Camera Glass – The All-Around FAQ Guide

In manufacturing digital cameras and smartphone cameras, you would need the help and the assistance of camera glass manufacturers to supply you with high-quality camera glass units and lenses at the cheapest and most affordable rates.

If you’re unable to find a camera glass manufacturing company you can trust and work with, don’t fret – this guide will be everything you need!

For today’s guide, we will help you understand what camera glass is and how you can use it to complement your business. Not only that, but we’ll also guide you on how you can choose a camera glass manufacturer so you get high-quality products without burning a hole in your pocket!

What is a Camera Glass?

Camera glass is the type of glass you use to construct the elements of lenses on cameras (including smartphone cameras, web cameras, etc.).

Example of what a camera glass is

Contrary to what most people believe in, camera glass isn’t just a single layer of glass. There are multiple glass layers involved and it’s assembled accurately so that it properly functions.

Camera glass is specific because the type and the kind of glass you want to use would be those that have excellent optical properties. Moreover, the outer layer of the camera should also be scratch and abrasion-resistant for maximum effectiveness.

What’s a camera glass looks like?

Other Materials You Can Use For Camera

Apart from camera glass, some manufacturers also employ the use of other materials in the matter.

Some of these materials include acrylic glass (plastic), quartz, fluorite, and many more. Let’s discuss each of them briefly.

Quartz Glass

It’s the type of glass that you can acquire by melting and extracting it from natural quartz crystals. Unlike glass that has a random molecular structure, quartz is comprised of asymmetrical structure, which makes its aesthetics appealing under the microscope.

Take note, though, that quartz is an electric conductor, while glass is an insulator. So they’re two (2) different materials that can perform quite differently.

Acrylic Glass

Acrylic glass is the type of glass that is categorized in many different ways, we have polymethyl methacrylate or PMA, plexiglass, polycarbonate (PC), and many more.

Some manufacturers also use acrylic glass because of the general sourcing procedure they can do with it. It’s not hard to obtain and it has strong properties similar to that of regular glass.

Fluorite

Fluorite, in its simplest terms, is a mineral that is made up of fluorine and calcium. It has the chemical compound symbol of CAF2 and you can use it in a wide array of applications – and mainly, in-camera.

Thanks to its structure, you’ll never fail in using it as a material for camera glass. It can be as effective as using float glass, too! Some companies prefer to use fluorite for their camera glass but in a way that it’s chemically strengthened.

These are just some of the other materials and substances that can be alternatives to float glass for the manufacturing or the creation of camera glass.

Can Broken and Damaged Mobile Camera Glasses be Fixed?

If your question is about fixing, yes, it can be fixed by applying superglue (if it’s only a shy crack).

Broken mobile/smartphone camera

Alternatively, you can also consider replacing it entirely so that the quality of the camera remains unscathed.

Since cameras are complex materials and more often than not, you would need and want it to be as good as new, so performing the superglue method might not be the path you want to take.

Talking about fixing and replacing camera glass can be a little bit complex, especially if you’re not aware of the different layers of the lens. That brings us to our next topic, which is about…

The Anatomy of a Lens: Camera Glass Lens Elements

The lens elements are the in-depth parts of the camera you want to know about, especially if you’re asking or curious about fixing or replacing camera glass.

Here’s a simple image that depicts the part of a camera lens comprised of glass:

It’s comprised of a front element, lens group, the aperture, another lens group behind it, and the rear element.

Obviously, the front element, which is made out of glass, is the first touch of light that passes through the entirety of the lens. The lens groups (front and rear) are the elements that help and assist in the bending of the light as it passes through.

The receiving end or the rear end, for this matter, is what transmits the image. More often than not, it is the layer that’s coated with anti-reflective (AR) and anti-glare (AG) coating to reduce aberrations such as glare, distortion, etc.

That’s the anatomy of a lens after we dug deep down into what comprises camera glass.

Can You Fix a Broken Camera Glass?

Yes and no – you can fix it by applying superglue, and the type of “fix” is that it just doesn’t tear down, and no, because you might not be able to have the same quality of image or display again.

The best approach if you are unfortunate enough to have your camera glass broken is to replace the front end and the lens (if it got damaged, too).

Mobile Camera Glass Replacement Process

Now that we know fixing camera glass is done through replacing it, what are the usual steps and processes on how you can replace it? Can it be done by yourself?

Replacement procedure of camera glass on a mobile device

Or do you need to ask for help and for the assistance of experts?

Here’s a quick and simple way on how you can replace the camera glass on your mobile device.

