Why is my footage soft and foggy looking?

[Daffypuck]

I periodically bring in my SD card to review footage and reformat. I noticed that all of my footage looked really soft and poor quality. Its on 1080p, I cleaned the lense and recorded some more footage and it still soft looking. In this screenshot, you cant even make out the plate on the truck in front of me. Usually my footage is crystal clear. Any ideas what it might be?

 

[Street Guardian USA]

Did you clean the inside of the glass with a non-ammonia based cleaner?
Are you recording while parked?
What's the serial number off the back? (approximately when did you purchase)

 

[kamkar]

If your lens and windscreen are clean, then its probably the focus that have shifted.
Warm weather can do that, and it dont always need to be death valley heat that trigger it.

 

[Daffypuck]

I cleaned with a camera lens lint free cloth. I bought it i believe exactly 3 yrs ago to the day almost. Yes, that image was from being parked. But all of the moving footage was just as bad. I reformatted the card and will check tomorrow evening when I get home from work. DO you need the SN still?

 

[JohnnyMnemonic]

If your lens and windscreen are clean, then its probably the focus that have shifted.
Warm weather can do that, and it dont always need to be death valley heat that trigger it.

Does this ‘focus shift’ usually return to normal after temps moderate or is it more like once it happens the cam is toast?

 

[jokiin]

Does this ‘focus shift’ usually return to normal after temps moderate or is it more like once it happens the cam is toast?

depends on the cause

 

[kamkar]

Yes it can go back and forth with temperature, but from the depth of my flaky memory the remain OFF ( Out Of Focus ) are the most normal situation, either way its not good a dashcam should work all the time, and users in the deep south have proven that it can be done even with a camera that dont get removed from the windscreen in the day.
But of course in such hot environments you can not expect to be using things like parking mode as the cameras own heat sources will probably push it above any safe temperature and at best make it do a thermal shut down.

Ove here in Denmark which are like Canada north on the globe, we at best get 3-5 days with 30 degrees C, a better chance of 25, and 20 we can do in the summer.
But things are getting flaky, summer 2017 in my book was non existing, i think we got maybe 2 days with 25 degree C

you can often replace a lens if that's what is broken ( most likely ) all dashcams and action cameras use the same 12 mm fine thread socket, if you are strapped for cash just give a shout out in here, i know i for one have a few spare lenses ( just shipped 3 to Canada to a user over there )
But i have more that will be better than any out of focus lens, and i am sure other users in here have the same too.

 

[Daffypuck]

Well, How can I determine if thats the issue? Is there any thing I can do to try and fix the issue?

 

[Street Guardian USA]

The lens is fixed focus and glued in place.

If you’ve had this three years you most likely have the original SG9665GC V1. (Would need serial number)

2015, 2016, 2017 products have a 1 year warranty. New 2018 products have a 2 year warranty. (lens and even grade of plastic have been updated a few times since then)

Send me a private message or email and I’ll hook you up with a steeply discounted replacement.

 

[kamkar]

Well, How can I determine if thats the issue? Is there any thing I can do to try and fix the issue?

Not outside of taking the thing apart, and loosen the lens and refocus it again, its pretty much the same procedure as with any action or dashcam lens refocus or replacement.

The GC are one of the tough ones though, not to take apart, but it dont have a HDMI output just a AV one, so finding the focus sweet spot are a bit more tricky.
On a camera with HDMI out you can just connect it to a TV and watch the screen to find focus sweet spot, you can do that with the AV out too, but its a low res signal.

The offer from SGUSA also sound good if you had some good hauls lately.

 

[Daffypuck]

OK, thanks yall. I reviewed some more footage just now on a bright sunny day and its still the same. I guess 3 years is not bad for a permanently mounted cam in the hot sun and cold winters.

 

[Daffypuck]

Not outside of taking the thing apart, and loosen the lens and refocus it again, its pretty much the same procedure as with any action or dashcam lens refocus or replacement.

The GC are one of the tough ones though, not to take apart, but it dont have a HDMI output just a AV one, so finding the focus sweet spot are a bit more tricky.
On a camera with HDMI out you can just connect it to a TV and watch the screen to find focus sweet spot, you can do that with the AV out too, but its a low res signal.

The offer from SGUSA also sound good if you had some good hauls lately.

If its glued in place, how do I loosen it to refocus it? Is it threaded, or do I have to take the actual lens out and move it around?

 

[Daffypuck]

It looks more like theres some chromatic aberration more than anything. The first pic is bad, the second is an older screen shot and normal.

 

[jokiin]

if the focus has drifted and it's soft all the time then you can often just refocus them, little bit of mucking about but not too involved

 

[kamkar]

The lenses are most often secured with a little hot glue or something like that, so you just peel off what you can and then get a good grip and unscrew it.
I use some pliers with a little 2 mm rubber between the pliers and the lens, this way i get a good friction grip and dont have to grip the lens too hard and risk breaking it.