How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

It's not you! It's the phone. The camera is broken and you need Apple to replace it. I've just got back from one of their stores and they agreed the camera is the problem..... Apple wont admit it but the camera is the issue!!

Try covering the ultrawide lens with your finger when taking a photo. I found that I was able to take sharper photos with much better focus.

Al-Vermont

>> what I see in the "blurred" image is actually camera movement during the exposure

i appreciate your 60 years in photography ... camera movement would be easy for even beginners to observe and rule out:

• the blur would be consistent across the frame (image) -- even in the center -- not blurred only in the corners
• exposure times are in the image Info (another clue) -- but the point of focus is sharp, in focus -- not blurred by movement -- or it isn't

but why not easily rule movement (subject or camera) out by first by locking the camera on a solid tripod or support/rest, using a wireless shutter release, tapping focus lock on an area that cannot move during test, and using a light source with enough contrast to focus consistently?

from what I've seen in my tests on iPhone16PM -- the focus lock area is sharp in the center and thirds of the frame -- except the corners have the problem people are complaining about...

I've read through the entire discussion and seen plenty of professional evidence, yet it seems like you keep missing the point. We're not talking about taking pictures from a distance but about the issue of blurry photos at close range, without using macro. It looks like you might be trolling, given all the evidence here that points to a serious problem for the brand.

It's quite ironic, you keep telling people to read the whole post, but it seems you haven't grasped the main issue yourself. We are dealing with blurred images up close, not photos of turtles from 10 meters away. Still, I'll lay out the steps to replicate the issue on iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max for you, since your iPhone possibly has the same problem, though you might not realize it:

1. Don't use macro mode.
2. Shoot from about 30-40cm away.
3. Look for slightly dim lighting—too bright, and you won't see the issue.
4. Try photographing text with the focus on the center and then check the edges for clarity.
5. No matter what other camera settings you're using, as long as you follow the points mentioned above and the text at the edges of your picture is clear, then everything should be fine.

You seem to have a misunderstanding of how cameras work, despite trying to educate others on the topic. I tested seven iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max models at the store, and all had this issue, unlike older models that produced clear images. So please, stop posting misleading information here. Your interpretation of these discussions just underscores your lack of understanding.

I suggest others ignore this user (Jeff Donald). He's just filling the thread with unnecessary comments and not helping at all. He didn't perform any tests, appears to have missed the main point despite numerous posts with in-depth evidence, and PROBABLY HASN'T READ THE ENTIRE POST, yet he's still trying to teach others. I doubt this guy even has the right iPhone.

I had my camera replaced (Apple no longer replaces the entire phone, which is disappointing as I also have continual Bluetooth connectivity issues). Even after having the replacement camera installed, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s image quality remains significantly below that of the IPhone 12 Pro Max. Very frustrating!!

Hi, we’re in agreement. I’ve said in multiple posts that changes in lens design has caused greater minimum focus distances. The latest .5X (13mm equivalent) design was changed and it is not as sharp in the corners as previous versions.

The major issue for many people posting in this thread is, they do flat copy work and the lens defects become noticeable in the corners and previous models were better suited for their purpose.

I also agree this is not a software or firmware fix. The actual lens is the limitation for their copy work. I also pointed out that the vast majority of iPhone users are not too concerned with flat copy work. Even most macro photos are fine because key elements are rarely in the corners. But that’s not what most wanted to hear.

I suspect Apple will address this in a limited fashion in iPhone 17 series.

This is actually fairly low light levels as indicated by the high ISO (1000) and slow shutter speed (1/36 second).

A slow shutter speed often results in a small amount of camera movement, which’s blurs the photo slightly. The slight blur results in loss of fine detail in the image. Ideally when handholding your iPhone try to get the shutter speed to a 1/125 second or higher. Using a tripod will almost always produce sharper images.

Higher ISO results in more noise (digital equivalent of grain) and again, loss of fine detail. The solution is to add more light by turning on room lights and opening drapes etc. You may also need to add artificial light such as a flash or small LED light.

The addition of light will help raise your shutter speed and produce less blur if handholding.

Apple changed what lens is used for macro photos. It used to use the 24mm 1X lens and now it uses the 13mm .5X for macro photos. It requires learning how the new macro works and how you have to adjust settings to optimize your experience. Please review the App support article i linked to below.

Take macro photos and videos with your iPhone camera - Apple Support

In the camera industry camera manufactures, some models are refreshed every year to 18 month, depending on the cost. No one wants their $5000+ camera updated every 12 months. But less expensive models are updated as stated above. If you’re upgrading from a previous model, there is always a learning curve while you adjust to changes in hardware and software.

It seems that smart phone users demand improvements, but don’t want to apply themselves to learn new hardware and software and learn to take advantage of the improvements they demanded.

