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.
The function to detect animal eyes when shooting movies can be used if the camera's system software (firmware) is Ver. 2.00 or later.


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

Item [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] or [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/Eye Frame Display
  • 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)

  • If you adjust the settings under [Face/Eye AF Set.] to focus on faces or eyes, the focusing frame will automatically move to a face or eye when faces or eyes are detected while tracking subjects with the tracking function.


  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/Eye Frame Display :
Sets whether or not to display the face/eye detection frame when a human face or eyes are 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. Up to 8 faces of your subjects can be detected.
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 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] or [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.

    To shoot a still image, press the shutter button while pressing the key.


[Switch Right/Left Eye] by custom key

When [Subject Detection] is set to [Human] and [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.

  • Pressing the center of the control wheel
  • Stopping pressing the shutter button halfway down (only during still image shooting)
  • Stopping pressing the custom key to which [AF On] or [Eye AF] is assigned (only during still image shooting)
  • Pressing 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. Even when [Right/Left Eye Select] is set to [Auto], if [Face/Eye Frame Display] is set to [On], the eye detection frame will appear over detected eyes during movie shooting.
  • 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].

Note

  • When [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], the following functions cannot be used.
    • Right/Left Eye Select
    • Face Priority in Multi Metering
    • Regist. Faces Priority
    • Soft Skin Effect
  • The [Eye AF] function may not function properly under certain conditions, such as 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 subject is in the shade.
    • When the subject is out of focus.
    • When the subject is moving too much.
  • If the subject is moving too much, the detection frame may not be displayed correctly over their eyes.
  • When the camera cannot focus on human eyes, it will detect and focus on the face instead. 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 detection frame is not displayed when the Eye AF function is unavailable.
  • You cannot use the face/eye detection function in the following situations:
    • When using a zoom function other than the optical zoom
    • When the shooting mode is set to [Sweep Panorama]
    • When the shooting mode is set to [Landscape], [Night Scene], or [Sunset] in scene selection
    • When [Picture Effect] is set to [Posterization]
    • When using the focus magnifier function
    • When shooting movies with [Record Setting] set to [120p]/[100p]
    • When [Frame Rate] is set to [120fps]/[100fps] during slow-motion/quick-motion shooting
    • When [File Format] is set to [XAVC S 4K], [Record Setting] is set to [30p 100M]/[25p 100M] or [30p 60M]/[25p 60M], and [4K Output Select] is set to [Memory Card+HDMI]
    • When [File Format] is set to [XAVC S 4K] and [Proxy Recording] is set to [On]
  • Even if [Face/Eye Frame Display] or [Animal Eye Display] is set to [Off], a green focusing frame will be displayed over faces or eyes that are in focus.
  • 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.
  • Even when [Subject Detection] is set to [Animal], the eyes of some types of animals cannot be detected.
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