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

Mr Lobsterghost.. Everything your saying is understandable and there is no doubt or issue with the fact that macro closeup shots aren't available on iphone 13 and 13 mini.

But i will speak here based on my experience with my iphone 12 mini which i traded for the 13 mini. I can tell you and i'm completely confident that this issue is there. I have been taking photos of my laptop screens or documents for references for a while with several previous iphones, when i started doing that with the iphone 13 mini i realized that i have to go further back and zoom to get the right clear photo.

I hope Apple will state this to the public and sort it out soon.

I think the issue is when the phone is getting closer to the object, there’s a fixed distance where things started to become blurry and it cannot focus closer anymore. The previous phones where the main lens CAN focus on near objects. I’m using 13 Pro btw.

It fails to focus anymore after that fixed point which I’m not used to changing from IPhone 6. The previous phones can focus objects at this distance.

I think they want us to zoom or use macro lens instead but I think the quality is no better than the original lens.

Ahhh, the difference of the focal length of the 6 and 13 explains it all. Quite an unfortunate iPhone 13 users can’t focus objects with a more nearer distance because of the focal length in addition they don’t have the macro lens.

I was wondering about the same. I use a 13 min which has the same specifications as regular iPhone 13. What I would like to know is if this is a defect in my phone or this is how the phone was built.

Reading most comments here, it seems that many have misinterpreted this question and compared to the macro mode of the pro models. I did a quick comparison with an iPhone 11 and found out that that the iPhone 11 can take sharp pictures roughly about 5-6 cm( 1.7-2.4inch) away from the object. However, iPhone13 has to be moved at least about 10 cm ( 3.9inch) away to get the camera to focus. So obviously you cannot take a good picture with iPhone 13 as close range as at least iPhone 11.

I understand what the expectation is here. But Apple chose this year to include close-up or macro focusing on the Pro models exclusively. Your comment the pro version can do macro shots is irrelevant, is actually NOT irrelevant. The pro models can focus closer than the 13 and that's totally relevant. The focal length on the 13 cannot me made to focus closer than it can.

I upgraded from 12mini to a 13mini. If you want to compare the cameras is not about specifications and the fact that on paper the 13mini’s camera might be beter in general like Dogcow-moof has said. Its that my day to day use for the camera on the phone. For example I take pictures of patient hospital stickers, 12mini no problem nice and easy closeup filling the frame and the 13mini I have to push back so much that more than 200-300% of the frame is filled with surround background. Thus causing me to crop and edit, wasting valuable time.

In my case the change of the focal length form 12mini to 13mini due to my day to day use case is an absolute downgrade in the camera. I am a wildlife Photographer hobbyist. Own Dslr and multiple lenses. I am disappointed in the changes of the iphone 13mini camera compared 12mini that affects me personally. Luckily I kept my 12mini and will sell the 13mini due to this change that has made the camera on my day to day use an complete frustration.

I think some people will never know about it cause they never use there phone camera in this manner but to upgrade to a new model and get something that can’t perform the same as previous generation is a utter shame in the company change in direction and I really hope this was a fluke of some kind.

Please understand that I have owned Iphones ever since 3G, many Imacs, macbooks, ipads, and all apple products. Just a shame.

The pro models can focus closer, but the detail is not as good, nor the bokeh and you get the characteristic distortion of the ultra wide lens (at least compared to an iPhone X in my case). That means that the whole 13 lineup (including the Pros) are a downgrade when trying to take close-ups that are not actually those super close 2cm macros.

So yes, while it’s technically true what you’re saying, people should not expect the same results if they come from previous iPhones even if they get the Pros.

Defending? No. Explaining what is possible on the current iPhone 13 in comparison to the 13 Pro models? Yes. It doesn't really matter what was on previous phones. Different camera systems altogether. All that matters today, is what is available on iPhone 13 vs iPhone 13 Pro.

I do not know the exact focal length of iPhone 13. If you want to get a pretty close estimate, take your iPhone and focus on a subject to the height it can focus clearly, then measure the distance with a ruler and you'll have a good idea.

Yes, I have the iPhone 13 and I confirm that it is unable to focus on objects closer then 15 cm from the lens. I have attempted to take a picture of a label with some writings on it and in order to get the text clear I had to keep a distance of about 15 cm.

It seems that the Macro Lens feature is missing from 13 and 13 mini and also focus is disabled from software.

So, unless Apple decides it wants to change that and allow the poor people with 13 and 13 mini to take close ups, things won't change.

Your phone is good Samirre it's just that close-ups are software disabled.

If you want to take close up shot, you need 15cm space, use tele lens to zoom in to 5x.

As "THAT GUY" who you seem to think doesn't understand the difference between closeup and macro, it appears it is you who doesn't understand. Macro photography is taking photos at close distances. Previous generations of iPhone may well have been able to do that. But iPhone 13 cannot. iPhone 13 Pro CAN and DOES take close up photos. You can get somewhat close on iPhone 13, but there is a limit to how close and if its not close enough for your or anyone else's needs you need iPhone 13 Pro, which can take photos at a much closer distance than iPhone 13. That's a fact and won't change.

Okay. I see that you can’t have a reasonable discussion and see other’s point of view. I used the iPhone 6 for the sake of comparison, and because OP mentioned it earlier in the post. I basically mean any phone older than the 13. No matter what differences you point out between the regular 13 and the Pro, there’s still no excuse for why the 13 isn’t capable of capturing a clear shot up close, when many phones on the market with lesser capabilities can do so.

Apple boasts that the 13 has a nice camera (yes I know, not as nice as the Pro). I can see the difference in my pictures compared to when I had the XS Max. So not being able to focus at a reasonable close up distance is an issue and it’s hard to believe that it’s intentional or just something it lacks. Hoping it’s a software thing.

Someone on Reddit suggested zooming in on the subject, then moving the phone away a bit. This helped tremendously and seems to be a good workaround for now.

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

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.