iphonephotos
The flash on my iPhone 4s works great at night. Problem is the picture is completely black up until the point the flash goes on and the picture is taken. So I don't know if I've got a good shot. Much worse is that it's always completely out of focus because the camera doesn't seem to have time to focus during that flash of light.
How do I take night pictures?
This is a hardware problem. This comes up when the ribbon connector from the camera to the main circuit board comes loose or gets disconnected altogether. If you have the right tools and enough DIY skills to open up your iPhone, it's a very simple fix that should be fairly obvious to see. Otherwise, the Apple Store should be able to repair it for you (I would think free of charge, but who knows).
If you do want to take apart your iPhone and attempt the repair yourself, PowerBook Medic has some really nice instructions for taking apart all versions of iPhones from 3GS and above. They also sell replacement parts and will repair it for you as well if you want. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation nor prior experience with this company, so use at your own risk.)
This is what the front camera of an iPhone 4 looks like:
That little white/silver part is what's probably come loose; just pushing down on it gently should allow it to snap right back in.
This is definitely a hardware problem. It comes from the flash not being properly connected or the connectors on the board being damaged. Normally reseating the connection fixes the issue. He was probably a little heavy handed when he put the phone back together or the board has suffered ESD damage.
As well as this being annoying, it will drain the battery.
Best Answer
There are some apps that may help you with dark night photos (though I have no experience with these apps). Here you are:
NightCap: This app captures 15x more light to capture the best photos in low light situations. It also provides the best tools to help take the perfect shot day or night.
Camera Flash and Zoom: A full featured camera app with digital flash, 5x digital zoom, geotagging, preview before saving, quick and burst modes, and plenty more tools for night photography.
Night fast Snap!: Very suitable for night photography, you can take 30 clear photos in 2 seconds in the case of low light. The app only fires the shutter when it detects the iPhone is steady to ensure sharpness.