Face detect experiment

[rpcrowe]

I shot about a hundred images at my daughter's home tonight using my Canon 6D2 and EF 85mm f/1.8 lens wide open, with Live View Face Detect. I shot these images from different distances and with the subject's eyes in various areas of the frame. I did not do any selection of AF points. I just let the camera's Face Detect do the work.



The results: about 95% of the pictures had the focus on the eyes and the eyes were sharp.



When both eyes were equidistant from the lens, both eyes were sharp. When the eyes were different distances, the focus was on the nearest eye.



I am somewhat surprised but, quite satisfied with this percentage. The images in which the eye/eyes were not in focus could have been caused by my error.

BTW: These photos were not shot as portraits, simply as tests to see if Face Detect would focus on the eyes of a subject...

[Stagecoach]

Now try it with moving dogs Richard for another test

[rpcrowe]

Grahame...

Dogs don't register with Canon's Face Detect. However, I believe that I could select the dog's eye with a stylus in single point AF and the Dual Pixel CMOS AF would follow that eye as the dog moved throughout about 90% of so of the frame.

OTOH: I have been told that dog's eyes will register with Sony's Eye AF. I have not shot with a Sony camera so I cannot verify that statement. If it were true, boy that would be nice. Presently, I use focus and recompose with the 6D2 when I photograph dogs. I usually shoot at 1/60 second @ f/5.6 anywhere from 70mm to about 90mm and I always use the eye level TTL viewfinder.

It was quite relaxing shooting tonight and letting the camera do the focusing. I don't mind focusing and recomposing in a studio environment because I have more control and I usually shoot stopped down a bit to f/5.6. Outdoors, I very often want to take advantage of the shallow DOF at f/1.8 and will shoot wide open...

Tonight was neither studio nor out doors simply a test of the focusing system.

[pendennis]

That's exactly what I'd expect.

If you were going to write the algorithm for a focusing system, you'd start with finding a face; then the most important part of the photo, the eyes; then, if the eyes were equidistant from the camera's focus point, both would be in focus; if the face were turned, you'd focus on the near eye.

I'd say the folks at Canon nailed it; and it makes the photographer look like a true artiste.

BTW - Great test! Very practical, and to the point. Those blue eyes are gorgeous.

[rpcrowe]

This is a shot of my daughter's best friend which I did as part of the Face Detect experiment. The Face Detect nailed the focus on her eyes...



Actually, IMO, this is a rather flattering image... I just love the 85mm f/1.8 lens for portraits...

I shot this test using one shot AF, My next series will be using servo AF and having my subject walking toward the camera. I will shoot this with single shot mode shooting multiple images, low speed burst and high speed burst and see if the camera/lens can keep up with the subject. I suspect, and only suspect, that in this situation, the faster AF of the EF 85mm f/1.8 might give it an advantage over the EF 85mm f/1.2 which traditionally is described as having lethargic auto focus.

I will also modify the test with me walking towards the subject who will be still.

Then with the subject walking across the frame with face turned towards the camera at several different distances panning and then keeping the camera still.

I should have done this originally when I got the camera but, failed to do so. I did do a test in which I selected the subject's face with a stylus on the touch screen and had the subject walk towards me. That seemed to work O.K. but, at that time, I never thought of using face detect.

The face detect is really going to make it easier for me to use the Live View capability with my SWIVI viewfinder since I won't need to use the touch screen. Viewing the LCD with the SWIVI really gives me a great bright big view of my image. (Far better than ANY eye level viewfinder on any DSLR that I have ever used. I have not used a top-line mirrorless camera - yet!) In fact, the brightness and the clarity of viewing the 6D2 LCD using the SWIVI reminds me of when I used a magnifying "chimney" viewfinder looking straight down onto my Hasselblad 500C...

[Shadowman]

Nice experiment.

[rpcrowe]

Here is the Face Detect focusing on the closest eye when the eyes are a different distance from the camera...



Here are two more shots in my continuing experiment to see how well Face Detect focuses on the eyes.

Becky's eyes are large and bright so I expected the focus to be nailed on them...



However, her partner, Josh, has eyes that are darker and which are smaller in comparison to the size of his face...



The focus was nailed on the eyes in both cases. In Becky's case the closest eye is in focus while with Josh, both eyes are in focus. In both cases I shot several images from different distances and placed the faces in different portions of the frame...