Iphone 12 pro max odd camera reflections and glare

The difference between you and me is not that I'm not defending Apple. I've learned quite well how to take photos with minimal to no flare. I understand the limitation of the medium and I get how to angle the camera, compose my subjects, etc., to take better photos. I could take bad shots like a lot of the photos users have posted here. I choose to take better photos and not complain about the system built into the phone. Nothing disingenuous about that at all. A good photographer never blames the camera for poor photos. A good photographer blames himself for poor photos.

Apple Team isn't here. This is a user to user only forum.

You have posted your phone number in a public forum to literally thousands of other users around the world, which is most unwise. No one from Apple is going to call you.

I get these green circles when shooting sunsets. Every picture. iPhone 12 Pro Max amazing cameras just don’t expect to shoot a sunset. Ridiculous.

I also noticed in my pics there were reflections of the Christmas lights that appeared in the area of the sky. How can we stop this from occurring? It may be a normal thing that happens when something is misaligned but it ruins your pictures.

You say: "But I'm willing to bet you the reality of defective units is so infinitesimally small as to be statistically insignificant".

This is another way of saying: "the number of defective units is negligible".

But this is not a statistical study. It is about people who are not satisfied with the quality of their camera. It is quite possible that the vast majority of complainers have a perfect device, but, as you admit yourself, there may also be a small number of people among the complainers who have a defective device. And no matter how small that number is, you don't do justice to that group by treating them as negligible (or insignificant).

You've made it clear dozens of times what you think the wrongful complainers should do, but what can you offer the other group, the rightful complainers?

Where do you think the boundary lies between normal flare/ghosting and unacceptable flare/ghosting?

How can I determine if my device is one of those rare cases that do have a defect?

This is what I am getting in portrait mode. Just a random gray dot in all photos. Yes I have made sure there are no obstructions and that the lens is clean. What it is and why should I have this problem with my 12 pro max that I spent so much money on? This is ridiculous.

Or they should just not promote the expensive phones for there amazing night mode function and fabulous cameras unless they also add that most of our photos are gonna be haunted by orbs. Thought the reason for these crazy good cameras in the average persons every day phones was too make amazing photography accessible for everyday users, the ones who aren’t studying photography. The problem reading through a lot of forums is that it’s not just here and there this happens, but it’s actually regularly in photos.

Is there anything I can purchase to minimize the flare? Is there a lens protector or something that could help with this issue? I love my iPhone 12 Pro Max, but I don’t want to have to worry about this every time I’m taking photo/video at night. I’m already trying to incorporate different angles when shooting, but any other advise would be appreciated.

Sidebar

has anyone heard about issues if a lot of vibration is causing issues?

I have a Harley and a ram mount x grip on handlebars

a friend mentioned on a few motorcycle sites many folks have been returning their 12s due to issues from what is assumed too much vibration to the phone and it can’t handle it

“If the lenses were coated, night mode photography wouldn’t work.”

Could you explain why it wouldn’t work? Obviously coatings don’t prevent night photography or astrophotography with dedicated cameras. Frankly night photography is not something I do. However, I do shoot into the sun when it is low on the horizon like sunsets (not very successfully with my 12 PM).

Short of significantly changing the composition of the shot, I have yet to see a way to eliminate green spots and ghosting in camera. (For background, I also shoot with a mirrorless camera, which not surprisingly does not have these issues.) If lenses from a dedicated camera performed this poorly, people wouldn’t buy them.

• I can take just fine Night Mode photos, thank you. If you can't, perhaps you should learn how to better use your phone.
• Please enlighten us on what flare eliminating/reducing design and technology lens manufacturers have developed? I'm dying to learn about this mythical engineering feat.
• You're right, Apple never claimed there is no way to build a camera in a phone with less lens flare. Yet, here we are and they haven't done so, so what's your point?

I'm glad you have no problems with night mode. I don't use my phone for night photos. But there sure seem to be a lot of people who do have problems with photos and videos for proof. As I've said multiple times my problem is with shots with the sun in the frame.

If you're shooting with a Nixon and you're having these problems you need to update your lens lineup. I shoot with m.Zuiko lenses and have no problems. It's not mythical. My problem is not with generic flaring, but specifically green dots and ghosting. If you want to know more, google it.

Apple didn't claim it because they can be eliminated with better lens design. The problem reflects choices made by Apple in the design of the lens. That is my point. Physics doesn't limit them. Their design does.

There is simply no comparison between iPhone 12 and iPhone 6+ camera specifications.

iPhone 6+

• 8-megapixel iSight camera with 1.5µ pixels
• Autofocus with Focus Pixels
• ƒ/2.2 aperture
• Optical image stabilization (iPhone 6 Plus only)
• True Tone flash
• Five-element lens

iPhone 12

• Dual 12MP camera system: Ultra Wide and Wide cameras
• Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
• Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
• 2x optical zoom out
• Digital zoom up to 5x
• Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
• Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono)
• Optical image stabilization (Wide)
• Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); seven‑element lens (Wide)

If you prefer lower resolution to higher resolution and simpler lenses, good for you.

And defending Apple saying the problem is a result of a limitation of physics involved is disingenuous. I’ve exclusively owned Apple products since 1983 but am not afraid to call them out when they fall short. Apple apologists seem to blindly defend everything about their products, with no regard to the disappointment of some purchasers.

Dear Apple,

I bought new iPhone 12pro Max on Dec-21-2020.

While taking photographs at nighttime, i faced issue that there is a reflection of lights in the image which i am taking. It’s always there .. like there is light in the image, there is the image of that light in the picture i am taking.

For all this issue, i contacted with apple support team through apple support app. He checked my phone & asked me do some procedures like give reset, restart your phone. After doing all that procedures what he suggested to me. He said sir i book appointment for you at Dubai mall, Apple store.

He said in chat that sir it’s more hardware issue than a software issue, so i book appointment they will repair for you.

Ultimately i got appointment of after one week on Jan-17-2021 at 4:10 pm. 

I traveled 120 km to Dubai, i kill my time & i put fuel from my pocket. I took half day off from job.

Finally when came to Dubai Mall, Apple store.

The customer care representative said sir, its normal that reflection is coming in the image as in this iPhone 12Pro Max they are using more than 2 lenses so it’s normal. Sir i have same phone so it’s coming in my phone also. Also sir we don’t have any solution for this. I said what are you talking about.

More he added that sir its first case that we heard from you.

I said to listen this i just came here 120 Km away after killing my time and fuel from my pocket.

Why your apple support team don’t inform me that sir it’s normal & we can’t do anything.

Really this incident has questioned on Apple R&D team what kind of research work they did to produce this phone. Also every kids knows about refraction. But Apple team don’t knows about this issue. Also i am the first customer that came with issue & according to apple team they don’t have solution for this till now.

Custome reperesative also added sir try to put some filter on lens .. i said why Apple don’t put infront of iPhone lens..

In short he said I can’t do anything in that case

Really i suffered alot & for your information, issue what i am facing snapshots has been attached.

Thanks

Looking forward a kind response from Apple team

Really in vain :( :(

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]