How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...

How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...

How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...
How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...
2024-09-12 03:52:46
Model: Tapo C120  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.2.1

I am wanting ot use this camera for monitoring 3D printers - but the entire view is far out of focus when close to the print bed of the printers.  Are there any tear down instructions available to manually adjust the focus of the lens?  With some other brand cameras, they all seem to have an adjustable (screw-base) type lens adapter attached to the sensor of the cameras for clarity - and usually hot glued in place to prevent focus issues for shipping and such.  I've successfully modified other cameras to have a much closer focus and was hoping there were instructions somewhere available to attempt this on the C120 units.  I understand it will void all warranty and quite possibly break the camera.  

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#1
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3 Reply
Re:How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...
2 weeks ago

  @Gleep52 hi, did you ever take a swing at doing a teardown and making focus adjustments? If so, would you consider sharing a process for that? Thanks!

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#2
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Re:How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...
2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago

  @DrDealgood in fact I did - and it wasn't hard at all.  The hardest part was the focus after removing the glue - turns out, it's VERY sensitive to even the tiniest amount of rotation of the lens would greatly throw off the focus.  I turned it quite a bit when I got the glue off - and because of the nature of the pins and construction - to get it power, you have to put the two halves back together and then you can't easily adjust the focus without taking away power to pull the two halves apart and twist again.  I ended up using some sticky tack (poster tack?) to squish onto the front of the lens when the unit was partially together and on so I could twist the poster tack and see my focus a bit easier than continually powering it off an on a bunch of times.  Here's a bunch of pics of the innards and how close the focus was on my knuckles in one of the shots on the A1 mini's print bed.  Great little camera.  I've got 8 of them now.  lol

 

https://imgur.com/a/Ann3gAu

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#3
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Re:How can I manually adjust the focus to the C120 camera? Disassembly required I know...
2 weeks ago

  @Gleep52 awesome thank you so much for all the detail!

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#4
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