Canon R3 Eye DETECTION question

rebop wrote in post #19552610
Thanks for checking, but please explain "tracks it"? This is one shot so can see the eye, focus, but not track unless you are in servo mode which ED AF is not.

Yes, with the camera in Servo, pressing the assigned ED/AF button finds, focuses and tracks. When I switch the camera to One-shot it finds (anywhere on the screen, regardless of the AF zone), focuses, but does not track. The ED/AF assignment does not (on the R7) have a Details page where I can override other AF settings.

Scott_online wrote in post #19552649
As in tracks the eye across the frame.

I'm really confused about what you are trying to establish here? Subject tracking will not work unless the AF is set to Servo. The Eye-detect AF custom function is just a quick way of temporarily selecting the 3 settings listed above. If you have the AF set to One-shot, the Eye-detect AF custom function will be of little to no use to you - but you don't have to use it. If however, you have the AF set to Servo (and the R3 is primarily a sports/action camera after all) then I find it a really useful feature for fast-changing situations where I would otherwise be unable to move the focus point in time.

Well, FOR ME, ED AF does not work (as in shows multiple green boxes trying to find an eye) unless Subject Tracking is enabled. And if it is enabled, it finds an eye, green box, focuses, but DOES NOT follow that eye anywhere unless SERVO is turned on.

So I am trying to find out what it really does and why different people (I am not alone if you read above) have different experiences.

If it worked FOR ME as you describe, I would find it very useful.

Doing a small band shoot this afternoon. Will test it in a live situation.

AntonLargiader wrote in post #19552671
Yes, with the camera in Servo, pressing the assigned ED/AF button finds, focuses and tracks. When I switch the camera to One-shot it finds (anywhere on the screen, regardless of the AF zone), focuses, but does not track. The ED/AF assignment does not (on the R7) have a Details page where I can override other AF settings.

Thanks for confirming

rebop wrote in post #19552687
Well, FOR ME, ED AF does not work (as in shows multiple green boxes trying to find an eye) unless Subject Tracking is enabled. And if it is enabled, it finds an eye, green box, focuses, but DOES NOT follow that eye anywhere unless SERVO is turned on.

So I am trying to find out what it really does and why different people (I am not alone if you read above) have different experiences.

If it worked FOR ME as you describe, I would find it very useful.

Doing a small band shoot this afternoon. Will test it in a live situation.

If the focus boxes are green you are in One-shot.
- Subject Tracking will not work unless Servo is enabled.
- Eye detection will not work unless Subject Tracking is enabled.

Therefore, to get the camera to follow an eye across the frame, you need to:
1) Switch from one-shot to servo
2) Select a subject to detect
3) Enable subject tracking
4) Enable eye detection

If you assign the Eye-detection AF custom function to a button, it will do 3) and 4) for you (as well as selecting whole area AF) while you are pressing the button. However, you have to do 1) and 2) beforehand for the custom function to be useful.

Scott_online wrote in post #19552699
If the focus boxes are green you are in One-shot.
- Subject Tracking will not work unless Servo is enabled.
- Eye detection will not work unless Subject Tracking is enabled.

Therefore, to get the camera to follow an eye across the frame, you need to:
1) Switch from one-shot to servo
2) Select a subject to detect
3) Enable subject tracking
4) Enable eye detection

If you assign the Eye-detection AF custom function to a button, it will do 3) and 4) for you (as well as selecting whole area AF) while you are pressing the button. However, you have to do 1) and 2) beforehand for the custom function to be useful.

I well know a green box is one shot. Give me a break.

"Subject Tracking will not work unless Servo is enabled." Not true. You MUST be talking about something else. Not the MENU ITEM Subject Tracking. Not "tracking" - Subject Tracking - which then enable a subject to be selected or not as you choose.

Arrgggh. I am going to drop this. One time claims that ED AF in One Shot - which is what is - is tracking then says has to be in Servo -which I have said all along - for tracking. And I disagree that ED AF sets subject tracking. Not for me.

I'm done. Too many conflicting posts on the same thing changing the tune too often. We can't all be right. Too frustrating.

See ya in another topic....

Thanks for all the replies.

rebop wrote in post #19552722
I well know a green box is one shot. Give me a break.

