CLOSE FOCUS ISSUES WITH IPHONE 12 PRO MAX
Considering that the upgraded camera was THE marquee feature of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, I'm shocked that none of the Apple press nor "professional" reviewers have delved into its inability to close focus with its wide lens as iPhones have in the past. With that absence of coverage in mind, I wanted to open a thread on this issue here. If your photographic passion or profession isn't dependent on close-up photography, I can understand how this issue might seem minor, but its wreaking havoc on the many, many photographers who count themselves is one or both of those groups. My photographic subjects tend to be flowers and food, with heavy use of close-up work for both, and I'm no longer able to shoot that way with my 12 Pro Max.
That the issue exists is without question. There are endless photo comparisons posted online of close-ups taken with prior iPhones and the 12 Pro Max, and you can always spot the latter because the photo is blurry vs. tack-sharp results from the earlier model phones. Apple, as you can probably guess, is saying nothing. My 30 years of experience with Apple products has taught me that when a product as a real issue, Apple almost always ends up doing the right thing for their customers. It's just too bad that it often takes class action lawsuits to "persuade" them, and I think that will probably be the case here.
The speculation--and that's all there is at present since Apple has even acknowledged the issue--is that the new faster lens and larger sensor of the 12 Pro Max have resulted in a minimum focusing distance that's further from the subject that it has been in the past. It's not a defect, per se, it's the laws of optics at work, but Apple decided that this change was worth it for the camera improvements. And I would have said fine had Apple advised prospective buyers of the change in spec for MFD on the 12 Pro Max, but that didn't happen.
So, with crickets from Apple about this, I find myself hoping that the lawsuit comes sooner than later so this issue can be resolved in some way.
That the issue exists is without question. There are endless photo comparisons posted online of close-ups taken with prior iPhones and the 12 Pro Max, and you can always spot the latter because the photo is blurry vs. tack-sharp results from the earlier model phones. Apple, as you can probably guess, is saying nothing. My 30 years of experience with Apple products has taught me that when a product as a real issue, Apple almost always ends up doing the right thing for their customers. It's just too bad that it often takes class action lawsuits to "persuade" them, and I think that will probably be the case here.
The speculation--and that's all there is at present since Apple has even acknowledged the issue--is that the new faster lens and larger sensor of the 12 Pro Max have resulted in a minimum focusing distance that's further from the subject that it has been in the past. It's not a defect, per se, it's the laws of optics at work, but Apple decided that this change was worth it for the camera improvements. And I would have said fine had Apple advised prospective buyers of the change in spec for MFD on the 12 Pro Max, but that didn't happen.
So, with crickets from Apple about this, I find myself hoping that the lawsuit comes sooner than later so this issue can be resolved in some way.