M1 iMac 24" camera slightly out of focus right side

[coso]

It seems the background is more in focus than my face. And if I put my fingers close to the camera it doesn't focus on them, they remain blurry. My old 2015 MacBook instead focuses on close objects too. Is it normal? Is it a fixed focus lens with an optimal focus so far, at 2-3m?

 

[wilberforce]

Pretty sure all MacBooks and iMacs have fixed focus cameras.
Both my 2020 iMac and my 2015 MacBook are fixed focus (I just checked).
However, I believe the newer 1080p iMac cameras have larger sensors and/or apertures, which will mean a shallower depth of field given similar effective focal lengths (welp, physics).
The MacBook may also be prefocused to a closer distance (since it is typically used closer than a desktop).
Also, the higher resolution (1080p vs 720p) will mean the out-of-focus objects are more noticeable (smaller "circle of confusion" also resulting in a shallower depth of field).
If you are obviously out of focus at a normal operating distance, the lens may be prefocused at too far a distance. Ideally, it should be prefocused to what is known as the "hyperfocal distance," which can be calculated if you know all the detail specs of the lens and sensor (which Apple does not publish).

TL;DR - it is probably normal. I am seeing the same as you on my iMac (2020 iMac, but the same camera as the M1 iMac, I think) compared to my 2015 MBP.

 

[coso]

Well, I didn't think about the bigger sensor. You might be right about that.

I'm not "clearly" out of focus, the MacBooks is just sharper albeit at a lower resolution, which might be intentional.
The iMac is higher resolution and better noise/color reproduction and it shows, but I think they hyperfocused the lens too far 🥲

I found this video (from the 11:28 mark) which is basically like mine, so I think it's normal. You can see him well but not perfectly in focus, in fact I think the background closet door is more in focus than him. This is even clearer on the 21,5" he records after that, the background is clearly more in focus than him, at what I think is the normal use distance from the camera. I don't know, weird. Anyway thanks for taking the time to try on your machines

 

[coso]

Upon further testing the left side (my right) of the camera is less on focus than the other half, you can see it this photo of my keyboard, especially on the "command" keys and others. It's not a super big deal, still annoying though, but I think I can live with that

 

[allan.nyholm]

@coso

that last image is also tilted a great deal - so no wonder that there's a difference in focus. Try setting your keyboard up on a solid surface instead of holding it your hands where there's a possibility of you shaking and the angle and tilt are enough to shift in focus

 

[coso]

@coso

that last image is also tilted a great deal - so no wonder that there's a difference in focus. Try setting your keyboard up on a solid surface instead of holding it your hands where there's a possibility of you shaking and the angle and tilt are enough to shift in focus

Yes I know it looks tilted and I could took a better one, but it's not that. I can easily verify this by putting my two hands in front of the camera, the left one will be in focus, the right one slightly blurry. Or if I lean left my beard is crisp, if I lean right my beard is a bit blurry.

Intuitively I felt there was something wrong but it was only when I visualized something with text that I could clearly recognize where was the problem.

It might be a very minor assembly issue and I'm sure most won't notice. But I'm also a photographer so I might notice this more.

 

[allan.nyholm]

Yes I know it looks tilted and I could took a better one, but it's not that. I can easily verify this by putting my two hands in front of the camera, the left one will be in focus, the right one slightly blurry. Or if I lean left my beard is crisp, if I lean right my beard is a bit blurry.

Intuitively I felt there was something wrong but it was only when I visualized something with text that I could clearly recognize where was the problem.

It might be a very minor assembly issue and I'm sure most won't notice. But I'm also a photographer so I might notice this more.

I see.. well, I don't have anything on photographers. I have a friend who's a hobby photographer, so I will crawl back down into hiding

 

[wilberforce]

Here is mine from a 2020 iMac camera, for comparison. Taken from a distance (about 10 inches) that almost filled the field of view. I propped it up on something to be sure there was no movement/shake.

It is quite possible your lens/sensor is slightly decentered or tilted. With these tiny sensors the tolerances are very small. I ran into this with a dashcam - returned it for replacement which was much better.

 

[coso]

I see.. well, I don't have anything on photographers. I have a friend who's a hobby photographer, so I will crawl back down into hiding

😂

Here is mine from a 2020 iMac camera, for comparison. Taken from a distance (about 10 inches) that almost filled the field of view. I propped it up on something to be sure there was no movement/shake.

View attachment 1829218

It is quite possible your lens/sensor is slightly decentered or tilted. With these tiny sensors the tolerances are very small. I ran into this with a dashcam - returned it for replacement which was much better.

Thank you so much for this! Yours seems better than mine, but in the center I notice the letters are still a bit out to focus (look at the HJ compared to the AS for example). Mine is also blurrish in the center now that I look at it, it's just worse on the left side. I'm starting to think that this spherical out of focus part on the center-ish is inevitable, with some samples worse than others. Tolerances in production are quite small, as you say. I think I'll keep mine as it is, but at least I know I'm not totally crazy (but a bit obsessed with quality? maybe) 🙏

 

[wilberforce]

You got me curious, so I also took one using my 2015 MBP webcam, for comparison, this is at about 11" distance:

Although the 2015 MBP has a lower resolution camera, this is actually more in focus (at the center of the frame only) at this close distance than the 2020 iMac camera - confirming what you observed.

 

[coso]

They must be “focused” closer as you said, and probably the out of focus center on the iMacs at closer distance is due to a weird combination of factors. Apple should hire me for quality assurance

 

[wilberforce]

They must be “focused” closer as you said, and probably the out of focus center on the iMacs at closer distance is due to a weird combination of factors. Apple should hire me for quality assurance

One more comparison, taken from 20 inches away (a more normal viewing distance) and cropped:

The 2020 iMac camera at 20" distance:

The 2015 MBP camera at 20" distance:

Although the 2015 MBP camera is lower resolution, the resulting sharpness is pretty similar. Readability is about the same, I think. These are taken at the center of the frame - the edges may be a different story.
Pretty interesting.

 

[coso]

The iMac camera is like it has not an unsharp mask applied. If you apply it in software you can see it easily contains more information. But at first glance the Macbook "appears" sharper. Also in mine the blurrier left defect decreases as the distance increases, albeit it remains noticeable.

But I cannot not notice that the background, a couple meters behind me, is still sharper than anything at 1m distance. Maybe it's designed for family FaceTime group calls, I don't know 😆

 

[coso]

So I checked a couple M1 iMacs in store today and all had the right part slightly out to focus. It's slight and probably most won't notice, but I do. Feel better now than I know there are many like this