Focusing on a person’s face or eyes (Shooting movies)

The following procedure is used for capturing images by focusing on a face or eye of a person.
There are three shooting methods. Use the method that is suitable according to the shooting conditions.
You can also set whether to detect the left or right eye.

  • This function is recommended when shooting an image while viewing it on the monitor, so that you can focus on the subject easily by touching and selecting the subject on the screen.
  • When you want to focus on a subject with higher priority on the eye but want to continue focusing using [ Focus Area] in case detecting an eye is difficult.
  • This function is recommended if you want to adjust focus by key operation when it is difficult to perform touch operation, for example, when shooting an image while looking through the viewfinder.
  • When you want to focus temporarily on an eye within the whole range of the monitor, regardless of the setting for [Focus Area]
  • When you want to focus temporarily on an eye using [Eye AF] after focusing on a subject using (Manual Focus)

When you want to focus on an eye by touch operation ([Touch Tracking])

Setting the camera

Set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Movie) to select movie recording mode.

  1. [Face/Eye Prior. in AF]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Prior. in AF] → [On].

  2. [Face/Eye Subject]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Subject] → [Human].

  3. [Focus Mode]

    MENU → (Focus) → [AF/MF] → [Focus Mode] → [Continuous AF].

  4. [Touch Operation]

    MENU → (Setup) → [Touch Operation] → [Touch Operation] → [On].

  5. [Touch Panel/Pad]

    MENU → (Setup) → [Touch Operation] → [Touch Panel/Pad] → the desired setting.

  6. [Touch Pad Settings]

    MENU → (Setup) → [Touch Operation] → [Touch Pad Settings] → the desired setting.

  7. [Touch Func. in Shooting]

    MENU → (Setup) → [Touch Operation] → [Touch Func. in Shooting] → [Touch Tracking].

    Hint

    You can change the setting for [Touch Func. in Shooting] by touching // (touch function icon) on the shooting screen.

Guide to using the camera

Focusing on an eye by touch operation ([Touch Tracking])

Select an area close to the eye of a subject by touch operation ([Touch Tracking]).
When the eye of the selected subject is detected, a white frame appears around the eye and you can continue to focus on the eye.

When the eye detection frame (white) is displayed

Using the tracking function together with [Face/Eye AF].

If you set [Face/Eye AF] to focus on faces/eyes beforehand, a focusing frame will automatically move to any detected face or eye while tracking a subject.

  1. Tracking distant subjects

  2. If a face is detected once the subject is closer, the focusing frame will move to the face or eyes

Switching the eye to detect

You can switch the eye to be detected (left or right) by touching the area around the eye on the monitor.

Touch the periphery of an eye that you want detected on the monitor.

The eye to be detected switches.

When you want to focus on an eye using the focus area

Setting the camera

Set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Movie) to select movie recording mode.

  1. [Face/Eye Prior. in AF]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Prior. in AF] → [On].

  2. [Face/Eye Subject]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Subject] → [Human].

  3. [Focus Mode]

    MENU → (Focus) → [AF/MF] → [Focus Mode] → [Continuous AF].

  4. [ Focus Area]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Focus Area] → [Focus Area] → the desired setting.

Guide to using the camera

Face and eye detection frames

To display the face and eye detection frames when a face or an eye is detected, set [Face/Eye Frame Disp.] to [On].

  • MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Frame Disp.] → [On].

* Even when [Face/Eye Frame Disp.] is set to [Off], if [Right/Left Eye Select] is not set to [Auto] or if you execute [Switch Right/Left Eye] using the custom key, the eye detection frame appears.

Detection frames are color-coded, as described below.

  • Gray: Face or eye detected, but not available for autofocus
  • White: Targeted for autofocus
  • Reddish-purple: [Face Memory], which is not available for autofocus

Setting [Focus Area]

* In this section, the procedure for setting the focus area is explained in the condition where [Face/Eye Frame Disp.] is set to [On].

When face detection frames and focus areas overlap, you can focus on either the face or eye. This way, you can switch to the best focus area depending on the shooting scene. For example, when a [Spot] of [Focus Area] overlaps a face detection frame as shown below, the face detection frame changes from gray to white, and you can focus on either the face or eye.
* 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.

