IOS 26.0.1 camera are blurry on iPhone 17 Pro Max and older iPhones.

Hi, the images originally presented had a DOF issue. Subsequently, different posters have lumped all their focus confusions, questions etc. in this same thread.

The 1X (24mm) lens does not focus as close as prior models. Your image with the info panel does not indicate you were in macro mode.

Here is a 1X lens shot from about 14” (pardon my messy studio).

This image is from about 5” and I switched on Macro Mode. Camera app switched automatically from 1X to 0.5X camera because 1X will not focus that close. The ultra wide 0.5X, like all ultra wide lenses is noticeably less sharp in the corners.

In regard to iPhone 16 Pro models, there is a rather lengthy (about 25 pages as I recall) discussion about the exact same issue last year.

If you’re still have focus issues after reviewing you macro mode settings, stable placement of camera etc. You may have a hardware issue that needs to be diagnosed via Apple Support.

I’m experiencing exactly the same issue, the main 24mm camera suffers from severe “shutter shock”, resulting in blurry images at around 1/60s. It seems the new sensor-shift OIS is conflicting with the autofocus mechanism, or perhaps there’s some resonance between the natural frequency of the image stabilizer and the autofocus lens, causing blur at that shutter speed.

This exposure setting is very common under indoor lighting, which makes it incredibly frustrating.

While depth of field naturally blurs the edges in macro shots, this “shutter shock” affects the entire image.

Interestingly, not all iPhone 17 Pro Max units have this problem. I tested some demo units in the Apple Store, and they seemed fine. However, others - including mine - did exhibit the issue. Even after switching to a refurbished 17 Pro Max, the problem persisted, so it may be a batch-related defect.

I deeply regret trading in for the 17 Pro Max. It’s quite disappointing.

Blurry edges can be attributed to several potential causes.

Because the focus surface is curved, different parts of the frame sit at different distances from that surface, so some areas fall inside the DOF region while others fall outside, even though DOF formulas assume a flat plane. This is why a lens with strong field curvature may give sharp corners when you focus for the edges but soft center, or vice versa, at the same aperture where a flatter lens would look uniformly sharp.

DOF scales and hyperfocal marks can be unreliable with lenses that have significant field curvature, especially at wide apertures or with very wide‑angle designs. This is particularly pertinent to cellphone lenses.

Stopping down does not really reduce the curvature; it just increases DOF enough that the curved focus surface is “covered” by the thicker in‑focus region, so the effect becomes less visible. The vast majority of cellphones do not have the ability to stop down the aperture and therefore cannot increase DOF to compensate for curvature.

In practice, curvature is one reason two lenses with the same focal length and aperture can give very different edge and corner sharpness at a given focus setting, even though their theoretical DOF is the same.

iPhone 16 Pro’s were the same. There’s a 30+ page thread about blurry closeups buried in community. Not a fix in over a year, because the Apple doesn’t view it as an issue. Apple changed a lot when they moved from iPhone 15 to 16 models.

Apple could have made changes, but evidently chose not to. If you do a lot of closeup photography provide feedback to Apple.

Product Feedback - Apple

Hi, we can debate the merits of computational photography or I can help you take sharp photos. I assume the latter.

Step one, only use the numbered settings for lens choices. No more pinch to zoom, no more spin the dial. You only use .5X, 1X, 4X, and possibly 8X. That’s it. Once you do that, the Depth of Field will be governed by Laws of Physics and not Apple Engineers.

Step Two, tap and hold on the object or part of screen containing your subject (point of focus) and wait for AE/AF lock symbol to appear near top of screen.

Step Three, gently press Camera button or shutter release button. More consistent and sharper images will be obtained if you use a good tripod.

Your hit rate should go up to about 90% or higher with a little practice.

Why don’t you post a few examples. Flicker now wants me to join and I’ve no intention of joining the site to view your photos. Just add them to the forum here.

Small sensors have greater apparent DOF because to achieve the same field of view for the scene, the small sensor must use focal lengths that are smaller (wider angle of view), or increase the distance to the subject (move camera further back) to achieve the same FOV.

If Google is telling you it’s sensor size it’s wrong. Small sensors do not inherently have more DOF.

But we’re getting away from the issue.

Here’s a crop of the image you linked to on Flickr.

That’s from the right edge of the photo. That sure looks like camera movement. If that image is your argument for a defective camera, please put your iPhone on a tripod and shoot it again.

Here’s what you want to do. Find the photo in Apple Photos app, tap the information button (letter I), take a screenshot. It’ll look like this.

The information we need to examine is circled in red.

