problem of uniformity for sharpness ( lens )

[Curtis54]

Hello,

I have a viofo A119 since one week, and I notice a problem related to sharpness on the lens :

- the extreme left side of the lens doesn't have the same level of sharpness than the right side,

is it normal this lack of uniformity for the sharpness ?

it's the same problem exposed in this thread by lacibaci :

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/a119-vs-mini-0903-nanoq.20841/

it seems a problem during the assembly of the lens, a bad adjustement, this problem can be noticed when I try to compare the sharpness of the vegetation ( trees ) and buildings, right side of the image is always sharper/clear than the extreme left side

 

[CaptureYourAction]

Hello,

I have a viofo A119 since one week, and I notice a problem related to sharpness on the lens :

- the extreme left side of the lens doesn't have the same level of sharpness than the right side,

is it normal this lack of uniformity for the sharpness ?

it's the same problem exposed in this thread by lacibaci :

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/a119-vs-mini-0903-nanoq.20841/

it seems a problem during the assembly of the lens, a bad adjustement, this problem can be noticed when I try to compare the sharpness of the vegetation ( trees ) and buildings, right side of the image is always sharper/clear than the extreme left side

Curvature of your windshield could affect the corners as well. Maybe try the camera outside the car and see what the corners look like.

 

[Curtis54]

I tried outside the car, and the problem is still here, the extreme left side doesn't have the same sharpness of the center and right side

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I tried outside the car, and the problem is still here, the extreme left side doesn't have the same sharpness of the center and right side

Can you share any video/photo?

 

[Curtis54]

here is a photo of the problem :


we can see clearly the degradation of the sharpness on the extreme left side ( trees for example )

 

[gretl4]

Try rolling the camera so it's upside down and then flip the image back in post, then you can compare the left and side sides with the same image.

It does look blurry on the left though

 

[Curtis54]

I tried your advice, and I can see that the extreme left side is always a little blurrier than the right side,

could it be a lens problem, a sensor problem, or a software problem ?

 

[lacibaci]

I had the same problem. I just took it apart and reseated and refocused the lens. No problem since.

 

[RCPilot]

I received my A119 today. The image is SUPER except for the left 20% of the image that is out of focus. (Have not tried night yet as not dark here for a few more hours.) I was going to return it for an exchange but given that lacibaci had the same problem, maybe there is a production problem not seating the lens square in the unit. I may try to reseat and refocus myself too. If you zoom in a little on my attached image you can see that the left 20% of my image quite a bit off compared to the right.

 

[Curtis54]

I had the same problem. I just took it apart and reseated and refocused the lens. No problem since.

Can you tell more about how you have refocused the lens ?

Is it easy to do ?

 

[lacibaci]

Can you tell more about how you have refocused the lens ?

Is it easy to do ?

It is relatively easy if you are comfortable with taking things apart The lens is screwed into a metal holder which is attached to PCB with two screws. It is this holder that is most likely not perfectly aligned with the CMOS sensor. If the holder is not perpendicular to the sensor a part of image will be out of focus.
Just remember, any kind of disassembly will of course void your warranty.

 

[lacibaci]

One more thing. Before you guys disassemble your cameras, make sure to test it by eliminating all other factors. Take the CPL off (if you have one) and take you camera out of the car. This will take the windshield curvature and any reflections out of the equation. Next, find a large wall with some kind of detail (brick, posters...) Stand about 10 - 15ft perpendicularly (important) and record a short video. Then look at it on you 1080p monitor.

 

[RCPilot]

I wanted to rule out the issue with the blur being reported here on the left only was not due to the cameras often being mounted to the left of the rear view mirror, and the wide angle lens was catching the curvature of the windshield on the left, but not the right. To rule that out tonight I shot a video in my living room and took a screen shot of the same object shot from both the right and left side of the lens. The left side is out of focus so that ruled out a windshield issue. Lacibaci's admonishment to do that is a very good point as you don't want to pull apart your cam if the problem is with your windshield. Below is a cropped and zoomed 150% section of the video showing the difference from right and left shot in my house with the cam stationary. Left is definitely soft compared to right.

 

[Curtis54]

It is relatively easy if you are comfortable with taking things apart The lens is screwed into a metal holder which is attached to PCB with two screws. It is this holder that is most likely not perfectly aligned with the CMOS sensor. If the holder is not perpendicular to the sensor a part of image will be out of focus.
Just remember, any kind of disassembly will of course void your warranty.

so the only tool needed is a screwdriver ?

I did research and on some dashcams there is some glue around the lens holder, and this glue can be difficult to remove, is there any glue in the A119 ?
or the lens is only attached with screws ?

I think I will try to reseat and refocus the lens if this operation is really easy to do,

RCPilot : it would be interesting to take photos of the operation ( if you want ), in order to create a tutorial for reseating and refocusing the lens for A119 dashcam, I will try also to take photos of the inside of A119 dashcam,

many people will likely have this problem, the A119 seems to be a best-seller and if the lens focusing problem is widespread then a tutorial will be useful

 

[jokiin]

it might not need refocus, try reseating the lens base on the PCB first and see how it looks

 

[Nigel]

it might not need refocus, try reseating the lens base on the PCB first and see how it looks

Rotating the lens holder 180 degrees seems work quite often...

 

[Curtis54]

It is relatively easy if you are comfortable with taking things apart The lens is screwed into a metal holder which is attached to PCB with two screws. It is this holder that is most likely not perfectly aligned with the CMOS sensor. If the holder is not perpendicular to the sensor a part of image will be out of focus.
Just remember, any kind of disassembly will of course void your warranty.

I didn't manage to disassembly the A119, I removed 4 screws but after the two plastic shells don't move, it seems there is an hidden screw,

can you give me more details in order to succeed the disassembly ?

 

[CaptureYourAction]

I didn't manage to disassembly the A119, I removed 4 screws but after the two plastic shells don't move, it seems there is an hidden screw,

can you give me more details in order to succeed the disassembly ?

It's just the 4 screws on the corners. You just need to pry a little with you fingernails. Start at the lens end. Be careful as the lens may want to pop up and there is a spring in the lens adjusting mechanism.

 

[Gibson99]

Maybe this will help, being able to see one already taken apart:

http://www.gibson99.com/reviews/dashcam/viofoa119b60dashcampre-productionbetaunitphotos

 

[RCPilot]

I replaced my A119 and the replacement unit has good consistent focus. The center will always be slightly sharper than the edges which is completely normal on all cams. I didn't want to pull a new unit apart to reset the lens so Amazon swapped it out likity split.