iPhone 12 Pro camera not focusing properly

Thank you for posting this, iLightning, despite the depressing conclusion that there will be no fix for this. To add support to what you're saying, Apple just shipped me a brand new "replacement" 12 Pro Max, which I booted up immediately to test the camera, and the problem is identical to the 12 Pro Max I have, which I bought the first day it was available. So any thought that the problem might have been corrected in more recently manufactured phones is wishful thinking.

As I've mentioned before, the issue here is not that Apple made this change--it's the king of all companies when it comes to making product changes that people don't necessarily want or like, at least initially, if Apple believes the change is ultimately worth whatever compromise is involved. The difference here is that Apple made this significant change with no notice to the buying public, so we could not make an informed decision about which iPhone to buy. Like you, I would have chosen the 12 Pro had I known--and while Apple was willing to send me a new 12 Pro Max replacement that didn't solve the problem, they're unwilling to send a new 12 Pro "downgrade" that WOULD solve the issue. ("We can replace the exact phone you have, but it's too late to exchange it for a different model." Arrgghhh....)

Actually the iPhone 12 Pro has the same exact issues. Notice this thread was started by an iPhone 12 Pro user. Not a Max user. I can confirm as well since I own an iPhone 12 Pro that the macro is terrible, especially during FaceTime where you don’t have the option to use the 2x lens as they have suggested. I upgraded from the iphoneX and still have to use my iPhone X for FaceTime when I have items that have to be shown up close. I Should have just stayed with the iphoneX.

Same here. Tested it with an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a 11 Pro Max. both with x1.0 setting and mounted to a tripod.

1: 12 Pro Max

2: 11 Pro Max

Apple support made a remote diagnosis but didn‘t find a hardware error.

Thanks. Unfortunately on the 12 Pro Max, these settings changes did not improve the minimum focus distance. it is still almost double what it used to be, which limits the resolution proportionally , making its macro capabilities 40 to 50 percent worse than every other iPhone model for almost the past decade.

I bought a pro max for my mom and I and we both have this same issue. We are coming from 7+ models, and a 4+ year old phone was able to do far better at far closer distances, so we're both frustrated with this issue. After calling support and speaking to a rep + an assistant supervisor, they were both unaware of the problem, and the rep acted as though the problem didn't exist and was 'user error'. I'm hoping this can be updated through software, as it seems it's just those models using the new Lidar sensor that have the problem (Pro models). I don't want to return the phone and go to an Android, but I did buy the phone for camera abilities and this is certainly frustrating for both of us.

I feel your frustration and in my case, I returned the 12 Pro Max due to this reason.

One correction to your understanding: This change only pertains to the larger Pro Max and NOT iPhone 12 Pro, which functions as expected (from first hand testing). It has nothing to do with Lidar, but rather is a physical limitation of the new larger sensor wide camera module in the Max. It can not be addressed in software (other than by implementing faux digital zoom which will make the image seem bigger but the pixels resolution is the same, and you still won’t be able to get closer than about 5 inches). The the lens is physically incapable of doing what you are accustomed to. So please do not hold out any hope if this is important to you; return the phones and buy any other iPhone 12 if you wish.

I should also add, I’m def not looking to tell anyone that they don’t have an issue with their phone. There’s already way too many amateur “expert” power trippers trawling these forums, often telling people their problems aren’t real. Apple support forum seems uniquely bizarre in that way.

With that being said, when I see a conclusion here that I know is inaccurate and is of a nature whereby it is likely affecting purchasing decisions of either those posting or other folks who later read these posts, then I feel a responsibility to speak up. The 12 Pro Max has a specific limitation which significantly and detrimentally impacts its macro photo capabilities. This is a physical and deliberate design attribute within the lens design. This particular limitation simply does not apply to any other iPhone model.

Agree that the the 12 pro max doesn’t “cut it” at the standard of the vast majority of modern phones.

The attached photo does not really seem to be a ultra close-up macro shot of the nature we have been discussing in this forum thread. The spider is actually the size of something we need to be really sharp and detailed. But the spider appears all blurry in the photo...

