Terrible pictures taken on 5S and 3 Apple Rep's say "it's normal"

[Lisa Bradley]

I had an I phone 3 and 4 and really liked the pictures, but, wanted to zoom on video and thought the 5S would produce even better pictures. I took pictures with the 4S that I had blown up to poster size and they were great. However, every picture I have taken of people outside in the bright sunlight, at dusk, or in the evening have been HORRIBLE! I tried auto focus, flash, no flash, HDR, no HDR, zoom before or no zoom at all, but nothing made a difference. As soon as I zoom in on the picture, everybody looks like cartoon characters. They are so grainy that I can't even have a 3 X 5 made. And if they are not grainy, the people are completely washed out. So I had to go to the Apple Store last night. Like usual, I saw at least 40 people working, but the majority of them walked by the mounds of waiting customers and then hid in the back room. My appt time was for 7:50, but I was there until after 10 pm. In the end, I had 3 Apple rep's check my phone and tell me the exact same line of bull: "the phone is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing". I was told that I can't expect any better quality because after all it is just a camera phone with a "digital zoom". And even though every picture I have taken of people outside in every type of light source sucks terribly they kept repeating that "Apple has the best camera phone". Then they all lied to my face and said that if my terrible pictures were their pictures, they would be perfectly happy with them. How can you be happy with a picture that can't be blown up to even a 3 x 5? I had at least 10 close up pictures of Elton John (I was in the 3rd row) and not ONE of them can be used. The same thing happened at the beach and amusement park. I also need to mention that I was also informed that the $90 Life Proof case and many other cases they sell to their consumers, are not appropriate for the 5S. Oh yes, multiple rep's told me that the cases block the field of view and severely hinders the camera phones capabilities. But yet they continue to market and sell them as 5S appropriate cases! I took my $90 case off when I was trouble shooting my "normal 5S" and it did NOT make a difference in pix quality. Two hours and 15 minutes later the manager sold me a $100 camera phone lens which is apparently required unless I want everyone to look like Johnny Bravo. So far, I have invested money in a very expensive cell phone that cannot be used to take outdoor family pictures, a $90 5S case that is WORTHLESS and non refundable, and a $100 camera phone lens that will more then likely not make a bit of difference. I am really feeling like a CHUMP! Because I have had my phone for 45 days, they cannot refund my money. My son's 5S does the exact same thing. Apparently digital lens is meant for nature scenes and not people pictures. WOW, that would have been helpful in making my decision BEFORE I gave them my 4G. Their phone is JUNK, their cases are JUNK but they just keep ripping people off because they know they have you over a barrel. I have spent hundreds of dollars in Apps and even more in I Tunes music. Up until recently, my ONLY complaint about Apple was their lack of concern for even average customer service. There is only 1 Apple Store within a 150 mile radius and there customer service is 10 times worse then my local DMV! The I phone 5S has totally missed the mark and has lost a loyal customer for life. They have falsely advertised this product capability and I think they should be held accountable. I tried to attach the pictures for your viewing, but, I couldn't get them to attach. Imagine that! Boy this is SO frustrating.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I'm curious. Have you ever restored your phone to new? Or did they try that during your Genius appointment? It's quite possible there is a minor software problem.

And by the way, I'm assuming you saw Elton John in a dark setting. You can't expect a nearly perfect picture in low-light when you're zooming in.

In the pic attached is one of the many zoomed in pics and videos I took with my 5S at a Lana Del Rey concert a couple of months ago. These pictures aren't going to be that great.
View attachment 61782

 

[the_tech_eater]

