Trouble with camera on Galaxy A21s

[DonRetired]

I have a A21s (not a S21).  I am having trouble talking pictures when I turn the phone to the Landscape position.  Everything works perfectly when I keep the phone in Portrait position (up and down).  But in the Landscape position, 8 times out of 10, when I tap the phone to take the photo either nothing happens or it jumps to Wide Angle lens - but even then it does not take the picture.  Now, 2 times out of 10, it works perfectly, but it is just random or I am doing something I don't know I am doing.  It is frustrating.  Anyone got any suggestions?  How do you make the camera behave in the Landscape position?  

[dixharp]

I have a similar issue with my A32 5g, so I await a response with interest.

[dixharp]

A question if I may. Is your phone in a case? Does taking it out of the case resolve the problem?

[DonRetired]

Yes.  My phone is in a case (a wallet type case).  I will take it out of the case and see if that makes a difference.  Who knows?   Just took the phone out of the case and tried several shots.  They all worked.  Now what do I do?  I want to protect the camera with a case.  Do I try a different type of case?  My wife uses a little thin rubber cover on her phone and a screen protector (no wallet).   I could look into one of those.

[dixharp]

Hmm...thanks for that. Similar with my A32 5g, which often won't take shots at all in a wallet case but seems to be fine if I take it out of the case ( I've submitted a query in this forum). And mine is the official Samsung case.

[dixharp]

....and I might try the "soft" case, which only covers the back.

[DonRetired]

I await the response you get. In the case the camera works fine in the "Portrait" position. It is only the "Landscape" position where I have problems.

[dixharp]

My issue seems to be mainly with landscape too - usually when out in bright sunshine when I can't see the screen. But I had the same problem after dark the other night, shooting a concert in the local park.
I'm going to try an experiment. I've ripped the leather bit off the original cheap wallet I had, so I'm left with a soft plastic case - that just covers the back and sides. I've also, with a Stanley knife, cut a big gaping square hole around the area where the grouping of little holes for the lenses and flash were. Doesn't look too elegant but I'll try it out on a seaside trip over the next few days and see how I get on, and let you know. Initial trials in the garden are successful!

I hope someone from Samsung occasionally looks at these entries and can cast some light on this phenomenon.

[DonRetired]

I have only had a couple of conversations in the past in the Samsung Community. They seemed to be monitored by someone official or with considerable expertise. I believe there is a separate channel for technical support. Interested to know if the slimmed down protection works for you. Don't want to waste money on a new case if you just have the same problem.

[dixharp]

Well I can report the soft case is a major improvement. If I hold the phone (for landscape shots) the obvious way for a right-hander - shutter end to the right and cradling the left end between my thumb (bottom), second finger (left end) and forefinger (top) - it will take the shot every time. However, if I, support the bottom of the phone by resting it along my left thumb and forefinger (not a way I would choose to shoot) it reverts to its behaviour in the full wallet case - shutter button is either entirely unresponsive, or it just changes the zoom setting. It often opens up that graduated zoom scale for interim settings (I.e. "1.9" or "2.3" etc).

I do hope Samsung read this and work out some kind of fix. I went the technical support route and was just told to try a new case!