1. Turn your device off and make sure that it’s not connected to any power supply
2. Remove the back cover or back end of your smartphone device
3. Disconnect all links that are present and are near the camera (can be fingerprint sensors, etc.)
4. Take the cover and remove all broken glass from the camera
5. Check the front end of the camera to see if there’s any broken glass in it too
6. Purchase the exact type of camera glass fit for your smartphone or for your device
7. Before attaching or installing the new glass, make sure that there are no debris or remnants of the old or the broken camera glass
8. Attach and install the new camera glass and make sure that it’s fit in the dimensions given
9. Reconnect all the cables and wirings you’ve disconnected and detached. Then, put the back end or back cover of your device in place again

That’s how easy it is to replace broken or damaged mobile camera glass, whether it’s a smartphone, a tablet, or any other mobile gaming device or console you have.

Phone Camera Glass Repair Cost

When your device’s mobile camera glass gives you a bit of a headache, the next best thing you want to do is to have it repaired or replaced.

Repairing is a term that you can take into account as a whole. For instance, you can consider a camera glass repair for a smartphone, but the real thing you’ll do is you’ll replace the entirety of the camera glass.

Typically, the repair/replacement of your phone camera glass will cost you anywhere between $70 and $100. That amount will still depend on the quality and the overall effectiveness of the glass.

For instance, if you’re looking to upgrade your camera glass or lens, let’s say you want it to have a better oleophobic coating, you should expect to pay for a price that’s quite higher and more lucrative than $100.

To cut the long story short, the cost of the repair is just cheap. The type of glass that you will be using would be the only factor you have to think of.

Are Smartphone Front Camera Glasses Replaceable?

Similar to the replacement procedure of a smartphone’s rear camera, you can also replace the front-end of your mobile device’s camera.

While it’s going to be difficult to do yourself, you can always contact a glass repair or replacement company to help you with it.

But, to answer the question, yes, the front-end camera glass of a mobile device is replaceable.

How Much Would a Front Camera Replacement Be?

Since front smartphone camera glasses are more complex and more sophisticated, their replacement will be priced at a higher and more lucrative rate than the rate of a rear camera glass replacement.

Typically, the replacement of front camera glasses of smartphones will be priced at about $150 to $200, depending on the phone. But in today’s technology, especially now that most phones have no bezels and frames, the replacement of the camera glass upfront would include the glass of the phone.

What is a Plano-Concave Camera Glass Lens?

It’s a type of optical lens where one surface is concave and the other is a flat surface.

Sample of a plano-concave camera glass

This particular type of lens has a negative focal length, and you can use it to increase an optical system’s focal length, beam expansion, and light projection.

Because of its shape and its functionality, you can find many uses of piano-concave camera glass lenses such as:

• Cameras
• Lasers
• Telescopes
• Binoculars
• Etc

Are Tempered Camera Glasses Necessary and Important?

In today’s technology, the camera glass that you see is not just a typical glass.

It is, in fact, protected and covered by Corning Gorilla Glass or any other type of glass that’s naturally strong and durable.

Therefore, the tempering of these camera glasses isn’t actually necessary as it can reduce the flexibility and the malleability of the part that when it breaks, it can crack and be damaged easier and faster.

Can You Purchase OEM Camera Glass in the Market?

In case you’re not aware, OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer or the type of product that’s supposed to be made for the original brand.

However, these OEM products are products built by another company other than the original manufacturer using the same equipment, materials, and processes.

And yes, you can purchase OEM camera glasses in the market. This can help you get the same quality and the same type of camera glass (both rear and front) cheaper, more affordable, and more accessible.

Can You Use Curved Glass as Camera Glass?

Traditionally, camera lenses are actually curved because it needs to bend the light that passes.

More often than not, lens glasses and front-end camera glasses are curved in order for the light to be more focused.

So, they’re more used in the industry than flat lens glasses, but there are times when manufacturers utilize flat glass for camera glass.

Flat glasses can also focus light, but only if they’re properly built and not just attached or installed float glass.

How Do You Clean Your Mobile Phone’s Camera Glass?

A lot of people think that cleaning camera glass is easy and that they can use whatever type of kind of cloth, but, that’s not actually what the case is.

In cleaning mobile camera glass, the best approach is to use a microfiber cloth. This is because of the fact that microfiber cloths are mild and contain millions of fibers that can do the job of holding, dirt, dust, grime, and even bacteria!

Here’s the procedure on how you can properly clean your camera glass:

1. Fold a piece of microfiber lens into a triangle
2. Use it to wipe off any type of debris (sand or dust) or any fingerprints and smudge that’s on the surface of the camera glass
3. You don’t need alcohol, water, or any other type of liquid solution for it

An alternative cleaning method is to utilize a lens pen so you can brush off sand and dust off of the surface of the glass. However, this wouldn’t be enough to remove smudges and fingerprints, so you’ll need a microfiber cloth for it as well.

