Focusing on eyes (Face/Eye AF Set.)

[Face/Eye AF Set.] is used to determine whether or not the camera focuses with priority on faces/eyes.


There are two methods for performing [Eye AF], with some differences between their specifications. Select the appropriate method according to your purpose.

[Eye AF] via [Face/Eye AF Set.] [Eye AF] via a custom key

Details can be found here.

Subject detection The camera will detect faces/eyes with greater priority. The camera will detect faces/eyes exclusively.
Advance preparation Select [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Face/Eye Priority in AF] → [On]. Assign [Eye AF] to the desired key using [Custom Key].
How to perform [Eye AF] Press the shutter button halfway down. Press the key to which you have assigned the [Eye AF] function*.
Specifications
  • When the camera detects a face or eye inside or around the designated focus area, it focuses on the face or eye with greater priority.
  • If the camera does not detect any faces or eyes inside or around the designated focus area, it will focus on another detectable subject.
  • The camera focuses exclusively on faces or eyes anywhere on the screen, regardless of the setting for [Focus Area].
  • The camera will not automatically focus on another subject if no face or eye is detected anywhere on the screen.
Focus mode Follows the setting designated with [Focus Mode] Follows the setting designated with [Focus Mode]
Focus area Follows the setting designated with [Focus Area] The focus area temporarily becomes the entire screen, regardless of the setting for [Focus Area].
How the following functions under [Face/Eye AF Set.] work
  • Subject Detection
  • Right/Left Eye Select
  • Face Detect. Frame Disp.
  • Animal Eye Display
Follows the setting designated with each menu item Follows the setting designated with each menu item

*Regardless of whether [Face/Eye Priority in AF] under [Face/Eye AF Set.] is set to [On] or [Off], you can use [Eye AF] via a custom key while you are pressing the custom key to which you have assigned [Eye AF].

Hint

Maintaining focus on a moving eye or face (Eye AF + Tracking)


  1. MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → desired setting item.

Menu item details

Face/Eye Priority in AF:
Sets whether or not to detect faces or eyes inside the focusing area and focus on the eyes (Eye AF) when autofocus is activated. ([On]/[Off]) (Note: The camera operations are different when using the custom key to execute [Eye AF].)
Subject Detection:
Selects the target to be detected.
[Human]: Detects human faces/eyes.
[Animal]: Detects animal eyes. Animal faces are not detected.
Right/Left Eye Select:
Specifies the eye to be detected when [Subject Detection] is set to [Human]. If [Right Eye] or [Left Eye] is selected, only the selected eye is detected. When [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], [Right/Left Eye Select] cannot be used.
[Auto]: The camera detects eyes automatically.
[Right Eye]: The right eye of the subject (the eye on the left side from the photographer’s perspective) is detected.
[Left Eye]: The left eye of the subject (the eye on the right side from the photographer’s perspective) is detected.
Face Detect. Frame Disp.:
Sets whether or not to display the face detection frame when a human face is detected. ([On]/[Off])
Animal Eye Display:
Sets whether or not to display the eye detection frame when the eye of an animal is detected. ([On]/[Off])


Face detection frame

When the product detects a face, the gray face detection frame appears. When the product determines that autofocus is enabled, the face detection frame turns white.
In case you have registered the priority order for each face using [Face Registration], the product automatically selects the first prioritized face and the face detection frame over that face turns white. The face detection frames of other registered faces turn reddish-purple.


Eye detection frame

A white eye detection frame appears when an eye is detected and the camera determines that autofocusing is possible, depending on the settings.
The eye detection frame is displayed as follows when [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal].


[Eye AF] by custom key

The Eye AF function can also be used by assigning [Eye AF] to a custom key. The camera can focus on eyes as long as you are pressing the key. This is useful when you want to temporarily apply the Eye AF function to the entire screen regardless of the setting for [Focus Area]. The camera does not focus automatically if no faces or eyes are detected.
(Note: When you try to focus on eyes by pressing the shutter button halfway down, the camera only detects faces or eyes inside or around the focus area designated with [Focus Area]. If the camera detects no faces or eyes, it performs normal auto-focusing.)

  1. MENU → (Camera Settings2) → [Custom Key] → desired key, then assign the [Eye AF] function to the key.
  2. MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Subject Detection]→ desired setting.
  3. Point the camera at the face of a human or animal, and press the key to which you have assigned the [Eye AF] function.
  4. Press the shutter button while pressing the key.


[Switch Right/Left Eye] by custom key

When [Right/Left Eye Select] is set to [Right Eye] or [Left Eye], you can switch the eye to be detected by pressing the custom key to which you have assigned the [Switch Right/Left Eye] function.

When [Right/Left Eye Select] is set to [Auto], you can temporarily switch the eye to be detected by pressing the custom key to which you have assigned the [Switch Right/Left Eye] function.

The temporary left/right selection is cancelled when you perform the following operations, etc. The camera returns to automatic eye detection.

  • Stopping pressing the shutter button halfway down.
  • Stopping pressing the custom key to which [AF On] or [Eye AF] is assigned.
  • Pressing the Fn button or the MENU button.


Hint

  • When [Right/Left Eye Select] is not set to [Auto], or you execute [Switch Right/Left Eye] using the custom key, the eye detection frame appears.
  • If you want the face or eye detection frame to disappear within a certain period of time after the camera has focused on the face or eye, set [AF Area Auto Clear] to [On].
  • To detect animal eyes, arrange the composition so that both eyes and the nose of the animal are within the angle of view. Once you focus on the animal’s face, the animal’s eyes will be detected more easily.

Note

  • When [Subject Detection] is set to [Human], the eyes of animals are not detected. When [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], human faces are not detected.
  • When [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], the following functions are unavailable.
    • Face Priority in Multi Metering
    • Regist. Faces Priority
  • The [Eye AF] function may not function very well in the following situations:
    • When the person is wearing sunglasses.
    • When the front hair covers the person’s eyes.
    • In low-light or back-lit conditions.
    • When the eyes are closed.
    • When the person is in the shade.
    • When the person is out of focus.
    • When the person is moving too much.
  • If the person is moving too much, the detection frame may not display correctly over their eyes.
  • Depending on the circumstances, the eyes cannot be focused. When this occurs, the camera will detect and focus on the face. The camera cannot focus on eyes when no human faces are detected.
  • The product may not detect faces at all or may accidentally detect other objects as faces in some conditions.
  • The Eye AF function is unavailable when the mode dial is set to (Movie) or , or during movie shooting.
  • The eye detection frame is not displayed when the Eye AF function is unavailable.
  • You cannot use the face/eye detection function with the following functions:
    • Zoom functions other than the optical zoom.
    • [Posterization] under [Picture Effect]
    • Focus Magnifier
    • Movie shooting with [Record Setting] set to [120p]/[100p]
    • When [Frame Rate] is set to [120fps]/[100fps] during slow-motion/quick-motion shooting.
  • Up to 8 faces of your subjects can be detected.
  • Even if [Face Detect. Frame Disp.] is set to [Off], a green focusing frame will be displayed over faces that are in focus.
  • When the shooting mode is set to [Intelligent Auto], [Face/Eye Priority in AF] is locked to [On].
  • Even when [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], the eyes of some types of animals cannot be detected.
  • Even when [Animal Eye Display] is set to [Off], a green focusing frame is displayed over eyes that are in focus.
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