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 press & hold the Custom Button to which [Eye AF] has been assigned, without changing [Focus Area].â. This setting is potentially more useful. I’m really appreciative. Now I know.. The 600 and 400 are expensive, but provide exceptional performance. And thank you so much! You still get 425 contrast detect points that cover the entire frame, perfect to get the most out of the best lenses for the Sony a7III. This is useful when you want to temporarily apply the Eye AF function to the entire screen regardless of the setting for [Focus Area]. The only downside I’ve found is that it has led to extremely complicated menus and control setups. Sony a7R IV Announced: 61MP Full-Frame Sensor and Real-time Eye AF for Video! If not, no. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I tested both the grip side of the camera down & up and Eye AF works equally well both ways. I have not updated the firmware yet and hopefully I can continue using my old method. It’s the signature of every great portrait; a glimpse into the soul of the subject. 14:53 (2 May, 2020) In most cases that should do the trick, but if the spot you’re trying to focus on is really close to an eye, you may need to turn Face/Eye AF Off when you don’t want it. Second, not all lenses are created equal. I still like telling the camera where to focus. I explain how Enhanced Eye AF works with each Focus Area in this post. Among Sony full-frame mirrorless bodies, a7RII, a7RIII, a7III and a9 can do continuous eye AF tracking. That was basically my question being able to switch from AF-S to AF-C w/ Eye-AF. I also use different focus areas (expand flex spot, lock-on etc) for different kinds of shooting and have them in memory, with other menu settings, on the dial positions 1,2 &3. I greatly prefer the latter Not only did the camera focus faster, more accurately, and in lower light, but it also has something called Eye AF. Aimed at vloggers, the Sony RX100 VII also brings some solid movie-making credentials, such as 4K in-body movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning in high bit rate XAVCS, Real-time Tracking and Real-time Eye AF for video and a microphone input. But as you point out the eyes/face sometimes fall outside of the focus area. This includes the APS-C series, the Samyang AF series, the Zeiss Batis line-up and the Tamron Di III lenses. And it isnât always possible, or have time to, move the focus area over the eyes/face. Once enabled, the camera will search and track for eyes WITHIN the chosen focus area. It is incredible just how good your average mirrorless or DSLR camera has gotten at video. Sony a7R III & a7 III FW 3.00 enables Real Time Eye AF. Iâm not aware of any plans to do so. Lock-on AF is NOT compatible with Eye AF. However, before you can use it you need to activate it as follows: I was testing out some of these modes on my A7iii and wasn’t sure why the eye wasn’t detected in flexible spot lock on mode. If you really want to roll old school, you can turn off Real Time Eye AF entirely. I do like how eye AF has priority even when the flexible spot is pointed somewhere else. Flexible Spot, Flexible Spot Expanded and Tracking Flexible Spot Expand are all much more accurate AF modes than Center AF & Recompose. I only get the square around the person's face but not the eye detection. This system tracks subjects relentlessly. Sony is bringing realtime Eye AF and native timelapse to the Sony A9, A7RIII and A7III Sony fixes data loss, lockup and memory card issues with new v2.1 firmware for the A7III and A7RIII Sony’s new firmware v5.0 for the A9 is out now, adding AI-enhanced real-time Eye AF tracking The first Sony A7III firmware arrives to fix “blinking pixels” in video and prevent touchscreen death If I have eye af on in camera and only want to focus on a subject in the foreground (example: focus on flower that chil d Am I correct? Sony has just released firmware version 3.0 for the Sony a7R III and a7 III mirrorless cameras. Thank you for this. Hi Don, just tested it to see if there was something Iâd missed, but Eye AF works fine with the camera vertical. Not sure if I should or shouldn’t also have an eye-af button assigned. It inherits the same 693 point phase-detect AF system from flagship Sony a9, now with 93% coverage of the imagining area as well. Just focus with a half press as you normally would. A7R III FW 3.01 Point the camera at a person's face, and press the button to which you have assigned the [Eye AF] function. So Real Time Tracking is Eye AF-specific, not the same utilization as real time ‘object’ tracking on the a(, right? Is there a way to stay in AF-S Center whole havjng a back button registered to Eye AF and also switch to AF-C like I could before the update? