iPhone 13 Camera is blurry

Life is also too short to comment on thread about an “issue” you don’t have.

let other users have a discussion, find possible solutions , sending feedback to Apple.

At Apple users’ feedback are always welcome.

Oh, so only those who want to complain about their cameras should be posting here? Someone coming to this thread for the first time should be able to see there are others who are NOT unhappy with their phones and can (using the correct cameras for the scene being photographed) take great pictures.

I will continue to counter posts which I believe are inaccurate, unless of course you purchase the forum, then you can determine who is permitted to participate here.

ian_ist wrote:

sorrry to ask this question its out of the topic but is anyone here noticed that there is something on the ultrawide lens when you look closely using flashlight? there is something wide inside the lens around the corner of the circle?

This looks perfectly normal to me, probably a light effect where the cover "glass" and front of the lens mount are reacting too the incident light. It is outside the view of the lens and very unlikely to have any impact on the quality of photos.

If you are not content with my opinion or you think it is degrading the quality of your photos, please contact Apple Support and arrange to have Apple inspect your iPhone.

isazavakos wrote:

So! I found a temporary fix.

If you download Adobe’s editing app, Lightroom, for mobile, you can use the camera in the app.

I have RAW only used in the camera app so this may be affecting it. But it will take two photos, one HDR and one DNG. The DNG version is the best version.

Unfortunately it does not automatically save photos to your camera roll, but, the quality is infinitely better.

I have attached a comparison of two photos. The left was taken in the default camera app, and the right was taken in Lightroom.

Only you with knowledge of the original subject can decide which image is better. As I have pointed out in another thread if you choose to reject the automatic iPhone's processing and use RAW images they will almost certainly need some level of post processing because no sensor is perfect. It is of course highly subjective, and two humans may apply completely different post to get what each considers to be the desired final image.

This is my experience as well. Looking at the subject while taking the photo, I find in many (not all) lighting conditions, that the default camera app will run its algorithms (even with raw) to attempt better colour grading as well as HDR, etc. and the image is typically "hot". Editing the raw file is always possible, if time permits, but I prefer to start from an image that is closer to the original subject rather than an over-AI processed image. I would like the camera app to give me settings to turn elements of this processing off.

I did some tests with camera apps, including Filmic Pro FirstLight, Halide, and Adobe Lightroom. I found the Adobe LightRoom images more realistic. I plan to use it when the image is important, and otherwise use the Apple default camera for random social stuff that doesn't matter so much. I have my exposure setting ready to slide in the Apple default camera, and would often need to turn it down, sometimes -0.7, ... and this would turn down some artificial heat. Interestingly, this change in exposure setting seems to do more than just exposure after the Apple AI processing does further things, and the colour grade is till a bit wrong, but it is a better starting point on most occasions.

I also think we are all getting much better at being critical about our photography. We are noticing more than before. This is also handing opportunity to third party camera software, and I can imagine more software updates will be exciting for that reason. It is also "highlighting" the benefits of dedicated cameras a bit more, which is great for Sony, Canon, etc.

I still want something instant in my pocket that needs less fritzing about. I look forward to substituting the software, perhaps a new third party photo and video app (needs to do both) is coming in the future, and we can set it to be our default with our own quick and easy custom modes and control of post processing elements.

We are not considering final image since pro users (and not) usually can shot and edit.

the two pictures isazavakos took are bringing something very useful to this thread.

If we start editing picture on the left (taken with iPhone camera app with visible “oil paint effect”) we have less possibilities since details are lost.

this is something you immediately notice if you try to edit brightness, sharpness etc.

picture on the right seem a bit off if we consider it from a NOT pro point of view and we want to post it on Instagram as it is

but

if we start editing we will find out that does contain more details, even considering both RAW images

**Test done personally on iPhone 13PRO , RAW images , different light condition, native camera app and Lightroom for iOS camera**

I have this exact problem too on my iPhone 13 Pro and it is the MOST frustrating thing. Coming from the iPhone X as well. The front camera quality on the 13 is awful - if I hadn’t traded in my X, I probably would have gone back to it. Any insight on how to fix this would be great!

I went to a concert last night and was trying to take video and it was the worst video I had ever had an iPhone take. It was so upsetting. It was one of the first times I had decided to use the video feature… Beyond disappointed. Don’t really know what to do from here. I’m afraid the overprocessing is related to os15.

