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Pandyone

macrumors regular
Sep 30, 2021
247
323
I have noticed improvement in photos with both Moment and ProShot also.
Tried ProCamera, but I personally preferred other apps UI and think I’ll stick with the other ones.

Hope that Apple improves their own camera app in future update.
It’s still an issue with it sometimes preferring to use main lens when clicking 5x instead of switching to telephoto lens.
 
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jajo.j

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 11, 2023
321
986
This is what needs to be done if Apple wants to call their "Pro"-phones as "Pro" in my humble opinion:

Software
  • ProRAW must allow manual controls like ISO and shutter speed. Right now these settings are ignored in third party apps that allow manual control when ProRAW is set as output format
  • Ideally, ProRAW should not be denoised at all. It should just be a stacked (multi-exposure) merge. Nothing else. Professionals will be able to achieve much better results with manual edits than Apple's automatic processing currently does. In fact, the current ProRAW implementation should be named "NoobRAW" because it basically does everything for you and not in the best way
  • It should be possible to take regular unstacked RAW (single frame) with 48MP, not just binned 12MP
  • There should be an option to disable automatic switching to digital zoom from 1x in low light or when focus distance is too close on 5x, especially when night mode is on (I will say though that 16PM can use the 5x tele in very bad light conditions and it is much better than 15PM in this area but it should be possible to do it manually in stock camera app). Third party apps do not switch, luckily.
  • Allow for even longer exposure time than 30s för night mode, like the Pixel phones
Hardware
  • Minimum focus distance on 1x and 5x is too long and these lenses are useless for any kind of macro photography. Sure, 0.5x works good for this. But if you ever tried a phone like Xiaomi 14 Ultra that can focus on 20cm with 5x lens, you don't want to go back... It is perfect for shooting macros when it is hard to get really close, like bugs and flowers.
  • 5x should be upgraded with a slightly bigger sensor and 48MP to allow for better quality shots when digital zoom is applied (above 5x)
  • The step between 1x and 5x is just too big which makes the focal lengths between 50mm and 120mm pretty much unusable. Xiaomi added a fourth camera (3x) to handle this problem and Apple should consider doing the same
16 Pro Max is overall the best camera system I have tested in a smartphone and I tested them all. I recently had the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Xiaomi 14 Ultra for testing (I am the founder of https://1x.com so I do a lot of camera tests). When using regular raw 12MP, the iPhone performs amazing results. It is just too bad that Apple is deliberately limiting the performance of this phone unless third party apps are used.

If Macrumors is interested in writing a story about this, they are welcome to contact me.
 

Sptzz

macrumors regular
Jan 13, 2024
135
63
This is what needs to be done if Apple wants to call their "Pro"-phones as "Pro" in my humble opinion:

Software
  • ProRAW must allow manual controls like ISO and shutter speed. Right now these settings are ignored in third party apps that allow manual control when ProRAW is set as output format
  • Ideally, ProRAW should not be denoised at all. It should just be a stacked (multi-exposure) merge. Nothing else. Professionals will be able to achieve much better results with manual edits than Apple's automatic processing currently does. In fact, the current ProRAW implementation should be named "NoobRAW" because it basically does everything for you and not in the best way
  • It should be possible to take regular unstacked RAW (single frame) with 48MP, not just binned 12MP
  • There should be an option to disable automatic switching to digital zoom from 1x in low light or when focus distance is too close on 5x, especially when night mode is on (I will say though that 16PM can use the 5x tele in very bad light conditions and it is much better than 15PM in this area but it should be possible to do it manually in stock camera app). Third party apps do not switch, luckily.
  • Allow for even longer exposure time than 30s för night mode, like the Pixel phones
Hardware
  • Minimum focus distance on 1x and 5x is too long and these lenses are useless for any kind of macro photography. Sure, 0.5x works good for this. But if you ever tried a phone like Xiaomi 14 Ultra that can focus on 20cm with 5x lens, you don't want to go back... It is perfect for shooting macros when it is hard to get really close, like bugs and flowers.
  • 5x should be upgraded with a slightly bigger sensor and 48MP to allow for better quality shots when digital zoom is applied (above 5x)
  • The step between 1x and 5x is just too big which makes the focal lengths between 50mm and 120mm pretty much unusable. Xiaomi added a fourth camera (3x) to handle this problem and Apple should consider doing the same
16 Pro Max is overall the best camera system I have tested in a smartphone and I tested them all. I recently had the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Xiaomi 14 Ultra for testing (I am the founder of https://1x.com so I do a lot of camera tests). When using regular raw 12MP, the iPhone performs amazing results. It is just too bad that Apple is deliberately limiting the performance of this phone unless third party apps are used.

If Macrumors is interested in writing a story about this, they are welcome to contact me.

Yeah, this should be all over front pages on macrumors / 9to5mac etc. Youtubers, even "photographer" ones, talk nothing about this, at least I haven't seen it. I just got a 16P and today was shooting ProRAW 48 and noticed when I was editing how it actually looked processed? And way lower quality than I thought it would be. Thought I did something wrong but apparently not....

I just came back to the Apple ecosystem and starting to slowly regret it with the amount of bugs and issues that Apple just 100% ignores for years, this being one of them, zero accountability, zero comms, nothing. Because the average iPhone user is just a regular NPC that just buys the latest iPhone and that's it. Doesn't even change a single setting and just points and shoots lol...
 