Another device you can use to rid your glass of sand and other dust particles is compressed air from a canister. You can choose this option if you’re not comfortable in using a lens pen or brush to drive dust and dirt off of your camera glass.

Can You Print Color on Camera Glass?

Yes, you can purchase colored camera glass units for added aesthetics and effects on your photos and images.

Colored camera glasses

However, not all camera glasses are for regular cameras, they can be used for your smartphone, too! For instance, you can add an aesthetic effect on your iPhone’s camera glass by adding some type of palette or hue that could be in the color of your phone, your smartphone case or cover, etc.

Different camera glass manufacturers have their own methods of printing color on camera glass, so don’t be confused when you hear about a different procedure.

What Colors Can You Print on Camera Glass?

You can choose from a wide array of colors in a painting or in coloring your camera glass. Some of the most customary and the most common colors include, but are not limited to green, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, violet, and other more combinations.

The color printing of the camera glass will solely depend on the capability and the color availability of the manufacturing company.

What Coating Procedures Are Available on Camera Glass?

You can use many different coating processes on camera glass not just for protection and security, but also to improve image quality and projection.

Oleophobic coating: one of the most popular coating processes

The most customary coatings you can utilize are anti-fingerprint (AF) coating, which can be done via plasma spraying or by applying the oleophobic coating, anti-glare (AG) coating or by acid, etching to reduce glare and amplify display, an anti-reflective coating to ensure light transmission upwards of 98%.

These are the coating types and the finishes that you can apply to improve image quality, transparency, smudge and fingerprint resistance, and many more!

Can You Apply Smudge Resistant Coating to Your Camera Glass?

Yes, you can apply a coating that would be resistant against smudge on your camera glass.

Should you be unaware of what smudge is, it’s highly similar to what fingerprint is – it’s the markings that are left on the glass whenever they’re touched or they’re “smudged” into an object.

Applying smudge-resistant coating on your camera glass doesn’t only give you better quality display and images, it also enables the glass to be protected and secured from all different types and kinds of wear that could build up over time.

Can You Replace the Front Camera Glass on Your DSLR?

Many people think that replacing the camera glass on a DSLR isn’t possible, since it’s part of a lens element. When in reality, it’s actually possible!

You can employ and perform the same processes and procedures of replacing a smartphone’s camera glass.

Should the inner lens elements be broken or damaged, too, then you would have to change the camera glass on them as well.

Replacing Camera Glass Lens vs. Purchasing New Camera Lenses  

Would replacing a camera glass lens be better than just purchasing a new one?

Let’s break it all down based on a couple of factors such as the cost, the procedure, and the amount of time that you’ll consume in the replacement process.

Price and Rate Over Quality

The price and rate of brand new camera glass lenses will be far more expensive and more costly, of course. But, you can be sure of the quality and the overall effectiveness of the new camera lens that you have.

In replacement of camera glass, though, it’ll not cost you price ranges that are upwards of $350, even if you have complex damage that needs to be repaired. It’s the cheaper option to take. For the quality of replacement, however, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be of the same quality as before.

Time

Replacing the camera glass on your device can take time, especially if the experts are far from where you are. While it’s cheaper, the time you could have spent using it could be consumed by waiting for the camera glass to be replaced.

In purchasing a new camera lens, though, you’ll be able to use it immediately, although the price and rate are double – and sometimes, even triple the price versus having it replaced.

Which is the Better Option?

In this situation, though, the better option will actually depend on your needs as a consumer or as a business. The decision on which the better option is will be relative based on your needs.

If you have a business and you need to care about your profitability, choosing a replacement would be the option that weighs more and better. However, if you need to conserve and preserve time, purchasing a new camera lens could be the better way.

Does Apple Replace Camera Glass on Your iPhone or Tablet?

If you’re asking for an Apple iPhone or iPad repair, then it’s not possible with the company. In fact, you can go to any authorized Apple repair or retail center and find no indication that they provide iPhone camera glass repair.

The only way you can get your camera glass fixed is through replacement. Usually, they would require you to have a warranty replacement, and you’ll still have to pay for it.

Man-error physical damage is not and will never be covered under warranty. Therefore, if you’re looking for a camera glass replacement for your iPhone or iPad device, working with a different company will be better, more convenient, and cheaper than choosing Apple for it.

How Are Camera Glasses Made and Manufactured?

If you think that the manufacturing procedure of camera glass is the same as how regular glass is made and done, think again.

