eric - 2018-02-11

In Open Camera v 1.42.2 when I set Focus to Locked the setting is not honoured when the camera uses flash to light up the scene.

When I force the flash to remain off Focus -> Locked does persist, and, if it's in flash_auto, if the light intensity increases enough to allow the flash to remain off the previously acquired focus lock persists.

There are two conditions that are applied to this situation that don't make sense in the context of locked focus:

  1. If flash_auto is active then focus will remain locked on the last focus point provided flash_auto does not decide to fire the flash.
  2. If flash_auto decides to fire the flash the camera will acquire a new focus lock (using the flash) which replaces the previous focus lock.

Is this (a) the way it's supposed to work, (b) the only way the Android Camera API allows it to work, (c) a bug in the Open Camera implementation, or (d) a specific problem with my particular phone.

My wish for this particular situation:
focus_mode_locked respects the previously acquired focus lock, regardless of flash setting (i.e. focus_mode_locked prevents all flash modes from changing the focus). The only thing that should allow for a focus change is if the user taps the scene to choose a new focus lock (I'm coming from iPhone and that's how the iPhone's camera has worked in my experience with it... and, I really like that).

Alternately:

Implement Apple's focus lock solution. In that case, you press-and-hold a location on the scene and the app uses that location to acquire a focus lock. This focus lock persists until dismissed by a tap of the screen or a settings change (not sure about the latter), regardless of whether the flash fires.

I also wish that manual focussing were available for my particular device, but, I understand that isn't possible on LineageOS so I guess that's a "too bad, so sad" situation. But, even if stock Samsung TouchWiz supported manual focus there's no way I would ever go back to Samsung's hellish, bloated, slow vision of what Android should be. I'd rather live without manual focussing than have to live with Samsung. Love their hardware. Hate their software.

PS I really like the app and am saddened that there are knockoffs, but, I guess that's the nature of open source software. Leeches see an opportunity to make a quick buck. Donated within hours of downloading :).

Synopsis: Samsung S5 running LineageOS 14.1. Not rooted.

Details copied from Open Camera application:

