Ring Doorbell 1 out of focus

Products Video Doorbells
#1

Hi all

i have had a ring doorbell 1 working great for the last couple of years. It is hardwired and 5 foot from a WiFi access point.

Recently it died and so I ordered a brand new Doorbell 1 to replace it like for like. I did not go for the 2 as it is hardwired. I did not go for the Pro as the powered chime is not powerful enough for the pro, only the 1.

The new one is out of focus compared to the original. Very very blurry. Nothing else has changed - same mounting, same position, same WiFi.

Ring support agreed it was faulty, and a replacement has arrived today. The replacement is equally out of focus.

Has something changed in the hardware? Is this just how it is now or should I be returning this one too?

#2

Hey @IBeAdam. For the Ring Video Doorbell, the quality will be at 720 HD Video when you have optimal speeds and connections. After taking a look at your picture, it looks like the image may be having a hard time focusing for two reasons. The image seems to be very washed out from the bright light and also that the wall that it is capturing right next to it could have it have a hard time trying to focus. Do you by any chance have a picture or video of what the image looked like before if it was better?

I recommend trying to see what the view is like in normal lighting, when the sun is out of the direct sight and without the wall next to the Doorbell. You can even try seeing if it is network related concern by seeing if connecting it to a hotspot improves the video quality. Also, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is not a device that requires to be hardwired, as it goes off of a battery you can take in and out to charge. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 supports 1080 HD Video. :slight_smile:

#3

Hi and thanks for the reply.

I’ve has a Ring Doorbell 1 mounted here for 24 months in all conditions and the picture was far, far sharper.

This isn’t a resolution problem, compression issue or WiFi but appears that the lens is physically misaligned as it’s out of focus across the whole picture.

I agree no wall or sun would be even better, however I cannot move the house, nor do I want to wish away a rare sunny spell in the UK. As I say, it’s a like for like swap with the old one, and that was in focus just fine.

I have returned to amazon as faulty while I can, and got a Ring 2 which was on offer. I do not need the battery as prefer to hard wire but we’ll see if the 2 suffers the same lens issue.

Looking on this forum it does appear the Ring 1 hardware version 3 had a bad batch, of which it appears I’ve received two.

#4

Just for closure, my Ring 2 arrived and has now been installed in the same position, using the mount adapter.

Video back to being sharp (and not just because it’s 1080 over 720). I’m happy.

I can only conclude there is a bad batch of Ring 1 (hardware rev 3).

2 Likes
#5

@IBeAdam I’m so glad the Ring Video Doorbell 2 has that battery picture quality! That’s good news to hear. Thank you for your feedback during your testing and observations, I will make sure to pass this onto the appropriate team! :slight_smile:

1 Like
#6

Just purchased a door bell, it also seems out of focus?!

Is this also faulty? Is there anything i can do?

#7

I my case my original Doorbell 1 had been perfect for 2 years. The replacement was out of focus like yours looks, that was replaced for another that was also out of focus. All done via Amazon UK, although I did call ring support both times and went through the usual troubleshooting.

In the UK at least the Doorbell 2 is currently on offer for the same price as the Doorbell 1 so it was a no brainer to get that instead. I wish I had seen that before bothering with another 1. If you are in the UK and purchased from Amazon I’d advice returning it and seeking out the 2 on offer.

My conclusion was that some Doorbell 1’s have a hardware issue with the focus lens being misaligned. However, getting Ring to accept it isn’t a positioning issue, WiFi issue, mpeg artifacting or broadband issue is an uphill struggle.

1 Like
#8

Ok i have done loads of tests, and this device must be faulty. Plus I had a £30 camera/doorbell before, that was IP Rated, and came with a chime fo £35, and it worked so much beter than this supposedly premium product.

Took a snapshot of a delivey gent, and there is no way this is right for a £80 purchase. I am sending back as faulty via amazon.

Will request another one and see if any good.

Watch this space.

#9

Update:

Replacement recieved.
As you can see the image is much beter.

Still not impressed with the quality, but does go to show there is/was a quality issue at ring manuf point somewhere. There iIS an issue with Ring doorbells 1 NOT focusing correctly as the OP said.

I am not sure how I feel about this purchase, it was supposed to be an upgrade to a ‘knock off’ product, but sadley I dont think it is.

I will now have to think long and hard about getting the db2 or db3…

#10

Glad the replacement is better.

If I was you though I’d still seek out a doorbell 2 as it is currently the same £89 price. Amazon keeps switching between full price and discounted. John Lewis has them online at £89. I’m sure other places do too.

1 Like
#11

Hello I wonder if you can help me. I recently sold my Ring Doorbell 1 on an auction site and the buyer is saying that the unit is faulty because the night vision is poor quality. However I thought it was fine. He is very unhappy expecting a lot better And stating I sold him a ‘dodgy camera’. He sent me the images that it captured so I wondered if I posted these whether someone could be able to tell from the images whether whether it appears that the camera is indeed faulty, which if so, I will accept a return and claim under warranty as it is still less than a year old, or is it what I think that his expectations of a 720p device are unrealistic and that he is not using it correctly. (I assume the 1 year warranty is not transferable) Seems to me he has objects nearby causing glare which is interfering with the night vision. Would just like some advice as he is not backing down and is adamant that the unit is faulty. Thanks

#12

Also another picture he sent as each post will only allow 1 attachment. I am not a ring expert but it seems like glare from a nearby light so very reluctant to accept as faulty. Any advice I kindly receive on here would be useful to send to him as he is not willing to look at any solutions other than just continue to vent off about it!

#13

Hi @Scarboro100. At night, the Doorbell’s infrared lights will come on to illuminate the darkness. If there is anything at the edge of the Doorbell’s view that these lights may reflect off of, it can cause the view to look out of focus or other parts to be too dark. To correct this concern, the Doorbell may need to be repositioned or angled differently so it has a clear view. You can reference this Help Center Article, which covers the proper positioning for the Video Doorbell, which may be helpful in this situation.