Testing and checking of camera glass

Camera glasses and lenses are done and manufactured in a different way. Here’s a quick sneak peek of how a camera glass is produced and manufactured:

Step 1: Supplication of Optical Glass

The camera glass starts off as an optical glass that came from the camera glass manufacturer. It’s then pre-cut or scored depending on the shape and the size of the camera lenses desired.

Step 2: Cutting of Glass

After supplication, the glasses are then finally cut with a diamond cutting tool while being lubricated for better quality and a more accurate and precise cut.

This process is done with the glass sitting on top of the wax, and as the wax melts, the cut pieces are easily dismantled and detached from the overall pane of the glass.

Step 3: Grinding of the Shaped Glass/Lens

Since the edges of the now-shaped glass are filled with abrasive material on the edges (from the cut), it undergoes grinding to initially polish and clean the edges of the glass.

This initial grinding is important because it’s the procedure that’ll take care of the debris and the rough edges of the newly shaped and cut glass.

Step 4: Inspection

A technician inspects if the cut camera glass is already in its desired shape and texture. If not, it would undergo another set of grinding to achieve and meet the wanted texture and polishing of the camera glass.

Step 5: Application of Pitch

Pitch, a tar-like substance is applied and is poured into the camera glass, contained by a tape so make sure that the pitch covers the entirety of the glass.

It’s then heated with a metal shaft so that it melts. When it melts, water is poured for the hardening of the pitch.

Step 6: Grinding and Polishing

This process is what smoothens and transforms the lenses into their uniform state, making them look better on appearance and texture.

Step 7: Heat Treatment

The camera glass is treated in order for dust, dirt, or any particle/substance to be removed before it’s taken to the inspection area where it’s finally checked and assessed for any impurities.

A final inspection or calibration is done to make sure that the camera glass is at its desired shape and texture.

Can You Order Different Shapes and Forms of Camera Glass?

Yes, when ordering camera glass, you can choose to purchase different forms, shapes, sizes, and dimensions, all depending on what your business needs are.

There are tons of custom camera glass manufacturing companies you can fully trust and bank on, so you should be able to find the perfect one that befits all your expectation.

How Can the Quality of Camera Glass Be Checked?

There are several kinds of tests and assessments done to check the quality of camera glass. The most common ones are:

Spectrophotometer Test

A spectrophotometer is an instrument you use in measuring the light intensity absorbed by the glass (photons).

The principle behind this test is to measure the amount of known chemical substances on the glass. You can also utilize a spectrophotometer in other to quantify products and analyze in certain industries, including physics, biochemistry, chemical engineering, chemistry, and many more!

Optical Interferometer

It’s an instrument you use to make precise beam light measurements, including irregularities of the surface, refraction index, and length.

You can use it and consider it as one of the best ways on how you can measure beams of light.

Optical Decentration

The term “decentration” is the shifting of the intraocular lens, the crystalline lens, or a contact lens relative to its axis.

Spherical Interferometer

It’s a device you can use to assess and evaluate the form and shape of optical component irregularity.

Final Product Inspection

An inspection of the final product is done to ensure that the camera glass is at its best and most appropriate form without any impurities and inconsistencies.

This final inspection is done prior to the packaging or the preparation for packaging to be sent to the client or to the business in question.

Can You Order Wholesale Camera Glass From a Manufacturer?

Yes, you can order camera glasses wholesale in order for you to save up money and time in getting or in sourcing for products.

Wholesale camera glass part/component

You’ll actually be able to find a lot of other benefits and advantages in ordering camera glass in bulk, some of which include:

Cost Per Unit Reduction

Purchasing camera glass in bulk or in wholesale can help you reduce the price or the cost per unit, which you can then pass on to your customers or your clients as their savings.

Meaning, you can help your clients or your customers by having a cheaper and more affordable rate for their camera glass.

Less Delivery Miles

Since you’ll be purchasing a huge amount in one go, you’ll have fewer delivery miles, which is better and more effective in conserving and preserving the environment.

In case you’re not aware, many clients and customers consider it a big deal to purchase from a business or from a company that chooses to be eco-friendly than their competitors.

Can Avoid Selling Out

By purchasing camera glasses in bulk or in wholesale, you can avoid the instance of running out of stocks or supplies. This is a common problem or dilemma by businesses especially if their suppliers are from other countries like China, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.

Minimal Shipping and Freight Fees

Another of the advantages you can get in purchasing camera glass wholesale is that you can minimize the fees and charges for the shipping or for the delivery of your products. Oftentimes, these fees become the culprit on why the products aren’t outright bought or purchased.

