Issue in focus and sharpness of the camera.

[Saar21]

I bought a few months ago LS430W, at first the camera deleted a few seconds when she started to recored new videos in loop recoreding .
The seller replace my camera in a new one, but after the replacement i noticed that the focus and sharpness in the right side of the video is always bad and i can't read License Plates numbers and other things.

Becuas that i was sure something is wrong today i toke my GT680W from the other car and put the LS430W and the GT680W next to each other and go to a drive.

I want to share with you screen shots from the videos and hear you opinon about the focus and sharpness on the right side, Am I right that I say something wrong?

Images are numbered so it will be easy to compare.

 

[Saar21]

Try to read the license plate number of the white Mitsubishi on the right.
LS430W can't read...
GT680W license plate number clear...

 

[Xybone]

Seems like a defective lens. Send it in or of you want to try to go the DIY route, try rotating the lens to see if your focus gets better.

 

[Xybone]

Also if you can't see, here are the last two images side by side:

Direct link: http://i.imgur.com/DFDeS1M.jpg

And another, for your viewing pleasure:

Direct link: http://i.imgur.com/FMRZ5DU.jpg

 

[Saar21]

View attachment 5979
Thanks for the help with the pictures, I did not think about it.
About the camera i prefer not mess with the lens, The funny thing was that the camera is completely new.
Before he replace my first camera he told me that it will be better if i will wait a few days because that he was need to get a new shipment of cameras.
With my luck I got a defective camera from factory...

 

[basuotoko]

I have the same problem with my DOD LS400W Plus, and i was told it is fore sure the lens problem, because of high temperature! Mine works greatly unless the indoor temp. is like 22c degrees with slightly sunlight outdoor, that in this condition this camero will provide sharpness outcome!!

 

[reverend]

It's where they use a cheap lens holder - the LS460W also has the same problem!

 

[basuotoko]

Yeah, i'd believe it is hardware issue due to design or something, now this camero has been returned to the chinese official factory which is located in shenzhen, but i do not expect it will be fixed.

 

[roniux]

I have the same issue with my new DOD LS430W, all the video is blurry an out of focus, I thought maybe I needed CPL or UV filters, but is the same problem, with or without filters the video is blurry and worsens when the sun is brighter. I disassembly the DVR, try to rotate the lens because is threaded, but have some kind of glue it prevents the lens to turn left or right. Damn!

 

[jokiin]

No filters needed, focus is manually set during manufacture and is either correct or not

 

[RockThinking]

I have the same issue with my new DOD LS430W, all the video is blurry an out of focus, I thought maybe I needed CPL or UV filters, but is the same problem, with or without filters the video is blurry and worsens when the sun is brighter. I disassembly the DVR, try to rotate the lens because is threaded, but have some kind of glue it prevents the lens to turn left or right. Damn!

The way you can do is take out glue from thread and adjust lens or send it back to reseller.
Nothing related to filters.

 

[roniux]

Thanks for your answer, now, any suggestion is welcome, how I could remove the glue inside the thread, I try to rotate but still is very hard to turn the lens and I can't move it. Is very difficult to me, I can't send it to the reseller, because I bought the DOD DVR with an eBay seller in Taiwan and I live in Guatemala, if I send it and receive another one is like I bought a second camera because I need pay taxes plus shipping and handling "Guatemala -> Taiwan" and "Taiwan -> Guatemala" and are very expensive.

I try with differents firmwares too, from differents realeases like:
10/31/2013 the video is a little blurry
11/03/2013 this firmware I found it today and I test it tomorrow
01/17/2014 the video is very blurry
03/19/2014 the video is very blurry
04/09/2014 firmware from DOD UK but have some noise in the quality of the video with light or low light, but I don't tested in sunny day

The firmwares in sometimes like the releases from 10/31/2013 and 11/03/2013, I always tries to compare the bin files with WinMerge to see if have significant changes inside the file, and well I found on those two version have a significant changes in each one. If you know or if you can recommend me any other release of the firmware or if you know something to how modify the bin files, I appreciate.

Thanks in advanced

 

[jokiin]

Firmware won't fix your focus problems

 

[reverend]

I usually use a hairdryer to loosen glue - just literally done an iPhone 5 battery using the same method

 

[roniux]

Thanks both for your answers, will I try to loosen with a hot gun air, after that, I tell you the results ...

 

[reverend]

A hot air gun is even better

Once it's warmed up I usually find it's cleanest to rotate the lens to get it moving and then unscrew it a bit and just take the glue off with your fingernail - the hardest one I've ever done was the Panorama G which was definitely glued in well!!

The LS430W has an HDMI out if I remember correctly which makes focussing really easy if you hook up the connection to a TV while having the front open so you can adjust hte lens.

 

[roniux]

Well I tried with heat but the glue is very, very strong, I give it up to try rotate, after a few hours trying, followed by some test on other similar lens from an old DVR camera that have a strong glue too, I try with acetone, but doesn't work, the only way is destroy the M12 plastic holder lens cutting and beating and the lens is completely out, finally, I found a M12 x 0.5 lens holder on ebay with 18mm of separation in the screw holes and I need a M12 x 0.5mm thread die too, because the thread was damaged trying to separate from the holder, with this last one I can make the thread again. I think the glue is a type of epoxy, because the acetone doesn't melt the glue. Other thing that I thought was buy another lens but the lens of this DOD LS430W DVR doesn't exists in the market, because is a special type of lens and is not a common lens, because I found many types of lenses but all differents. In a few weeks when I have the holder and the thread die until then I'll try again, dissasembly the DOD DVR and desoldering the internal metal cover to change the holder and using Loctite threadlocker 242 to secure the lens, this is a medium strength threadlocker, not an epoxy glue. Thanks for all your suggestions and your help.

 

[jokiin]

Don't use acetone, too late for you but in case anyone else reads this

 

[roniux]

Why you tell about don't use acetone? is corrosive or something? can damage something? I used it, after heat don't work ... but I don't see any difference with both heat or acetone, because the glue I'm sure is some type of epoxy, the epoxy glues works molecularly and is very hard to break or detach from any surface. After I tear the plastic lens holder some traces of glue and plastic continues attached to the lens threads.

 

[jokiin]

Its not an epoxy, the glue is very light and gets right into the thread, too late now by the sounds of things though