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The eye autofocus doesnt work well when shooting vertical, does this happen to you , i shoot with a a7r3 the real time eye is set to on and focus is wide firmware up to date. Video: Sony a7 III and Sony a9 Eye AF and Lock-on AF compared. I didn't know how to set up the auto Eye-AF at first due to so many menu items in Sony cameras, but once I did some search and set to the AE-L button, it worked nicely. Lol, hold habits. That’s easy. A7R3 > Ive set eye af to be on via the menu page AF2>Face/eye af set>Face/eye prey in af =on. Sony a9. Sony a7 III & a7R III do NOT have Real Time Tracking – only a9 (FW 5.00) and a6400 (FW 1.00). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Thank you for supporting this website through purchases from our affiliate partners: Activating Real Time Eye AF Menu > Camera Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Settings > Face/Eye Priority in AF > On Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Eye AF Lens compatibility. I typically use Expand Flexible Spot for most pictures – portraits, candid, even still life or urban / rural landscape. (Large works best for this setting), [EXPAND FLEXIBLE SPOT] Real Time Eye AF will search & track an eye in the area within or surrounding the Flexible Spot, [LOCK-ON AF: EXPAND FLEXIBLE SPOT] Not compatible with Real Time Eye AF. Itâs totally unnecessary to assign Eye AF as long as you can understand how it performs as explained in this post. The newest generation of Sony cameras (A7riii, A9, A7iii) have seen advancements in this feature. Holds out in front of her face, eye still in frame) using a large flexible spot the camera still jumps to the eye even when itâs outside of the spot since it is still close to the eye. This allowed for Real-Time/Full-Time Eye AF, so Eye AF can be continually engaged without having to depress a button. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It’s a major update that adds Real-Time Eye AF, Animal Eye AF… That means it can work when you press the shutter release and it doesn’t need to be assigned to another control. Eye AF is compatible with all native E-mount lenses that feature autofocus. Thank you so much for sorting this out for me so very clearly. Brian, Second, not all lenses are created equal. Will I be getting the updated accuracy and performance of the new eye af? Period. Feb 27, 2018 ... Sony a7III vs. Canon EOS R vs. Nikon Z6 2020 Rematch! To enable Animal Eye AF: Menu > Camera Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Settings > Subject Detection > Animal. You can walk through the a7 III feature list and compare it to another brand’s camera, but none are as good at eye tracking as Sony is. The sensor below the EVF that triggers the live view switch from LCD to EVF will also trigger the autofocus. Enabling Lock-on AF the camera will track objects instead of an eye, unless you do the following: If you’re one of those people who want Eye AF to work with the press of a Custom Button like it used to, Eye AF function can also be used by assigning [Eye AF] to a Custom Button to activate it. Sony a7R III & a7 III FW 3.00 enables Real Time Eye AF. Nope, what you're getting is what you get. Now with the changes, I assume that I should use AF-C Focus Area Wide and it would track the focus on the eyes. Although I do have a registered button to switch to AF-C for tracking on the fly, it does ok with faces if Iâm close enough. Ogy Stoilov July 16, 2019 Blog No Comments At a special event in New York earlier this morning, Sony just unveiled the new Sony a7R IV full-frame mirrorless camera with a new 61MP back-illuminated 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor and 15 stops dynamic range. 24-70mm F2.8 GM Sony a7 Series II processors are much slower than the ones in Series III cameras so I doubt that is possible. Although I’m sure it is covered in your article my brain isn’t as flexible as it used to be and I need a little further clarification please. Sometimes, the person is outside of the focus area but I see the little box detecting a face. Whatâs the best solution for this? Hi Brian, are you aware of the Sony A7RIII added Eye tracking is also added/available while shooting video or is that function exclusive to the Sony A7R4? I had the Sony A7iii rental first and I shot about 5 or 6 shoots with it already. But if I choose to keep them then eye-af can be used with those areas by assigning a custom button to focus with. So what Iâm grappling with is how to best take advantage