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AccordingDependent47 t1_j62j0bu wrote

I’ve noticed it too.

It helps if you back the camera a few or more inches then zoom in and focus.

It will change your depth of field obviously but will be in focus.

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pxm7 t1_j63cddw wrote

At least on the Pro models, you can add a button to the camera UI to force macro mode. Makes it much easier.

Do the regular iPhones have that? (Settings > Camera > Macro Control).

Edit: The macro feature seems to be only on iPhone 13 and 14 Pro/Pro Max models.

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axerlion t1_j63jpyi wrote

I've got a Pro and found it annoying but better than nothing to use macro mode... didn't even consider the Plus models wouldn't have that, which is pretty bad!

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Quin1617 t1_j65dkv8 wrote

Honestly macro mode is more annoying than helpful in my case, most of the pictures I take with it is lower quality.

I get better outcomes by just moving a few inches back for the main lens to focus.

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heysavnac t1_j64ny9s wrote

Yeah but the macro mode is used by the ultra wide lens and it’s not very sharp and you’re so much better off just digitally zooming the standard wide lens

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dry_yer_eyes t1_j63uo8x wrote

My 12 Pro doesn’t have a macro setting. At least not one that I’ve found.

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Tomatillo_Medical t1_j6447t3 wrote

It doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode but you can take clear and sharp photos that are very comparable to those taken use the macro mode on 13/14 Pros

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AgentUnknown821 t1_j64rhty wrote

it's an iPhone 13 Pro feature which drives me nuts because the iPhone 14 has the iPhone 13 Pro's same CPU / GPU so why wouldn't the Macro camera feature also carry over?

It makes no sense to me except maybe and with Apple this is a big if...it's to keep prices down.

I hope the iPhone 15 does carry over though that feature. I also really hope Apple beats the rest of the competition with introducing Ray Tracing soon to it's new chips as well.

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phillipby11 t1_j64su7o wrote

it pisses me off when i’m in an airplane and trying to record out the window. my lidar senses the window and goes to macro mode and blurs everything

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Tomatillo_Medical t1_j692b37 wrote

I think with all these features there should be a way to turn on ans off some of them eg LiDar. Actually there should be a manual mode for photos and video capture.

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FinanceStrict2128 t1_j65a8kl wrote

Well you have to remember the 13 Pro has a 3rd camera lens unlike the 14 Plus

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CuteCatBoy69 t1_j65dm05 wrote

Just because it has the same CPU/GPU doesn't mean it has the same camera. Macro isn't just software. It uses a separate camera lens.

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IncredibleGonzo t1_j65nf2z wrote

It’s because the Macro mode uses the ultrawide, which has autofocus on the 13 and 14 Pros. All other iPhones with ultrawide, it’s fixed focus. I think Apple absolutely should have put that autofocus ultrawide on the regular models, at least the one from the 13 Pro if they had to have another improvement for the 14 Pro, but given the hardware it does have there’s a legit reason why it lacks macro.

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thebaffledtruffle t1_j66l2s5 wrote

The Ultrawide for the Pros have autofocus as far as I know, which I guess did not trickle down to the base models.

I think this difference isn't about cost but making clear distinctions between the models. Come to think of it, the 13 Pros also have the same A15s as the 14 base models, yet it doesn't get Action Mode and the Photonic Engine.

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AreWeNotDoinPhrasing t1_j642ese wrote

All that does is forces the use of the telephoto lense, right? I thought I’ve read that the new cameras actually destroyed the minimum focus distance.

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pxm7 t1_j64axos wrote

Assuming we’re taking about the Pros, the macro control button uses the ultra wide lens to take macro shots, and the ultra wide is much better than the 13, which itself was a big improvement over 12. It’s no longer a joke lens, this lens is a good camera in itself.

As a result, macro photos on the 14 are much better than the 13. Example.

The main camera lens is slightly better, with a 24mm focal length, so gets more of the scene into the frame. But it also requires you to use the ultra wide for close ups.

Ironically this is a physics issue you run into with better cameras — with more specialised lenses, you’ve to think about which lens you want to use … something DSLR fans have done for ages. Eg with a pic like this (macro taken with a 14 pro) the photographer needs to be able to decide if the focus is on the trees or the foreground.

Cameras can guess where you want to focus, but ultimately the human’s got to decide because it’s a subjective decision on the photographer’s part.

In the past, camera lenses were so shitty people never had to worry about this. Which is why “destroys minimum focus distance” is sort of a non-issue for people who care about the camera.

For people that don’t, I suspect mid-tier phones with their “jack of all trades” lenses + digitally retouched photos will work well. Or who knows, maybe future high end phones will have an additional lower-quality all-purpose lens.

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AreWeNotDoinPhrasing t1_j64e4c4 wrote

Thanks for the information, that was very helpful and informative. I kept mixing up telephoto with ultra wide for some reason.

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Listen-and-laugh t1_j67kylo wrote

Just always make sure depressed wide-angle lens regardless if the macro button is popping up

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