iPhone 15 Pro Max autofocus issue

Yes, I believe we’re having different problems. Mine will focus at less than 1/2” when I’m in macro - something I don’t think it’s supposed to be able to do. Looks cool, but is useless to me. Mine won’t focus when using any other lenses. It just tries to focus on the entire area, doesn’t even focus when I tap on a particular area of the screen. Results are nothing in the photo is sharp. I can only take macro pics 1/2” away if I want sharp photos. I was really hoping this would be fixed with the 15s. I have read these issues may be due to the phototonic engine on the 14 and 15. Friends of mine say theirs works great outdoors but I mostly photograph portraits with natural light indoors. 14 PM has not ever worked for that.

I'm probably about 7+ inches away.

I found another thread that said turning off settings>camera>portraits-in-photo-mode might help, but I can't tell the difference. lotto scanning app still misses 9 of 10.

I also discovered if I'm in photo mode around 6-7" away from subject item and the picture is blurry, if the macro flower is available, tapping it will instantly fix the focus perfectly. It zooms out a tad, so I'm don't know if it's the focus, the zoom, or both. This is the fastest focus fix for nearby objects for me. The ticket scanning app has no macro mode so I can't test there.

Thanks for the update. This has been disappointing at best, sometimes infuriating, since the main reason we traded out 10’s was the supposedly superior camera. The auto focus constantly refocuses as well, but rarely settles on the area the should be in focus, instead focusing on the area around the intended focus, as you mentioned.

If the only solution is a new device and so many seem to have similar issues, this should be a bulletin to Apple’s geniuses so they can be of better assistance, especially since Apple is loath to admit it anything is wrong with their products. As it stands, I regret forking out well over $1200 for this frustrating device. I took better photos with my 10.

I have to tell all of you that my entire family switched to Apple iPhones when a BOGO promotion was offered on the 12pro and 12 pro max over 2 years ago. I basically hated the camera and the way modes changed way to easy, causing me to be on video mode instead of photo or other settings. The macro never worked and I had to zoom in from a foot or two away to get a macro photo. My boys are hooked on their phones. We all had either a Google pixel or Samsung phone. I find that no matter what anyone says or states that Samsungs camera functions were much better. If not for having several other Apple items I’d switch back to Samsung. So in keeping with Apple I recently went to trade my 12pm in for the new 15pm. My son stopped me in my tracks. He has read about the overheating issues, but even more important, read that the software updates slowed down the processor. Sounds like issue upon issue is coming up and no recalls. Instead just software updates. Any of you out there finding the same information? I’m thinking the 16p or 16pm might be worth the wait but who knows…could be more issues. Sounds like Apple has the Pinto, Edsel, Corvair, Bronco, of phones being sold.

I have the same focus issues with my iPhone15 Pro Max close ups. My previous iPhone 11 ProMax closeups were far superior.

Yikes

I am so grateful for all of your posts to know I'm not alone though I'm sorry for the experience.

I chatted with support in March about the blurry macro photos on my 15 Pro Max. After checking all of the settings and being told everything was fine, I was told to try a case without a cover over the lens so I did. I also did a factory reset which did nothing. I still have the issue and have a genius bar appt tomorrow.

I tested it out today on a hike. I took several wildflower macros using my 15 Pro Max and my husband’s 12 Pro. The differences are obvious. My display is also faulty. The photos ohn hosnphone are clear and crisp but viewed on my phone they are grainy and the color is off.

The 15 Pro Max

12 Pro

He bought the 15 Pro Max for my birthday in November and I'm hoping they can exchange it for a functioning device.

Same issue with auto focus. Apple replaced the camera in my phone twice, and it persists. I live in Colorado so I always have chapstick, so I use that as my auto focus test. When I went into the Apple Store I grabbed an iPhone SE, 15, and 15 Pro, and took a picture of the Chapstick from roughly 15 inches away with the main camera. I placed the reticle dead center on the Chapstick. The SE and the regular 15 were tack sharp. The Pro was blurry. I showed the tech and he took out his personal 15 Pro - it too was blurry. I can get tack sharp photos on my 15 Pro Max using third party apps with focus peaking, but it is a major hassle. The telephoto on my 15 Pro Max is tack sharp with auto focus. I am wondering if the f 1.78 on the main camera causes issues with the ability to auto focus. That is a really small aperture with a very small depth of field.