Face and eye not in focus

Can focus on face or eye

[Wide]:
Useful for subjects that are moving around, or when the position of faces is unpredictable.
[Zone], [Center Fix], [Spot], [Expand Spot]:
Set when you will decide in advance how to compose shots, or when you will focus on a certain person among multiple subjects.

Selecting people to focus on their face or eyes

* In this section, the procedure for setting the focus area is explained in the condition where [Face/Eye Frame Disp.] is set to [On].

Selecting faces with the focus area

Faces to focus on can be selected when the focus area is over the face detection frame.
If an eye is detected, an eye detection frame is displayed on the eye.

Selecting faces by touch

When [Touch Func. in Shooting] is set to [Touch Focus], you can select the face you want to focus on by superimposing the focus area ([Spot] or [Expand Spot]) on the face detection frame by touch operation.On the monitor, touch the detection frame of the face to select.
If an eye is detected, an eye detection frame is displayed on the eye.

Selecting faces by registering them

Faces that you register in advance are given priority when the camera focuses.

Before registering face data, set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Still).
MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face Memory] → [New Registration] to register faces.

  • MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Regist. Faces Priority] → [On] to give priority to focusing on the faces that you have registered in advance.
  • To change the order of priority for the registered face data, temporarily set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Still). Then, select MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face Memory] → [Order Exchanging].

Switching the eye to detect

You can set which eye to detect (left or right) in advance by selecting MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Right/Left Eye Select], but you can also switch eyes as follows.

Switching with a custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye]

* [Switch Right/Left Eye] operations are possible when you are not pressing the shutter button halfway down.

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Right Eye] or [Left Eye], the eye to be detected can be switched between left and right each time you press the custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye].

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Auto], the eye to be detected can be temporarily switched between left and right by pressing the custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye].

Note

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Auto], any of the following actions will cancel the temporary right/left selection and the camera will revert to automatic eye detection.

  • Pressing the center of the control wheel
  • Pressing the center of the multi-selector
  • Pressing the MENU button
  • Change the shooting mode using the mode dial.

When you want to focus on the eyes using the [Eye AF] function via a custom key

Setting the camera

Set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Movie) to select movie recording mode.

  1. [Custom Key/Dial Set.]

    MENU → (Setup) → [Operation Customize] → [Custom Key/Dial Set.] → Select a button to which the function is assigned. Then, set (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Eye AF].

  2. [Face/Eye Subject]

    MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face/Eye Subject] → [Human].

Guide to using the camera

Eye detection frames

When you press the Custom Key assigned with the [Eye AF] function and an eye is detected, a white frame is displayed around the eye. If the eyes cannot be detected, a frame might appear around the subject's face. If this is the case, zooming in on the subject's face may cause the eye detection frame to appear.

Selecting faces by registering them

Faces that you register in advance are given priority when the camera focuses.

Before registering face data, set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Still).
MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face Memory] → [New Registration] to register faces.

  • MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Regist. Faces Priority] → [On] to give priority to focusing on the faces that you have registered in advance.
  • To change the order of priority for the registered face data, temporarily set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (Still). Then, select MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Face Memory] → [Order Exchanging].

Switching the eye to detect

You can set which eye to detect (left or right) in advance by selecting MENU → (Focus) → [Face/Eye AF] → [Right/Left Eye Select], but you can also switch eyes as follows.

Switching with a custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye]

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Right Eye] or [Left Eye], the eye to be detected can be switched between left and right each time you press the custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye].

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Auto], the eye to be detected can be temporarily switched between left and right by pressing the custom key assigned to [Switch Right/Left Eye].

Note

If you have set [Right/Left Eye Select] to [Auto], any of the following actions will cancel the temporary right/left selection and the camera will revert to automatic eye detection.

  • Pressing the center of the control wheel
  • Pressing the center of the multi-selector
  • Pressing the MENU button
  • Change the shooting mode using the mode dial.