On iPhone 12 Pro Max, what are the proper settings to make entire image in viewfinder be focused?

[Suzannesstud]

When I take pictures with my iPhone 12 Pro Max, the entire image is not coming clear. It appears to be focusing on one particular part of the image or an object in the image while the rest is blurred. I have also noticed that, sometimes, the entire image will appear clear as soon as I snap it, but then a processing timer quickly appears for a few seconds which, after it disappears, whatever processing was just happening, causes that same blur situation to occur even though it was completely clear in those couple of seconds after I snapped it but before that processing occurred.

On previous iPhones, each image was always fully clear with no blur in any part of it unless I snapped it too quickly before it could properly focus or if I shook to much while snapping it.

I know with iPhone 12 Pro Max, there are additional settings, such as Scene Detection and Smart HDR among others which I have enabled, but I’m not sure which way to set these to get things back like before where it stops blurring any parts of the image.

Any insight or tips on how to fix are greatly appreciated.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Try disabling live mode.

 

[Suzannesstud]

I’ve tried with and without live mode and with and without Raw mode, but it seems to still do that “processing” action, in all cases, which blurs parts of the image, or if it doesn’t, it has part of the image already blurred as soon as I snap it.

I’ve duplicated the settings that were on my older iPhone, but on the new ones, I’m not sure which is best.

On my older iPhone, images were fully clear with or without live, but I currently have it and Raw mode turned off in the camera UI whenever I am taking a picture.

A couple of things I have noticed is light level doesn’t seem to matter, and it always seems to focus on just one area of the image while blurring the rest. Both of those things seem to be consistent, but that processing action doesn’t seem to occur every time. When it does, the image is initially clear then gets blurred all but the one part that gets focused, and when it doesn’t, the image is initially blurred with just the one part focused and then it stays that way.

I am also making sure, every time I get ready to take pictures, that all of the lenses are good and properly clean with no dust particles or fingerprint smudges on them.

 

[EdwinG]

Try disabling Scene Detection?

Unfortunately, I don’t own an iPhone 12, so I can’t test any of this

 

[Annie_M]

I’ve tried with and without live mode and with and without Raw mode, but it seems to still do that “processing” action, in all cases, which blurs parts of the image, or if it doesn’t, it has part of the image already blurred as soon as I snap it.

I’ve duplicated the settings that were on my older iPhone, but on the new ones, I’m not sure which is best.

On my older iPhone, images were fully clear with or without live, but I currently have it and Raw mode turned off in the camera UI whenever I am taking a picture.

A couple of things I have noticed is light level doesn’t seem to matter, and it always seems to focus on just one area of the image while blurring the rest. Both of those things seem to be consistent, but that processing action doesn’t seem to occur every time. When it does, the image is initially clear then gets blurred all but the one part that gets focused, and when it doesn’t, the image is initially blurred with just the one part focused and then it stays that way.

I am also making sure, every time I get ready to take pictures, that all of the lenses are good and properly clean with no dust particles or fingerprint smudges on them.

Are you, by any chance, in portrait mode?

 

[Suzannesstud]

Are you, by any chance, in portrait mode?

I am just in regular photo mode with no zoom (1x). The problem happens with pictures taken in both landscape and photo orientations, though.

 

[Annie_M]

I am just in regular photo mode with no zoom (1x). The problem happens with pictures taken in both landscape and photo orientations, though.

Before the pandemic, Apple Stores had in-person classes in their "Today At Apple" series. many of which were about photography with the iPhone. Instructors were really knowledgeable about photography in general, as well as photography on an iPhone. If you are near an Apple store, you might schedule an appointment with the store's genius bar, specify that you're having issues with the camera... and hopefully one of the genius's will have the knowledge about the iPhone camera, and if not, pull in someone who does!

 

[Suzannesstud]

Before the pandemic, Apple Stores had in-person classes in their "Today At Apple" series. many of which were about photography with the iPhone. Instructors were really knowledgeable about photography in general, as well as photography on an iPhone. If you are near an Apple store, you might schedule an appointment with the store's genius bar, specify that you're having issues with the camera... and hopefully one of the genius's will have the knowledge about the iPhone camera, and if not, pull in someone who does!

Thank you so much! Next time I am by there, I will stop in to have them look at it.