How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

Sorry, but even with a medium format camera it is very easy to focus on the pages of a paper magazine.

Do you happen to know what depth of field is?

In fact iPhone 15 is able to focus on the magazine, but you claim that iPhone 16 Pro, despite having a smaller aperture, needs a super flat surface!?!?

In any case here is the test I did in the Apple Store with a flat surface, I hope the surface is flat enough.

I see this issue even when taking pictures of people.

I will see one persons face in focus and the other persons out of focus.

Took many pictures of the family over christmas. In the vast majority of pics where you have more that one person in the picture, someones face will be blurred/out of focus.

Im not sure why there are people on this thread that are in denial about the issue. We may not all be photography experts, which is exactly why we use the iphone. We want point and shoot photography where we dont see parts of the image, or peoples faces, blurred.

Same problem here. It's easy to test it with a take a photo to an A4 text document with main camera (disable macro mode because it is using the wide camera).

Is it some batches of camera lens problem or affected to whole series of 16 pro max? I think Apple should recall or replace the camera module sooner or later instead of fixing the camera algorithm could be fixed.

Same condition, same distance, good light I was in a shopping mall, I took a lot of picture in these days, several tests, no way to keep the same quality when I try to shoo an A4 format. Since you can do the same test very easily, please share your shots.

For work and also in my free time I often shoot A4 paper, for example if I have to send or archive documents, duplicate analog photographs, shoot a restaurant menu, or save a magazine page.

They will tell you that the surface is not flat enough, that the distance is not right, that you have not focused. But none of these people are able to publish a comparison test. I know how to take a photograph. The reality is that I now have 2 smartphone models, and I am using them in the same way.

If you think about it, this thing it's a genius marketing strategy!

12 pages of comments in a few months - has anyone found a solution or was able to return their 16? I unfortunately discovered this blurring issue just outside of my 30 day return window. My boyfriend has the same model (16 pro max) and both have sharp center that blurs out, almost like a vignette filter, while my old 13 pro max does not.

I don't understand why you can't mount the same camera as the iPhone 15 or 16 on the Pro model, since it works perfectly and has a better resolving power. This also benefits economies of scale. If you put a different camera on the Pro model I expect at least equivalent or superior performance! and not a less bright lens with lower optical performance. If I decide to buy the Pro model, I don't do it because I want to save money, but because I want the best performance without worrying about the expense.

Different tools, require different techniques. Apple changes the way the camera works from time to time. Let me know the exact distance you’re photographing from and I’ll produce a sharp photo using a 16 Pro Max. I’ve already posted sharp macro images with iPhone 16 PM, just scroll back through all 13 pages of posts.

I will ask: what the heck is a FUSION camera?

I discovered what apple's FUSION HDD was...(comment avoided by poster)

you recall you schooled me on why the lens always shoots wide open (because they are fixed at that f-stop)

sorry if I missed it in this long thread -- but it may seem relevant at this point to understanding...

OK, for US users and A4 paper size is about 8” X 12” and 20cm is about 8 inches.

When I get home tonight, I’ll post some example. But I can tell you now that photographing an object 8 inches from the from surface of the lens is definitely approaching macro, if not macro. Generally, anything closer than 1/10 life size is macro. I understand that it may not be your definition of macro, but in the photography world, you’re very close to macro.

I just bought today a new IPhone 15 plus for £900, and I can not believe that the camera is useless. All pictures are blurred, focus is all messed up. I did hear it from others, but kind of did not believe it. Well now I have it in my hands, now I am experiencing it and the waste of £900. This is a joke. I was not mean to listen and buy just because the brand. Iphone is not anymore a good brand that what you buy is worth the money. It became something that is not that good, is just a brand selling low quality technology. Turning it back for sure, and making sure to share my experience to everyone.

Jeeve_Stobs wrote:

They said to wait for the iPhone 17 Pro Max to come out, then trade in your old phone.

who told you that (or are you being tongue-in-cheek) --- apparently there is a fix noted in the re-title --- ruling out operator error would be a productive first step...

No offense but I really think you miss the mark. I don’t know of a single iPhone Pro model user that spends their time shooting restaurant menus, spec sheets etc. If I need a restaurant menu I go to their website and long press their image and save to my photos. But just so you don’t feel bad I’ve a Canon R3 and 100mm macro lens and I have to stand up to take a picture of a menu.

People take photos of friends, family, pets, landscapes, cityscapes, sunsets and vacations. Look at the posts here, it’s people upset about a phone not doing images exactly the way they want to shoot them. I’ve a $5700 camera and lens that doesn’t do it either. I didn’t spend that kind of money to shoot menus and I didn’t spend $1400 on an iPhone to do it either. Buy a cheap little Sony point-n-shoot and do your menu and spec sheet photos with it. Pick the right tool for job.

Yes I see your point, but I’m not the one missing the point when 99.9% of the people in here are complaining about the same issue as I am complaining which is that everyday “text on A4” at 1x zoom being blurry and smudgy out to the edges 🤷🏻.

No one is saying the lens is bad for taking photos of subjects. So really whilst I know what you’re saying, but this very thread is the point that the iP16 pro/max takes bad photos up close at 1x zoom of “TEXT” on a sheet of paper

Yeah I’ve already sent two “feedbacks” and I’ve copied and linked this very thread for them, everyone needs to get onto them. I’ve rocked every single iPhone pro/max or the highest level iPhone at the time every year since the iPhone 3G (except iPhone 15pro/max) and I’ve been taking the same photos for at least the last 10 years (scanning docs, shots of A4 with serial numbers, info sheets, menus, pamphlets, etc) so I’ve noticed straight away that something was wrong when I shot the same thing I’ve been shooting for the last 10 years I noticed that only the iPhone 16pro/max has the issue that’s when I came across this thread, so it seems like “the lens is really good” but apparently all of the sudden WE are the problem and the way WE take the photos in 2024/2025 🤦🏻 Apple can’t/doesn't want to admit that it’s their issue….

Apparently the lens is too high tech that’s why we get blurry and smudgy photos of texts 🤣🤣🤣🤣