iPhone 13 Pro Max Problems with focus on video and switching to macro lens

[emmanueldmc]

Hi folks! First of allI need your help just to discard a problem with my unit 13 Pro Max before to take it to an Apple Store…

My problem is with the autofocus recording videos… When I start a video with te 1x lens and want to close up something, the iPhone don’t switch automatically to macro lens, I need to press the screen to force the focus and only this way the lens switch to macro. The problem is that this switch are not made automatically.

On instagram app when I start a record with the 1x camera and making the same close up the camera automatically switch, i don’t need to do anything.

Your iPhone’s works the same way or it’s my unit?

Just for mention, I just update my phone to iOS 15.4 via iTunes hoping this fixing the issue but don’t works

Here is a video of the issue

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Thank you for the video, that really shows the issue very clearly.

I have a iPhone 13 running iOS 15.4 and I see the same issue in the Camera app. However, if you are not recording but just previewing, getting closer and back does switch the cameras automatically. It looks like when recording the switch is something that you have to manually do.

I'm not a video person, so I don't know if that's how videographers expect it to behave or not.

So the issue is not your unit, but how the Camera app is behaving.

 

[emmanueldmc]

Thank you for the video, that really shows the issue very clearly.

I have a iPhone 13 running iOS 15.4 and I see the same issue in the Camera app. However, if you are not recording but just previewing, getting closer and back does switch the cameras automatically. It looks like when recording the switch is something that you have to manually do.

I'm not a video person, so I don't know if that's how videographers expect it to behave or not.

So the issue is not your unit, but how the Camera app is behaving.

You just described it perfectly how it happens, it's weird that the camera app works so poorly and others like instagram work as a native app should work.

I wanted to rule out that I wasn't the only one with this problem.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Again, I can't speak to how it should work, but it does look like the two apps work differently. I'd be curious to see how other video apps work.

 

[IWT]

I'm coming to this late and I apologise.

You can achieve what you want automatically. It's a question of Settings.

Open Settings > Camera > scroll to the bottom and Turn ON Macro Control. This allows you to shoot video at whatever resolution you have chosen**. As you move your iPhone around, it automatically focusses on the distance, middle range and, when you want a close up, say a pen on the table and you move in to a distance of 2 inches, it automatically focusses on that pen. Move away and the focus moves with you.

Another "trick". Say you want to focus on a person who is moving around; coming towards you; moving to the left and right; then away to the background - always keeping that person in focus irrespective of distance from the camera. Start the video, then with the person in view, tap and long hold on the image of that person. Up will come AE/AF Locked. As you or that person move around, he/she will always be in focus.

**The better the "Record Video" resolution, the better the auto focus and the fixed focus works. I use "record Video" at 1080 HD at 60 fps. Obviously that takes up more space compared with, for example, 720 HD at 30 fps.

HTH

Ian

 

[emmanueldmc]

I'm coming to this late and I apologise.

You can achieve what you want automatically. It's a question of Settings.

Open Settings > Camera > scroll to the bottom and Turn ON Macro Control. This allows you to shoot video at whatever resolution you have chosen**. As you move your iPhone around, it automatically focusses on the distance, middle range and, when you want a close up, say a pen on the table and you move in to a distance of 2 inches, it automatically focusses on that pen. Move away and the focus moves with you.

Another "trick". Say you want to focus on a person who is moving around; coming towards you; moving to the left and right; then away to the background - always keeping that person in focus irrespective of distance from the camera. Start the video, then with the person in view, tap and long hold on the image of that person. Up will come AE/AF Locked. As you or that person move around, he/she will always be in focus.

**The better the "Record Video" resolution, the better the auto focus and the fixed focus works. I use "record Video" at 1080 HD at 60 fps. Obviously that takes up more space compared with, for example, 720 HD at 30 fps.

HTH

Ian

Thank you very much Ian, for your response! It is very clear and detailed, however the problem is that once I press the record button, the camera does not change lenses when recording, if I started with the 1x lens it will not move in automatic to macro, maybe it will focus but at most about 20 cm from the object to record, that is, it will focus but only with the 1x.

If I start recording with the macro lens, I can move away and it will continue to focus but only using the ultra wide lens, it will never automatically switch to the 1x lens which in my opinion has a better quality.

To sum up: once I start recording it will focus but it will not automatically switch lenses, it will only switch lenses if you press the screen and force it to do so.

 

[IWT]

To sum up: once I start recording it will focus but it will not automatically switch lenses, it will only switch lenses if you press the screen and force it to do so.

That is correct. Switching lenses is operator dependent. I was merely commenting on how, to some extent, you can compensate by moving in close to a subject, or concentrate on middle or far distance automatically.

In any case, if my comments were new to you, that's something you could play around with

Ian