iPhone 17 Pro Unimpressed with 17 series camera quality

[cjsuk]

Great edit! My shot was straight out of camera since I don't have the patience or skills to do such things hehe. But yes distortion on the corners isn't a concern unless pixel peeping, just showing that the Air do not lose focus or decrease sharpness on the corners that much compared to your 17 pro on certain shots

Yeah it certainly does a better job than the Pro does! I'm annoyed I didn't buy the standard 17 as the camera in that is same as the Air.

I don't generally edit my photos since I value straight out of camera quality, and also, I don't want a camera that needs editing just to look decent. My iPhone 17 Air just gives better than any dedicated camera when it comes to straight out of camera shots IMHO

Are you sure? People forgot what photos look like when smartphones came along.

Nikon F80 + 50mm f/1.8 + Ilford HP5 - no edit or crop (25 year old camera / lens with 100 year old technology):

Nikon Z5ii + 40mm f/2 + no edit or crop:

 

[ToddH]

I just got the 17 pro max and it seems that the 4x @ 48mp isn’t always 48mp. The camera seems to choose 12mp if the light is too low and pushes the camera to 4000 ISO. Do you folks with the 17 pro see this oddity with the camera? Even 3rd party apps that allow me to hard select 4x @ 48mp I usually get 12mp instead. That’s weird. It’s like the camera is selective on what it wants. So if I take photos in a restaurant with somewhat low ambience, will I not get 48mp from the 4x? I haven’t seen an issue with the 1x and the two sensors are closely the same size. Will some of you test this please?

When the resolution is set to 24mp, the 4x will provide 24mp instead of 12, which nobody wants 12mp anymore

 

[nunolikeapple]

I just got the 17 pro max and it seems that the 4x @ 48mp isn’t always 48mp. The camera seems to choose 12mp if the light is too low and pushes the camera to 4000 ISO. Do you folks with the 17 pro see this oddity with the camera? Even 3rd party apps that allow me to hard select 4x @ 48mp I usually get 12mp instead. That’s weird. It’s like the camera is selective on what it wants. So if I take photos in a restaurant with somewhat low ambience, will I not get 48mp from the 4x? I haven’t seen an issue with the 1x and the two sensors are closely the same size. Will some of you test this please?

When the resolution is set to 24mp, the 4x will provide 24mp instead of 12, which nobody wants 12mp anymore

That's a good point.
I need to test that out. I hardly ever use the telephoto lens, and when I do, it's always in daylight, so I haven't noticed that until now.

I use both ProCam apps. But my best telephoto results are from ProCam from Ashutosh Billa.

Im supper happy with this unit, splendid results from the wide camera at 48MP.

 

[Abstract]

I haven’t seen the recent Apple keynotes, but when the 48MP sensors were announced (in the 14PM), it was intended for the (output) photos to be 12MP, with 48MP only available in RAW, and only if you shot at 1x (i.e. didn’t zoom).

So basically, using the main (wide) camera, shooting at 1x meant that your 48MP sensor would be used to capture the photo, but would be processed so that the data from 4 pixels (2x2) would be used to create 1 pixel in the photo. When you zoomed to 2x, it wouldn’t do any of this interpretation. It would simply use the sensor’s central 12MP to capture and produce a 12MP photo (no interpolation).

Either way, you don’t get a 48 MP photo, but the photo taken at 1x (no zoom) should technically be better because of the interpolation. Having said that, a photo taken at 2x should have no distortion or corner sharpness issues because it’s taking the photo with the central part of the lens.



Anyway….iPhone 17 and Air use the same main sensor, and this sensor is smaller than the one in the 17 Pro. From reading the posts here, it sounds like the LiDAR may be the issue because the more basic “contrast-detect AF” should result in perfect sharpness all the time!! The 17 and Air only use contrast-detect, so isn’t seeing these issues.

 

[schnitzel-pretzel]

Anyone having trouble with this might want to give Adobe Project Indigo a shot. It's free (for now, I guess) and creates very natural looking photos IMHO.

 

[cjsuk]

I worked out how to get half decent photos out of the iPhone 17 Pro at least.

Open whatever garbage fell out in Adobe Lightroom Classic. Crop it into something interesting. Fix ballsed up white balance. Set clarity to -20. Mask the whole damn thing. Turn sharpness down to -45. Feck with the contrast until it looks nice. Turn the colour temp up +5. Export at lower res than the original shot.

Works every time.

 

[schnitzel-pretzel]

I worked out how to get half decent photos out of the iPhone 17 Pro at least.

Open whatever garbage fell out in Adobe Lightroom Classic. Crop it into something interesting. Fix ballsed up white balance. Set clarity to -20. Mask the whole damn thing. Turn sharpness down to -45. Feck with the contrast until it looks nice. Turn the colour temp up +5. Export at lower res than the original shot.

Works every time.

You really should try Project Indigo. It basically makes photos that look like that... No sharpening, reduced contrast, etc.

 

[cjsuk]

You really should try Project Indigo. It basically makes photos that look like that... No sharpening, reduced contrast, etc.

I’ll take a look at that.

