Gotta admit I didn’t read every post here, but isn’t the thread initiated by someone just asking if others are experiencing it? And not that super close up photography is hugely important to me, but is it really beyond reason to expect the iPhone 12 Pro to do something the iPhone 11 could?
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iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro camera cannot focus up close
- Thread starter jin1212
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Try a hard reset or buy the awesome Halide app and focus manually when you need to... also return or replace the 12 if it is bad, hopefully there is an Apple store nearby
When I was doing it today it was in pretty decent window light. Even still, it’s unique to the iPhone 12. My XS doesn’t have that issue, plain and simple.
Something is wrong with your phone or you are too close to the subject. The demo model I tried today that I posted on the last page worked perfectly fine in the T-Mobile store.
The first time I took a photo of my AirPods case, I was a fair distance away (hand was held out) and the camera actually was focus-hunting on its own. I’ve also seen where tap to focus causes different results even from further away.
Maybe I have a defective LiDAR sensor, maybe it’s a software bug, but focus is definitely more dodgy on my 12 Pro than the 11 Pro Max I had before. Again, not just at close-up shots, but in general.
As for DexBell, it’s amazing how he wants to discredit many of us who are noticing the issue on our phones constantly when he tried one demo unit in good lighting and assumes that’s proof we don’t know what we’re doing.
I just joined these forums and already am ready to ignore someone who is only here to troll us. That didn’t take long.
Maybe I have a defective LiDAR sensor, maybe it’s a software bug, but focus is definitely more dodgy on my 12 Pro than the 11 Pro Max I had before. Again, not just at close-up shots, but in general.
As for DexBell, it’s amazing how he wants to discredit many of us who are noticing the issue on our phones constantly when he tried one demo unit in good lighting and assumes that’s proof we don’t know what we’re doing.
I just joined these forums and already am ready to ignore someone who is only here to troll us. That didn’t take long.
Someone in the UK preorders thread said they don't have the issue on the 14.2 beta, but I don't know what sort of testing they've done.
Thanks for the info.
It would be great, if someone would test it with a 12 Pro running the latest beta.
Yes please. I'll do it myself if I get time this afternoon
Photographer here on iPhone 12 pro. Yes I can confirm there’s a software bug with AF and normal lens, the bug is in the AF-lock, the camera starts to acquires the focus but when you go close it tries to switch to other lens or lidar to acquire the focus, and it fails but instead to go back to the old focus point, it get blurred.
There’s absolutely no hardware failures, this thing is razor sharp and get the focus very well, only you have to touch the screen to acquire the focus and do it before go close to the focus point.
This is really a minor bug, I don’t have trouble with it, you just have to know it and how to focus.
There’s absolutely no hardware failures, this thing is razor sharp and get the focus very well, only you have to touch the screen to acquire the focus and do it before go close to the focus point.
This is really a minor bug, I don’t have trouble with it, you just have to know it and how to focus.
I got 12 Pro (Pre-ordered in EU) with iOS 14.2 Beta 4 and I had the issue. I contacted apple support, they ran diagnostics and they came back OK. Then they said restoring to iOS 14.1 would help. It didn't work either did any of the other tips they gave me. Both 1x and 2x lenses won't focus on close objects. (If ~10cm is a close object.) iPhone 6S and XS both could focus better on things than my new 12 Pro.
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Ok, what did they say in reply to the fact that whether 14.1 nor 14.2 worked although the diagnostics were fine?
Apple support said it could be a software issue. I said that I had both iOS 14.1 and 14.2, they replied that "betas are tricky" and it could be fixed on later versions. Support gave me a few options, either wait for updates or go to a store and get the phone checked.
Yep, about what I got too. People expecting a camera/lens with no macro capabilities to focus within an inch or two are unrealistic and have no idea what minimum focusing distance is. It doesn’t matter if previous models may have, they didn’t have LiDAR sensors and they had different lenses. My 11 Pro Max won’t focus on anything only an inch or two in front of it either.
It's not just previous models though, the 12 is ok and its' the same camera. The non-pro is more pro than the pro. The type of photography I do, I noticed this within five minutes of using it. I don't think it's ok.
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No, the 11 is not the same camera. the 12 Pro has different lenses and a LiDAR sensor, big difference. Beside, when I tested the 12 Pro with my 11 Pro Max yesterday, they both have about the same minimum focusing distance.
I meant 12 and 12 pro are the same camera. And they are aren't they? The pro has the addition of the tele and LiDAR
The LiDAR could be making the difference because all the examples I have seen are in low light. Have yet to see one outside in good lighting. I’m going to go test the regular 11 too, I should have yesterday
True, if they are working on the problem then they could push it out on beta 5 or final version whatever is next.
But in terms of the apparent longer minimum focus distance, it might not be an "issue" but rather a design limitation.
I have been a professional advertising and fine art photographer for well over 30 years and I shoot with everything from 35mm on up to 8x10 large format film cameras and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that specifications can and do change when the overall optical design is changed in the pursuit of image quality, focus speed or a faster aperture. Sometimes I have seen minimum focus distances increase on the latest revision of a lens in order to improve corner or wide open performance. It could very well be that the lens to sensor plane distance has decreased ever so slightly to allow for an overall design change in the phone?
That being said, I am recovering from foot surgery and take photos of the healing process every few days and did notice that my iPhone 12 Pro had a hard time hitting focus when closer than 5" if I did not do a screen tap. I seem to be at around the 8cm minimum distance others have cited here. I am not discrediting the concern for this for some as it might be their only camera. I on the other hand, have an enormous amount of equipment so I don't have to rely on my phone for anything other than basic snaps and record keeping shots.
If no one is getting focused shots closer than 8cm, then it is likely a difference in design and really folks, it is still just a phone, not a Micro-Nikkor on 6" of bellows extension.
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Thanks. Yes, it appears about 3 inches is the minimum focussing distance on the 12 Pro. There is nothing wrong with it.