How to Fix iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Focus Issue

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.

I would try to reset my phone by accessing iTunes on a computer and connecting your 16 to the computer, there is a reset and update option and and then it’s done you can put your iCloud password in again

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.

I have the same problem. Is that a hardware problem? Or maybe it's just how the lenses works?

If it is a hardware problem I can use the AppleCare+ to get a new phone, but if the problem happens on all iPhone 16PM...

Apple made changes to how the camera operates in closeup and macro mode. Most of the users posting here are using their iPhone to shoot spec sheets, menus, and other objects in the closeup range. Macro works, but requires different techniques that are inconvenient for their primary usage.

If you’re using your camera for more normal imagery you’re fine. In my opinion, it’s the best iPhone camera to date. I find it does excellent work for the flowers I photograph up close.

I always start with calling: 800-692-7753 (apple)

and requesting your CASE REFERENCE NUMBER at the end of the call

if that doesn't move your complaint forward -- call back in a couple days have them setup an appointment at the Apple Store -- watch the person doing any test if they have a clue what they are doing -- it's a pretty easy point to argue if your test is setup correctly...

Apple has changed the camera module and the camera does not focus as close in 1X as previous models. The Fusion Camera is using the .5X for macro mode. The 13mm lens is not as sharp in the corners as the 1X.

You can stand further back from your subject and choose 1X lens and 48 MP resolution or use a different camera.

The iPhone 13 Pro’s standard camera can focus much closer than the 16 Pro‘s. 

When photographing a full A4 sized paper or similar it seems that the 16 Pro is close to the threshold of switching to macro mode. This leads to blurry pictures. Apple should address this by changing the lens or the distance at which the switch from standard to wide angle lens/macro mode occurs. 

You’re running into 2 issues. One is the barrel distortion associated with ultra wide angle lenses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distortion_(optics)

The second issue is Ultra wide angle lenses often appear less sharp at the corners because of the inherent design challenges in capturing a very wide field of view, which can lead to issues like light falloff (Vignetting), barrel distortion, and field curvature*, causing the image quality to degrade significantly towards the edges of the frame, especially when compared to the center sharpness; this is particularly noticeable on lower-end lenses or when shooting at wide apertures. 

“Curvature of field" in an ultra-wide angle lens refers to an optical aberration where the plane of focus is not flat, meaning the image edges appear blurry while the center remains sharp, which is a common issue with wide angle lenses, especially when the focal length is very short (ultra wide angle), causing the image to appear slightly curved at the edges; this is a significant concern in photography as it can affect image quality, particularly in the corners of the frame. 

https://petapixel.com/2016/12/21/field-curvature-tricky-problem-photography/