I have consciously decided to just lug a camera around with me if I want to take photos and ignore the iPhone though.

This is an 11 year old camera with a 20 year old lens that cost less than the difference between the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. I was also absolutely hammered and had a kebab in my hand when I took that.

 

[adrianlondon]

I was also absolutely hammered and had a kebab in my hand when I took that.

If you need alcohol and a kebab each time you take a good photo, you have to include the cost of those in your calculations 😁

 

[cjsuk]

If you need alcohol and a kebab each time you take a good photo, you have to include the cost of those in your calculations 😁

I'm doomed. That is all.

 

[ToddH]

You really should try Project Indigo. It basically makes photos that look like that... No sharpening, reduced contrast, etc.

I tried that app yesterday, I didn’t care for it, only 12mp resolution. There’s not much to choose in the settings either. I prefer strait up ProRaw. Then I sometimes use RNI Films if I want a retro look.

 

[schnitzel-pretzel]

I tried that app yesterday, I didn’t care for it, only 12mp resolution. There’s not much to choose in the settings either. I prefer strait up ProRaw. Then I sometimes use RNI Films if I want a retro look.

Hey, fair enough. I also love ProRAW shots... As long as I export the DNG to Lightroom, turn the sharpening down to zero, etc. It can turn out a pretty great shot, but it's annoying to have to do that every time. For just everyday snapshots, I use Project Indigo on my 17 Pro now, and, yes the 12MP is annoying but... It's just a snapshot.

Carrying around a camera isn't something I'm willing to do regularly tbh.

 

[ToddH]

Hey, fair enough. I also love ProRAW shots... As long as I export the DNG to Lightroom, turn the sharpening down to zero, etc. It can turn out a pretty great shot, but it's annoying to have to do that every time. For just everyday snapshots, I use Project Indigo on my 17 Pro now, and, yes the 12MP is annoying but... It's just a snapshot.

Carrying around a camera isn't something I'm willing to do regularly tbh.

Agreed! I import my raw files to Lightroom also. I use presets I’ve purchased and made for the photos. I really like Tyler Stalman’s preset set, I set my sharpening to 25 and adjust from there after applying the preset. I like the Procamera by Moment app, it’s a good one. Manual focus with peeking is great when I need to use it.

 

[nunolikeapple]

I dont have any issues so far with iOS 26.2.

Great results so far.

 

[alastorfra]

I dont have any issues so far with iOS 26.2.

Great results so far.

I still have the same issue.

Iphone 14 pro is much sharper than my new 17 pro

 

[ToddH]

So far I am very impressed & happy with the 17 pro max cameras. The clarity is the best I’ve seen lately on an iPhone. The battery is also fantastic. Apple did well on this iPhone. I bought mine (x2 pro max Silver) last week. I usually wait for several months after launch to buy the new iPhone so that the rush to manufacture them has slowed to provide better quality control. Both of my 17 pro max iPhone cameras are exactly the same in image quality.

ProRaw on these editing made to look somewhat retro.


1x

4x

8x

 

[nunolikeapple]

I had issues with my previous three units; all of them suffered from a lack of clarity and definition in 48MP ProRAW on the wide camera. Plus, they were equipped with poor LG screens. This new unit, however, has a superb Samsung display and a main camera that delivers fantastic results. The detail is amazing—it’s right on par with my super sharp 16 Pro Max.

Main wide - ProRaw48 (ProCam).

 

[miemo]

I had issues with my previous three units; all of them suffered from a lack of clarity and definition in 48MP ProRAW on the wide camera. Plus, they were equipped with poor LG screens. This new unit, however, has a superb Samsung display and a main camera that delivers fantastic results. The detail is amazing—it’s right on par with my super sharp 16 Pro Max.

It’s pretty damn concerning that Apple forces the users to try FOUR different units of their Pro-lineup devices before it produces results that are on par with older models, on an aspect that’s advertised as one of the main reasons to have a Pro device to begin with.

How did you manage to do the exchanges, did you complain about the image quality or just use a return window on each?

Personally, I’ve started to loose hope that my Apple support request will end up with anything conclusive. Last I heard from them was in the beginning of December, only to have them requesting stuff I had already shared with them on day one of the months long discussions. So kinda feels they hadn’t properly looked into the situation at all at least by then.

So I’ve basically adjusted my expectations and now treat the expensive 17 Pro as something that’s suitable for quick social media photos but nothing more, and carry a proper camera along much more often…

 

[Antaris]

I worked out how to get half decent photos out of the iPhone 17 Pro at least.

Open whatever garbage fell out in Adobe Lightroom Classic. Crop it into something interesting. Fix ballsed up white balance. Set clarity to -20. Mask the whole damn thing. Turn sharpness down to -45. Feck with the contrast until it looks nice. Turn the colour temp up +5. Export at lower res than the original shot.

Works every time.

