How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

I understand the optical aspects to a certain degree.

But you are still missing the point:

iPhones (my 13 pro for sure) used to take perfectly sharp pictures at close (not macro) focus distances (i.e. a whole sheet of paper 20x30 cm).

Now we have the latest and greatest iPhone in our hands and expect to do at least the same (or even better). But it just doesn’t. And even if we understand the relevant optical and physical aspects of photography and try to take them into account when using our iPhone camera (what we are not willing to do because we are not using a manual medium format camera and everything’s supposed to be easy) we don’t get a picture as good as before (as seen in numerous examples in this thread).

This is no technical progress, it’s a flaw.

Do you understand the concept of progress? It is a change that is supposed to be an improvement, not the opposite.

I know how to photograph (even with an analog medium format camera and a manual meter) and I also understand how the 16 Pros macro mode works.

So here’s the simple challenge that lead most of us to this discussion:

Take a sharp photograph of a flat A4 with text that is sharp from edge to edge (like it uses to be with the 13 Pros).

@Jeff Donald, you're stuck on focus distance, macro and wide angle, but if you really understand photography that does not seems the case, there is nothing there related to focusing distance, nor macro, nor wide angle.

We are talking about the main camera lens, at a distance that is not a macro distance for such a lens, and as far as you consider the focus "plane" to be a plane or a sphere, this would result in such "blur" results. Compared with many other smartphones, including middle and high-end DSLR with very poor and high quality lenses of the same range, the iPhone 16 Pro lineup is out of the game.

And you don't answer the main points and loose yourself in theoretical and out of scope explanations. So instead of talking in the air, can you argue on these points with concrete arguments and examples :

• Why the iPhone 13 lineup does not have this issue ?
• Why the iPhone 16 non Pro does not have this issue ?
• Why some samples of the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro max do not have this issue (1 out of 8 as far as I've tested) ?
• Why does this problem increases year after year since the iPhone 14 lineup ?
• Why other smartphones of the same and lower level do not have this issue ?

You also complain about those who didn't test the features they feel are most important before buying. Are you kidding ?

We are talking about a flagship. That is supposed to do the same and better than the previous one.

Do you expect the phone having year after year a lower speaker quality ? A lower signal reception ? How do you test this in an Apple Store (assuming you have one near your home) ?

And we also talk here about photography, that is one if not the the main aspect of the companies communication about their smartphones. We don't expect this one to degrade year after year.

Evolution isn’t always instant progress, but it is change. I don’t need a challenge. I understand your iPhone doesn’t work the way older models did. I understand you don’t want to accept the changes Apple made to the camera module. I understand there’s nothing you, I or Apple can do to undo the changes. You don’t seem to accept my last sentence. You understand the words, but can’t accept the fact the lenses works the way it works. No challenge will fix your acceptance.

There are things my iPhone can’t do my Canon R3 can. There are things my Canon R3 can’t do my Hasselblad can. There are things my Hasselblad can’t do my 4X5 view camera can. Different cameras for different photographic problems. Different tools for different jobs.

If there was one best camera for everything, there would only be one camera. But there are hundreds if not thousands.

I’ve learned to accept change, have you? You’re beginning to sound like a boomer lamenting the change from film to digital. There were a whole lot of them than a couple of dozen iPhone photographers whose principal reason for owning the phone is to shoot A4 at 30cm in poor.

Either learn to embrace change, or sell your iPhone 16 Pro and buy the tool you need, an iPhone 13 Pro. Carrying on here is pointless. Go shoot some pictures that aren’t A4 at 30cm and capture the world and people around you.

The size of the sensor in relation to the size of the lens has an impact on the focus distance, as close focusing lenses require more lens elements. And their size should depend on the sensor size. Maybe the 16 Pro’s sensor is a bit too large for the camera module’s size and depth.

Of course you're stuck. Focus, focus focus... If this was a focus problem, text wouldn't be sharp as **** at center.

And the problem is the same at 1 meter distance. And we do not talk about sharpness for the 0.5x, it's for the 1x. Note that the 0.5x is sharper on the corners than the 1x.... What a surprise, uhhh ?

The problem is not "sharpness" as said many times a bit quickly by users... you just read quick descriptions of people here without testing by yourself. Or looking carefully at the pictures. Or you did look at them but do not understand photography basics.

I won't reply your useless questions. I do visibly understand far more things than you do, otherwise you wouldn't ask such irrelevant questions.

And yes, this problem can be easily solved by software, but I let you search how. Perhaps you'll find when you stop fooling yourself and mix things.

