Loading…
17
Three weeks to fix my flip phone's camera, worth it though
Found my old Motorola Razr in a drawer last month and the camera was just showing static. Took it to two shops in Austin, both said parts are impossible, then I found a guy on Craigslist with a whole parts phone for 20 bucks. Swapped the lens module myself using a YouTube video from 2011, took me three weeks of fiddling with those tiny ribbon cables. Has anyone else kept an old phone alive just for the pictures it takes?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
jamie_webb671mo ago
...and honestly that ribbon cable fight is real, I broke two flex cables on an old Sony Ericsson before I learned to use tweezers and a magnifying lamp. Once you get those cameras working though, it's like a time machine, the colors and grain are just nothing like what modern phones do. For anyone trying this, I always say put the phone in a ziplock bag with a silica packet for a day before you open it, moisture kills those old sensors faster than anything. Also, don't trust the screwdriver kits from the hardware store, get a proper iFixit set or at least a JIS bit, stripping one of those tiny screws is game over. I keep a Nokia N95 around just for its night shots, and yeah, people think I'm nuts until they see the photos. Good on you for sticking with it, three weeks is dedication but the payoff is worth it when you find that one shot you can't get any other way.
2
robert6591mo ago
The silica packet trick is smart, but do you actually notice a real difference in sensor noise if you skip it, or is it one of those things you just do out of paranoia?
5