Ok. Yeah I suppose you may have a defective unit. Many of them from launch day/week had issues as seen in this thread. I bought mine in late December after the rush of getting them out was over and QC had improved. I actually have two silver 17 pro max phones because I love photography as well. I started back in the film days, converted to digital in 2001 with a Nikon D1x.
I hope you didn’t find my post offensive or off, I didn’t know your photography background. Both of my 17 pro max iPhones are equally the same regarding the cameras and display. I picked them up at the Apple Store. The style has grown on me, the 16 pro’s and below look basic now in comparison. Did you get the 17 pro max on launch day? I didn’t know there are faulty displays out there or different manufacturers. I did see the thread on the screen lottery that was posted, but I didn’t look at it. I must have the OLED Samsung as well on both. No tinting at all & both are equal.
I came from the 16 pro max & upgraded to the 17 PM. Mainly because the 16 pro was getting very warm with basic functionality and warmer still when editing in Lightroom. As a long time photographer, I can easily see the difference in image quality. Distant faces and fine details in tree limbs seen on my 17’s has been great. I love the quality I’m getting. I’m glad you like the air, it’s a unique iPhone for sure and the white one has the “Bling” look to it.