iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Not Great

[cyb3rdud3]

I’ve had my 16 Pro Max for a while. Am happy with it. Video recording is absolutely amazing. But the photo camera I’m just not getting it. I really don’t understand how many reviews class it as amazing. It is just about passable when viewing on screen but the moment you attempt to pixel peep it is falling rapidly apart.

Does anyone else feel the same? What really drew me to it was when a friend with a Samsung S24 Ultra showed some photos. And then in the same room we made test shot. Sure the color I prefer on the iPhone, but that is easily fixed. The lack of definition is not something you can bring back.

I think I’ve got my settings at the highest possible. But just not digging it compared to the new Androids nor my old 12 Pro.

Any suggestions on how this can be improved?

 

[rew f fwd]

It simply takes the worst pictures I have ever seen. Blurry and if you zoom in you can't even see the writing properly.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking that. It is so weird as every review says how great it is. And yes that is not great. I mean when you take it and keep it on the phone and don't look to closely at it, it looks ok. But the moment you dare to pixel peek it looks terrible. I still suspect it is software.

 

[Ctrlos]

Have you tried turning off the ProRAW settings and turning on 'most compatible'.

The images you are seeing are all RAW format and theoretically have not had any post-processing applied to them including sharpening. The whole point of RAW is that you do all that yourself.

 

[rew f fwd]

I've done all of that and will test it. Thanks for the tip 😀

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Have you tried turning off the ProRAW settings and turning on 'most compatible'.

The images you are seeing are all RAW format and theoretically have not had any post-processing applied to them including sharpening. The whole point of RAW is that you do all that yourself.

I have and process them on my MacBook both in photos and in Lightroom.

Personally I find Heif Max, JPEG Lossy XL and High Efficiency giving the best results on visual inspection.

But still a processed mess the moment you zoom in a little from the default resolution taken (whilst staying at the lens native points).

 

[cyb3rdud3]

But I tried it with that suggestion. So no Pro RAW, thus no 48MP photos. And use most compatible. And yes photos do actually look better 🤷‍♂️ is that like switching off the fusion processing? And only using the middle part of the sensor?

Still feels cheated. And weird how no review seems to pick up on it and just heils it like the best camera 🤷‍♂️

 

[Ctrlos]

But I tried it with that suggestion. So no Pro RAW, thus no 48MP photos. And use most compatible. And yes photos do actually look better 🤷‍♂️ is that like switching off the fusion processing? And only using the middle part of the sensor?

Still feels cheated. And weird how no review seems to pick up on it and just heils it like the best camera 🤷‍♂️

For regular photographs the iPhone (and many other phones) uses ‘quad bayer’ sampling where is counts 4 pixels as one, effectively taking 4x identical 12mp photographs and using processing to then merge them into the best version of themselves. Images taken in RAW are just a 48mp image, higher resolution but no processing.

Phones need that much processing because of the physical limits of their sensors.

 

[rew f fwd]

a new attempt...what Apple has built is so terrible. The iPhone camera is absolutely unusable. 🤮🤮🤮

 

[Cobalt Blizzard]

For at least 3 or 4 generations, they’re doing crazy oversharpening, especially in low-light photos. That’s what ruins many photos for me. 🙁

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Yes, it seems to be a software thing. It is really weird but mine seems to have come alive. Absolutely crazy, I'm glad I looked at it together with my daughter (who got the Samsung S25 Ultra) so I'm not going crazy. I'm on iOS 18.4. Sure 1:1 pixel peeping is still, but it is a lot more useable.

I'm now using:

Record Video: 4K @ 24 fps
Record Slo-mo 4K @ 120 fps
Record Cinematic 4K at 24 fps
Record Sound: Spatial Audio
Formats:
Camera Capture: High Efficiency (was Most Compatible)
Photo Mode: 24 MP
ProRaw & Resolution Control: ON
Pro Default: ProRAW Max (up to 48 MP) (Was HEIF Max)
ProRAW Format: JPEG-XL Lossy (was losssless)
Use Volume Up for Burst: ON
Scan QR Codes: ON
Show Detected Text: ON
Composition:
Grid: ON
Level: ON
Mirror Front Camera: OFF
View Outside the Frame: OFF (was on)
Photo Capture:
Fusion Camera: 24 & 28 & 35 mm
Portraits in Photo Mode: ON
Prioritise Faster Shooting: OFF (was on)
Lens Correction: ON
Macro Control: ON

It is so much better now.