How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

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).

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.

I linked to an article above, from Apple, that explains the changes in the macro lens and how to take macro photos. Did you read the article and understand the changes and apply them to your photography? Just a simple yes or no question.

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

Cameras that don’t have interchangeable lens are at a disadvantage. iPhone photographers (and all other smartphone photographers) will have to learn to adapt in changes in the hardware and software every year.

If you’re an old dog (just an expression 😀😀) then don’t learn new tricks. But if you’re willing to learn and adapt to changes, you’ll be very satisfied with the results.

If it’s all about megapixels, here I am shooting a 4x5 film camera with about 800 megapixels.

Promotional picture shot on iPhone XS in 2019 for one of many workshops I taught on 4X5 (large format) photography.

A relatively obscure American photographer of the western United States once said,

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”

Ansel Adams

Ive been involved in photography since the late ‘70’s and taught photography for 4 years at MSU, worked for AP and International Herald Tribune.

My job was to come back with a photo, not worrying about my camera not working the way I want it to. If a third party app is the better tool for a specific job or photo, use it. I couldn’t care less what camera or app took it.

Yes, DoF is a zone of acceptable sharpness that extends both in front of and behind the point of focus (subject). If I misstated, it could have been a typo. Sorry for any confusion it may have caused.

Post your group shot with ISO, shutter speed and f/number and which lens or zoom setting.

You may also be interested in learning Apple iOS 18.2 public release is rolling out around the world in many (all?) countries today. I watched a video from someone in Australia an hour ago and he’d installed the update and reported that it resolved many of his issues. The article below explains how to update. The release time in your area may not have occurred yet. You will just need to check the update option in your iPhone.

Update iOS on iPhone

So, to your specific issue.

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.

1. I’m not using macro.
2. iPhone 16 PM (subject of this post) does not focus that close. iPhone 16 does not focus until about 20” to 24” or 50 to 60cm. This is what I’ve said all along. I’ve stated, to focus at 10” to 14” inches you’ll use macro which involves the 13mm .5X which as I noted is not sharp in the corners.
3. Never shoot in dim light. All smartphone cameras do poorly in low light. They produce more noise and focus less accurately and slower. There are techniques and skill sets I could teach to overcome some of these limitations, put you don’t seem to welcome my participation.
4. Text in center will be sharp in center at 50 to 60cm. Corners will be less sharp but acceptable. This is because no cellphones use flat field lenses. No cellphone has corners as sharp as centers at or near minimum focus distances.
5. Not sure what any of that is in reference to.

I suggest you learn more about lenses and optics. Start here,

https://www.edmundoptics.com/knowledge-center/application-notes/optics/introduction-to-modulation-transfer-function/?srsltid=AfmBOorbUbJl4NlbZAY_Mr9HVVO8McIBKsUWidjM0vBUPUYSXgt5Qrme

Get through that and you might be in a second or third year college course. That’s the simplified version that I didn’t spend 2 hours on for my students. Don’t worry, no quiz on it.

I mentioned flat field lenses, here’s a good article,

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/flat-field-lenses-and-why-they-matter-when-shooting-close-ups#

Lastly, here’s an article on minimum focus distance of a lens.

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/How-to-Calculate-Lens-Working-Distance.aspx

Good luck with learning the material but your cameras aren’t defective. Your cameras changed and you didn’t. This issue is your unwillingness to learn and understand the material.

Lastly, one of my favorite quotes I shared with my students.

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”

Ansel Adams

PS: Stretch your minds!

Yes, photos app on your iPhone and share/export and chose Option and Most Compatible.

Mr Jeff -- "advisor" (Apple Advisors on the phone) "mostly me too’s and no proof" and where "this thread has gone," again "disagree"

adding a "me too" is good for statistics -- how widespread the problem is -- adding proof takes time and effort

I see some legitimate concerns and enough proof already posted -- wasappletilltoday's screenshot is pretty convincing to the complaint:

I have no interest in spending my time running tests and posting a tutorial how I got to my conclusion for fellow users or Advisors or even Engineers -- let the company hire their own consultants if they need that expertise

but on macOS, one could just drag the image into a Safari window and click on the area they want to view 1:1 100% Actual Pixels and that area should pop right up in Actual Pixels 1:1

Do you have a bachelors in physics? Do you have a masters of fine art in photography? Have you taught photography at MSU for 4 years? Have you worked for the AP? Have you worked for the International Herald Tribune? Are you a certified Lightroom and Photoshop instructor?