For the past month, I’ve taken photos indoors and outdoors with my 17 Pro Max and the image quality is worse than what I was getting on my 15 Pro Max before iOS 26 was released. I have no idea what Apple has done from a software standpoint that has taken an incredibly capable piece of hardware on paper and turned it into a digital camera from the mid-2000s. This isn’t a sudden inability to take a quality photo or user error; this seems to be over-aggressive processing by the software to “fix” images after they’re captured.

There are too many people reporting the same concerns for this to be down to a handful of phones with bad cameras. I’m hoping that a software update to dial down the processing of images to restore better quality present on older phones with “inferior” sensors and lenses.

Try using the scanning feature in Apple Notes app, Apple Files app or new Apple Preview app. Those apps are specifically designed to scan flat documents and correct geometry errors and enhance text etc. Something that camera and Apple Photos app is not designed to do.

Ok...Having the exact same issues as everyone else. So...I think it has something to do with the way they have redesigned the zoom options. This is why we can't hold the phone up close for images anymore. It is way too wide angle for what most of the general public use this camera for. This worked for me, or at least it's better. Go into your camera settings, scroll down to Fusion camera. Turn off the 28mm if it is on, or if both are off, turn on the 35mm and set it to default. Now when you open your camera and use it, it defaults to 1.5 35mm and the pictures, at least for me, are coming out nice and sharp and I can take closeups of documents, receipts or even objects in my hand with no out of focus spots. Try and it and see if it works for you!

:)

[Edited by Moderator]

Thank you for the correction. I noticed that too, the image you designate as iPhone 17 pro is 23% smaller than the one you say is iPhone 11 Pro. This goes to my comments that your experiment was inconsistent. JPEG is a dynamic compression algorithm which causes difference in files sizes based on different ISO settings and quality settings used for JPEG compression. The native camera Apple Camera app is not the best choice for doing these types of comparisons because the app lacks many pro features offered by third party apps. I rarely use the Apple app preferring Halide, Reeflex and Leica LUX for most of my images.

Jeff,

A larger depth of field means more of the picture is in focus from near to far away. More depth not less.

Small sensors inherently cannot produce a shallow (small) depth of field. Especially when coupled with tiny lenses. I think we are saying the same thing?

What you are seeing at the edge of my photo is not camera movement but the rather nauseous "bokeh" produced by apple engineering !

I'm not arguing the camera is defective but there is a bug in the software. Short and unscientific but extensive photography appears to indicate the focusing system may be over reliant on a lidar which has a colour blind spot in the red spectrum, resulting in the over aggressive use of the "low-light" technology, ruining the image. Sometimes. But then again, maybe the lidar is defective? Way too many variables to really know.

Purge speculation of course as we don't have the means to disable the technology. It may be something else or there may be more than one blind spot! But several thousand pictures taken using a process used many many times over the last five years indicates there is something amiss.

The one thing you could rely on with an iPhone camera in normal lighting conditions was rock solid focus. No tripod needed.

I will post some samples.

Patrick

p.s. i've changed the image status on flickr to public so you should be able to review the whole image.

iPhone cameras do have a Lidar sensor, but it’s used for capturing depth data to use in the algorithm used to simulate DOF when in portrait mode. It may be used to assist AF in low light situations. Its sensitivity to red wavelengths doesn’t factor into AF that Apple mentions.

Focus in daylight uses whats called phase detection AF. It’s standard in the photo industry and virtually every major camera manufacturer uses the same technology. Phase detect is fast and extremely accurate in daylight.

Lidar was added to assist the phase detect AF in low light by adding distance and depth information to improve accuracy and speed. A major complaint about earlier iPhones was their poor low light focusing performance.

There is a school of thought that moving the Lidar sensor to the far right has affected the sensor’s performance. However, photographers doing spatial photography are praising the move saying it’s improved.

It would be best to post your photos in the thread if for no other reason than continuity. It avoids confusion about which image is being discussed.

Use of a tripod aids focus and minimizes camera blur. While it hinders spontaneity, it will improve any photo by providing a rock solid base. It also permits use of a lower ISO setting and the resultant slower shutter speed. Handholding at slower shutter speeds is an issue for even the steadiest of hands.

It definitely has something to do with iOS 26 (software issue, not hardware) my iPhone 16 took amazing astrophotography until I updated the iOS to 26, and it’s been taking blurry pictures ever since. It’s incredibly frustrating. ( latest update 26.1 has same issue) it’s terrible

Please post one or two photos illustrating the issue. Also exactly how far is your iPhone from the book or object you want in focus?

Please share a couple of the images you’re not satisfied with. It’s impossible to diagnose a visual issue with some visual evidence of what you’re experiencing.