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iPhone 15 Pro Photos are Dark

Pictures are coming out darker after being taken with the front & back cameras. Compared with the iPhone 14 Pro & the iPhone 14's photo looks better. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing with their new iPhone 15s or knows the fix to this? This is frustrating since I need to take photos & videos for work.


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iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Oct 12, 2023 7:53 PM

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Posted on Oct 30, 2023 7:52 AM

Issues with both front and back camera. Standing in front of a bright open window. The image always looks bright in the viewfinder before taking the picture (screenshot of screen, on left) after you take the picture (on right), the image is noticeably darker. It looks like there may be automatic sharpening or clarity enhancing and that could be what makes the photos so dark. Is there a way to turn it off?

193 replies

Dec 5, 2023 12:57 AM in response to cinsng

Just got my new iPhone 15 pro as a birthday gift yesterday and sooo disappointed:( My old iPhone XS was taking better selfies than iPhone 15 pro does!

then i turn on the front cam, I can see myself clearly, the image is bright and great, but then I tap the button - the final image in Photos is just awful. Dark and highlighting all disadvantages of the face. I’m afraid to take selfies now because they won’t be good. So sad.

Dec 5, 2023 1:29 AM in response to nfomina

So initially I thought switching the setting to HDR might have made a difference but actually it hadn’t so I went into store and after discussing with staff there, they said it must be a software issue… we can only hope Apple get enough complaints and they fix it soon… hopefully they are working on it already.. I did exchange my phone and it’s the same.. advice for now is to use the auto adjuster on edit to balance the lighting etc… not ideal but will do for now.. wondering in the meantime if there are other free camera apps worth using that produce pics which don’t need editing… could anyone recommend any please? Thank you x

Dec 5, 2023 7:58 AM in response to D10_Sh1

I've returned mine. But I still have the test photos that I've made with the Iphone 15 pro. After switching off HDR I've tried different settings too. I've got the best result with F/1.8, ISO 100. I think this was the ultra-wide. Macro I've turned off. They are still not very good but better.

I do not know recommendable free camera apps. I've red somewhere that Adobe offers one that could be good.

Dec 7, 2023 1:09 AM in response to cinsng

Yes very disappointed.The natural colour is grey not natural cream or light frozen. The iPhone case is dove grey horrible.

I have return this colour for a return very miss leading Apple need to correct the colour issue on there website. Not what you would expect from a company who proud themself of great accurate photo colours.

Shame on you Apple

Jan 1, 2024 1:55 PM in response to 100clicks

The whole point of using an iPhone camera is that someone doesn’t want to mess around with a fancy professional camera. So yes in general, pointing and clicking is what it should be. And it WAS that way until the iPhone 14 Pro came out. Now the 14 pro and the 15 pro do not take good photos. Please stop arguing….if this issue doesn’t affect you or you don’t care that people want good photos, just move along. Find a new issue to be passionate about.

Jan 4, 2024 9:32 AM in response to cinsng

I just got my iPhone 15 pro max and I still have my iPhone 11 and I was having the same issue and I finally figured it out. It’s not the camera it’s the photo app doing a correction to the post image because snap chat and instagram keep the same image in the viewfinder and the post image. So go to Settings, Photos, and toggle OFF View Full HDR. It’s completely fixed it for me. When HDR is on it’s essentially combining 3 images into one finalized image. Which is probably what apple associates where trying to explain but I have to idea why they wouldn’t suggest turning HDR off. Hope this fixes everyone’s issue with the camera. It did for me.

Jan 4, 2024 1:07 PM in response to cinsng

Not sure if I’m just getting used to the poor quality now… but has anyone else noticed that if you take a selfie with 15 pro max in-front of a window with good light, it looks awful initially… but if you look at the pic a bit later, it looks better and as you might expect?? I was considering downgrading as within the returns period, but I don’t think they sell the 13 pro max anymore as can’t see it on their website! 😢

Jan 4, 2024 3:50 PM in response to Greeneysgirl

Surely the camera of an iPhone 15 pro Max is more complicated to use than a camera of an iPhone 15 or an iPhone SE, you need to read the manual, so either you read the manual or you move to a more straightforward camera. There's also photography sessions held at Apple Stores, or you can book a personal session on the phone, the resources are not missing

Jan 4, 2024 11:27 PM in response to Greeneysgirl

You are right. It is a problem with the camera. I took different photo with my Iphone 6 SE 1. Gen 2016 and with the Iphone 15 Pro (same position, same items or scene) and the Photos with the 6 SE are much brighter and nicer. The photos taken with the Iphone 15 Pro are dark, overpixelated and unsharp. They are simply ugly. I tried so many different settings. Even deactivated HDR (which should not necessary to deactivate because I have bought a phone with HDR!). Nothing helped. I had to return the Iphone 15 Pro back because Apple Support did not provide a solution. They know that there is a problem and do not address it. I am very dissapointed of Apple.

Jan 5, 2024 7:27 AM in response to Greeneysgirl

Seems to me like this one is working for apple ;)

Yes, it is not a user error. Some say it might be the software but I don't think so. The lenses or the mechanism are causing it otherwise it would be easy for Apple to fix it with an update. I think they don't want this problem go public. Imagine they would have to refund each buyer with the defect phones.

I have sent mine back after I realised that Apple is hiding that there is a problem.

Will you sent back yours? Or ask for an exchange?

Btw I am from Switzerland.

iPhone 15 Pro Photos are Dark

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