Surface Pro 3 camera quality

Anonymous
2014-06-23T00:43:23+00:00

i posted this as a question so that the Microsoft techs can have some visibility of this issue

Frankly, I am lividand disappointed at the quality in this product. at first I assumed it was a firmware issue and/or a hardware issue but after performing all of the steps the tech support people have instructedand having been instructed to go the store and exchange for new hardware, I get the same issue.

so this leads me to believe it may just be the quality of the cameras microsoftshipped out on all of the devices

now these were releasednot too long ago and maybe there is a firmware fix out there but until then I am going to share the photos I am able to capture with everyone here 

now I am a student and I bought the pro 3 to be able to take a picture of a document or whiteboard and be able to write on it in onenote. the picture above is of a small target, a barcode, but even taking pictures of a full sized paper with standard size text, it is still almost illegible!

to compare the photos with another device I brought out another moble device: my ipod. the quality of the camera on the device I use to listen to music should surely be about the same quality of camera in the $1600 ten times the size of an ipod device I just bought right? NOT EVEN CLOSE

the first super clear picture is not from the pro 3 but from my ipod WHICH ALSO has a 5 MP camera. as you can see you can easily define everything in t he picture not only to include the sticker underneath the barcode , but the number in that 2D barcode as well. very good job!

the next horrible picture is the BEST PICTURE I could get from the rear camera on the Surface Pro 3. as you can see this is horrible, you can see it’s a bar code, you cannot tell those are numbers underneath. you could guess but you wouldn’t be able to identify any single number

the last picture is the BEST PICTURE I could get from the front camera, which is strangely odd since it is markedly better than the rear camera, although still severely sub-par. you can at least identify some numbers and see that there is a sticker underneath the barcode.

So there you have it. this is the horrible picture quality we can expect from the surface pro 3's cameras and how it compares to equivalent-megapixel MP3 players

Microsoft, If you can address this with a firmware update to make the cameras auto-focus, I will be a happy customer;even half the quality of my ipod I can work with. but this? this is unacceptable.

Surface | Surface Pro | Sound and camera

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2014-12-08T09:51:06+00:00

On Sun, 7 Dec 2014 21:06:04 +0000, OAKNOVA wrote:

>>I am quite disappointed with the camera on the Surface Pro 3 and its inability to focus and take sharp pictures of documents. These days even the most rudimentary and basic phone or camera can take sharp images that can be save, printed. I have to now take a photo with my Samsung phone and then email it to my account and download it as a saved image. Microsoft learn from Apple and create flawless products the first time around. I think I have wasted my money on the Surface Pro 3. Any fixes out there or should I just sell this product?

there is no software fix for this. the camera is fixed focus. here's what I did

as a kludge

http://digitalmediaphile.com/index.php/2014/09/23/get-glasses-for-surface-pro-3-for-clear-documents-take-2/

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Barb

Windows Entertainment and Connected Home MVP

My Blog - http://digitalmediaphile.com/

Please mark as answered if this answers your question

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2014-11-02T17:11:37+00:00

There is no zoom. It is a fixed focus camera.

Was this answer helpful?

4 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

276 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2014-09-23T17:09:47+00:00

    I think it is time for Microsoft to acknowledge their mistake in the camera design. I can accept this if it was a surface pro one. But, this is a surface pro 3, this is a third generation product that the camera does not work for what most people use it.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2014-09-23T16:52:38+00:00

    Too bad you don't have a video of this.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-09-23T16:43:16+00:00

    Events as they happened:

    I'm at a management meeting where we have mostly guys in their 50+.

    Everyone pulls out a printout of the agenda and I smartly whip out my brand spanking new Surface Pro 3. I get some 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the Gen Y folk, but just pure glares from the 50+ people.

    'What ever happened to good old fashioned pen and paper?' asks one baby boomer. 

    'Won't it be quicker jotting your ideas on the agenda printout' remarks yet another.

    And to that, I smuggly power on my Surface pro (in less than 10 seconds mind you) and slide out my Surface Pen from its little 'sheath'.

    With a double click of the purple knobby bit OneNote pops up, ready to go.

    The oldies are now a little interested. I look at our IT Manager sitting across the table- I know he's intently watching my every move since he is contemplating putting in an order for multiple Surface Pro 3s.

    'Well- it would still be helpful if you could jot your notes against each agenda item on the piece of paper in front of you' jeers yet another oldie.

    'Wait til you see this' says I. Little do I know that I am about to make an **** of myself.

    With a quick tap on the screen in OneNote, I select the Camera option and point to the document, Surface Pro 3 in hand and ready to take a shot of the document.

    Click...

    There is a visible frown on my face. The oldies are sensing victory. I am sensing embarrassment.

    No no no, this can't be right. Surely not, for I have sold my left Kidney to purchase this machine.

    I try again... this time trying to tap the screen on the object that I want it to focus on.

    Click... what the?!? Another blurry shot.

    Visible beads of perspiration trickle down my forehead.

    My frustration and annoyance is then interrupted by the chairperson who asks me to put my 'broken toy' away and just use pen and paper.

    A defeated man, I pick up pen and paper and start taking notes the old fashioned way.

    Stone age = 1, Microsoft's failed attempt at simplifying the workflow = 0.

    One good thing came out of this though, I saved our IT Manager his job! He promptly reconsidered purchasing the Surface Pro 3 for our management team.

    Thank you Microsoft.

    ... And I refuse to stick a monocle on my Surface.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments