iPhone 16 Pro Max Issues with ProRAW 48 and stock camera app

[ToddH]

Well I’m about to restore my iPhone again!!! Geez.. I don’t understand what’s going on here. The issue is only with the Desert Titanium model. After an iOS update, within two weeks the camera image quality goes to crap! My natural titanium 16 pro max has never had a camera or image quality issue. Only the gold one. I’ll have to restore the phone (again) to fix it. This is the worst model iPhone and possibly iOS that I’ve had. If apple doesn’t fix it, I’ll have to sell it or do an early upgrade and buy a new iPhone, probably black next time. Seems to only be a problem with the desert titanium models. Then I forget that stolen device protection is turned on and I have to wait for an hour (security delay) before it can be turned off. I either need to remember to turn it off before I do a restore an hour ahead or just leave it off. Annoying!!

 

[winxmac]

I also used to rely on Apple stock camera app but I have switched to ProShot although I don't have access to ProRAW since I'm using iPhone 11 Pro Max.

I used to believe that using the release version for the latest iPhone is the best thing, iOS 18 for iPhone 16 series, but because of stories like unneeded and unwanted changes, like the new Photos app and weird results from Apple stock camera app, the best thing to do is to go with an older version if you can, older iPhone and older iOS version.

 

[Moonboots22]

Well I’m about to restore my iPhone again!!! Geez.. I don’t understand what’s going on here. The issue is only with the Desert Titanium model. After an iOS update, within two weeks the camera image quality goes to crap! My natural titanium 16 pro max has never had a camera or image quality issue. Only the gold one. I’ll have to restore the phone (again) to fix it. This is the worst model iPhone and possibly iOS that I’ve had. If apple doesn’t fix it, I’ll have to sell it or do an early upgrade and buy a new iPhone, probably black next time. Seems to only be a problem with the desert titanium models. Then I forget that stolen device protection is turned on and I have to wait for an hour (security delay) before it can be turned off. I either need to remember to turn it off before I do a restore an hour ahead or just leave it off. Annoying!!

Todd, is it for both ProRAW and HEIF? And the symptoms are smudging and lost detail in the pics? I think I’ve encountered something similar.

 

[ToddH]

Todd, is it for both ProRAW and HEIF? And the symptoms are smudging and lost detail in the pics? I think I’ve encountered something similar.

Yeah, so far it’s basically the same for both formats. Last night I restored my desert titanium iPhone, I thought it was fixed, but it looks like I got worse. When I open up the camera now it’s laggy and choppy, and the image shown on the screen as I move my phone around isn’t smooth, just choppy for the first 20 seconds then it levels out. It basically seems like a focus issue, especially with distant & small objects, like limbs and leaves on trees. They look smudgy & soft. Since day one, my natural titanium iPhone has not had an issue. So I don’t know if this is a software problem or hardware problem. I’ve already had the desert titanium iPhone replaced once already because of this. Now the camera quality issues are happening again. So I don’t know if I have a specific app that’s causing the issue, or some sort of virus, who knows! I use the iPhone for my main camera a majority of the time and this is depressing and annoying. I don’t know if I should get another phone and if so, will I experience the same issues again. Apparently many of you iPhone users are dealing with the same thing.

 

[krvld]

It basically seems like a focus issue, especially with distant & small objects, like limbs and leaves on trees.

Like I stated previously — gotta take 2 shots: first with autofocus, second with manual focus. Much higher chance capturing those pesky little details.

 

[ToddH]

Well, I think I figured out what’s going on, but don’t have a fix for it. Whenever I use ProRAW on the phone that has the camera issues which is my desert titanium, I’ll open up the image immediately after taking it and zoom in to watch the layering effect of the raw file as it compiles and flattens the image. There seems to be segments missing from the layering effect of the many different photos & layers as the image is being processed. From what I remember, I think the iPhone takes nine separate images and layers them all together to create the raw file. It’s finishing too quickly & early, therefore I am left with a low resolution/pixelated image. The layering effect of the raw files should take about 5 to 6 seconds, the phone. I’m having issues with is completing it within three seconds. so let me know if any of you guys experience the same issues and try and guesstimate how long the layering affect takes place and post your results.

 

[jajo.j]

If real detail is what you look for, use Regular RAW 12MP and not ProRAW 48.

This is a closeup of the formats and although regraw is just 12MP it still has more real detail.

RegRAW 12MP

ProRAW 48MP

 

[nunolikeapple]

I miss the old good days with my 14 PM ProRaw samples; with more quality and consistency.

 

[Moonboots22]

If real detail is what you look for, use Regular RAW 12MP and not ProRAW 48.

This is a closeup of the formats and although regraw is just 12MP it still has more real detail.

View attachment 2500954

RegRAW 12MP

View attachment 2500955
ProRAW 48MP

I wish there was a way to shoot regular Bayer RAW from the stock app, because I like to have the option to quickly take a video of my kids when snapping photos. Live Photos are also fun for capturing memories but with my 16 Pro are a blurry mess in anything outside of great lighting. Very disappointing. I'm an "on device" editor with my photos so I don't use a desktop/laptop/iPad for anything. Still trying to figure out the cleanest workflow for getting good, usable shots (especially of kids, pets in regular indoor lighting) without having to do a daily deep editing session with the photos taken. It's a frustrating situation - my iPhone 11 Pro had more consistent results.

 

[krvld]

my iPhone 11 Pro had more consistent results.

It was also consistent between all the cameras. Especially in terms of white balance and exposure.

16 Pro can’t even keep same colors between 1x and 2x (which is a crop of the same sensor lol). Ultra Wide camera lives in its own world with much warmer white balance and colors.

Every shot from 16 Pro between 0.5x to 2x has no consistency and needs to be edited to have the same look, not even close to 11 Pro.

 

[Moonboots22]

It was also consistent between all the cameras. Especially in terms of white balance and exposure.

16 Pro can’t even keep same colors between 1x and 2x (which is a crop of the same sensor lol). Ultra Wide camera lives in its own world with much warmer white balance and colors.

Every shot from 16 Pro between 0.5x to 2x has no consistency and needs to be edited to have the same look, not even close to 11 Pro.

Absolutely - consistency across lenses is a great shout out. The disparity on the 16 Pro has made me mostly use the 1x lens. Occasionally the 5x, and the ultra wide almost never (unless a true macro shot is needed). I agree with @jajo.j 's take about Bayer RAW preserving the most detail, but I've found a middle ground recently for daily shots, as long as the stock camera app's focus cooperates - shoot in ProRAW Max, edits on an app that plays nicely within the Photos app (Stock photo editor, Darkroom), and then use the No RAW app which batch converts any RAWs or ProRAWs to HEIF and deletes the RAW, preserving resolution, HDR data in a smaller file size.

 

[ToddH]

Well, there’s something definitely going on with this phone now because every time I open the camera it’s very laggy and choppy looking until it smoothes out after a few seconds. Even when I use a third-party app and manual focus, the image quality still sucks. So I don’t know what’s going on here. I’m going to do another restore when I get home and see if I can set it up as a new phone without pushing any backups in because I could have something in my Files that causes the camera to go wacko like this. I just don’t understand why it’s this phone and not my other one because they are both the same model.

 

[ToddH]

If real detail is what you look for, use Regular RAW 12MP and not ProRAW 48.

This is a closeup of the formats and although regraw is just 12MP it still has more real detail.

View attachment 2500954

RegRAW 12MP

View attachment 2500955
ProRAW 48MP

Thanks for your input. I think I’ve tried that before, but I just don’t really like 12 megapixels anymore. I love looking at high resolution files and seeing those details. Yes it’s true that most of our images end up on the web or social media and high resolution is not required but when I do edit the photo having those extra megapixels there to crop if needed is very helpful. Otherwise you’ll just have to make sure you’re using the right focal length and tools to get the right shot when it’s at lower megapixel so you don’t have to crop.

 

[jajo.j]

Thanks for your input. I think I’ve tried that before, but I just don’t really like 12 megapixels anymore. I love looking at high resolution files and seeing those details. Yes it’s true that most of our images end up on the web or social media and high resolution is not required but when I do edit the photo having those extra megapixels there to crop if needed is very helpful. Otherwise you’ll just have to make sure you’re using the right focal length and tools to get the right shot when it’s at lower megapixel so you don’t have to crop.

I agree that high res is awesome but then it needs to have more real detail than 48MP ProRAW. My ProRAW looks softer than 12MP regular raw that has the DSLR look - super sharp and extremely detailed.

So I ignore the megapixels and look for real details in this case.

 

[ToddH]

Well, so far restoring my iPhone to factory settings and setting up as a new phone without pushing any backups in is not helping. No matter how many times I restore, image quality still sucks. So I’m convinced that it’s either a software issue or a hardware problem and I’ve already had this phone replaced once. I guess I’ll give Apple Support a call to let them know what’s going on with this phone again and go from there. Maybe they’ll send me another replacement who knows.

 

[jajo.j]

One general trick I found to get more detail and sharper ProRAW 48 is to reduce exposure.

iPhone needs low ISO to perform best. Same goes for Regular RAW. Apple dials down on the noise reduction which is the main reason that details are lost.

 

[Moonboots22]

@jajo.j - I was experimenting with this yesterday on ProCamera… using the ISO Priority and keeping it at sub-150. I was just doing it with HEIF, not RAW or ProRAW, but the 48MP HEIF pics on the “natural” setting look worlds better than anything I’ve gotten from the stock app, in medium to low light.

 

[Moonboots22]

One general trick I found to get more detail and sharper ProRAW 48 is to reduce exposure.

iPhone needs low ISO to perform best. Same goes for Regular RAW. Apple dials down on the noise reduction which is the main reason that details are lost.

How low do you find you have to go on exposure to trigger an ISO impact in the stock app? -0.3, -0.7? Further?

 

[jajo.j]

How low do you find you have to go on exposure to trigger an ISO impact in the stock app? -0.3, -0.7? Further?

I have it permanently on -0.7

 

[ToddH]

Well, I finally got my camera working properly again on this phone. The desert titanium 16 Pro Max. I did several restores when I realized that the MacBook Pro that I have had saved the first restore iOS software on the computer instead of downloading a new version of 18.4. That download was deleted and I started over again with a new download from Apple. So the camera looks normal again, for how long I don’t know. I need to contact Apple again and find out why I have to continuously restore my iPhone just to achieve excellent camera quality and resolution from the fusion camera. It only happens with this iPhone, not my other. I guess if Apple doesn’t replace it again, I guess I’ll have to pay a little bit of money and upgrade early and get a different one… go black next time. I’m sure the Apple tech-support representatives that we speak to are probably told to do certain things instead of jumping the gun and replacing customers iPhones when they have trouble. I always have to jump through nine hoops just to convince them that the iPhone has issues and then it needs to be replaced. The nearest Apple Store from me is roughly an hour and 45 minutes away. So for me, it’s not at all convenient to go to an Apple Store.