"Subject Tracking will not work unless Servo is enabled." Not true. You MUST be talking about something else. Not the MENU ITEM Subject Tracking. Not "tracking" - Subject Tracking - which then enable a subject to be selected or not as you choose.

Arrgggh. I am going to drop this. One time claims that ED AF in One Shot - which is what is - is tracking then says has to be in Servo -which I have said all along - for tracking. And I disagree that ED AF sets subject tracking. Not for me.

I'm done. Too many conflicting posts on the same thing changing the tune too often. We can't all be right. Too frustrating.

See ya in another topic....

Thanks for all the replies.

Likewise. I've tried to help. The only person posting conflicting or ambiguous information in this thread is you.

Subject tracking is not the same as subject detection. The menu item 'Subject to detect' turns on subject detection. The menu item 'Subject tracking' turns on subject tracking (i.e the ability to maintain focus on a detected subject as it moves across the frame). If you really believe that the camera will somehow maintain focus on a moving subject when you have One-shot AF selected, well good luck with that.

rebop wrote in post #19552722
"Subject Tracking will not work unless Servo is enabled." Not true.

There I'd say we can confirm you are 100% wrong.
Subject tracking is defined as changing the position of the AF point in the viewfinder as the subject moves relative to the camera (either the subject is moving or you pan in a different direction/speed than the subject moves) while focusing is active.
This doesn't ever happen unless in Servo AF.

Scott_online wrote in post #19552363
If you assign this custom function to a button, then press the button, it appears to do the following while you continue to hold the button:
1) Select whole area AF
2) Enable eye detection
3) Enable subject tracking

As you said, enabling subject tracking doesn't actually give you subject tracking if you're in One-shot, and pushing the button doesn't add Servo so there's no expectation of tracking by just using the button.

However, Rob apparently doesn't get the eye detection at all under those conditions, while I do with the R7.

Also, I disagree that it wouldn't be useful in one shot. If you ever want the option of focusing on the eye no matter where it is, that's the tool to use. I am pretty much never in One-shot so I can't theorize more on it. For now I think I am going to leave it on my DOF button because, why not?

AntonLargiader wrote in post #19552923
...and pushing the button doesn't add Servo so there's no expectation of tracking by just using the button.

If you assign the "Metering/AF start" function to the button (like AF-ON), then you can select to also force Servo AF at the same time, if you like. As long as you press the button, in that case.

apersson850 wrote in post #19552994
If you assign the "Load AF setting" function to the button, then you can select to also force Servo AF at the same time, if you like. As long as you press the button, in that case.

Can you describe how you do this? It could be R3-specific. The only way I know to side-load an AF function on top of another is with a Details page, and for me the ED/AF assignment hasn't one.

Instead of assigning 'Eye detect AF' to the button, assign 'Switch to registered AF function' instead.

You can then register an AF function (via the Details page) that includes everything that 'Eye detect AF' does plus some other stuff.

For the R7 at least, Servo is not selectable in the Details panel for "Switch to registered AF func". My options are:

• AF area
  
• Subject tracking
  
• Subject to detect
  
• Spot detection
  
• Eye detection
  
• Tracking sensitivity
  
• Accel./decel. tracking
  

I've just checked and it's the same selection on the R3. There is also a 'Register/Recall Shooting Function' that you can assign to a button. This lets you register even more settings for instant recall than 'Switch to registered AF Function' will let you. Maybe that was the one Anders was referring to? Having said that, I can't see SERVO in there either, but you might be able to register your current settings including the AF mode.

AntonLargiader wrote in post #19553015
Can you describe how you do this? It could be R3-specific. The only way I know to side-load an AF function on top of another is with a Details page, and for me the ED/AF assignment hasn't one.

Sorry, I was obviously intoxicated (hopefully, since unlike madness that will disappear over time...) when I wrote that. It's inside the details of Metering/AF start you can force Servo AF, not in Detailed AF settings.

The behavior is slightly different when I activate this concept with Registered AF function in that I need to be holding the AF button down (I have AF on the half-press) as well as the assigned RAFF button.

Servo or One-shot, pressing RAFF by itself gives me a white box that tracks the eye. If the image is too defocused it will not find the eye.

[Servo] RAFF + half-press = blue box that tracks and maintains focus
[One-shot] RAFF + half-press = green box that focuses once and then stops tracking and focusing

And for the R7, it looks like Metering/AF start has no Details page.