iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Blurry and Out of Focus

Hi All,


It seems im not having a very good experience with the new iPhone 15 Pro Max. Coming from a 14 Pro Max the pictures were great. nice and sharp, never had issues with "blur" or "grainy" photo's.


This new iPhone seems to be a downgrade in the photo's it can produce. I'm constantly getting very grainy photo's even with the slightest bit of zoom after the photo has been taken.


I have tried all resolution's etc (12mp, 24mp, 48mp HEIF & Pro Raw.) this has affected th 1x and 5x camera.


My 14 won me a few awards for photo's and consider myself fairly knowledgeable on iPhone Photography. The 15 just isn't putting out good quality images.


All photo's are stored "on device" so there is no iCloud trickery happening.


The below is an example of what I am talking about.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Posted on Oct 2, 2023 8:01 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 7:25 AM

I left the comment before and now I solved the problem.

I called to Apple Support, was talking with them, but they could do nothing. Then my good friend, who is working in Apple Support 😉 advised me to recover my iPhone with complete erasure of data. Yes, it’s a big deal, but I did it. Then started iPhone 15PM without using Apple ID and without my data and BINGO! The camera just amazing! Then I erased again and set up it like my iPhone with my iCloud transfer data.

You can reset it through Mac directly. I did it with 3utools.

As my friend said it could be a software error when you transfered your data first time. Sometimes it happens with new iOS and new phones.

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526 replies

Nov 19, 2023 1:24 PM in response to Doesntmstter

I have the exact same problems. Used to take fantastic pictures with iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max. With 15 Pro Max it is basically impossible. Blurry, bad light, slow, ... completely useless photos. I have been in contact with Apple that claim they know the issues and that the developers is working on a solution but it's been over a month and haven't heard anything from Apple. It could be a big scandal in the making. Can't believe that this hasn't caught more attention than it has. What is Apple doing?

Nov 23, 2023 12:55 PM in response to Doesntmstter

Came here exactly for the same thing. I came from iPhone 14 Pro and now I'm using iPhone 15 pro, I think the problem may be post processing done by the phone. And if you want to look something weird, take a look at this photo. It was taken at night. The pixelation on the faces was done by me before uploading, but notice the girl on the right what happened to his left arm.

It was taken on regular resolution, on night, without any filter or flash or weird thing.

Nov 24, 2023 4:01 AM in response to Doesntmstter

Report this to Apple...

Do your Part: Provide Apple with feedback on this, letting them know about this issue.  Apple may not get back to you directly, but the more feedback they receive on this, the more they will know what is occurring, and what bug fixes to include in updates to come. Apple will know nothing of this, if you don't report it to them.

  1. Go Here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple
  2. Select: "Bug Report" for the "Feedback Type"
  3. Comment: burry out of focus photos. Include the URL of this thread
  4. Proceed from there as necessary


Nov 30, 2023 12:37 PM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Just compare the iphone 13 pro of even 14 pro to the newest model.


If you have the same issues on your 5000$ mirrorless camera - perhaps you should consider giving it back for repair.


The issue with autofocus is there and it's pretty obvious to be honest. Just take some time and test it well and you don't have to be a pro to spot the issue right away.



[Edited by Moderator] 


Dec 3, 2023 12:55 PM in response to lululola

I won't debate your results, I'll just say that my 15 Pro Max photos are the best I've ever seen from any phone camera I've ever seen.


They're razor sharp and exactly what I want to see and can replace what I see from my professional cameras about 90% of the time; the main thing they can't do (yet) is stop motion at low light because they can't shoot high speeds at ISOs of 8000+.


I always set a focus point and most often exposure, and use ProRAW or RAW mode via a third party utility like Halide or Lightroom if I don't like what the default processing is doing, though I most often even tap the magic wand to get a little more.


I get the same results that have thoroughly impressed third-party reviewers.


My iPhone 14 Pro Max got similar results, the iPhones preceding that were no comparison.


I took a "once in a lifetime" trip last summer, and only took my iPhone; there was no need for a bigger, heavier camera.

Dec 12, 2023 12:51 PM in response to Doesntmstter

Just got the iPhone 15 pro max me and my friend were testing out the cameras he has a iPhone 13 we started to take photos to compare them , his were ten times better my camera was set to 24 mp and his was 12mp his looked sharper my we’re granny.

i thought it was just my eyes . So we decided to take a photo of each others eye with the same lighting and angle I couldn’t even see detail in his eye on his phone you could see I’m smiling back in the reflection of my eye on his camera. Apple needs to short this out fast I think is a condescending issue with the camera software but either way it’s 1500 euro phone this shouldn’t happen

Dec 12, 2023 9:23 PM in response to Johnnyoctane

They are not at ALL fuzzy; if they are, one of three things has happened:


1) The wrong focus point was used/chosen

2) Digital zoom was used

3) You moved, causing motion blur


This isn't my opinion; virtually every photography blog and review site will tell you the same.


If you don't like the photos the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes or they are not suitable for your purposes, that's why there are other products on the market that may better suit your needs and desires.


But to call the photo the 15 PM

takes, that are regularly used for professional online and print work "fuzzy," is wildly incorrect.


Further, photos taken in ProRAW or especially RAW mode are absolutely incredible for such a relatively inexpensive device with such small lenses.


In the end, we could argue about this all day, and as always, if you think something is wrong with your particular device, make an appointment to have it examined:


Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple


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iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Blurry and Out of Focus

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