scanning through a video, i noticed that it's extremely blurry and it looks like the focus is right up on my dashboard instead of anywhere on the road. I don't remember it being like this when I got the camera and it's been a couple of years now.

I saw that there's a video for re-focusing the A119, but not specifically the V3.

Is there a way to refocus the camera or do I just have to buy a new one?

Thanks.

 

[kamkar]

Welcome to the forum voodoobs.

Yes focus shift can happen,
The procedure are the same for any dash or for that matter action camera, they all use the same fine 12 mm thread lens, so it is just a matter of getting the lens loose in its mount ( could be glue that hold it in place ) and then turn it a few mm one or the other way to get back into focus.
Only difference is how to disassemble the camera body, which is of course different between different brand / model cameras, but the focus part itself is always the same, get lens loose by scratching in glue that most likely hold it in place in the socket, and then turn it a little.
Yours seem to have shifted to near focus as your dash look fine, but i cant for the love of god remember what direction you should turn the lens, nothing to do but try i guess.
When done you of course have to secure the lens again, do not use CA glue as its fumes might ruin lens coating., but almost anything else will work i have even used simple wood glue and also a varnish originally meant for trying your own flies for fishing.

It take very little so if you can make a mark so you can see where you set off.
Nothing else to do but make a slight change, make a few recordings so you can check focus visual, and then back and forth a little depending on how lucky you are in hitting the right turn direction and amount of turn, but as i said it take very little, a few degrees should be enough.

 

[voodoobs]

Welcome to the forum voodoobs.

Yes focus shift can happen,
The procedure are the same for any dash or for that matter action camera, they all use the same fine 12 mm thread lens, so it is just a matter of getting the lens loose in its mount ( could be glue that hold it in place ) and then turn it a few mm one or the other way to get back into focus.
Only difference is how to disassemble the camera body, which is of course different between different brand / model cameras, but the focus part itself is always the same, get lens loose by scratching in glue that most likely hold it in place in the socket, and then turn it a little.
Yours seem to have shifted to near focus as your dash look fine, but i cant for the love of god remember what direction you should turn the lens, nothing to do but try i guess.
When done you of course have to secure the lens again, do not use CA glue as its fumes might ruin lens coating., but almost anything else will work i have even used simple wood glue and also a varnish originally meant for trying your own flies for fishing.

It take very little so if you can make a mark so you can see where you set off.
Nothing else to do but make a slight change, make a few recordings so you can check focus visual, and then back and forth a little depending on how lucky you are in hitting the right turn direction and amount of turn, but as i said it take very little, a few degrees should be enough.

thanks for the reply!
i'll watch some videos about disassembly and refocusing and give it a try sometime soon. hopefully i don't mess it up and need to get a new one, anyway.
thanks for the tips about the glue -- i think i have some jigsaw puzzle glue that might work for this. i don't think it's extremely strong but i feel like it should be able to hold.

 

[Karagandinez]

Is there a way to refocus the camera or do I just have to buy a new one?

 

[voodoobs]

i was just watching these now!
good to know these are the recommended videos.

 

[Dashmellow]

I was all set to post these videos when I noticed you'd already done it.