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Has anyone noticed blurry subjects in portrait photos?

- I take a normal photo with the 2x lens and it is super sharp.
- Then I switch to portrait and the subject is a bit blurry.
- The same photo taken in portrait mode with an XS Max is much sharper.

It seems to be a software bug, since a normal 2x photo is sharp.

Anyone seeing this?
Have you tried ‘focusing’ on the object you want to appear sharp? I was struggling with the first photo in my last post here, as I could not get the focus right automatically. After manual focusing it did get it right.
 
Thank God, it's not just me, haha. But indeed, it seems so much more visually appealing. I like how it sort of gives it this 'mysterious' look. As if it were a horror movie, taking place in this little town in the middle of nowhere, with the gas station being basically the only thing they have.

I have a wild fantasy. 😂
That is exactly what I thought of when I looked at that picture. It's the quintessential gas station that the main protagonists arrive at by foot, after their car breaks down in the middle of the night, only to be greeted by a very menacing looking attendant who isn't the actual killer (the director is just misleading us at this point in the movie).
 
Have you tried ‘focusing’ on the object you want to appear sharp? I was struggling with the first photo in my last post here, as I could not get the focus right automatically. After manual focusing it did get it right.
That doesn't seem to help. If I take a portrait photo of something besides a person, the background is blurred and the subject is very sharp, just like a normal 2x photo. It seems to be some problem when people are detected and processed in the photo.
 
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Once in a blue moon...
 
Thx. I am quite curious about the reg iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 pro portrait mode comparison since the reg iPhone 12 doesn’t have the telephoto lens.

I don’t find 12 will be lesser in terms of output quality. It is more related to convenience. Quick snap in plain term.
I came from iPhoneX and managed to get some great pictures. Only difference is the time/effort took to get a good picture.

Following are the ones I took with X for your reference.

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I buy/sell alot of cards and taking quality pics to show detail and condition mean alot to me. the 12 seems just as good, if not better, than my X when it comes to quality close ups. the fish pics are tough, as they are always moving. also, on a side note, night mode is absolutely amazing and even works in nearly total darkness which im impressed about. these pics I took were run of the mill, nothing hugely planned for or adjusted.

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Thx. I am quite curious about the reg iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 pro portrait mode comparison since the reg iPhone 12 doesn’t have the telephoto lens.
I noticed that the 12 Pro has much improved edge detection, maybe due to LiDAR idk, but it recognizes small spaces now too, it's just much better. I'm sure they use the new sensor to help improve it, although they didn't talk about it
 
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