How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

WasAppleTillToday

>> So basically we need Apple to add the 4th lens to the iPhones from the iPhone 13 Pro to take proper sharp photos of menus / pamphlets / brochures

yep, that's right on the nailhead...

Flat-Field Lens (previously noted) that's the feature you want to request

B&H has a nice write up by Allan Weitz:

If you ask the average photographer what the difference between a macro lens and a “regular” lens is, they will tell you macro lenses enable you to get closer to your subject than regular, or conventional, lenses. While this is true, the ability to focus close is only part of the story. The other part of the story has to do with an optical characteristic called “curvature of field,” of which there are two types—flat-field and curved-field...

I would not recommend iPhone cameras being suitable for catalog, archival, advertising work or broadcast video production -- maybe I would classify them currently as a blogger's dream camera -- but they are still optical instruments and operate under such rules and limitations

I am not bashing the iPhone camera systems at all -- anything that can take a 6-sec handheld still picture in near total darkness and come out sharp and naturally bright -- and effortlessly produce seamless high resolution panos -- and record 4K LOG video certainly has my attention...

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.

iPhone 16 is using ultra wide lens for macro which is different than previous models. iPhone 16 PM requires different techniques. Ultra wide angle lenses are not the best tools for shooting macro. The corners in an UW typically are not as sharp as the center.

Ultra wide angle lenses costing much more than a iPhone Pro Max don’t have sharp corners.

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.

Thanks but don't bother doing this test, it is well known that the macro mode uses the 12MP Wide camera, this means working in "Crop mode" to avoid being too close and distorting the sheet of paper.

Personally I prefer to use the 48MP main camera of the iPhone 15 / iPhone 16 to reproduce documents or photo prints, rather than using a 12MP wide-angle camera in "crop mode" plus "digital zoom" (image too grainy on details). The 16 Pro's macro function is only suitable for photographing coins, flowers and insects, that is where the 12MP are not cropped.

The design error of the iPhone 16 Pro 48MP main camera is the use of a sensor that is too large compared to the small size of the lens. This results in an image that is soft at the edges, without any particular qualitative advantage even for subjects at a great distance.

The issue really is several fold. I disagree that the 48 mp is a fault. The issue is really trying to design a device that meets everybody’s needs and expectations. I shot in ProRaw and have sharper text. My images are also larger files than yours. I used much more light than, but did handhold. If I’d used a tripod my results would be sharper still. Modify your technique and you can get sharper results.

The soft edges are the result of using wide angle lenses and in particular the ultra wide. I have a 15mm made by Zeiss that costs thousands more, and the corners aren’t much sharper wide open. Small lenses are inherently have limitations (and advantages) over much larger and heavier cameras. But learn to use what you’ve got and the results are generally pretty good, even in macro.

More proof iPhone 16 Pro Max takes blurry photos

Last comparison:

Here’s a better shot I just took. I put a tape measure in the scene (inches). The image below is larger than life size or 1:1

Here is the IP16 same shot i had to shrink it unfortunately because i cant upload if its more than 5MB:

Fusion Camera 24mm

Jeff, now that you have the context, a ruler, etc. from me, here is the crop of the blurry text once more: