p.1 #1 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
I would appreciate some help and thoughts here.
I have both the D810 and D750 and to date I have been using the back AF button, with AF-C single point for portraits mainly using lenses like the 58/1.4, 85/1.4 and 105/1.4 as per Thom Hogan's book on the D810 and D750.
This has worked well, but I have now discovered both face recognition/nearest eye AF with the OVF. I have not really found any definite instructions on how it works. The Live View option with face recognition is intuitive and works really well. But with OVF it appears that with AF in both Single and Continuous works really well in Auto area.
I have noticed that even though the AF point may not be on the nearest eye, just tracking the face, the nearest eye is in focus, with the lenses like the 58/1.4, 85/1.4 and 105/1.4 at f/1.4. I am surprised this is not better explained in the manual as this works amazingly well. Before I was just using AF-C single point and focusing on the near eye.
Of course the setting for face recognition is in the Exposure menu for Matrix metering B5.
p.1 #2 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
If you are doing portraits, and using AF on via the back button, why do you need any thing else. If you subject is moving then perhaps turn on 3-D focus tracking.
p.1 #3 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
Norm Shapiro wrote:
If you are doing portraits, and using AF on via the back button, why do you need any thing else. If you subject is moving then perhaps turn on 3-D focus tracking.
Up to now I had been using AF-C single point with the back button, but using Auto, the face/eye recognition works amazingly well. I have not read this anywhere in the manuals I have. So using either AF-S or AF-C with Auto, the near eye is in focus while moving in medium to low light. I did not expect this at all. I had assumed the AF points shown in the OVF were the points where the AF had found, but with face/eye recognition ON, there is obviously an algorithm working which finds the face/nearest eye.
So far I am getting 95% success with the 105/1.4, 85/1.4 and 58/1.4. For portraits this is so handy!
I am just looking if there are further feedback and hints as there is not a lot written about this. In some reviews it mentions you must be in AF-S mode for face detection to work, but both AF-S and AF-C seem to work.
p.1 #4 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
I'd love some more info on this! Please keep me posted with your findings. I figured one could do face recognition AF in LV, but to do it in the OVF would be a game changer for me.
p.1 #9 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
sjms wrote:
are any of you referencing a DOF table?
No I am not referencing a DOF table, so I would suspect this is being calculated via an algorithm when the AF finds a face via Auto Area. As already mentioned I am surprised how accurate the eyes appear to be in focus when using f/1.4.
Normally I only use single point AF, in AF-C mode with back button AF.
The only issue I have is that I feel "blind" in knowing what the selected "real" AF point is with face detection with respect to the nearest eye when using the OVF.
I have had the A7rII, and this is clear regarding the eye AF detection as it is clearly shown, but it is a lot slower compared with D810.
p.1 #10 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
CanadaMark wrote:
Viewfinder face detection on the D750/D810 works as follows . . .
Thank you for posting this helpful description.
I tested a few shots with dogs and spousal unit under poor indoor light. The AF system consistently grabbed something roundish - sometimes an eye, sometimes a nostril, and sometimes a dog nose or black spot on the dog's fur.
Not sure I would trust this AF mechanism at f/1.4 or thereabouts.
p.1 #11 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
charles.K wrote:
I would appreciate some help and thoughts here.
I have both the D810 and D750 and to date I have been using the back AF button, with AF-C single point for portraits mainly using lenses like the 58/1.4, 85/1.4 and 105/1.4 as per Thom Hogan's book on the D810 and D750.
This has worked well, but I have now discovered both face recognition/nearest eye AF with the OVF. I have not really found any definite instructions on how it works. The Live View option with face recognition is intuitive and works really well. But with OVF it appears that with AF in both Single and Continuous works really well in Auto area.
I have noticed that even though the AF point may not be on the nearest eye, just tracking the face, the nearest eye is in focus, with the lenses like the 58/1.4, 85/1.4 and 105/1.4 at f/1.4. I am surprised this is not better explained in the manual as this works amazingly well. Before I was just using AF-C single point and focusing on the near eye.
Of course the setting for face recognition is in the Exposure menu for Matrix metering B5.
I would appreciate your feedback and thoughts ...Show more →
I can confirm that with my D750 in AF-C and Auto area my camera keeps focusing on the eye. That is pretty awesome since I pretty much use only AF-C and single. I can see this eye tracking being useful in some situation. Thanks for starting this thread.
btw. you wrote settings B5 is the face recognition... I'm assuming this would be B4 on D750? When you press the "?" button the help info says that the face recognition is for adjusting exposure, nothing about face focus tracking...
p.1 #12 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
monkey007 wrote:
I can confirm that with my D750 in AF-C and Auto area my camera keeps focusing on the eye. That is pretty awesome since I pretty much use only AF-C and single. I can see this eye tracking being useful in some situation. Thanks for starting this thread.
btw. you wrote settings B5 is the face recognition... I'm assuming this would be B4 on D750? When you press the "?" button the help info says that the face recognition is for adjusting exposure, nothing about face focus tracking...
You are correct it is B4 on the D750 and B5 on the D810. This is why I found it confusing, as the Matrix metering I assumed it was only for exposure, but there is an algorithm that works in the back ground with the AF-S/C in Auto area.
This algorithm for face/eye detection is really good surprisingly as I have never relied on letting the camera decide the eye AF point for portraits with fast lenses.
Last weekend, I was using the D810 and 105/1.4, I find using the back focus AF, with AF-C single is excellent, but sometimes with recomposing the minor body movement can make you miss the exact focus on the eye.
My percentage with face/eye detection in AF-C Auto was better in mid to low light than using the single point ! My portrait shots with face/eyes were about at least 20% of the frame. Maybe the logic in lower lighting it is easier to define a face, then eye, than maybe focusing on a single point with marginal contrast. I don't really know...
I will continue to test more, and the Live View using face recognition is amazing. Just a bit slower
p.1 #14 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
Mark, thank you This is not so clear in documentation that is available. Had I known the strength of the face/eye AF with the D810/D750, I would have moved sooner. I have come from Canon 5DII, Leica M9/M240 and A7 series. This is not really highlighted anywhere, as most people including myself only thought the A7rII had the eye/face AF feature.
I have the eye/face AF feature with the Fuji XT2, but it is not in the same league as the D810.
p.1 #15 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
Has anyone to date had good luck with this feature or features using a non-Nikon lens, such as the Sigma Art series? I'll play around with it, but just initially curious.
p.1 #16 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
This is a cross post from the 58/1.4 close focus thread, but this is the 58/1.4 with back button AF ON, AF-C Auto area. I took a series of 12 shots, and each shot is in focus, even though the "displayed" focus points were showing the chin, cheek and forehead between different shots. It is like you have to ignore what the OVF AF points are displaying and trust the algorithm !
p.1 #17 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
Birdbrooks wrote:
Has anyone to date had good luck with this feature or features using a non-Nikon lens, such as the Sigma Art series? I'll play around with it, but just initially curious.
I do have the 35 Art, and I should check this out also. My suspicions are that it will work, but may be not as well, as it will be assuming an algorithm based solely on 35mm and f/1.4 without specifics of the DOF fall off for the lens type
p.1 #18 · AF and Face Recognition with the D810 and D750
charles.K wrote:
I do have the 35 Art, and I should check this out also. My suspicions are that it will work, but may be not as well, as it will be assuming an algorithm based solely on 35mm and f/1.4 without specifics of the DOF fall off for the lens type
Good point, Charles. I was testing with a Tamron 90/2.8 macro, so perhaps I should try with a native lens.
