Focusing on a person’s face or eyes

Use the following functions to focus automatically on faces or eyes.

  • Always focusing on faces or eyes in the focus area: [Face/Eye AF Set.]
    • Sets whether or not to detect the person’s face or eye inside the focusing area and focus on the person’s face or eyes when autofocus is activated.
    • When shooting, press the shutter button halfway down to focus before pressing it all the way down.
  • Focusing on eyes at a certain moment: [Eye AF]
    • The Eye AF function can also be used by assigning [Eye AF] to a custom key. The camera can focus on the person’s eyes as long as you are pressing the key. This function is useful when you want to temporarily apply the Eye AF function to the entire screen regardless of the setting for [Focus Area].
      For instance, if [Focus Area] is set to [Flexible Spot] and you want the camera to focus on an eye outside of the focusing frame, you can apply the Eye AF function by pressing the custom key to which [Eye AF] has been assigned, without changing [Focus Area].
    • When shooting, keep holding down the custom key when you press the shutter button.

Face/Eye AF Set.

Setting the camera

  1. [Face/Eye AF Set.]

    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Face/Eye Prty in AF] → [On].
    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Subject Detection] → [Human].
    Choose your desired setting: [Right/Left Eye Select] or [Face Detect. Frame Disp.].

  2. [Focus Mode]

    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Focus Mode] → [AF-S], [AF-A], or [AF-C].

  3. [Focus Area]

    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Focus Area] → desired setting.

Related camera help guide

Guide to using the camera

Setting the focus area

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 [Flexible 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], [Flexible Spot], [Expand Flexible Spot]:
Set when you will decide in advance how to compose shots, or when you will focus on a certain person among multiple subjects.

Face and eye detection frames

Face detection frames are displayed for any detected human faces, and eye detection frames for any detected human eyes.

* 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.

Detection frames are color-coded, as described below.

  • Gray: Face or eye detected, but not available for autofocus (because the focus area and face do not overlap)
  • White: Autofocus available (when you have set priority order in [Face Registration], subjects include faces that you have ranked highest in priority)
  • Reddish-purple: Faces ranked second or lower in priority in [Face Registration]
  • Green: Face or eye in focus (when shutter button is pressed halfway down)

Selecting people to focus on their face or eyes

Selecting faces with the focus area

Faces to focus on can be selected when the focus area is over the face detection frame.
* 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.

Selecting faces by touch

Faces to focus on can be selected when the focus area is moved over the face detection frame by touch. On the monitor, touch the detection frame of the face to select.
* 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.

Selecting faces by registering them

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

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face Registration] → [New Registration] to register faces.

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Regist. Faces Priority] → [On] to prioritize registered faces when focusing.

When you have registered multiple faces, you can adjust their relative priority via MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face Registration] → [Order Exchanging].

Related camera help guide

Switching the eye to detect

Which eye to detect (left or right) is set in advance in MENU → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [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.

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

Note

Any of the following actions will cancel the temporary right/left selection when [Right/Left Eye Select] is set to [Auto]. The camera will revert to automatic eye detection.

  • Releasing the shutter button from a half-press
  • Not pressing a custom key assigned to [AF On] or [Eye AF]
  • Pressing the Fn (Function) button or the MENU button
Switching by touch

If you have set [Func. of Touch Operation] to [Touch Tracking], the eye to detect can be switched between left and right by touching the periphery of an eye on the monitor.

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

The eye to be detected switches.

Switching by touch is possible when you are not pressing the shutter button halfway.

To cancel touch operations, press the center of the control wheel or touch the icon in the upper right of the monitor.

Hiding face detection frames

Always hide face detection frames

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Face Detect. Frame Disp.] → [Off].

Making the green focusing frame disappear in a certain amount of time after focusing on the face/eyes

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [AF Area Auto Clear] → [On].

Related camera help guide

Eye AF

Setting the camera

  1. Custom Key

    After selecting MENU → (Camera Settings2) → [Still ImagesCustom Key], select [Eye AF] for the button to assign.

  2. [Face/Eye AF Set.]

    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Subject Detection] → [Human].

  3. [Focus Mode]

    MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Focus Mode] → [AF-S], [AF-A], or [AF-C].

Related camera help guide

Guide to using the camera

Eye detection frames

A green autofocus frame is displayed once an eye is detected after you press the custom key assigned to [Eye AF]. If the eyes cannot be detected, the face detection frame may be displayed instead. In this case, you can try to make the eye detection frame appear by zooming in on the face.

Focusing based on subject movement

Adjust the [Focus Mode] setting to suit subject movement.

[AF-S]

Locks the focus once the subject is in focus after you hold down the custom key assigned to [Eye AF]. Recommended for stationary subjects.

[AF-A]

Automatically switches between [AF-S] and [AF-C] in response to subject movement.

[AF-C]

Enables continuous focusing by holding down the custom key assigned to [Eye AF]. Recommended for moving subjects.

Focusing on a face or eye after selecting a person's face

By registering faces in advance, you can give them priority when the camera focuses.

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face Registration] → [New Registration] to register faces.

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Regist. Faces Priority] → [On] to prioritize registered faces when focusing.

When you have registered multiple faces, you can adjust their relative priority via MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face Registration] → [Order Exchanging].

Related camera help guide

Switching the eye to detect

Which eye to detect (left or right) is set in advance in MENU → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [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 custom key assigned to [Eye AF].

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

Note

Any of the following actions will cancel the temporary right/left selection when [Right/Left Eye Select] is set to [Auto]. The camera will revert to automatic eye detection.

  • Releasing the shutter button from a half-press
  • Not pressing a custom key assigned to [AF On] or [Eye AF]
  • Pressing the Fn (Function) button or the MENU button

Hiding face detection frames

Always hide face detection frames

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [Face/Eye AF Set.] → [Face Detect. Frame Disp.] → [Off].

Making the green focusing frame disappear in a certain amount of time after focusing on the face/eyes

MENU → (Camera Settings1) → [AF Area Auto Clear] → [On].

Related camera help guide

*The menu screen images on this web page have been simplified for display purposes, and do not exactly reflect the actual screen display of the camera.

Preparing and Basic operations

Camera functions and instructions