Learn your equipment via various means such as asking questions here and in more specialized communities on the internet. Larger metropolitan areas offer adult education classes and you can often times hire private tutors for a low rate. If you’re looking for free opportunities, Apple Retail Stores offer free classes and many websites offer free tutorials in the hopes of selling you a membership.

iPhones are evolving and becoming more serious photographic tools. In recent years, with every new model release, you see YouTube videos from dozens, maybe even hundreds, comparing iPhones to cameras costing $100’s and even $1,000’s more than an entire iPhone.

Apple uses computational photography, which is just a name for AI, to make the kinds of images you express a desire for. “We want point and shoot photography where we don't see parts of the image, or peoples faces, blurred.” In order to produce those kinds of images you have to learn how to use the tools that deliver those results. If you want better results, you have to learn to use the options and settings Apple provides.

How much time to you spend learning your new camera? It’s a fair question if you expect to continually get results that meet your expectations. You basically have two choices. Learn your iPhone or learn a separate camera that better meets your expectations. But believe me, I’ve used them all, Pixels, Samsungs and the myriad Chinese offerings. I could purchase any smart I like, but year after year I chose iPhone. In my personal experience, it’s the best smart phone camera available.

I mentioned your macro example in a previous response to you. I’m not sure what is going on, but at ISO 100, f/1.78 and 1/122 second, your image is darker than it should be. Please see my example below at similar light and settings.

My image was made in more light, which resulted in a brighter image and sharper focus. Your images lacks contrast and makes it very difficult for your camera to focus accurately. This is no different from prior iPhone cameras. Your shutter speed is slower, because of lower light levels, and that causes camera movement, which blurs your image. You may also have your camera settings set incorrectly, and the camera is not selecting the correct lens for the distance you are from the subject.

Thank you. I made four photos:

A: 24 mm 0°

B: 24 mm 180°

C: 48 mm/crop

D: 13 mm/macro

A and B are both blurry at every corner, so decentering can be ruled out.

C and D are both sharp.

My (old and now my son’s) iPhone 13 Pro has no such issue. But I also noticed that the 13 Pro only switches to macro at very close distances.

This means that it’s standard camera can focus in much more closely than the 16 Pro’s, probably due to the smaller sensor.

Problem is that the photo distance for a normal A4-print is obviously too close for the 16 Pro’s standard camera but not close enough for the automatic switch to macro mode.

You’re running into 2 issues. One is the barrel distortion associated with ultra wide angle lenses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion_(optics)

The second issue is Ultra wide angle lenses often appear less sharp at the corners because of the inherent design challenges in capturing a very wide field of view, which can lead to issues like light falloff (Vignetting), barrel distortion, and field curvature*, causing the image quality to degrade significantly towards the edges of the frame, especially when compared to the center sharpness; this is particularly noticeable on lower-end lenses or when shooting at wide apertures. 

“Curvature of field" in an ultra-wide angle lens refers to an optical aberration where the plane of focus is not flat, meaning the image edges appear blurry while the center remains sharp, which is a common issue with wide angle lenses, especially when the focal length is very short (ultra wide angle), causing the image to appear slightly curved at the edges; this is a significant concern in photography as it can affect image quality, particularly in the corners of the frame. 

https://petapixel.com/2016/12/21/field-curvature-tricky-problem-photography/

Do you have it on portrait mode?

Please share an example or two of images you’re dissatisfied with. I find it interesting that the few people complaining haven’t shared a single photo illustrating the issue.

Some users are using 3rd party apps that have not been updated to work properly with the new cameras in iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models. Are you using a third party app?

Here’s your image and specs.

Object = 10 ¾ inches X 18 ¼ in

Distance from lens to subject = 24 inches

Lens 1X = camera choose 13mm .5X Why???

Follow this path,

iPhone > Settings > Camera > Macro Control > enabled > forces camera to .5X for and 13mm ultra wide.

Settings = 12 mega pixel, ISO 64, 1/99 sec shutter speed

———————————————————————

Here’s your image and specs.

Object = 10 ¾ inches X 18 ¼ in

Distance from lens to subject = 22 inches

Lens 1X = camera choose 24mm 1X

Follow this path,

Lens 1X = camera choose 24mm 1X Why???

Follow this path,

iPhone > Settings > Camera > Macro Control > disabled > camera stays at 24mm/1X

Above image resized to meet 5mb website restriction ,

Image reduced from 75MB to 3 MB file size, 8064 x 6048 reduced to 2048 x 1536, resolution reduced 48MP to 12MP

Unfortunately, what you want to do is flat art work, menus etc. A lens corrected for flat field reproduction is what’s needed for corner to corner sharpness. But nothing like that exists for iPhones. The 13mm focuses closer than the other lenses, but exhibits distortion, especially in the corners, which is typical of all ultra wide lenses.

The corner distortion and decreased corner sharpness is not very noticeable in typical user closeups and macros shots like flowers, insects, pets etc. So, average users may never notice. But this is about what I’d expect from small sensor digital cameras like cell phones.