Does the eye detect feature work with the X-mount Voigtlander lenses?
Use case: I have my XT5 with the 50/1.2 Nokton and want to shot a portrait. I have Eye Detect "ON" in the camera.
1. Will the camera still place the green focus box on the eye of the subject?
2. When I turn the focus ring on the camera will it zoom in for critical focusing?
Just got my 1st CV lens for Fuji about a week ago, the 27mm Ultron f2. On my X-T5 the Menu items for AF Face/Eye and Subject Detection, along with the AF+MF settings, are Off and greyed out meaning they cannot be selected. (AF/MF Page 2 of 3)
However a larger focus box (5 by 5 points in my case) does show up when focusing on faces and yes, roatating the focus tab brings up the focus zooming. MF Assist is set to Peak and Focus Check are On. (Also page 2 of 3)
So even with 5x5, still need to manually move the focus box to the subjects face?
SpecFoto wrote:
Just got my 1st CV lens for Fuji about a week ago, the 27mm Ultron f2. On my X-T5 the Menu items for AF Face/Eye and Subject Detection, along with the AF+MF settings, are Off and greyed out meaning they cannot be selected. (AF/MF Page 2 of 3)
However a larger focus box (5 by 5 points in my case) does show up when focusing on faces and yes, turning the focus tab brings up the focus zooming. MF Assist is set to Peak and Focus Check are On. (Also page 2 of 3)
pechance wrote:
So even with 5x5, still need to manually move the focus box to the subjects face?
I have not yet shot any portraits with this lens and I was trying to find that out myself now by focusing on past portraits displayed on my 27" screen. The 5 by 5 box appears and sometimes it jumps to the face then other times it does not. No real 3D subject, so not a good test.
This focus box is the same size as I use for AF, so the size could be adjusted. With AF lenses a 2nd Eye focus box appears inside the larger box. Don't believe this will happen with MF, as the Face/Eye detect is set to Off as I mentioned above.
Jan 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
pechance wrote:
So even with 5x5, still need to manually move the focus box to the subjects face?
Yes, you need to manually move the focus box to the subject's face or at least I have not found anyway to get the camera to do it. You can set up the camera to have any type of the available focus aids to activate when you turn the focus ring. I don't use peaking. Personally, I sometimes just set it up with automatic magnification, but lately I have opted for the full scene on the left with the smaller magnification box on the right and I am beginning to really like that mode as you can see the full scene (although smaller than if it occupied the whole EVF) and can nail critical focus easily (or at least that has been my experience). I think I like this mode better than any other focus mode I have used (and I have used a lot on Sony, Nikon Z, and Fuji GFX) but you do have to manually move the focus box with the joystick to where you want to focus.
According to gemini.google.com (which I never fully trust):
That is a known "Fuji quirk." On many Fujifilm bodies, including the X-T5, Face/Eye Detection is technically an autofocus feature. When the camera's physical front switch is set to M (Manual), the camera disables AF-driven tasks, which often includes the face-detection overlay.
To get the "Voigtländer Handshake" (where the camera finds the eye and zooms in on it automatically), you actually have to "trick" the camera into staying in an AF mode while using your manual lens.
The Solution: Use "AF-S" Mode instead of "M"
Even though your Voigtländer is a manual lens, set the physical switch on the front of your X-T5 to S (Single AF).
Switch to S: Move the front M/C/S dial to S.
Enable Face/Eye: Go to the menu and turn Face/Eye Detection ON. It should no longer be greyed out.
Enable AF+MF: Go to Menu > AF/MF Setting > AF+MF and set it to ON.
Enable Focus Check: In the same menu, ensure Focus Check is ON.
When you switch the camera to AF-S (Single AF) and turn on AF+MF, you are technically in a "Hybrid" mode. Here is how your tools behave compared to the dedicated M mode:
1. Focus Peaking (The Main Trade-off)
In M Mode: Peaking is always visible as soon as you turn the ring.
In AF-S (+ AF+MF) Mode: On the X-T5, peaking is usually suppressed until you either half-press the shutter or the "Focus Check" (zoom) is active.
The "Workaround": Most Voigtländer shooters prefer this because they use the Auto-Magnify (Focus Check). You get a clean, full-frame view for composition, and then the moment you turn the ring, the camera zooms in and the peaking appears exactly where you need it (on the eye).
2. Focus Check (The Zoom)
This is the biggest win. In AF-S mode with a Voigtländer lens, the camera uses its brain to find the eye. When you turn the ring, it zooms in on the eye specifically.
If you were in M mode, the camera would simply zoom into the center of the frame (unless you manually moved the joystick to the face first).
3. Distance Scale & Depth of Field
This stays active! Even in AF-S, because the Voigtländer lens has electronic contacts, the X-T5 will still show you the digital distance scale at the bottom of the viewfinder.
This is disappointing- I would think setting focus to AFS would un grey the option. Perhaps the camera is intentionally dumbing down the option when it see a voigtlander lens is attached.