Kent viggo

macrumors member
Dec 31, 2019
88
231
Sweden
For those with this problem - did you set up the iphone as new, or did you import settings from a previous phone?

Ive seen some posts (reddit etc) about this where people claim to have had camera problems, that has dissapeared on a fresh install of the phone. That is, setting the phone up as new, not migrating the old phone or any settings from it. Ive seen enough of these comments to think that there might be something to it.

Has anyone in this thread tried this? Could be worth a shot.
 

ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,899
5,886
Central Tx
iOS 18.0.1 improved the details on my 16 pro max cameras. I use two iPhones, both 16 pro max, one has been updated, one has not so I can compare. The updated 16pm looks much better. I’ll post samples soon.
 

ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,899
5,886
Central Tx
Two quick samples. Big difference in the alpha numeric details on the microwave. Take in mind, extreme crops and low light from 1x cameras. The 18.0.1 image is brighter (details on microwave ) the iOS 18.0.0 is less bright and fuzzier

iOS 18.0.1 iPhone 16 pro max

extreme crop screenshot from ProRAW file

IMG_7859.png



iOS 18.0 16 iPhone pro max
Extreme crop screenshot from ProRAW file

IMG_8660.png
 
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ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,899
5,886
Central Tx
New lens coming out!! I’ve signed up!

 

redbeard331

macrumors 68040
Jul 21, 2009
3,131
5,871
New lens coming out!! I’ve signed up!


That looks impressive, but was hoping it was for the main wide camera as it has a far superior sensor. If it’s 240mm isn’t it only 2x not 10x optical since it attaches to the telephoto lens?
 

nunolikeapple

macrumors member
Jul 21, 2015
87
58
I have also 2 iphone 16PM , no difference.

When using the native camera app; ProRaw48 enable - both demonstrate the same issue replicated in the first samples from this topic.
Not solved from me.

Tested in more 3 16PM from the store nearby with latest software update and they all showed the same issue.

I will try, third apps tomorrow.
 

Artsketch

macrumors 6502
Oct 22, 2019
330
268
Everyone has praised the 15 Pro and I wasn't expecting anything more. However, the 48MP ProRAW was much blurrier and less detailed, so I made my decision and bought another good second-hand 14 Pro. It's a shame if it's the same with the 16 Pro. I suspect that changes were made to the lens from the 14 Pro to the 15 Pro, as the minimum focus distance of 20 cm was no longer sufficient too. Maybe the blurrier main lens is on purpose to achieve better depth of field and the new 24MP mode layering several images together. Unfortunately 48MP ProRAW isn't available in third party apps.
 
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ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,899
5,886
Central Tx
That looks impressive, but was hoping it was for the main wide camera as it has a far superior sensor. If it’s 240mm isn’t it only 2x not 10x optical since it attaches to the telephoto lens?
I suppose.. not much to go on other than the lens was specifically designed for the 5x camera. Currently the iPhone has the 5x 120mm, this will double that for 240mm, 10x. Apparently it will not work properly on the 1x. I have the 2x, the wide 110°, & fisheye lenses. Superb quality optics for the 1x camera. So adding this lens to my collection will be great.
 

nunolikeapple

macrumors member
Jul 21, 2015
87
58
Wasn't able to enable this in ProCamera only 48MP HEIC, ProRAW remains at 12MP.

This app let you shoot in ProRaw 48 format.

But native camera does too, with jpeg, jpeg XL Lossless and jpeg XL lossy format. (ProRaw Max)
 
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Artsketch

macrumors 6502
Oct 22, 2019
330
268

This app let you shoot in ProRaw 48 format.

But native camera does too, with jpeg, jpeg XL Lossless and jpeg XL lossy format. (ProRaw Max)
Thanks than was ProCamera the wrong app.
 

ToddH

macrumors 68030
Jul 5, 2010
2,899
5,886
Central Tx
I still have image quality problems with my desert titanium iPhone 16 pro max. The ProRAW & HEIC images are soft and distant objects like trees are mushy looking. My Natural titanium iPhone 16 pro max seems to be fine, much cleaner images compared to the desert titanium iPhone.

I have been experimenting with third party apps and I have found that the Pro camera by Moment is the best app to use… image quality is nearly spot on. I was manually focusing using focus peeking and the final image is sharp and highly detailed. This tells me that the camera issue is most likely a software problem. Mostly a camera focusing problem with the camera focusing to infinity.

I’ve had the Moment camera app for a long time, it’s one of the best. It has a price, but no subscription.


This a great app, I highly recommend it..
Until the camera issues get resolved, I’ll be using this app on the Desert titanium iPhone.

iPhone 16 pro max default camera heavy crop screenshot from ProRAW image

Full image

IMG_8868.jpeg


Mushy

IMG_8863.png


Same using the Pro camera by Moment app & manual focus

IMG_8864.png


Screenshot of app in manual focus mode

IMG_8865.png


Sharp image screenshot from
ProRAW file

IMG_8867.png


Fine details from the moment app

IMG_8874.png



Focus peeking

IMG_8875.png


Full image


IMG_8873.jpeg
 

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Pandyone

macrumors regular
Sep 30, 2021
247
323
I wonder if there is a correlation with this types of issues and blue spots or lines in night photos as this thread?
Maybe some manufacturing issues on sensors or lenses?

But still weird it’s better with other apps then of course…
 
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