I had an I phone 3 and 4 and really liked the pictures, but, wanted to zoom on video and thought the 5S would produce even better pictures. I took pictures with the 4S that I had blown up to poster size and they were great. However, every picture I have taken of people outside in the bright sunlight, at dusk, or in the evening have been HORRIBLE! I tried auto focus, flash, no flash, HDR, no HDR, zoom before or no zoom at all, but nothing made a difference. As soon as I zoom in on the picture, everybody looks like cartoon characters. They are so grainy that I can't even have a 3 X 5 made. And if they are not grainy, the people are completely washed out. So I had to go to the Apple Store last night. Like usual, I saw at least 40 people working, but the majority of them walked by the mounds of waiting customers and then hid in the back room. My appt time was for 7:50, but I was there until after 10 pm. In the end, I had 3 Apple rep's check my phone and tell me the exact same line of bull: "the phone is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing". I was told that I can't expect any better quality because after all it is just a camera phone with a "digital zoom". And even though every picture I have taken of people outside in every type of light source sucks terribly they kept repeating that "Apple has the best camera phone". Then they all lied to my face and said that if my terrible pictures were their pictures, they would be perfectly happy with them. How can you be happy with a picture that can't be blown up to even a 3 x 5? I had at least 10 close up pictures of Elton John (I was in the 3rd row) and not ONE of them can be used. The same thing happened at the beach and amusement park. I also need to mention that I was also informed that the $90 Life Proof case and many other cases they sell to their consumers, are not appropriate for the 5S. Oh yes, multiple rep's told me that the cases block the field of view and severely hinders the camera phones capabilities. But yet they continue to market and sell them as 5S appropriate cases! I took my $90 case off when I was trouble shooting my "normal 5S" and it did NOT make a difference in pix quality. Two hours and 15 minutes later the manager sold me a $100 camera phone lens which is apparently required unless I want everyone to look like Johnny Bravo. So far, I have invested money in a very expensive cell phone that cannot be used to take outdoor family pictures, a $90 5S case that is WORTHLESS and non refundable, and a $100 camera phone lens that will more then likely not make a bit of difference. I am really feeling like a CHUMP! Because I have had my phone for 45 days, they cannot refund my money. My son's 5S does the exact same thing. Apparently digital lens is meant for nature scenes and not people pictures. WOW, that would have been helpful in making my decision BEFORE I gave them my 4G. Their phone is JUNK, their cases are JUNK but they just keep ripping people off because they know they have you over a barrel. I have spent hundreds of dollars in Apps and even more in I Tunes music. Up until recently, my ONLY complaint about Apple was their lack of concern for even average customer service. There is only 1 Apple Store within a 150 mile radius and there customer service is 10 times worse then my local DMV! The I phone 5S has totally missed the mark and has lost a loyal customer for life. They have falsely advertised this product capability and I think they should be held accountable. I tried to attach the pictures for your viewing, but, I couldn't get them to attach. Imagine that! Boy this is SO frustrating.

Post some examples.

 

[Ledsteplin]

For low light photos, use Cortex Camera. A friend mentioned it and I tried it. Works great.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cortex-camera/id517488939?mt=8&at=10l3Vy

 

[Lisa Bradley]

Thank you for your response. I purchased the phone brand new from the Apple Store just 45 days ago and when I took it in yesterday, they said they checked it for software issues and filter problems, but, claim there is nothing wrong? Initially, when the Apple Rep looked at my pictures he was puzzled by the way they looked. Then he went in the back to go check my filters and returned to tell me that the phone is working exactly the way it should. Unfortunately, if that is what they are telling me, I am at their mercy. Although Elton John concert was dark, the pictures I took at the amusement park and beach were in the bright sunlight and at dusk and they are just as bad. In the past, I took my 4G to concerts and although the pictures were great, they were good enough to blow up to 5 x 7. I have had an I phone since 2009 and have never had such ugly pictures. They look great when you snap them, but when you go to zoom in, either before or after you take the photos, they turn cartoonish. I don't understand and the Apple Store Reps can't explain it either, but, because their diagnostic test say there are no problems, they won't do anything about it and I have given Apple entirely too much money to be treated this way. I don't know why they couldn't exchange it for the 4G, which was my only request, or refund my money so I could buy something else? There is no such thing as good customer service with Apple. They act like they are doing us a favor. Thanks again for your response. It nice to know someone is listening.

 

[Lisa Bradley]

I appreciate your response, but, the last thing I want to do is purchase something else. The Apple Store Manager sold me an Olloclip 5S telephoto lens. Are you saying he should have sold me a different lens? I don't understand why I am having to purchase an additional lens? Especially when Apple advertises the 5S as "What makes the iSight camera so remarkable is how beautiful photos look without your having to do anything at all. Just aim and shoot. That’s it. iPhone knows the best setting to use and how intense the flash should be, and it automatically recognizes faces in the frame. All because of the advanced technologies custom designed for the camera’s hardware and software. It just makes more sense to teach iPhone how to take a great picture rather than teach people how to be expert photographers." And goes on to say: "The new iSight camera on iPhone 5s builds on the iPhone 5 camera in ways that make a real difference to your photos. It captures beautiful images at 8 megapixels. What makes them beautiful is a redesigned camera sensor that allows for bigger pixels. Bigger pixels equal better photos. And better photos are precisely what inspired the advancements we made with the new iSight camera on iPhone 5s.