That’s pretty amazing as mine is taking the best video I’ve ever seen a phone take. Many reviewers and professional cinematographers feel the same:

https://ymcinema.com/2021/09/15/acclaimed-cinematographer-the-iphone-13-pro-is-a-professional-filmmaking-tool-is-it/

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide whether to keep the phone or not if you are outside your return window, based upon how much you will use it given you feel the results to be unsatisfactory.

Great insight!

It's VERY evident that there is something wrong with the processing on the iPhone 13. Especially the front facing camera, which is way worse with video. It's took me just seconds to notice after powering it on and calling my wife in FaceTime.

I then searched if others are having the same issue. Which led me here. Two make sure it wasn't a fluke I started a 3 way FaceTime call with my 13 Pro Max and my iPhone XR work phone. The result? The iPhone XR's video is much better quality wise. I submitted my feedback and have will be bringing the phone to my local Apple Store. Hoping that this gets resolved since I do want to keep the phone for the ProRes video recording.

Thank you!

I am pretty sure it is a combination of overprocessing and who knows what else. I know that when I would take pictures and zoom in with my phone, the quality would stay the same, but now I notice when I zoom in the quality gets increasingly worse and more blurry and pixelated… and then it will correct itself to a different lens or something.

But, I went to the Apple Store and spoke to some people about the camera issues. I believe I said this already but, I had them bring out their only 12 Pro from the back. I took a photo with the 13 Pro and the 12 Pro of the same subjects in the store. I tested it on a well lit area, such as the “iPhone” text on their wall that is a light itself, and I tested it on my shoelaces. I know that my iPhone 11 Pro would not have done what the 12 and 13 did to my shoelaces BUT.

My best friend has a 12 Pro and recently got it, and the pictures they’ve taken with it look really nice. Not the 12 Pro in the store. Same over-processed stuff. I asked the guy I was speaking to, “has this been updated?” He said, “I don’t think so?” I checked with him as my witness. Yep, it was on the new iOS 15.0!

Definitely a software issue in terms of over-processing, BUT. I still don’t see why when I zoom in videos, or even take videos at all that they look like straight up garbage.

I am really hoping that it is indeed a software issue. :(

Zooming in on a photo or video is digital zoom which will always look horrible.

When taking photos or video, if the zoom is the natural zoom for one of the optical lenses and there is sufficient light, that lens will be used and it will look great, otherwise it will be poor digital zoom again.

So for example, on the 13 Pro Max those zoom levels are .5x, 1x and 3x.

For the iPhone 12 Pro Max they were .5x, 1x and 2.5x.

Experts feel the camera is excellent.

https://www.dxomark.com/apple-iphone-13-pro-max-camera-review-apple-flagship-imaging/

Yes, if you can figure out a way to magically take low light photos or videos without noise, you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

I often need to take existing light photos with my DSLR and many are unusable due to sensor noise.

I’m not sure what magic you expect Apple to be able to perform; “night mode” is already near magic itself.

You have an issue with the processing, far more do not.

But beyond that, I’ve said over and over that if you don’t like the processing shoot in RAW and process afterwards, which is effectively what Lightroom does.

I wasn’t commenting on the photos, but rather on the statement:

…when I zoom in the quality gets increasingly worse and more blurry and pixelated… and then it will correct itself to a different lens or something.

What we're saying, is that the iPhone 13 has significantly more noise and "loss of detail" because of the (again) aggressive AI post-processing. Than older generation iPhones. This should never be the case. Since everyone is expecting that the new iPhone they just purchased should be an upgrade.

Even if it's just marginally better. But when the photos are worse than a phone 3 generations back. That's a serious problem. Moreover, DSLRs are irrelevant on this topic.

> You have an issue with the processing, far more do not.

It's not just me... There are currently 184,000 search results on this topic alone. Here is another thread about this exact same issue on MacRumors that's 19 pages long:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/really-bad-photos-with-iphone-13-pro-max-merged.2315188/page-19

Here is a Reddit thread where 3,000+ users upvoted the post.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/qftcj3/can_we_please_have_less_ai_in_iphone_13_pro/

Implying that this is not a widespread issue is just patently false. If we are being objective here.

> if you don’t like the processing shoot in RAW and process afterwards, which is effectively what Lightroom does.

Are you seriously suggesting, that everyone even people who are not tech savvy to shoot in RAW mode? The vast majority of the population don't even know what that is. 🤦‍♂️