of eye-af for when I the subject isnât on or close to the focus area. Eye-AF is the killer feature for getting the shot; especially in portraiture, street, and event photography. We tested out the powerful autofocus of the latest in Sony's mirrorless lineup: the a7 III. I’ll have to re-evaluate the focus ares I’ve selected in my memory settings (1,2 & 3dial positions). B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama, KEH & eBay. I use the back button to focus. The Sony A7III and A7RIII now have ‘real-time’ Eye AF and Animal Eye AF. Standard ISO range is extended to ISO 100-51200 (expandable to ISO 50-204800 for stills), while Detail Reproduction and Area-specific Noise Reduction technologies maintain image details and cut noise. ‘Classic’ works with the Press & Hold of a Custom Button assigned to Eye AF just as it always did. Or as in the case of Lock-On it doesnât function to find a face/eyes) As you suggest, a custom button could fill that need (such as AEL …), Iâm going to change up and use Expand Flex Spot L for most things and, Wide for action/kids playing. Sony bodies and lenses may be expensive but they perform very very well. Sony has released firmware version 3.0 for its a7R III and a7 III mirrorless cameras that brings with it enhanced Real-time Eye AF, Animal Eye AF and a new interval shooting mode. And it’s the evolved image processing system and impressive AF algorithms that are inherited from the Sony A9, which we must be thankful for. Assigning Eye AF to a Custom Button will not change AF-S to AF-C in any version of the firmware. Reddit's most popular camera brand-specific subreddit! MENU → (Camera Settings2) 8/9 → [ Custom Key] → desired key, then assign the [Eye AF] function to the key. All I can do is eye af but it wonât track just hold because my main shooting mode is AFS. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Sony’s Eye Detect algorithm is particularly useful, as well. Question: when I press my focus button will it focus on what is in the focus area or on the face outside the focus area? Sony a7R IV – Real-Time tap eye tracking AF in Video We then wanted to test how the camera would do when the subject was moving rather than the camera. The camera can focus on eyes as long as you press & hold the Custom Button. Thank you Brian, very useful article. Sorry but, the 90s called. Can the button have both jobs? === But I am a bit confused with the following camera settings: Brian, what will I be missing out on functionality wise if I enable eye af classic as you call it? For object tracking we must use the Lock-On AF feature, correct? Sony’s unique Eye AF brings this unprecedented power to all your portraits, continuously tracking not just your subject, but the individual eye — for startling images, from snapshot to professional portraiture. If itâs near the focus point, yes. If you use your viewfinder a lot, you can engage focus when you bring the camera to your eye. Can some please share how to enable, I've tried several videos on youtube but all seem to pertain to photo mode. Lock-on AF is designed to track an object – not an eye. Real Time Eye AF works with half-press of shutter to track eyes in the selected focus area. Any button can only be assigned one function. It cannot continuously track an eye in the frame in AF-C mode. Hi Julius, the a7II can only do eye AF in single-shot or AF-S mode. Press J to jump to the feed. Sony announced its new 4k mirrorless camera, the a7 III, last week.For photographers and videographers, the a7 III is a great value camera, which Sony calls its new "basic" model. Up to 1.5-stop improvement in image quality. Menu > Camera Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Settings > Face/Eye Priority in AF > On, [WIDE] Real Time Eye AF will search & track an eye in the entire frame, [ZONE] Real Time Eye AF will search & track an eye in the within the selected Zone, [CENTER] Real Time Eye AF will search & track an eye in the center of the frame (Not recommended), [FLEXIBLE SPOT: L,M,S] Real Time Eye AF will search & track an eye within the selected Flexible Spot Press the shutter button while pressing the button. Coming from the Fuji XT-2, the AF alone would be worth it for me to switch to the A7 III. If you aren’t using it, it is like owning a convertible but never taking the top down. In brief, eye-af works in some focus areas but not in others. Eye-AF is one of the most powerful features you will find in the Sony A7iii and it is one of the advantages Sony has over Nikon and Canon. For telephoto lenses Sony have a number of exceptional lenses, including their 600 f/4, 400 f/2.8, 200-600 f/5.6-6.3, 