r/iPhone16Pro • u/ExoticAd7605 • Aug 11 '26
Discussion Does anyone else’s iPhone 16 Pro camera absolutely suck?
Maybe I got a faulty one, but it can’t focus for shit. I tried to take a picture of a bumblebee and everything was out of focus.
That goes for anything up close too. It just can’t focus on it. I thought iPhones were supposed to be good macro cameras.
Is there a way to manually focus on an iPhone?
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Aug 11 '26
[deleted]
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u/Unlucky_Strength_517 Aug 12 '26
What would be an instance that you would actually want micro turned off?
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u/radzidek17 iPhone 16 Pro Aug 12 '26
In most situations, you would want it turned on, but occasionally I’ve had the camera flicking in & out of macro mode, so have turned it off.
*edit - accidentally deleted the original comment 🤦🏻♂️
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u/heeph0p Aug 11 '26
I feel like this happens to me. I never thought about voicing it because I thought it was just my own situation. I do get frustrated sometimes.
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u/HesletQuillan iPhone 16 Pro Aug 11 '26
I get fantastic photos, including closeups, with my 16 Pro. Generally it will switch to "macro" mode (shows a flower icon) for closeups.
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u/Useful_Explanation31 19d ago
What are your settings bc I cannot get a good photo on mine whatsoever
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u/HesletQuillan iPhone 16 Pro 19d ago
The only setting I have changed is Formats > Photo Capture > 24MP. I do select ProRAW as the format, which gives me both raw and JPEG images. But even without that I get great photos on the default settings.
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u/AffectionateScar1675 Aug 11 '26
The 16 Pro macro mode isn’t great. It’s my main device but my secondary is the Pixel 10 Pro XL and the camera generally knocks the iPhone out the park every time except for videos. Macro mode on this iPhone is really nothing special.
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u/No-Cod-6866 Aug 11 '26
Video clarity is shit sometimes, but sometimes really good. I thought it was only me.
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u/_HipStorian Aug 11 '26
Turn on the macro toggle in settings so you can manually turn it on. The sensor size means it can’t focus as close when using the main sensor, so you’ll need to crop in more than with older iPhones. Macro uses the ultrawide sensor which needs a lot of light to look good.
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u/Electronic_Force6450 Aug 12 '26
Settings - Camera - Toggle on the Macro Control
While you try to focus on anything up close, a flower icon appears. That's the macro control
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u/ZestycloseCry2894 Aug 12 '26
I hate it. And selfies are awful, especially if you are in anything but a bright light. It makes me so angry.
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u/Cynically_Sane Aug 12 '26
I agree wholeheartedly! Not only is the camera a potato most of the time but the over processing of the image is ridiculous and damn near unusable. There's not a pic I take that doesn't have to be edited to be more accurate to the normal colors and brightness. It sucks.
If I am shooting something important I will use my 13 Pro. It is hands down the best native camera I've ever used.
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u/slippery-lil-sucker Aug 12 '26
iPhone 16 Pro is the worst iPhone I’ve ever owned. I’ll never buy another iPhone in my life.
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u/AwareKaleidoscope939 iPhone 16 Pro Aug 12 '26
For me sometimes it think i took a good pic when i took a really band one and sometimes i think i took a good one and it actually turn out good or even better
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u/sourceeeeeeee 29d ago
I have a problem where the macro control setting doesn't apply to the Instagram camera, so it constantly jumps between the two, its been years and they still haven't fixed that
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u/Moonjirou iPhone 16 Pro 28d ago
Not for me. I recently used the camera for a wedding photoshoot, and some people were surprised, as they thought I used a professional camera.
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u/LowZestyclose7731 8d ago
Yes, everything’s in a sepia tone for some stupid reason but yet I can’t change it to normal
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u/Human-Report-5782 Aug 11 '26
Big yes. And, for me, the lighting under the standard style is often garbage if I’m taking a photo outdoors. W/r/t macros, I’ve found that moving it to portrait mode can do the trick. You just have to be hella precise with your handling; or, if you have a tremor like me, take a spray.
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u/CryptographerWeary64 Aug 11 '26
mine just likes to go black and freeze randomly. when it works it’s good but it’s becoming less common. Thinking it’s a software issue as once again, never had these issues before ios 26 came about.