Who are big name camera quality reviewers giving iPhone the third bestest ever phone if all of these problems exist? (IMHO, I've seen a couple of issues but - overall - it's still better than the S25 Ultra. )

 

[miemo]

Who are big name camera quality reviewers giving iPhone the third bestest ever phone if all of these problems exist? (IMHO, I've seen a couple of issues but - overall - it's still better than the S25 Ultra. )

Huh…?? The main issue in the message you quoted, i.e. oversharpening, has been mentioned times and times again in any reviews done by an actual photographer, not just a social media shill (i.e. influencer)

As for the other quality-related issues mentioned in this thread, I'm pretty sure Apple double checks every device they send to their high-profile reviewers so none of this "try four different devices before you land with one that actually produces what it's supposed to"-issues apply.

 

[ToddH]

I have two silver 17 pro max iPhones & I purchased them in late December from the Apple Store. I got one, then a week later I bought another. Both iPhones have the exact same camera quality and resolution / sharpness. I’m really impressed with both. Usually, I will wait a few months after they launch to buy them because quality control seems to be a lot better as they’re not rushed to get them out. Even though the 1x & .5x cameras are reportedly the same, I do believe that the optics & or sensor may have changed for the better. There is a lot more detail in the photos I take indoors & out compared to previous iPhone models.

Previously I would see heavy distortion in the corners of a photo when shooting a photo of a document, now there is little to no distortion in the corners. So, something was changed & improved in the 17 pro cameras. Less over sharpening as well. It also helps to have a photography background and know how to use a camera & to use light to get the best results. Both of my 17 pro max phones / cameras are very consistent with one another. One is not better than the other.

 

[cjsuk]

Who are big name camera quality reviewers giving iPhone the third bestest ever phone if all of these problems exist? (IMHO, I've seen a couple of issues but - overall - it's still better than the S25 Ultra. )

Dunno but they probably have crap in their eyes.

 

[cookiemonster89]

I recently switched to the Air from the 17 Pro Max and the 17 Pro Max main camera has noticeably worse image quality (raised blacks than the new Air). Do you notice this on your units also?

Air on the left, 17 Pro Max on the right:

 

[ToddH]

I recently switched to the Air from the 17 Pro Max and the 17 Pro Max main camera has noticeably worse image quality (raised blacks than the new Air). Do you notice this on your units also?

Air on the left, 17 Pro Max on the right:

View attachment 2594725View attachment 2594724

Raised blacks… hmm. I can see a difference, I also see that the camera wasn’t adjusted before taking the photo. I bet if you open the 17 pro max photo from the camera roll and touch edit and increase the contrast it will look exactly like the air image. The cameras in the iPhone either use spot metering if you touch to focus. Auto focus uses matrix metering. If you let the iPhone camera make all the decisions for you when taking a photo, then yeah, quality will differ quite a bit from different phone camera models and you’ll have nothing more than a point & shoot camera. You need to adjust the exposure to increase contrast and improve richer colors, then edit the photo further to improve the final image. You should have kept the 17 pro max because all you had to do was make simple adjustments prior to or after taking the photo instead of letting the cameras default settings do it all for you. Every camera is just a tool. You have to fully control the camera if you want the best results. Anytime the camera sees a lot of black or dark colors, the cameras metering system will brighten the dark colors to more of a light black or gray etc. the photos you have shown us, the lighter colored one is over exposed by 1/4 of a stop. Were you using a photographic style setting for the lighter shot on either iPhone? A small contrast adjustment will fix the blacks in the lighter image & it will look just like the Air photo. The 17 pro max probably had a low contrast setting in one of the styles. Or the Air has a high contrast setting adjustment. Either way it’s an easy fix. Touch to focus on the object and drag your finger down on the screen and it will get darker (decreasing exposure) and this will increase contrast and color richness.

I have the 17 pro max and it’s fantastic. For example: two shots I just took.

1. Allowing the camera to do everything for me and controlling the exposure, contrast, etc. the image is over exposed & colors are muted. All I did was touch the shutter button.

2. Same subject but with exposure adjustment bringing the exposure down as my eye sees it. Much better color and contrast. Colors are richer and image is not over exposed, no highlights are blown. So there was nothing wrong with your 17 Pro Max, you just needed to make a simple exposure adjustment. I’d rather have three 48mp cameras with a telephoto than an iPhone air with just one camera. Go get your 17 PM back.

Here is another example straight out of the camera. One with no adjustment, the other with a exposure adjustment which increased color saturation and darkened the colors on the table, etc..

1. In this photo, the cameras software did everything for me. Nothing was adjusted.

In this photo, I decreased the exposure by -1 ev. There’s definitely a dramatic difference.

Same image but with a 25% contrast increase and a 35% shadow increase in the default camera editing app.

 

[cookiemonster89]

I am long into photography and know I can fix these. I did a lot more comparison shoots and the Air was always delivering the better looking results straight out of camera. And no photographic style was dialed in. People (faces) in particular looked somehow strange on the Pro. Maybe I got a defective unit, but when the Air gets the shoot right the first place, the Pro should be able to do these as well, right? Nevertheless the Air also has the good Samsung OLED whereas the Pro Max had the green tilt LG one. After I had the comparison I could no longer use the Pro Max. In the end the Air is such a beautiful phone whereas the 17 Pros are so ugly. By far the worst phone design Apple has ever done. I hope they improve the design somehow in the future.