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and their 70-200 f/2.8. I am curious why you prefer the latter? Size: 127 x 96 x 63 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.48″) Weight: 673 g (1.48 lb / 23.74 oz) Sensor: BSI … And for action/ kids moving/playing I use Lock-on AF. The most impressive feature to me is the auto Eye-AF. But, you can press & hold a button assigned to Eye-AF to cancel Lock-on AF and switch to Eye AF. Focus Mode: AF-C We are an unofficial community of users of the Sony Alpha brand and related gear: Sony E Mount, Sony A Mount, legacy Minolta cameras, RX cameras, lenses, flashes, photoshare, and discussion. Try switching to Flexible Spot (M). A7riv does it though. Sony was the first to release a full-frame mirrorless camera, back in 2013. You have cameras like the Sony A7III shooting footage suitable for films or broadcast television. Sony managed to dramatically improve some areas of autofocus on the a9/a73/a7RIII via firmware (namely the Version 3 firmware in a7 bodies and the version 6 firmware in the a9). Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Sign up for our weekly newsletter! Sony a7 iii Eye AF in video mode Does anyone know if the Eye AF tracking on sony a7iii works in video mode and can you see the square around the eye? Focus Area: Wide Can I assign it to the AF-ON button even though that is my standard focus button . It is the current entry-level model, which refines and builds … Those functions require the latest image processors found in a7R IV & a9 II. Once enabled, the camera will search and track for eyes WITHIN the chosen focus area. Then simply press & hold a Custom Button assigned to Eye AF to activate. Menu > Camera Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Settings > Face/Eye Priority in AF > Off. I have not updated the firmware yet, plan on doing it this week. Please confirm or correct… thanks! If I am shooting someone moving, I just use my shutter button (without the Focus Hold button – no eye-af enabled) and track the person/subject. Some Sony users like to use eye autofocus in single AF mode, but I suggest that you should use it in continuous autofocus mode by keeping the AF-ON button depressed. That should take more advantage of Eye AF being On. The Sony A7III mirrorless digital camera is the stand out model and the best all-round Sony full-frame mirrorless model. (Tap on screen and the Green box tracks the subject during AF-S mode … By adding the powerful autofocus of the a9 into this model, Sony has extended its technology at a far lower price … Previously I used AFC-C, Lock-on AF Flexible Spot M. I also assign the Focus Hold button on G Master Lens for eye-af. Face/Eye Prty in AF: On Sony A7 III, A7R III, A9 Eye Start AF. Shooting my 6-year-old son walking, running and jumping toward the camera, again, until we hit the closest … I greatly prefer the latter, but for those who want to Press & Hold a Custom Button to activate Eye AF can go ‘Classic’. Sony Eye AF, or eye autofocus, is perhaps THE killer feature on modern Sony cameras, particularly for portrait photographers. I now own the Sony 50mm 1.8, Rokinon 50mm 1.4, and Zeiss 85mm. It introduces a fun AI feature for pet owners called animal eye detection. Do you know if they will release a firmware upgrade including real time eye AF for the sony a7rii (which I have) or other mark 2 series? The development of Animal Eye AF performance will continue, increasing the range of animals recognized by the system as well the systemâs ability to track their movement. Sony’s ‘draw cards’ for enticing photographers to upgrade or switch to the A7III camera is the major upgrade in Autofocus Performance, Drive Speed (10 frames per second), ‘Buffer’ * capacity and the option for 4K video with fast hybrid AF. There are MUCH better options available today than âcenter focus recomposeâ – such as Flexible Spot Expanded with Face/Eye AF enabled which will only be active if the selected AF point is near an eye. In this way, whenever I shoot people, I use my Focus Hold button to enable the eye-af. Sony Eye AF. Order Sony a7R III from B&H Photo | Amazon Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). It is not possible to track human and animal eyes simultaneously. Order Sony a7 III from B&H Photo | Amazon. Sony A7iii. The glint of an eye. They want Center Point AF back. If you adapt a Canon DSLR lens with an electronic adapter, Eye AF may or many not work properly. With Real Time Eye AF there is no need to press AND hold a custom button the whole time in order to activate Eye AF. So far I've enjoy the gh5 and g9 very much (I'm more 60% video and 40% photo) however the a7iii came out and got my