Camera Focus problems: iPhone 13 Pro Max - Blurry photos.

Foto21 wrote:

I got my phone just about the same time you did, and I noticed it within a day shooting flowers. What is the point of macro video if the camera will NOT just pick ONE focus range, or better yet, LET ME SET THE FOCUS AND STOP AUTO ADJUSTING IT.

Do this:

To lock your manual focus and exposure settings for upcoming shots, touch and hold the focus area until you see AE/AF Lock; tap the screen to unlock settings.

Use iPhone camera tools to set up your shot - Apple Support

The auto switching to the wide lens occurs because you are closer than the minimum focus distance for the normal lens.

You can shut off the switch to the wide lens, but if you are closer than the minimum focus distance for the normal lens, your subject will be out of focus.

This issue can be annoying. Here is what worked for me:

in the video or photo view

1. Tap and hold wherever you want to focus on the screen.
2. Keep holding your finger on the screen for a few seconds till you see the AE/AF lock prompt appear at the top of the screen.

this way the auto focus features of lenses are closed and no more focus blurring issues.

It's automatic unless you shut the automatic switching off:

You might see the Camera app transition to the Ultra Wide camera as you move your iPhone close to or away from a subject. You can control automatic macro switching by going to Settings > Camera, then turning on Macro Control.

With Macro Control on, your Camera app displays a macro button

when your iPhone is within macro distance of a subject. Tap the macro button to turn off automatic macro switching, and tap it again to turn automatic macro switching back on.

If you turn on Macro Control, automatic macro switching is enabled the next time you use the camera within macro distance. If you want to maintain your Macro Control setting between camera sessions, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings and turn on Macro Control.

About the Camera features on your iPhone - Apple Support

There's nothing to fix.

If your camera was switching between wide and normal it means you were too close for the normal lens to be able to focus on whatever you were trying to photograph.

This is confirmed by the fact that when you shut off macro mode, it couldn't focus on it.

That's the design of the camera system.

Since you just purchased the phone, if this bothers you, return your phone now for a full refund and purchase a different device that better meets your expectations.

Basically as image sensor sizes increase, minimum focus distance increases, it's physics.

The normal lens cannot focus on any object closer than about 4.25" or roughly 11 cm, which is why it switches to the wide lens that can focus much closer.

If it interferes with your use of the camera, you can turn the auto switching behavior off.

Read the section on Macro Control:

About the Camera features on your iPhone - Apple Support

Make an appointment to have your phone examined; yours sounds like no iPhone 13 I've ever seen.

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

I got my phone just about the same time you did, and I noticed it within a day shooting flowers. What is the point of macro video if the camera will NOT just pick ONE focus range, or better yet, LET ME SET THE FOCUS AND STOP AUTO ADJUSTING IT.

I've worked around it, and the phone is a wonder in many other ways, so I've given it a pass, but this would be intolerable in any pro video environment, and is no fun for a consumer either. The whole rack focus concept is a bit preposterous as well, but anyway, it should be a firmware fix, something, to make this stop. I'm shooting something in macro on video tonight and I can't get as close as I want because when I pan out, it stutters, skips, refocusses with another lens. It's really stupid, but I guess it's because if it didn't do it, it might fall out of focus as I pull away. I'd rather have THAT than this. For video, it should let me pick macro or standard, and deal with the outcomes of testing those ranges. Whoever decided this JARRING switching in the middle of every macro video was the best solution needs a talking to.

Im having the same problem and my wife too. I have the 13 Pro max and she has the 13 pro. And the camera lenses jump around and my wife has big problems taking normal pictures of landscapes and stuff. I managed to turn on in the settings that u can turn off the macro setting which helps off the macro-lens once it comes but still it would get blurry and you have to close the camera app and reopen it. I just wish that it wouldnt be automatic in the first place but just an option to choose. It‘s really horrible like that and often makes problems to shoot normal pictures because the macro-lens is something one would barely use.

If focus lock is not working properly for you, make an appointment to have your phone examined:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Hello emmanueldmc,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. For camera issues, this article can help you get started.

If the camera or flash on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch aren't working

Please let us know if it helps.

Cheers!

I had the same problem and have solved it for myself. The case I bought came with a cover to go over the lenses to protect them. When I removed it the camera started focusing perfectly. Not sure if this is the case for you but it definitely helped me

I do not understand how this is still a problem, or why on earth it was a problem in the first place.

The jumping between lenses at close range makes the camera basically non-functional for almost everything I need it for (lots of small jewelry product photography and nature macro). I've deeply regretted upgrading ever since I got my 13 pro max, my old iphone might not have been as powerful, but at least the camera functionality was reliable. Not being able to count on my camera to focus on what I need when I'm in the 2-5 inches range is infuriating. I've found it's especially problematic if the subject I'm shooting is "smooth" (flowers or leaves or plastic surfaces with little texture), objects with texture seem to be picked up easier, but if it's anything smooth in the foreground, the camera just automatically jumps to focus on either the background or the ground (especially in outside environments).

I don't understand why you'd build a camera this powerful, but not have the options to set the focus range. Apple has spent millions advertising this phone to "professional" photographers, but I don't know any professional photographers who would ever purchase a camera where there was no manual focus functionality.

It doesn’t matter what it “should” have, it’s working as designed so there’s nothing to fix.

Basically when you get too close to something for the normal lens to be able to focus on it, it will switch to the wide lens to focus as the wide lens can focus closer.

If you’re on the boundary it may switch back and forth to find whichever provides better focus.

If it didn’t switch you just wouldn’t be able to focus on anything much closer than a few inches away.

If you wish, you can let Apple know of your displeasure here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

We’re all just users like you here, so no one here can change anything.

The 13 Pro Max judges focus distance among other things using a LiDAR Scanner you need to be careful not to block; there's certainly nothing wrong with the photo you posted.

iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Support

The camera changes to the macro lens when you are too close for the normal lens to focus.

There is nothing to fix, that's how the phone is designed.

About the Camera features on your iPhone - Apple Support