So either you're a troller, either an Apple engineer wanting to minimize the problem, either someone who thinks he understand things but do not in reality.

If I had to rate cameras (iPhones), my first choice for general photography, is as follows, iPhone 16 Pro models, iPhone 15 Pro and 13 Pro pretty much tied, but 48 MP gives 15 Pro the edge, followed 14 Pro and by 12 Pro Max, and lastly 11 Pro. 

Here’s a few examples of some closeups on a windy day and macros (almost cringe now to use those words in same breath) to end our discussion. 

Note, not meant to be a representative in this thread about A4 at 30cm. 😁

No, I can take a 35mm lens and put it on my 4X5 (inches for those unfamiliar with large format). Think of focus as presenting a circle of sharp light (focused light) and the point of focus is exactly the same distance on the 35mm (full frame digital) as it is on the large format. Exactly the same. Point of focus on the film/sensor plane is same distance. 

A full frame dSLR 50mm macro will likely be 6 elements in 4 groups. I looked for a block diagram to show the relatively simple construction. Missing some essentials like flat field, only f/3.5 etc.Cost a few hundred dollars. 

Here’s a block diagram of Canon RF Macro and its fast, well constructed, and flat field for copy work or 2D art reproduction. Cost $599 USD

Not practical due to size , weight and cost but good to know the tool is available if you need it. Minimum focus for both lenses is about 25cm, same as iPhone 16 Pro 1X

I agree, but to give (half) a point to Jeff Donald, sometimes progress means regression at some point. Before going up again. The thing here is that regression is there more and more since 3 generations of phones. And it's going worse and worse. And knowing that there is an easy software fix to hide this hardware problem, I don't understand Apple not taking this in account since so long.

Ok, but the image circle of the 35 mm on the 4x5 is way too small.

But I never claimed to be an expert in optics anyway.

My whole point is that something is not working anymore which has been working flawlessly. And therefore I am disappointed.

What I just don’t understand is why the 16 Pro does not switch to macro at the 1x’s critical distance because most of us seem to be satisfied with the 0.5x’s edge to edge sharpness in macro mode.

“Do you understand the concept of progress? It is a change that is supposed to be an improvement, not the opposite.”

Do you understand the difference in first generation change and third or fourth generation change? iPhones have used computational photography in previous generations. But as Apple ushered in Apple Intelligence in iPhone 16, it changed the game on Apple’s implementation of AI (no longer just computational photography).

You need to think of iPhone 16 and cameras as part of that first step into AI. Why? So much change took place between iPhone 16 and iPhone 15. The change was necessary, just like when Apple dropped floppy disc and so many other changes (progress) over the years. This is no different.

You need to put this in perspective. Apple did it to reduce costs, test AI features (Fusion Camera), add larger sensors, add higher megapixels, add Camera Button etc.

In my opinion the sweet spot will be the camera in iPhone 18 Pro or XX or whatever they call it. Just my opinion and prediction.

So far I don’t understand how AI (as opposed to Deep Fusion and computational photography in general) specifically affects iPhone photography.

But AI (understood as Apple Intelligence) will have a lot of other functions though that will probably make the 16 Pro be regarded as a milestone in iPhone history.

But for me this model will always be remembered as the first iPhone that delivers worse photos than its predecessors (at least in an area that really matters to me and some other folks around here).

I absolutely agree!! I despise the poor quality of the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera and wish I’d never gotten rid of my 12 Pro Max, which took astounding photos that make the 16 Pro Max’s camera look like the piece of garbage that it most certainly is. This has totally upended my faith in Apple after decades of loyalty.

iPhone 13 Pro??? Dude, I upgraded from iPhone Xs to iPhone 16 Pro. And my iPhone Xs takes same quality photos if not better most of the times.

I feel robbed by Apple. I reported this issue so many times and all I get is the generic answers that you always get, those same boring ones. They dont care at all.

But, the day is coming where we will abandon Apple.

A rapid test done a few days ago with a Vivo X200 Pro Mini (A4 paper size with text, 1x zoom, full page). In non ideal conditions. No flash. Non totally flat surface.

The text at the top-left angle seems a tiny bit dimmed compared to the other parts (and this can mainly be because of the non ideal conditions). But no problem compared to those stated on the iPhone 16 Pro lineup.

As this device have the same sensor size of the iPhone 16 Pro (source : https://fr.kalvo.com/vivo-x200-pro-mini-138962.html#specs), the sensor size is probably not the problem as previously supposed in past posts.

If someone has this Vivo X200 Pro Mini and can take sample pictures that can be posted, don't hesitate.