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

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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/

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Anonymous
2014-11-02T17:11:37+00:00

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-09-24T16:44:31+00:00

    Are those their public email addresses or more direct ones?

    I can't wait to tell them how the camera was a deal breaker and made me get a Win 8 Samsung Spen device and that I encourage other people to do the same if they depend on an adequate tablet rear camera.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-09-24T00:19:35+00:00

    Very well said. I wish I have those email addresses so I can send an email to them.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-09-23T18:33:57+00:00

    Just an FYI. I am waiting for a response from Microsoft's CEO and several others.  I would ask that all of those reading this message also send something to them and get their attention.

    Sent: ‎Monday‎, ‎September‎ ‎22‎, ‎2014 ‎9‎:‎52‎ ‎AM

    To: satyan@microsoft.com, chrisc@microsoft.com, kirillt@microsoft.com, amyh@microsoft.com, peggyj@microsoft.com,

    Ladies and Gentlemen, let me start by stating that I am a loyal Microsoft Surface customer and have owned the Surface RT, Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3. They are very good devices and have improved significantly with each iteration. 

    As the Director of IT for a medium sized healthcare group in the metro Phoenix area, I was ready to bring in the Surface Pro 3 to replace our line of laptops and tablets. Unfortunately,  the 5MP rear fixed focus camera is unable to focus on business documents, bar codes or receipts. This camera issue is a deal breaker. If our staff in the field cannot use the device to capture documents or bar codes, then I have no justification to implement it. We simply must continue to use laptops and cell phone/web cams as we have been. As marketed, the SP3 should be able to perform these functions.

    As you know, there are many that love their tablet and laptop devices from, that other company, Apple. They love their devices because they are presented with a device that actually meets or exceeds the expectations that are marketed to them. The Surface Pro 3 comes so close to this “love” status that it truly had me excited when released. Unfortunately, MS decided to put the fixed focus camera in the device and have it fall just short of the finish line. This was done to a product line that for several years now has been touted as an iPad replacement and is now touted as a MacBook replacement.

    I implore you, the leaders of Microsoft, to consider a plan to replace the rear camera in the Surface Pro 3. Make modifications to the device that users and business professionals can love. That is how you will win over the masses. Show the world that MS is willing to support and improve the device that truly can be that laptop/tablet replacement device. I understand that the financial burden of such a proposal would be large, but what a statement it would make to upgrade those existing units, instead of making your faithful wait for the next iteration.

    We want to love our Suface Pro 3s.  We want them to be our business laptop/tablet replacements. Make us believers in Microsoft again.

    I look forward to your response.

    James Ford

    Director of IT

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