Open Camera v1.42.2
Code: 57
(c) 2013-2017 Mark Harman
Released under the GPL v3 or later (Open Camera also uses additional third party files, see online help for full licences and attributions.)
Package: net.sourceforge.opencamera
Android API version: 25
Device manufacturer: samsung
Device model: SM-G900W8
Device code-name: qcom
Device variant: kltecan
Language: en
Standard max heap?: 192
Large max heap?: 512
Display size: 1080x1920
Current camera ID: 0
No. of cameras: 2
Camera API: Camera
Preview resolutions: 1920x1080, 1440x1080, 1280x720, 1056x864, 960x720, 800x480, 720x480, 640x480, 352x288, 320x240, 176x144
Preview resolution: 1920x1080
Photo resolutions: 5312x2988, 3984x2988, 3264x2448, 3264x1836, 2560x1920, 2048x1152, 1920x1080, 1280x960, 1280x720, 800x480, 640x480, 320x240
Photo resolution: 5312x2988
Video qualities: 1, 6, 5_r1440x1080, 5, 4_r800x480, 4_r800x450, 4, 3_r640x480, 3, 7, 0_r176x144
Video resolutions: 3840x2160, 1920x1080, 1440x1080, 1280x720, 800x480, 800x450, 720x480, 640x480, 352x288, 320x240, 176x144
Video quality: 6
Video frame width: 1920
Video frame height: 1080
Video bit rate: 17000000
Video frame rate: 30
Auto-stabilise?: Available
Auto-stabilise enabled?: false
Face detection?: Available
RAW?: Not available
HDR?: Available
Expo?: Available
Expo compensation?: Available
Exposure compensation range: -4 to 4
Manual ISO?: Not available
Manual exposure?: Not available
Manual WB?: Not available
Video stabilization?: Not available
Can disable shutter sound?: Yes
Flash modes: flash_off, flash_auto, flash_on, flash_torch
Focus modes: focus_mode_auto, focus_mode_infinity, focus_mode_macro, focus_mode_locked, focus_mode_continuous_picture, focus_mode_continuous_video
Color effects: none, mono, negative, solarize, sepia, posterize, whiteboard, blackboard, aqua, emboss, sketch, neon
Scene modes: auto, hdr
White balances: auto, incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, cloudy-daylight
ISOs: auto, ISO_HJR, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
ISO key: iso
Using SAF?: false
Save Location: OpenCamera
Save Location SAF:
Parameters: ؝�������� ���� ������e-bracket-hdr=Off;ae-bracket-hdr-values=Off,AE-Bracket;anti-shake=0;antibanding=50hz;antibanding-values=off,60hz,50hz,auto;auto-exposure-lock=false;auto-exposure-lock-supported=true;auto-whitebalance-lock=false;auto-whitebalance-lock-supported=true;brightness-step=1;camera-mode=0;capture-burst-interval=1;capture-burst-queue-depth=2;capture-burst-retroactive=2;contrast=5;contrast-step=1;denoise=denoise-on;denoise-values=denoise-off,denoise-on;dis=disable;dis-values=enable,disable;dual_mode=0;dualrecording-hint=0;effect=none;effect-values=none,mono,negative,solarize,sepia,posterize,whiteboard,blackboard,aqua,emboss,sketch,neon;exif_exptime=33;exif_iso=100;exposure-compensation=0;exposure-compensation-step=0.5;face-detection=off;face-detection-values=off,on;face-recognition=off;face-recognition-values=off,on;fast-fps-mode=0;firmware-mode=none;flash-mode=auto;flash-mode-values=off,auto,on,torch;flip-mode-values=off,flip-v,flip-h,flip-vh;fnumber-value-denominator=100;fnumber-value-numerator=220;focal-length=4.80;focallength-35mm-value=31;focallength-value-denominator=100;focallength-value-numerator=480;focus-areas=(0,0,0,0,0);focus-distances=0.10,1.20,Infinity;focus-mode=auto;focus-mode-values=auto,infinity,macro,continuous-video,continuous-picture;hdr-need-1x=false;hfr-size-values=2664x1500,1328x748,824x496;histogram=disable;histogram-values=enable,disable;horizontal-view-angle=62;imageuniqueid-value=F16QLHF01SB
;intelligent-mode=0;iso=auto;iso-values=auto,ISO_HJR,100,200,400,800,1600;jpeg-quality=90;jpeg-thumbnail-height=288;jpeg-thumbnail-quality=85;jpeg-thumbnail-size-values=512x288,480x288,256x154,432x288,512x384,352x288,320x240,176x144,0x0;jpeg-thumbnail-width=512;lensshade=enable;lensshade-values=enable,disable;llv_mode=0;luma-adaptation=3;max-brightness=6;max-contrast=10;max-exposure-compensation=4;max-num-detected-faces-hw=10;max-num-detected-faces-sw=10;max-num-focus-areas=1;max-num-metering-areas=10;max-saturation=10;max-sce-factor=100;max-sharpness=36;max-zoom=63;maxaperture-value-denominator=100;maxaperture-value-numerator=228;mce=enable;mce-values=enable,disable;metering=center;metering-areas=(0,0,0,0,0);metering-values=matrix,center,spot;min-brightness=0;min-contrast=0;min-exposure-compensation=-4;min-saturation=0;min-sce-factor=-100;min-sharpness=0;num-snaps-per-shutter=1;picture-format=jpeg;picture-format-values=jpeg,bayer-qcom-10gbrg,bayer-qcom-10grbg,bayer-qcom-10rggb,bayer-qcom-10bggr,bayer-mipi-10gbrg,bayer-mipi-10grbg,bayer-mipi-10rggb,bayer-mipi-10bggr,yuv422sp;picture-size=5312x2988;picture-size-values=5312x2988,3984x2988,3264x2448,3264x1836,2560x1920,2048x1152,1920x1080,1280x960,1280x720,800x480,640x480,320x240;preferred-preview-size-for-video=1920x1080;preview-flip=off;preview-format=yuv420sp;preview-format-values=yuv420sp,yuv420p;preview-fps-range=8000,30000;preview-fps-range-values=(15000,15000),(24000,24000),(8000,30000),(10000,30000),(15000,30000),(30000,30000);preview-frame-rate=30;preview-frame-rate-values=15,24,30;preview-size=1920x1080;preview-size-values=1920x1080,1440x1080,1280x720,1056x864,960x720,800x480,720x480,640x480,352x288,320x240,176x144;qc-camera-features=542;qc-max-num-requested-faces=10;raw-size=5328x3000;recording-hint=false;redeye-reduction=disable;redeye-reduction-values=enable,disable;saturation=5;saturation-step=1;sce-factor-step=10;scene-detect=off;scene-detect-values=off,on;scene-mode=auto;scene-mode-values=auto,hdr;selectable-zone-af=auto;selectable-zone-af-values=;sharpness=36;sharpness-step=6;shot-mode=0;skinToneEnhancement=0;skinToneEnhancement-values=enable,disable;smart-screen-exposure=0;smart-screen-exposure-values=vision-ae-normal,vision-ac-backlight;smooth-zoom-supported=false;snapshot-picture-flip=off;supported-live-snapshot-sizes=5312x2988,4128x2322,4000x3000,3264x2448,3264x1836,3200x2400,2592x1944,2048x1536,2048x1152,1920x1080,1600x1200,1440x1080,1280x768,1280x720,1024x768,800x600,800x480,800x450,720x480,640x480,352x288,320x240,176x144;supported-shot-modes=normal-shot,panorama-burst;touch-af-aec=touch-off;touch-af-aec-values=touch-off,touch-on;vertical-view-angle=38;video-flip=off;video-frame-format=yuv420sp;video-hfr=off;video-hfr-values=60,90,150,off;video-size=1920x1080;video-size-values=3840x2160,1920x1080,1440x1080,1280x720,800x450,800x480,720x480,640x480,352x288,320x240,176x144;video-snapshot-supported=false;video-stabilization-supported=false;vtmode=0;whitebalance=auto;whitebalance-values=auto,incandescent,fluorescent,daylight,cloudy-daylight;zoom=0;zoom-ratios=100,104,109,114,119,125,129,134,139,144,150,154,159,164,169,175,179,184,189,194,200,204,209,214,219,225,229,234,239,244,250,254,259,264,269,275,279,284,289,294,300,304,309,314,319,325,329,334,339,344,350,354,359,364,369,375,379,384,389,394,400,404,409,414;zoom-supported=true;zsl=on;zsl-values=off,on

 

Last edit: eric 2018-02-11