I don't see anything in the advertisement about having to buy additional lenses. This is becoming enormously expensive. That is why I consider this phone a huge false advertisement! I appreciate your response, but, I cannot afford to spend anymore money at this time.

 

[ajl]

I appreciate your response, but, the last thing I want to do is purchase something else. The Apple Store Manager sold me an Olloclip 5S telephoto lens. Are you saying he should have sold me a different lens? I don't understand why I am having to purchase an additional lens? Especially when Apple advertises the 5S as "What makes the iSight camera so remarkable is how beautiful photos look without your having to do anything at all. Just aim and shoot. That’s it. iPhone knows the best setting to use and how intense the flash should be, and it automatically recognizes faces in the frame. All because of the advanced technologies custom designed for the camera’s hardware and software. It just makes more sense to teach iPhone how to take a great picture rather than teach people how to be expert photographers." And goes on to say: "The new iSight camera on iPhone 5s builds on the iPhone 5 camera in ways that make a real difference to your photos. It captures beautiful images at 8 megapixels. What makes them beautiful is a redesigned camera sensor that allows for bigger pixels. Bigger pixels equal better photos. And better photos are precisely what inspired the advancements we made with the new iSight camera on iPhone 5s.

I don't see anything in the advertisement about having to buy additional lenses. This is becoming enormously expensive. That is why I consider this phone a huge false advertisement! I appreciate your response, but, I cannot afford to spend anymore money at this time.

He should not have had to sell you any lense.

 

[Highrisedrifter]

I have had nothing but good customer service from Apple and countless others on here echo that. However, many, like you, have reported that they have received poor customer service from Apple. There is no common denominator as we have all used different stores and different reps within those stores.

The thing is, you had to ask the phone to stretch a bit during the Elton John concert. Not only was it a dark setting, which would cause hte camera to work overtime anyway but you also used the digital zoom.

A digital zoom does everything in post processing so all it actually does it enlarge the pixels that already exist, rather then adjusting the actual focal length of the lens to capture that same pixel density from closer to the subject. This is exactly the same across all phone cameras and the vast majority of affordable consumer DSLRs.

A digital zoom is exactly like resizing and cropping the picture afterwards in Photoshop or other image editing software; it's a false economy and you will almost never get as good a picture using digital zoom as against optical zoom.

You are better off not zooming at all, or only a tiny bit, and cropping the picture to size afterwards yourself.

 

[finn5975]

Highrisedrifter is exactly right regarding the zoom feature. It is better to not even use zoom because doing so can cause even worse pictures as it picks up 'hand-shakiness' to a larger degree. You are better off taking a normal pic, and then cropping to get the same zoom effect, as Highrisedrifter mentions.

Beyond this however, it sounds like you are having more pressing issues such as taking photos in normal daylight, no zoom, and not being able to use them if printed at a larger size. It would be very helpful if you would take the time to upload examples for us to see. It is difficult to help when we do not know the extent of what we are dealing with. Given the fact that there is a 22-page sticky showing ample examples of excellent pictures taken with the device, I would like to see what your camera is producing.

Keep in mind, just because someone works at Apple, doesn't mean they are an expert and doesn't mean they are right. You will have to use some due dilligence on your end as well in order know if you are being provided prudent advice.....or just getting the run-around from some kid who cannot wait for his shift to be over. There is no reason you should need an additional lens just to take quality pictures. That is a waste of money.

As far as the Life Proof case goes, it is certainly viable as a case for the 5S and is marketed appropriately as such. But remember, any time you place your phone in a case that places an additional layer of anything from glass to plastic over the camera lens, you are running the risk of affecting the picture quality. That is just a fact of life. That additional layer can dull, become dirty, reflect light, distort images, etc. That doesn't make the case non-iphone 5S compatible. That is a compromise for going water-proof.

 

[Lisa Bradley]

The Elton John concert was only one of the examples I gave. I also said I took pictures in the bright light, dusk and other conditions and they are all horrible. As I stated before, up until this 5S I was a huge Apple fan. I have an Apple Desktop, 3 I pods and 3 Apple laptops, just to name a few. But I call it the way it is and the 5S takes the worst pictures I have ever seen. I depended on this phone to capture moments that are precious to me. If you read Apple's endorsement of this phone and you watch their video advertisement of 5S, they promise amazing pictures in any light. I can't get even slightly good pictures in even the day light. I can't tell you how upset I feel to know that I cannot make permanent memories out of any of the photos. I am trying to attach the pictures, but, it won't work? Please let me know if you can see any of these I have attempted to attach.

