Iphone 11 Pro Extreme lens flare

The first things I'd try:

• Try to change the angle to avoid direct light from the bulbs shining into the camera lens.
• Try to improve the lighting in the room so that the tree is not the main light source.

I recommend contacting Apple support. I called right away after I noticed it, was on the phone for 10 minutes, was offered 4 different options;

1. Run more diagnostics on my end to determine if it was software
2. Go to my local Apple store or Authorized repair to get my camera module replaced for free under my one year warranty for the product (not my Apple Care+)
3. Send it in via mail to get the phone repaired
4. Get a replacement device mailed to me through their mail in program for $99

I have a local Best Buy in town where I live, so I went in the next day and had them run through their procedures with diagnostic tools and checks, then proceed telling me I could either drive to an Apple store who had the part (2 hour drive) or wait a week for him to order the part. Week passed, got my phone in, took about an hour, presto, new camera setup, much better results.

If you can, definitely do #2 and get the new lens it is by far the best option. I wouldn't do #4 because you could get a refurbished one (which isn't acceptable for an investment like this to get a used item) that likely never had its lens replaced.

Best of Luck

Then you have hawaii with sensors more then double the size of the current iPhone... Regardless, I won’t sell the device for one complaint that can be avoided. If I sold every device that I had a complaint about I’d have nothing because no product is “perfect”. And like I mentioned, Apple should be able to counter flare, maybe not remove it, but reduce it with post processing.

It’s a big disappointment to me. I did not have this problem with my last iPhone. I’ve never experienced this in such a bad way. The photos are unusable and it’s not acceptable. That should be an anti-reflective coating or something to prevent this. And this is a $1200 phone that brags about his cameras, did they even test them in real life situations?

Experiencing the same annoying problem. Took it to the Genius Bar but they didn’t know what the problem was, so they just went ahead and replaced the camera module(breaking the screen in the process). Obviously replacing the camera module didn’t fix the problem so I’m planning on taking it back and hopefully get a replacement.

Any other success stories after getting an IPhone from a “later batch”?

Actually, you’re wrong. I’m a professional photographer in addition to having iPhones and Samsung notes, I’ve never seen something so bad. These lenses don’t have any anti-reflective coating, any light situation small or large there is an intense flailing issue. Some of these examples are extreme but if you really take the phone into low light conditions or sunny conditions, these lenses are hypersensitive and the reason you’re getting the reflection is because of the lenses. I think some of the examples, with a drastic black background and drastic bright light, our worst case examples but even in simple images The flare can’t be avoided.

[Image Edited for Personal Information]

I am experiencing the same issue and it is huge. Last night I recorded the big car spot at night and my whole recording have lots of flares from the headlights of the cars. Never seen anything like that in iPhone 8. It destroyed all my recordings because flares are almost in every scene this is not a stars on the sky!

I'm having the same issues, of all the phones I've owned over the recent years this one is by far the worst when it comes to lens flare. I've noticed on one lens in particular it looks like a poorly finished coating of some kind that you can see when the lens is either dirty or foggy (shown below). Anyone else have a lens that does this?

I’m trying my older iPhones, I have a lot of them and I don’t have those same problems. It’s amazing how innovative the first iPhone was, Steve Jobs really did a good job. I wish the new team had the same foresight as he did. Too bad this old phone wouldn’t boot up, the battery blew up inside So this is the only phone I’m having issues with.

This is the hardware problem ... now I’m insist them to change and solve it...as i read from the previous comment. It’s seem like 1st batch iphone defect...suck an low quality camera. Very upset with apple product. It cost not cheap.

I just bought for 3 days my 11 Pro Max from a store in Germany where i live and yesterday i had a shock when i took some photos and videos. I also had no idea that a problem with the lens flare on this model exists until I googled after taking these pictures. I know that lens flare is normal but i find it here way to extreme. Also in the 2nd picture you can see ghosting, not just lens flare. And the phone costs 1400 € here. I will post later a youtube link with a video i took, it is worst than the photos.

https://youtu.be/foUPOTsXmY4

I had a replacement, a refurbished phone and then then had the lenses swapped out, I feel it’s The same, the issue remains. Please note that my lens is 100% clean.

I was using HDR and try to focus on Objects to reduce the noise or lens flare

I have the same problem too. Its a reflection/ghost image.

I just received my phone 2 days ago and testing it at night environment. Today I am sending my iphone 11 pro max back to the shop I buy from only to be tell by the salesperson its a normal thing. She also show me sample of the reflection condition by using her phone which is an android phone.

In all my lifetime, I never see any reflecting images/ghosting images when i take picture from phone camera.

Before using iphone 11 pro max I am using Galaxy Note 4(which I buy 5 years ago). Never before I encounter this reflecting/ghosting images using Galaxy Note 4. Only excessive flares which is understandable and I accepted as it is a normal thing.

Is reflection/ghosting image a normal thing and acceptable by either android and apple community? I feel it is unacceptable. In my opinion its the Iphone 11 pro max glass lens cover that is defective. Its supposed to be coated anti glare inside the glass like any other conventional csc/dslr camera to prevent mirorring which will result in reflecting/ghosting image. Apple should admit this is their design fault.

The article linked from that site is one of the best explanations I've read:

Photography Life: Understanding Lens Flare

Which includes this photo, showing similar lens flare artifacts being induced in the Nikon 70-200m f2.8G VR, which has an MSRP of $2099.95:

We’re all over the place on this. We’re making excuses for poor performance when apples advertising actually shows excellent photos.

if you really wanted to compare apples to apples, let’s look at the note 10+ Let’s look up how they treat their night shots. Look at this link and go down to the shot image before and after The night filter is applied within the Samsung. https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/note-10-plus-how-its-camera-night-mode-helps-samsung-catch-up-to-rival-phones/

I used CNET to do this demo so there is no bias. they compare the Samsung to the Huawei pro 30. These pictures are so much better than what I’m achieving from my iPhone. 11 Pro Max.

below please find the images from the article comparing the two and the last image is how my iPhone is treating darkness. As you can see, both phones are actually taking great shots and dealing with natural lighting appropriately. I don’t know why we’re having so many problems with our photos.