Surface Pro 3 Camera
Get Glasses for Surface Pro 3 for Clear Documents Take 2
A while back I wrote about experiments to try to take usable document photos with the Surface Pro 3 camera.
I’ve got a somewhat better solution now, thanks to Hydrotac +3.00 diopter stick on lenses from Amazon (I had a credit there burning a hole in my pocket) and some non abrasive clear sticky tape.
Check out this crystal clear image (click to open and see original size)
Here’s my “modded” Surface Pro 3:
This low tech solution is usable. I still wish Microsoft would have used a variable focus camera so that clear and crisp document capture was a usable scenario.
Microsoft Please Add Panorama Option for Surface Pro 3 Camera App
Dear Microsoft,
You documented how to take a Panorama on Page 84 of the Surface Pro 3 User Guide (PDF). You provide instructions on the feature, but the feature isn’t available.
Your customers have been asking since launch http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpro3-surfusingpro/no-panorama-option-in-camera-app/8b161c54-eb22-4cdf-9191-36a317da3d38 and no answers have appeared.
Compare what is available using the Camera App on every other Surface (on the right) with what is available with the Surface Pro 3 (left).
I spent $10 to get http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/youcam-mobile/15058a8d-8408-4bdd-a43f-9ca0353ec32a which provides the functionality that your documentation states should be available free of charge. How about a $10 credit in the Windows Store to offset this?
Can’t you find a way to work with the folks that own the Microsoft Camera App and deliver on the experience you document? Please?
Get Glasses for Your Surface Pro 3 to Photograph Documents Clearly
One of my complaints about the Surface Pro 3 is that the fixed focus camera is totally unsuitable and unusable for capturing documents. You can’t get close enough and keep your documents in focus. All you get is a blurry mess.
I’ve tried using a macro lens designed for a smartphone with bad results. There have been some posts in Microsoft Communities about this, and lots of unhappy customers. Here’s a solution.
Your Surface Pro 3 needs glasses (or more correctly, a monocle).
I started with $17 rimless reading glasses +2.50 strength from WalMart.
Some snapping, twisting and bending to get to:
I hope to refine the above a little, but it was quick and dirty. I then put glasses on the Surface Pro 3 rear camera:
And took my first picture of a document. This is NOT retouched. Click or tap to open the image below full size.
Wonder if anyone will be inspired by this to Kickstarter a real accessory. Microsoft, you should make an accessory and provide it free of charge to your SP3 customers. You owe them at least that.
Surface Pro 3 Rear Camera Driver is dated 2006
I’m one of the people who is unhappy with the ability to use my Surface Pro 3 to take a usable, in focus, photo of a document, due to Microsoft’s decision to change from a great working variable focus camera in prior models to a dumbed down fixed focus camera. There’s a thread on Microsoft Communities about this, http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfpro3-surfhardware/surface-pro-3-camera-quality/52a2b69b-aa2e-49bb-8287-55dd37f60c6a with no real answers from official Microsoft support personnel.
I was looking around in device manager today to see what drivers the cameras were using and when they were issue and nearly went into shock. While the front camera has a driver from 2014, the rear camera, on my Surface Pro 3, is reporting a driver from 2006.
Now, it may be that the default driver date for ALL Windows drivers is 2006 (Vista era), but the front camera shows 2014. This is just sloppy. I took alook at the details for this driver and there were two. The ksthunk.sys driver reports a driver from a year ago, 8/22/2013.
I wish someone from Microsoft would comment on the poor decision to use the fixed focus camera and respond to unhappy customers in the Communities forum.