iPhone 13 camera not focusing when capturing a photo 8-10 cm away

I do totally understand exactly what you mean. You think your iPhone 13 camera should be able to focus closer than it does. Let's not get semantic here. Close up photography IS Macro Photography. It is the science of taking photographs at close distance (Focal Length in photographic terms) to the camera.

What you don't understand is your iPhone 13 is not capable of focusing as close as you think it should. It can't be said any more simply that that. If you wanted an iPhone which can focus closer, you should have invested in iPhone 13 Pro. iPhone 13 simply do what iPhone 13 Pro can. No matter how much you believe it should. And there will no software update which get it to focus closer.

Yes, I sure do think it should focus closer than it does, because every other iPhone before it (that are not Pro versions) can! So it makes no sense at all that it wouldn’t be a software issue and no matter how much you try to force your comparison of pro vs regular, I’m still going to think this. This is a BASIC camera feature that even cheap crap phones have the capability of doing.

It’s an optics issue.

All lenses have a minimum focus distance.

The lenses cannot focus closer than about 6 inches.

No amount of software can affect or fix that.

Apple never promised it would, and it doesn’t.

Be sure to let Samsung know their flagship phones are horrible as well, as the Galaxy S21 can’t do it either.

Which part of "8-10 cm away" that you don't understand here? People are talking about a simple close up auto focus using main lens FROM REGULAR IPHONE 13 to scan documents for example at 8-10 cm distance, not a 2 cm macro shot ultrawide lens 0.5 from IPHONE 13 PRO/PRO MAX feature!

As for the addressed issue, I believed this has to do with the new big sensors in all iphone 13 line up. I do also believe even iphone 13 pro/pro max would still experience the same issue with main lens trying to auto focus for close up scanning documents

Again, it can't physically do it.

If you don't like it, return (if within 14 days of purchase) or sell your iPhone and purchase something else.

Note again that other premium smart phones from other vendors can't focus closely without switching to macro mode with a different lens, either.

Jman4307 wrote:

I have the same issue with my regular iPhone 13 (non mini or pro) and have already given Apple feedback. My 8 and regular 11 could get TWICE as close as my 13 before image quality degraded.

Different camera and lens designs.

The regular wide lens can't focus at distances closer than six inches or so.

Jman4307 wrote:

I have the same issue with my regular iPhone 13 (non mini or pro) and have already given Apple feedback. My 8 and regular 11 could get TWICE as close as my 13 before image quality degraded. I had my buddy compare his regular 11 with iOS 14.8 and my regular 13 with iOS 15.1and it is clear as day the closeup capability of the 11 is much better. Hoping it's a software issue that Apple can resolve quickly. I can't see why Apple would put out ANY newer phone that is less capable than comparable older model.

It is NOT a software issue and it won't be resolved at all. iPhone 13 doesn't have a camera which is capable of focusing closer than you've already seen. That can't be fixed with a software update.

Pidpod wrote:

Which part of "8-10 cm away" that you don't understand here? People are talking about a simple close up auto focus using main lens FROM REGULAR IPHONE 13 to scan documents for example at 8-10 cm distance, not a 2 cm macro shot ultrawide lens 0.5 from IPHONE 13 PRO/PRO MAX feature!

As for the addressed issue, I believed this has to do with the new big sensors in all iphone 13 line up. I do also believe even iphone 13 pro/pro max would still experience the same issue with main lens trying to auto focus for close up scanning documents

What part of your cameras CANNOT and will NOT focus that close do you NOT understand.

Jman4307 wrote:

I can't see why Apple would put out ANY newer phone that is less capable than comparable older model.

Because it’s less capable only in the area of

close focus, and Auto Macro on the Pro/Pro Max phones entirely solves the issue, one that competing phones like the Galaxy S21 also have.

Meanwhile the iPhone gets a sharper lens that is more sensitive to light due to its wider aperture, both wins.

It’s like asking why your new Ferrari gets worse gas mileage than your Toyota Camry got.

No, you don't understand that 8cm is Macro, 80cm is close-up

My Nikon cant go to 8cm.

Take a shot at 12cm and crop it.

The result will be infinitely better than iphone 6 at 8cm.

Before spending that kind of money, read the spec.

Actually, no, that is not the definition of macro photography. Close up just means shooting at a short distance. Macro is a specific form of close up photography. Not all close up shots are considered macro.

[Edited by Moderator]

You do not understand the original question and now you are arguing semantics. Up close does not always mean macro and it's been clarified several times that they do NOT mean macro. You could at least try being a little nicer when responding to these questions. It IS disappointing that Apple has created an "upgrade" that falls short. The solution is not just buying another new phone.

OK.....let's remove semantics from this. Whether anyone can agree whether close ups are macro or not is semantic as it relates to the difference between iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro.

I do fully understand people have an expectation that iPhone 13 should be able to focus (using the OP example) 8 - 10cm from a subject. To be as clear as possible, iPhone 13 is INCAPABLE of doing that.

On the other hand, iPhone 13 Pro is CAPABLE of focusing that close. And Apple calls this Macro Mode. A feature iPhone 13 lacks and CANNOT have.

I hope that is clear enough for you? No one is getting worked up here. Dogcow and a few others of us have tried to explain the difference between the two phones, whether anyone understands, we can't help with that.

Since this answer is clearly not the answer you want, take your complaint to Apple. They designed iPhone 13 and 13 Pro. They decided what features each phone gets. They decided the Pro models have more features and better cameras than iPhone 13. As such, the Pro models cost more and do more. One usually get's more if one buys a higher line product. To expect a Mercedes C class to do all the things a Mercedes E or S Class does is never going to happen. And that is the case with iPhone 13 versus iPhone 13 Pro. You decide which features matter to you and you purchase the device which best meets your needs.

Ps: The grass felt nice. Thanks! :-)

The iPhone 13 is advertised as a "better" camera. From what I find there is nothing that states it shouldn't be able to take generally up close photos. I only find things that say it cannot take macro photos.

I would argue it potentially is a software issues. There are already several issues with the camera software. I can take closer photos with other camera apps, like Lightroom, than I can with the built in camera software.

OP- I would suggest getting the photo focused as well as you can and then zooming in to get closer. You can also try another camera app, there are tons of great ones in the app store.

[Edited by Moderator]

My tone is not condescending. Annoyed could be a better description when people argue I am wrong, I don't understand and have an expectation their phone should be able to do something Apple didn't intend it to do.

iPhone 12 phones didn't do Macro or Closeup photography. People complained. Apple didn't and couldn't fix it in the 12 series phones with a software update. And I owned 12 Pro Max. iPhone 13 Pro addresses that. But to believe software will somehow make a camera lens capable of focusing closer on iPhone 13, when the camera itself can't is not going to happen, even if you hope it can. You can hold out hope of course. But your hope is unlikely to be answered. That's why Apple gave upgraded cameras to the 13 Pro Models. It is not unreasonable to suggest that if closeup photography is important to the type of photography a user needs, then buying the Pro model makes the most sense.

I suggested early in this thread that what I did on iPhone 12 Pro Max was to focus as closely as you can with the subject in clear focus, then after taking the picture, use the edit feature to zoom in on the subject and it will come out quite nicely. That is zooming digitally after the photo is taken. There is no way to do that before the photo is taken.