 

[kataran]

I see one photo of a drummer it does look a little off where was this taken and is it a zoomed in photo?

 

[finn5975]

Lisa, let me ask you to look at the following two pictures and tell me if you would consider them acceptable.


Both taken with my iPhone 5S. Neither pixelate when zoomed.


Sent from my iPhone using iMore Forums

 

[kataran]

Thank you for your response. I purchased the phone brand new from the Apple Store just 45 days ago and when I took it in yesterday, they said they checked it for software issues and filter problems, but, claim there is nothing wrong? Initially, when the Apple Rep looked at my pictures he was puzzled by the way they looked. Then he went in the back to go check my filters and returned to tell me that the phone is working exactly the way it should. Unfortunately, if that is what they are telling me, I am at their mercy. Although Elton John concert was dark, the pictures I took at the amusement park and beach were in the bright sunlight and at dusk and they are just as bad. In the past, I took my 4G to concerts and although the pictures were great, they were good enough to blow up to 5 x 7. I have had an I phone since 2009 and have never had such ugly pictures. They look great when you snap them, but when you go to zoom in, either before or after you take the photos, they turn cartoonish. I don't understand and the Apple Store Reps can't explain it either, but, because their diagnostic test say there are no problems, they won't do anything about it and I have given Apple entirely too much money to be treated this way. I don't know why they couldn't exchange it for the 4G, which was my only request, or refund my money so I could buy something else? There is no such thing as good customer service with Apple. They act like they are doing us a favor. Thanks again for your response. It nice to know someone is listening.

Welcome to iMore Lisa

My photos look great taken in any light situation and there's a lot of examples on our site to support that the 5s takes pictures as advertised so I would go back to the Apple Store and ask for a manager and calmly explain your issue and you should have your device replaced with a new one seeing as it's only been 45 days

 

[kataran]

Lisa, let me ask you to look at the following two pictures and tell me if you would consider them acceptable.
View attachment 61829View attachment 61830

Both taken with my iPhone 5S. Neither pixelate when zoomed.


Sent from my iPhone using iMore Forums

That's some nice photos buddy

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

Sorry. That photo you provided only proves that the person taking the picture is a big factor in photo taking. You are completely zoomed in in dusk.

And to say "there is no such thing as good customer service with Apple" is a bit of a stretch. Millions and millions would probably tend to disagree with you. Including my little old self.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

Here's a picture I took on vacation down in Key West, Florida of the sunset and I had to zoom in.

View attachment 61837

 

[Lisa Bradley]

I am not sure how to take your response of the "given the fact that there is a 22 page sticky showing ample examples of excellent pictures taken with the device"? I hope you were not saying it to be nasty or to make me look stupid because that is not helpful. I am going to assume you did not mean anything negative. It's not like Apple is going to release their grainy, blurry crappy pictures and who knows how many times those have been edited.? Furthermore, its not helpful to me unless I can get my 5S to do the same. I have tried to take pictures without zooming first and there is no difference. I have tried auto focus, flash, no flash and no difference. I would have no problem if there were maybe 1 bad one to every 4 good ones, but, every pictures leaves me scratching my head and very upset. I have done my due diligence in researching everything which is why I did not take the phone back immediately. I assumed I was doing something wrong, or had something weird on settings? When I couldn't figure it out, I made an appt with the genius bar. I know this phone does not take proper photos and I believe its the 5S itself because my son's phone does the same thing. I am a Registered Nurse and consider myself fairly intelligent. I will never claim to be tech savvy and by today's standards I might even be considered technologically challenged. I would rather research new meds and medical diseases then info on I phones which is why I depended on the Apple reps. As far as the phone Life cases are concerned the reps told me they should not be used. Those are their words, not mine. They were initially trying to blame the crappy pictures on the case and then when I told them I did not have the case on during the most recent pictures, they did not know what to say. My point is, why continue to sell them to people if they should not be used when taking photo's. Like who is going to pop that case off every time they want to take a picture? The case was not easy to get off. I can understand that dirty or scratched up cases can effect the pictures, but, their claim is that they should not be used AT ALL. I just wander what runs through their mind when they are taking customers money for a product that they know doesn't work? My phone is 45 days old and I bought it brand new from the Apple Store. My case is about 22 days old. The Life case feature of having to have the adaptor on in order to use the headphones was, in my opinion, a very poor design. My son purchased it for me because it was waterproof and I tried to use it so I would not hurt his feelings, but, between the constant misplacing of the adaptor and the crappy photos, I just took it off. Turns out, it did not change the quality of the pictures at all.

