Apple announced the new iPhone 13 series earlier last month and the Pro models of the series come with some amazing camera improvements over the previous generations. One such improvement is “Macro Mode” in the camera which has been missing from iPhones until now. But it’s limited only to the 13 Pro series, so what about those who have older iPhones? Thankfully there are a couple of ways that one can use to get the iPhone 13 Pro “Macro Mode” on older iPhones.
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Get iPhone 13 Pro ‘Macro Mode’ on Older iPhones
The new Ultra-wide lens on iPhone 13 Pro brings a 2cm macro mode too. But you can enjoy macro photography on the older iPhones too. Read on to know, how!
Halide App
Popular third-party camera app for iPhones, Halide has announced a new update that brings the macro mode to the app. So, now subscribers of the Halide app can use macro mode, but they should still be using iPhone 8 or later models.
To click macro photos using your old iPhone:
1. Download the updated version of the Halide Mark II app.
2. Open the app and tap on the “AF” button to start the autofocus mode.
3. Now swipe to right on this, and you will see a “flower” icon (Macro Mode), tap on it.
Once the Macro mode is enabled, the app will automatically select the lens that has the closest focusing distance.
How does this work?
Halide App calls its Macro mode “The Neural Macro mode”. It by default applies a 2x digital zoom while you are taking pictures of an object closely and captures details like Macro shots. Also, it further uses the neural engine of Apple’s chip to run its network, which upscales lost details in a photo. This works even in 2x as well as 3x mode.
So if you have iPhone 8 and later models, this app can make use of your phone’s neural engine for its upscaling techniques and can shoot macro shots. If you already have an iPhone 13 Pro model, the app using the neural mode offers even sharper macro photos than the stock app.
Camera Samples
Following are some camera samples taken using Halide app Macro Mode on iPhone 12 Mini:
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- Normal Photo
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- Halide’s Macro Mode
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- Nomal
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- Halide’s Macro Mode
Halide app is available on App Store for free download. However, its subscription starts at Rs. 269 per month and Rs. 1,099 for one year with seven day free trial period.
Camera Plus App
This is another app that has the ability to shoot Macro shots on the older iPhones by using its Neural engine. The app is available at a one-time price of Rs. 269 and after that, you can use it for free. Here’s how to click macro shots using this app:
1. Purchase and install the Camera Plus app on your iPhone.
2. Give permission to your camera and photos.
3. Now, open the app and when you try to focus on a subject, you will see a ‘+’ sign alongside the ‘Normal’ which denotes its mode.
4. Tap on the ‘+’ sign and from the menu, select “Macro mode”.
That’s it, now you can click the photo in the macro mode using a different focus.
Camera Samples
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- Normal
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- Macro
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- Normal
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- Macro
External Macro Lens
Another option to do macro photography using your iPhone camera is using an external macro lens. There are several good macro lenses available that can support your iPhone.
SKYVIK Signi Pro 2 in 1 (Wide+Macro) Clip
If you are based in India, this lens could be perfect for your macro photography needs on older iPhones. It also comes with a wide camera lens so it is even more useful.
USKEYVISION Macro Lens for iPhone
If you are outside India, you can purchase any good macro lens based on the user reviews. Here is one example from Amazon US.
So this is another way to click Macro photos on your iPhone.n Just attach the external lens to the main camera module and start exploring your photography skills.
As evident, both ways are not free and you’ll have to spend some money for those good macro shots. So what will you choose- app subscription or macro lens? Tell us in the comments below!
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