What exactly are your credentials in photography?

Perhaps you just like making personal attacks because they don’t fit your agenda of denigrating an excellent product. Please enlighten us with your extensive experience!

I’ve read and participated in the entire thread. I pointed out multiple times Apple changed the minimum focus distance of the 24mm 1X lens. I’ve also pointed out multiple times that ultra wide angle lenses inherently are not sharp in the corners.

Questions on my gear? There’s my iPhone data. Where’s yours?

I shoot everything from iPhones to 4x5 film.

So if it's not meant to be representative in this thread, don't pollute the thread.

Adjust the camera's focus and exposure

• Open Camera on your iPhone.
• Tap the screen to show the automatic focus area and exposure setting.
• Tap where you want to move the focus area.
• Next to the focus area, drag. up or down to adjust the exposure.

Use iPhone camera tools to set up your shot - Apple Support (IN)

Hey mate sorry I’m on the phone this time and screenshots are too big of a file, if I’m on the PC later I’ll shrink and upload, but basically it’s the 1x Fusion Camera - 24mm, f1.78, 24MP, JPEG. (ALL of them are the same but different ISO maybe because of lighting?!)

I’m not an expert in photography, all I know is that from the comparisons over the last even 6 generations or more (I have been rocking every iPhone since iPhone 3G) I was getting good photos as I have been taking the same photos of these sheets of serial numbers for the last 10 years , and now with the iPhone 16 I just get blurry photos when I zoom in…. And yes I could use the macro lens or the extra wide lens to take non-blurry photos but that’s not the point. We’re in 2024 and these camera (main camera ant 1x) are meant to be getting better and more convenient for the user.

But this is how I have always been taking the photos forever and now they are noticeably blurry hence how I found how bad the blur is when I zoomed into the serial number to add it into a spreadsheet, and then I started testing it and yes the main lens (or fusion camera) takes bad photos where the previous iPhones (except I never had an iPhone 15 so I can’t comment on that) have been taking excellent photos of the same sheets which I have been doing for years on the 1x main camera…I wonder if the Samsung galaxies have the same issues 😅

I’m sure they won’t reply to your post as they have no real answer but just going around in circles . I had to dig out and use an old IPhone X which takes much sharper photos -16pro max photos are horrendously blurred and I need it to take up close photos for my work.

I’m really disappointed too after I took a photo, even in the max 48 MP, and zoomed it to find that it’s very low quality. To think that iphone 16 pro max was heavily advertised to have the best camera and hence the best photo taken. It’s also blurry when zoomed. Twas manufactured last Oct 2024 and first used on Dec 11, 2024.😭😭😭

Ok, I see what you’re saying, but if that’s the case sometimes you want to take a photo of the whole A4 or A3 which doesn’t work at the macro as it won’t take the whole page / pamphlet/ menu in the shot because you would have to be very too close to the sheet / pamphlet/ page etc. Yes the text will be sharp, but you won’t get the whole A4 or A3 in the photo, for example a menu which is A3 at a restaurant!

NOW the problem is with the 0.5x lens / shot, is that it make everything look weird and un proportional, for example it stretches out all the corners and it just doesn’t look proportional or natural, if you know what I mean.

And as for the rest of the zooms which are 1.2x (28mm) and 1.5x(35mm) is the same, blurry, so the only work around is to use the 2x zoom (12MP 🤦🏻) which will make it look the sharpest and the most natural, and not stretched out like the 0.5x zoom.

I would be interested in that fix for the focus issue

in researching my wide open aperture issue I came across this iPhone 16 Pro Max camera review

by TONY & CHELSEA NORTHRUP (1.6 million subscribers)

utube: iPhone 16 Pro camera: DISAPPOINTING & MISLEADING

he covers the subject at hand (focus issues)

worth a read, by a professional photographer and factual influencer style