What causes disturbance on my phone camera?

[Calconceptofnumber1]

Hi I have a cheap smart phone with a low quality camera when I go to take a picture there is what I would describe as like old television static appearing in front of the image as it appears on the phone screen (although what is beyond it can still be seen). I am wondering if this is just dust particles? or is it disruption in the light caused by subatomic waves/particles?

Cal

 

[berkeman]

Hi I have a cheap smart phone with a low quality camera when I go to take a picture there is what I would describe as like old television static appearing in front of the image as it appears on the phone screen (although what is beyond it can still be seen). I am wondering if this is just dust particles? or is it disruption in the light caused by subatomic waves/particles?

Cal

Welcome to the PF.

Can you use the Upload button at the lower right to Upload JPEG images of a couple of your pictures showing this?

 

[Calconceptofnumber1]

It can be seen on the walls in this picture, in particularly the part in the bottom left. But before the picture is taken then it appears to be moving all over the image at high speed.

 

[berkeman]

Can you take a few pictures in a row of a blank wall and post them?

 

[Calconceptofnumber1]

Here you go .

 

[mfb]

Looks like simple noise in the camera. The conversion between the amount of light hitting a sensor and getting a digital value of that is not perfect, and you get random deviations for each pixel each time you take an image.

 

[Dale]

I agree, it looks like it is just noise. Noise becomes more visible in darker regions because there is less signal to obscure it and because the gain is higher.

 

[russ_watters]

It can be seen on the walls in this picture, in particularly the part in the bottom left. But before the picture is taken then it appears to be moving all over the image at high speed.

That just looks like a grainy low-light photo. It happens when the camera uses software to amplify the signal, increasing the noise. Does that happen when there is more light?

 

[jerromyjon]

Hi I have a cheap smart phone with a low quality camera

My cheap smartphone with a decent camera did the same thing yesterday in low light. Normally the thing takes excellent pictures but the low light makes it grainy.

 

[davenn]

Looks like simple noise in the camera.

totally agree ...

noise due to the lack of light to produce a decent image

 

[sophiecentaur]

All sensors, including optical, sound and radio frequency detectors, are subject to random fluctuation. It can either be due to random thermal movement of air molecules or to the effects of temperature on the random way electrons move through conductors and semiconductors. The level of that 'Noise' depends on the temperature. It is the Signal to Noise ratio that determines how good the final image or played back sound is.
The sensors in modern top end camera phones are extremely good and also the lenses are probably bigger, to gather more light so many of the pictures that, for instance, my iPhone produces look extremely good. However, if you try to display the image on a full monitor screen, then the imperfections (including the noise) start to show. There's always a better one available the following year - if you happen to have hundreds of pounds every year! It's questionable whetnher it's worth while though.