IPhone 12 Pro Max Lens flare

I'm not trying to take a hardline dissenting stance here, but I'm not like this gaslighting thread for sure. It's like we're being told by the "pros" that the gist is this "due to higher quality cameras and lens, you can expect significantly more artifacts and quality issues". This makes no sense at all.

As strange as it sounds, it is true.

Cheap plastic lenses as used on older phone cameras are poor enough that they do not have internal reflections of any type and resolution is low enough that any reflections "blur" out.

With a much higher resolution and better lenses, reflections become more common and are more visible.

Is it possible this could be solved with lens cover? I get that professionals will fiddle with angles and lighting and fully appreciate the upgraded capabilities, but I think what we're seeing in this thread is the disparity between pros and typical consumers. Sure a cover would downgrade quality, but it might be good enough, and with no artifacts and hassle for everyday use, plus if a consumer graduates to pro-consumer, they could just remove the filtering cover. I don't know if such a thing exists on the market, but the idea seems better than a total recall, which if I understand it isn't even physically possible to correct given the nature of the lenses. Still not convinced that software couldn't do the same, automatically, as consumers are capturing. Heck, just blending the green down to surrounding colors might be enough to calm typical consumers, and if a configurable option everyone gets the best of all.

Truth is that  has failed their customers with this problem. I have spoken with pro photographers and they ve all told me that lens flare do indeed exist but at no circumstances this kind of “flares”. No dots and not shadow reflections. Again, I strongly believe that  should run a lens replacement program and try to fix this problem. Taking the max device only for the cameras and yet you cannot shoot. Lens cover won’t work...

I’m agree with everyone who has this problem, But I can't agree with those people who always try to explain this is normal because lenses and quality better or you should need take with different angle and try to avoid them , but 90% people ho bought Max they’re normal consumers and iPhone this is a Mobile device not a professional Camera with some difficult settings. Green dots Exist even on my old XR When you Taking a picture directly to the Sun ☀️ This is normal Everyone knew , but street lights or I can’t imagine When everyone will go on holidays after pandemic and start shooting attractions around the world at the night time , Then Everyone will see how terrible it is. And compare to Xr with normal light , street light or Attractions there’s no huge difference but gap between devices 3 Years. Maxis is a better in low light no comments but you getting so difficult to take a shot , yes you can play with this and get a cool picture but again with normal people in normal situations this is annoying, I think regular 12 will be a super alternative because Max is to to sensitive to light

Whether you agree or don't agree means little. The FACT is with Night Mode photography, the dots are an unavoidable artifact, unless you angle the camera to avoid them, which is totally within YOUR control. You couldn't take Night Mode photos with any iPhone before iPhone 11. The same artifacts are common on ALL phones which take Night Mode photos, including iPhone 11, Samsung Phones, Google Phones, etc.

When you create a camera system consisting of small lenses which need a lot of light to create an in focus image, in the dark, which doesn't do this, you'll be VERY RICH.

No, but then I wasn't speaking to you. I was responding specifically to the gtx279, who made a comment directed at Night Mode. Anytime you angle these cameras at very bright lights, you stand the chance of getting flares, which as has been said over and over and over can be easily seen before you take the photo and can be virtually eliminated by angling the camera differently relative to the scene being photographed.

I knew you would answer like this, I don't know if you work for Apple or defend your photography skills or something else,

but then again for ordinary people, if you take photos even with a simple phone 12 or XR, then there isn't much of a difference. , and you know that, yes, if you shoot in difficult lighting in order to take super pictures, then this is understandable, but in general this is a problem of new technologies and it does not matter how you agree or disagree !!! Later this week will do Some compare new and old technology , and you will see difference, and Again What’s the point push technology to another level if you can’t make it simple , then Apple should be advise MAX like super professional camera with extra skills for people like you or others ,

I knew you would answer like this, I don't know if you work for Apple or defend your photography skills or something else,

but then again for ordinary people, if you take photos even with a simple phone 12 or XR, then there isn't much of a difference. , and you know that, yes, if you shoot in difficult lighting in order to take super pictures, then this is understandable, but in general this is a problem of new technologies and it does not matter how you agree or disagree !!! Later this week will do Some compare new and old technology , and you will see difference, and Again What’s the point push technology to another level if you can’t make it simple , then Apple should be advise MAX like super professional camera with extra skills for people like you or others ,

I don’t think you’re an Apple employee, but clearly you spend a lot of time defending Apple. Your level and points do show you spend a lot of time in the Apple Community, and I doubt you’ve spent a lot of time criticizing Apple. That’s not how you get points.

The way I'm awarded points is by actually helping users solve issues they can't solve on their own. It is users who give us points when they ask a question and we give them the right solution. Apple doesn't give me points. I actually help people here on lots of topics and I enjoy helping people. But that's with things that can be resolved. This thread is about something no one can resolve other than to tell people to be more careful when taking photos. I'm not defending Apple in this thread. I'm offering WHY these flares occur and what we can do to reduce or eliminate them.

So if you were helping the person who shot the image I just posted, what specific advice would you give to eliminate the flare; and telling the person to put the sun in the directly in the middle is not good advice. That would alter the composition and make it a different photo. It would also violate the Rule of Thirds.

I would tell the person who took that photo to first notice the flare was on their screen before they took the photo and to angle the camera differently. As they did so, they'd see the flare move either up or down, depending on how they are changing the angle and use that as their guide to eliminate the angle. They'd still have taken a great photo. But they could have eliminated the flare. And since he took this photo, it can be fixed easily with post processing tools, such as Snapseed or if they have an Adobe Cloud subscription, PhotoShop Express, with the healing brush.

And that would be bad advice how? Either they do that or they capture the flare. Do you still not understand that the photo you posted presents challenges even to High End DSLR camera systems? What advice would you offer this person, since you don't think my advice has merit?

When did pictures taken with phones require post production? so much for ease of use. I of course can use post production software on all my photos for many purposes (replace the sky anyone?) but do you think purchasers who buy a phone (camera) buy it knowing now that they will need to do this. And how are people going to solve the green dots and ghosting in videos.