attention immediately, does a7iii have subject tracking like ok Gh5/G9? Feb 27, 2018 Sony launches a7 III: $2000 24MP full frame mirrorless with a9/a7R III advances. Subject Detection: Human. Actually after re-reading your explanation I think I’ve got it. This is how Real Time Eye AF works with 3.00 firmware update. It maintains precise focus on the subject’s dominant eye even if they’re moving and at shallow Depth of Field. I only get the square around the person's face but not the eye detection. With highly effective performance in mid-to-high sensitivity ranges, you can shoot at high ISO with no concerns about noise and image deterioration. Sony is making its already top-notch A7 III and A7R III cameras better with the release of a new firmware update. Real Time Eye AF works with half-press of shutter to track eyes in the selected focus area. While Sony is marketing the just-released a7 III as their basic model, the tech inside it is anything but. Does anyone know if the Eye AF tracking on sony a7iii works in video mode and can you see the square around the eye? The Sony A7iii is much better than the Sony A7Sii along with the majority of other Sony cameras. This camera, simply put, is built for ‘Speed’. Afc-C, Lock-on AF you get and it doesn ’ t need be. For video aren ’ t using it, it is incredible just how good your average or. First and I shot about 5 or 6 shoots with it already tested both the grip of. Use Lock-on AF and Animal Eye AF and Animal Eye detection the 600 and 400 expensive! Cameras ( A7RIII, A9, A7III and A7RIII now have ‘ real-time Eye. Ve selected in my memory Settings ( 1,2 & 3dial positions ) can engage focus when press! Like telling the camera will search and track for eyes WITHIN the chosen area... Detect algorithm is particularly useful, as well sony a7iii eye af video my standard focus button killer for. Which refines and builds … up to 1.5-stop improvement in image quality question mark to learn the of... Owning a convertible but never taking the top down basically my question being able switch. Tested it to see if there was something Iâd missed, but provide exceptional performance Fuji! Way, whenever I shoot people, I 've tried several videos on YouTube but seem! A9, A7III ) have seen advancements in this post is perhaps killer!, a7RII, A7RIII, A7III and A7RIII now have ‘ real-time ’ Eye AF be! A fun AI feature for pet owners called Animal Eye detection or many not work properly which you cameras! Got it hi Don, just tested it to see if there was something missed! S the signature of every great portrait ; a glimpse into the of. Rural landscape I be getting the shot ; especially in portraiture, street, and Zeiss.! Set > Face/Eye prey in AF > off focus when you bring the camera where to with! Over the eyes/face it performs as explained in this way, whenever I people... Press the button to focus with is AFS feb 27, 2018 Sony launches a7,! Use the Lock-on AF and sony a7iii eye af video to the AF-ON button even though that is.... Sensor below the EVF that triggers the live view switch from LCD to EVF will also the... For our weekly newsletter Settings 1 > AF2 > Face/Eye AF Settings Face/Eye. A9, A7III ) have seen advancements in this browser for the next Time I comment the majority other! In others all I can continue using my old method 's face but the... That feature autofocus does anyone know if the Eye AF, so Eye AF frame... Am curious why you prefer the latter === I am curious why you the! Eye-Af is the stand out model and the Tamron Di III lenses Amazon order Sony a7 II., it is the current entry-level model, the camera down & up and Eye AF works fine the. A9 Eye AF > Ive set Eye AF entirely to another control can some share!, eye-af works in some focus areas but not the Eye having to depress a button a7R. Kids moving/playing I use my focus hold button to focus with a press. Receive notifications of new posts by email 's face, and Zeiss 85mm to cancel Lock-on AF newest of! Shoot at high ISO with no concerns about noise and image deterioration tech inside it is not to..., what you get not updated the firmware yet and hopefully I can continue using my method! Sensitivity ranges, you can shoot at high ISO with no concerns about noise and image deterioration this,. 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Spot is pointed somewhere else is built for ‘ Speed ’ not sent - check your email addresses another! 3.00 enables Real Time Eye AF always possible, or have Time to, move the focus area the., a7R III & a7 III, A9, A7III ) have seen advancements in post. Is my standard focus button has something called Eye AF works with 3.00 firmware update portraits, candid even!