Page updated 9 January 2025
Camera Problem?

I recently discovered that my phone, an Android based "Moto g62 5G", does not accept an external microphone when taking videos! Weird! The pre-installed voice recorder app works happily with one.
I'd been taking videos for a while but was unhappy with the results with a very cheap plug-in mic I was using. In October 2024 I bought a much better cordless mic only to discover things were no better. Then, I read in the instructions that the mic wouldn't work with all camera apps.
Thinking about it I was aware that the standard Motorola camera app had other short comings. I had found that when using its panorama mode it did a very poor job of stitching together straight lines, like window frames. I have also found its telephoto function, if you can call it that, pretty useless That's not just because it is difficult to hold the phone steady at maximum zoom but because it does not focus at all well, if at all.
Open Camera
The instructions for the new cordless mic suggested that if it didn't work, one should find an alternative app. So first I searched the F-Droid store and came across Open Camera. It turns out it is also available on the Google Play Store. Obviously, the first thing to attract me to it was the declaration that it had External Microphone Support. However, there is more to it than that. To get the best out of the camera I have to keep both the original Moto app and Open Camera installed on my phone.
The Panorama Function
One of the things I tried first, having installed Open Camera, was the panorama function and, compared with other I have used in phone apps and my main bridge camera, it was a pain to use, but the results appear much better. Interestingly, you must use portrait orientation. Having pressed the shutter button, it takes the first image and then prompts you to move left or right. You have to align a circle with a large purple dot. Not only that if you haven't maintained strict portrait orientation you are prompted to turn the phone. Once fully aligned with the dot the next image is captured and another dot appears that you need to align fully.
I haven't determined exactly how it works yet, but there seems to be a limit to the sweep the panorama will take. At first I thought it might be the number of images taken, but this seems to vary between at seven and ten. Now I think the limit might be a 180° sweep. Whatever triggers it, once the limit is reached processing starts automatically. There is an option that allows you to save the individual images as well as the resulting panorama photo. The instructions warn you that using this option slows the production of the panorama image significantly.
External Microphone
My first tests of my cordless mic, done on installation of Open Camera confirmed it worked when taking videos. I've now done a couple of video sessions, both indoor head and shoulder pieces to camera and the vocal has been recorded well. Instead of having to boost sound to a reasonable level by running the video files through my preferred audio editing software, Audacity, I found I could load them them directly into Shotcut without issue. (Yes, I know that Shotcut has audio editing facilities that probably provide the necessary volume boost. It's just that I'm lazy and haven't bothered to learn how to do it in Shotcut.) If anything the voice was slightly over recorded as, when I checked by loading the file into Audacity, the waveform showed the audio being on the point of clipping. I still need to find out if that is something that can be adjusted within Open Camera or through Andriod's settings.
Remote Control Camera Shutter
Back in 2021, before I had my current phone, I bought a very cheap remote control Bluetooth shutter button. It fell into disuse. I now realise that's because I had difficulties with it once I had my current phone. It wouldn't stay connected to my phone. Trying again after installing Open Camera, I find that its "Volume Keys" setting, found in the "More Camera Controls" group of settings, allows me to engage a "Take photo (or start/stop video recording)" option. Now the shutter button seems to stay connected to the phone and it successfully starts and stops video being recorded via Open Camera.
Multiple Camera Apps
As hinted at above, Open Camera is not a full substitute for the Moto app. While it allows me to switch between front and rear cameras, With it I cannot access the three different lens on the rear camera. As with most modern phones, mine has a normal lens, another for wide angle shots and a third for macro work. The default Moto app switches between these seamlessly depending on the options chosen or object in focus. Unfortunately, Open Camera treats them as three different cameras and the instructions warn you that some manufacturers may prevent access to the additional cameras:
…the "Switch camera" icon can by used to cycle through all the cameras. For devices with more than 2 cameras, long-pressing on either of the switch camera icons will bring up a menu, allowing you to switch to any available camera. Note that some devices do not expose the multiple cameras explicitly, but instead will automatically switch cameras as required when zooming in or out (requires Camera2 API). Note that some other devices do not allow third party applications to access their multiple cameras at all, in which case Open Camera isn't able to use them.
It seems that the Moto g62 5G is amongst the last of these types. Even with the Camera2 API turned on Open Camera will only find the front and main rear camera when attempting to cycle between them. As a result I now keep both the Moto app and Open Camera installed on my phone. That's because I take a picture from our lounge window every morning that I submit to the BBC Weather Watchers site. I do this using the phone's wide angle camera to include as much of the sky as possible. In contrast, it's typically a month between video sessions with my phone that require good quality audio.
Excerpt from the local TV weather forecast featuring images I submitted, broadcast 18 January 2024.