So, when a camera glass supplier tells you that they provide OEM camera glasses and that they can give it to you in bulk, don’t miss the opportunity.

How Do You Install Camera Glass?

The process of replacing camera glass is easy, you just have to clean out and clear up the debris from the broken or the damaged camera.

But how about installing it? Does it carry the same processes and procedures? Installing camera glass on a new device or smartphone is actually pretty easy.

You first have to make sure that the measurements and the dimensions are identical and are exact. If it’s a millimeter too long or too short, it wouldn’t be possible and can cause some type of problem with the quality.

In addition to that, you also want to test the static electricity of the camera glass. It’s because this is for the prevention of electronic component damage.

Align the glass onto the main lens or the front camera glass, and then take out the adhesive so you can stick it with the other components or lens elements.

Ensure that it’s straightly aligned with the lens elements for the vision or the display to be upwards of 99%.

How to Choose the Best Camera Glass Manufacturer to Work With

There are thousands of camera glass manufacturers and suppliers in the market and choosing the best one could require a lot of time and effort. But how can you choose to work with the best?

A lot of people don’t consider China as one of the best options they have, because of the hearsay about Chinese products’ qualities of not being good.

When, in reality, Chinese camera glass manufacturers are the ones dominating the market consistently. When you are to choose a camera glass manufacturing company, you need to try to find the best one that can accommodate all your needs.

Some of the best factors you can consider in choosing the camera glass supplier to work with here in China include:

Brand Stability and Experience

The first thing you want to check is the stability and the overall experience of the supplier or the manufacturer you’ll be working with.

Not all new businesses are inexperienced. As a matter of fact, most modern and new camera glass manufacturing companies are employed and housed by the best, the most experienced, and the most skilled experts and technicians in the industry.

So, never judge a book by its cover!

Check and Have a View of the Factory

The next thing you want to see and check would be the factory of the camera glass supplier. More often than not, their factories will give you a clear reflection of how they perform their operations.

Should your factory or their manufacturing plant and it’s neither neat nor organized, you might want to think twice in choosing them to be your camera glass manufacturer.

How clean their factories and their operational plants are can dictate the level and the quality of business they can do.

Check Client and Customer Reviews

This probably is the thing that most businesses and clients fail to realize. The reviews, feedback, and comments that their previous clients gave are excellent indicators of how they do business.

While many people understand that some reviews and feedback are possibly fabricated, it’s still one of the best to look at if you’re weighing whether or not a particular product is of high quality.

Code of Conduct

Another factor you can look at in choosing a camera glass manufacturing company is the code of conduct that they have.

How do they perform in terms of giving quotations and estimates? Do they provide surveys? Do they perform assistance in installations and replacements? Do they have OEM services?

These are just some of the things that you can look at when you’re trying to choose between different camera glass manufacturers.

Production Capacity

The production capacity factor is as important as the quality, try to imagine this particular situation.

If you need a daily production of more than 1,000 camera glass units, would working with a regular manufacturing company or supplier that can only supply 100 be able to suffice business needs?

That can give you a deficit of 900 pieces or units of camera glass per day which could be – $900 if you sell it for $1 per piece – you get the point.

You’re not just limited to these, though. You may have your own ways of distinguishing which manufacturer is the best based on your experience. If you’ve been in the industry for quite a long time now, then you must have come up with your own ways of knowing which manufacturer is the best to work with.

But these are some of the general and the best methods on how you can pick out manufacturers.

Which Chinese Camera Glass Supplier Should You Work With?

You will never experience a shortage in choosing which camera glass manufacturer you want to work with if you look at China.

There are thousands of manufacturing companies, but if you want to work with the best and the most sought-after company, don’t hesitate to give us here at SXET a call.

We’re considered as the best, the most skilled, and the most experienced camera glass manufacturer, thanks to the quality of all our products and our services.

Our camera glasses are deemed and considered as the best and we never give any type of headache to our clients. That being said, you can consider us as your main option if you’re looking for a reliable and trustworthy camera glass manufacturer!

Never hesitate to work with us here at SXET if you want to get and acquire high-quality camera glass units without spending a fortune!

Contact us by dialing our hotline or by shooting us an email – we’ll be more than happy and glad to help you with whatever your requests and needs are! We’ll even provide a free quotation or a free estimate to help you budget it further!

Should you have any other questions about what camera glass is that we weren’t able to cover in this FAQ guide, give us a buzz and we’ll be right with you! Dial us today and experience world-class quality services and world-class quality camera glass at the best and the most competitive rates and prices.

Contact us today and get the help and the assistance you need tomorrow!