Why is iPhone 14 Pro's 0.5x mode taking distorted pictures?

Apple uses a full frame equivalent 13mm (.5X) lens. This is considered and ultra wide angle lens because it has a much wider (either horizontally or vertically) than what the human eye is capable of when eyes are staring straight ahead.

In order to achieve the wider angle of view, special optical elements are used in the lens construction. This special elements also create considerable barrel distortion. This is normal and generally not objectionable until the ultra wide angle lenses.

The lens design is called a rectilinear lens because straight lines are rendered straight. However, if the lens is held at askew angles to the subject the distortion can be severe and is usually considered objectionable. You can mostly resolve that issue by holding the camera parallel to the subject. It can also be corrected by using lens profiles, and software such as Photoshop and Lightroom, however, there are others apps available too.

Questions?

I suspect the lens is defective and the lens module will need to be replaced. You need to have Apple perform diagnostics on your iPhone. It can be done in person at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can also contact Apple Support and request remote diagnostics.

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Hi Richard, you’re taking my statement out of context. 😀 If you look at the last image OP shared in the original post, it looks pretty normal, perhaps suffering from mustache distortion in the vertical. This too is fairly common in ultra wide angle lenses.

I was discounting the brick wall image but it looks cropped and isn’t a screenshot like the other images. I’m still not 100% sure we’re not seeing a special effect or photos of photos of photos. But I’ll talk the OP word they are straight out of camera.

My suspicion is an internal element has slipped out of position in the .5X. It’s non-repairable and the entire module needs to be replaced.

In regard to the Google image, it is was shot with a Fisheye lens. Fisheye lenses suffer from 100% barrel distortion (or close in the case of full frame fisheyes). Fisheyes are curvilinear lenses (straight lines are curved except through vertical and horizontal centers), not rectilinear lenses like 13mm .5X lens.

Well, let’s see, are you using Apple Camera app or a third party app? Do you have anything of the .5X lens? What software are you using.

What happens if you hold the camera upside down and take a photo and then hold it right side up? What do the horizontal photos look like? All I see are verticals.

Jeff Donald wrote: …This special elements also create considerable barrel distortion. This is normal and generally not objectionable until the ultra wide angle lenses.

This is not Barrel distortion!

This is Barrel distortion:

[from google]

I have this exact same problem. Did you find out what the problem was?