 

[finn5975]

I am not sure how to take your response of the "given the fact that there is a 22 page sticky showing ample examples of excellent pictures taken with the device"? I hope you were not saying it to be nasty or to make me look stupid because that is not helpful. I am going to assume you did not mean anything negative. It's not like Apple is going to release their grainy, blurry crappy pictures and who knows how many times those have been edited.? Furthermore, its not helpful to me unless I can get my 5S to do the same. I have tried to take pictures without zooming first and there is no difference. I have tried auto focus, flash, no flash and no difference. I would have no problem if there were maybe 1 bad one to every 4 good ones, but, every pictures leaves me scratching my head and very upset. I have done my due diligence in researching everything which is why I did not take the phone back immediately. I assumed I was doing something wrong, or had something weird on settings? When I couldn't figure it out, I made an appt with the genius bar. I know this phone does not take proper photos and I believe its the 5S itself because my son's phone does the same thing. I am a Registered Nurse and consider myself fairly intelligent. I will never claim to be tech savvy and by today's standards I might even be considered technologically challenged. I would rather research new meds and medical diseases then info on I phones which is why I depended on the Apple reps. As far as the phone Life cases are concerned the reps told me they should not be used. Those are their words, not mine. They were initially trying to blame the crappy pictures on the case and then when I told them I did not have the case on during the most recent pictures, they did not know what to say. My point is, why continue to sell them to people if they should not be used when taking photo's. Like who is going to pop that case off every time they want to take a picture? The case was not easy to get off. I can understand that dirty or scratched up cases can effect the pictures, but, their claim is that they should not be used AT ALL. I just wander what runs through their mind when they are taking customers money for a product that they know doesn't work? My phone is 45 days old and I bought it brand new from the Apple Store. My case is about 22 days old. The Life case feature of having to have the adaptor on in order to use the headphones was, in my opinion, a very poor design. My son purchased it for me because it was waterproof and I tried to use it so I would not hurt his feelings, but, between the constant misplacing of the adaptor and the crappy photos, I just took it off. Turns out, it did not change the quality of the pictures at all. View attachment 61831View attachment 61832View attachment 61833View attachment 61834View attachment 61835View attachment 61836

Not at all trying to come off as negative or condescending towards you. However, when you are making statements such as "the iPhone 5S has totally missed the mark" and they have "falsely advertised this product's capability", then yes, I do think it is pertinent to point out that we have a 22 page thread showing a large number of incredible photos submitted by forum members, not Apple's marketing team.

You would not be the first person to have purchased a phone with a faulty camera. If you have troubleshot the problems to the extent you have mentioned, then it's likely time you demand a replacement. If you are having issues with an iPhone 5S camera, yet the rest of us are not, then it clearly isn't due to the iPhone 5S having 'missed the mark'.


For reference, here is a pic I took with the lifeproof case on, on a very overcast day. For a camera phone, I find this acceptable.


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[Lisa Bradley]

What does it mean to have Ambassador under your name? Do you work with or in coordination with Apple? I showed them my horrible pictures and they were saying they were acceptable to them. I can assure you that they were a train wreck. So how does your clear, acceptable pictures relate to what I showed them? Believe me, and I promise I am not saying this sarcastically, I am so happy that you can get your 5S to take great photos, but, If I can't get my 5S to take good photos, its not helpful to me? I have attached a few of my pictures on other posts and I can assure you they are terrible. I will give you a similar example of identical products that are not truly identical. I purchased a comforter for my bed about 6 months ago from a particular web site. I received it in a very short amount of time, I had awesome customer service. The comforter is beautiful and works perfectly. I gave my sister in law the name of the company and the item number so she could order one. She had terrible customer service, it took her 5 weeks to get it and when she finally got it, the comforter was torn and the colors looked completely off? She returned it and the second one came rather quickly and the colors were perfect, but their was a huge brown stain in the center of it. Two identical order numbers with 2 totally different results.? According to the Apple experts, my phone works properly. But, my pictures speak a thousand words. Trust me, I would LOVE to have great pictures. I only wished I would have kept my 4G.

 

[finn5975]

We are showing you pictures to show that, while you have condemned the phone as a whole and have claimed it is not capable of living up to it's claims, we see otherwise.

How does this help you?

Return your phone for a working one. If they say your phone is fine, then show them your pictures compared to ours.


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