Same issue on 12 Pro Max as others are reporting. I have defaulted to using the 2.5x, however this makes applications that use the standard camera by default to scan things almost completely unusable. This needs to be corrected, either by having those apps be able to choose a different camera or fixing the issue altogether.

Testing the actual devices myself, in a mount/stand. Discussions with Apple (off record).

This guy also had discussions:

https://youtu.be/itGfzzF3i4M

I don’t know if Apple has gone officially on the record yet. I think more likely they will bury it and may have already instructed support teams to avoid discussing the topic.

You could continue to test the most current display models at the Apple store to see if a silent hardware change gets made, but this action is very rare.

Actually it’s not software related. Did you hear that from Apple? The iPhone 12 pro has the same issue. You can get macro focus by using the two times lens but that does nothing to resolve issues for apps that don’t offer a zoom. Furthermore how does it seem to make sense that we would have to take a brand new phone for service? This is the point. We were sold a product not operating as advertised. That would mean every iPhone 12 pro user needs to take their phone for service. This is one forum of many, and tens of thousands of people all with the same issue. In the car industry that would be considered a lemon

Max pro owners wishing they had 12pro and 12 pro owners wishing we had 11 pro or 12.

Theses were taken from the same spot, the Samsung can actually get even closer than this. This is unacceptable, why upgrade to a new phone if I can’t let go of the old one due to the camera? The iPhone focuses on the background no matter how many times I tap the image, the focus just bonuses all over until it eventually settles around here. My 12pro is running iOS 14.3

merc_g, thanks for the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max comparison photos. I see NO close focus issue at all with the 12 Pro pic. Your 12 Pro photo matches what I can get with my wife's 11 Pro Max. I'd have no complaint if I could get this from my 12 Pro Max. I would reiterate that the main cameras (i.e., the "wide") of the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max could not be more different. The main camera on the 12 Pro is the same as the regular 12--same lens using optical image stabilization (OIS) and the same sensor. The 12 Pro Max lens doesn't have OIS, its sensor is almost 50% larger (which would negatively impact the minimum close focusing distance) and stabilization is achieved via sensor shift technology.

A few experiments I've done recently to try and isolate the problem:

1) Theory: the new addition of lidar is the cause of the close focus issues. Experiment: I blocked the liar element so it could not influence close focus. Result: No difference in close focus problems. Conclusion: Lidar does not seem to be the cause of the problem since the problem persists without lidar involved.

2) Theory: there's a software issue with autofocus that's not allowing the camera to focus as closely as it could. Experiment: Shoot with ProCamera app in manual focus mode to override autofocus. Result: No difference in close focus problems. Conclusion: Apple software that governs autofocus does not seem to be the cause of the issue since the problem persists using manual focus.

3) Theory: close focus issues only happen in indoor, lower light settings. (I read this in a pro photographer's analysis of the close focus issue.) Experiment: Shoot close focus subjects outside in bright daylight. Result: No difference in close focus problems. Conclusion: Low light does to seem to be the cause of the issue since the problem persists in bright light.

Quite a rude surprise to find my nifty new 12 Pro Max can't take close-ups like my old 6s could. Of course there are some advantages to the new Pro Max camera system, but overall, in many situations, I took better photos with the old 6s. Particularly when turning off auto HDR and then taking the combined HDR shot and the non-HDR shot and combining them in Aurora. Even when using CameraPixel Pro and taking 3 bracketed shots I don't seem to get as good a result.

Given the cost of the 12 Pro Max, this is all rather disappointing.

It’s looking fairly certain that there will be no fix. We’re just 6 months away from the launch of IPhone 13 and Apple has yet to say a word about the 12 Pro Max and close focus distance. And I don’t mean acknowledging that there’s a problem—they’ve even been silent on so much as releasing a spec for close focusing distance. I’ve always bought my iPhones as soon as pre-orders open, sight unseen, but not again after this 12 Pro Max camera debacle. I can’t trust Apple not to mess with specs again.