If you look at this chart there isn’t a lot of room for error - https://www.photopills.com/calculators/dof-table

You have to be a significant distance from the subject to get the f 1.78 DOF to be manageable when there are multiple subjects in the frame. The tele is an f 2.8 which is much more forgiving.

That being said, it is infuriating to know that I have a 48MP main camera that looks stunning when in focus, rarely be able to focus correctly.

I took the following photos on the main camera, stock photo app, ProRaw, 15.5 inches away, tripod, remote shutter control. The only difference is where I placed the reticle.

Photo #1: I placed the reticle perfectly centered over the Chapstick. The logo is blurry.

Photo #2: Same placement except I dragged the reticle down where about 1/4 of the reticle covered the table just in front of the Chapstick

Photo #3: Adding another Chapstick at 14.5 inches I placed the reticle over the left one, again with about 1/4 of the reticle covering the table in front of it.

Photo #4: Now with the reticle over the right Chapstick, again with 1/4 covering the table in front of it

If you look at the images with the two Chapsticks you can see a slight blur on the one not being focused on. The problem is that I constantly need to place the reticle slightly in front of what I want in focus. At least I think that’s what is happening. I’d be curious if anyone else could test that with their 15 Pro Max (or Pro).

I'm having big issues with focusing in my iPhone 15 PRO, especially with small objects and filming it. My iPhone 11 pro could do better than this. Check the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/PQpAEg-KUAU?feature=share

So actually I need to activate "macro flower" in order to record small objects. This actually ***, because alot of times I'm filming a wider view and in the same video I want to film small animals like this little shrimp.

Me too I do YouTube and I'm having so many problems with this iPhone that's supposed to have the best camera in the world!!!!! I'm having problems, focusing in on anything close up my app that scans barcodes for Dollar General will not focus in the barcodes are so zoomed out and tiny. There's definite flaws. I don't think I'll ever buy a newly released phone until they figure out the bugs ever again!

Hey, I checked in the shop and all the models had the same thing so it wasn't a faulty phone sadly. I kept it.. It's very frustrating but I now know that when I go up close while filming I have to stop recording, let the camera switch over to the other lens and then start recording again.

Als there's a filter on the selfie camera that I can't get off - it's making everything smoother and looks really creepy! I make content about being real and happy in your skin and then my phone forces me to use a filter, very annoying! anyone know how to get rid of that??

Thanks

I just got a new IPhone 15 pro max and it just refuses to focus on long distance items - I’ve tried to grap pictures of the moon several times and it just goes out of focus the autofocus then goes into macro focus.

I just got the 15 pro and same problem. Won’t focus on nearby items. I'm type one diabetic and use a continuous glucose monitor that I change every 10 days. My phone can’t focus enough to read the 1/2” QR code. I tired an ancient Samsung (it works with my insulin pump, apple hasn’t passed fda approval) and the picture quality was amazing. Sigh

I bought my phone 6 months ago outright through the Apple store. It was perfect until about 3 days ago. Not to mention I went to the Apple Store during Christmas and couldn’t even buy the phone there because they couldn’t figure out how to ring me out so that was a disappointment right off. I had to pay to have it shipped to me despite being there in person, and even holding the phone in my hand when they inform me that they would not be able to check me out because they couldn’t figure it out this was my first experience at any Apple Store Now,after all the drama to get it…. All of a sudden, my camera will not focus. I’ve gone through all the settings. My iOS is up-to-date. Never dropped it or had it outside of a case from day 1. I couldn’t even read a barcode at the store today, which is 100% why I bought this phone for resale. Is there a reason to spend $1000? Ummmm at this time my opinion is NO! Keeping in mind my last phone was the iPhone SE. I’m pretty upset right about now because this should not be happening