Me writes:

On 29/06/2012 7:03 p.m., Trevor wrote:
"Me" wrote in message
...
It's pretty easy/fast to do using the 4-way selector, and with very
shallow DOF, "focus & recompose" is very unreliable - as people move.
There's also the auto focus point selection mode which tries to identify
the subject by pattern, and while not perfect, is surprisingly reliable in
putting the selected focus points right where you'd want them.

Not in my experience with many Canon camera's unfortunately. You need face
detect for that, and that still only works for people of course.


It's something I will miss if I shift to an FX Nikon, as the 51 points are
far more bunched up in the middle of the frame.
I don't know the Sony SLT system well, but one I was looking at in a
camera store seemed to have good face recognition, and pretty quick AF, as
well as a superb EVF. This may be the future - if not in a pellicle type
camera.

Right, I've used an OM-D and that was one feature I liked. (not enough to
make me buy one though) I'm expecting Canon to add proper face detect at
some point.

Trevor.


Not sure how the auto focus point select system works on the higher
end nikons. Despite 51 AF points, there's surely not enough data for
full face detect, but if there's a face taking up a reasonable part
(1/3?) of the VF, chance are very high that the AF sensor or sensors
will light up right over the eyes.

The D4 and I think D800 don't use the primary AF points for face detect,
that's a secondary sensor (the same one used for matrix metering I
believe); it has enough resolution for face detection, and then it knows
which AF point to turn on based on where the face is. (This is book
knowledge, not actual experience.)
--
David Dyer-Bennet, ; http://dd-b.net/
Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/
Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/
Dragaera: http://dragaera.info