Eye control

[adamdoesmovies]

So I've been messing around with the old Elan IIe (and the Elan7e to a lesser extent) and both had an amazing feature on them: the ability to choose focus point with eye movement alone. So far, I have found myself able to use it with very good accuracy.

My question is this - Why is this not included in any of the modern DSLR's? I understand it's more difficult to choose between 45 focus points than it is for 3, 5, or 9, but even the ability to choose zones on my 7D by eye control would make things a lot faster for crucial work such as sports. Has canon ever said anything as to if they're bringing it back, and if not, why not?

 

[kirillica]

AFAIK, Canon EOS3 has this feature

 

[adamdoesmovies]

AFAIK, Canon EOS3 has this feature

What about the new Canon EOS 3D (that is for sure coming out, even though it's been a discredited rumor since 2006)?

 

[bikersbeard]

i had it on my old 5D and loved it, it was only 5 points but worked very well indeed..

if they could get it right with more points it would be awesome..

 

[motorhead]

Indeed, the Eos3 with its 45 eye controlled AF points still is to this day an amazing bit of kit. I still use mine and its the best camera I've ever owned, including the digital bodies I've used since.

But as I understand it, power consumption was a problem with the early dSLR's so it got dropped and if there was sufficient interest Canon have said that it could return. The system has two sensors looking at the users iris and the camera needed to be educated about the users eye movement, which is apparently unique to an individual. This meant that it is not possible to just pick up an Eos3 and use it in eye-control mode, and the more training you give it the better it gets.

Personally my dream camera would be something like a 1Ds with the whole frame packed as tight as possible with eye-controlled AF points, award winning DR and low ISO performance. Forget video, forget extreme high ISO and I'd have the camera of my dreams. Trouble is I'd never ever want to replace it.

 

[RuneL]

Indeed, the Eos3 with its 45 eye controlled AF points still is to this day an amazing bit of kit. I still use mine and its the best camera I've ever owned, including the digital bodies I've used since.

But as I understand it, power consumption was a problem with the early dSLR's so it got dropped and if there was sufficient interest Canon have said that it could return. The system has two sensors looking at the users iris and the camera needed to be educated about the users eye movement, which is apparently unique to an individual. This meant that it is not possible to just pick up an Eos3 and use it in eye-control mode, and the more training you give it the better it gets.

Personally my dream camera would be something like a 1Ds with the whole frame packed as tight as possible with eye-controlled AF points, award winning DR and low ISO performance. Forget video, forget extreme high ISO and I'd have the camera of my dreams. Trouble is I'd never ever want to replace it.

I'd love that too

 

[Hillsilly]

Another vote for bringing it back. I find that I can choose focus points on my 7E (Eos 30) much faster than any other camera I've used. And I understand that the Eos 3 is faster again. As mentioned, everyone's eyesight is different, but this system only requires an intitial calibration for each user and you're away. Its very useful when photographing action and wildlife.

 

[dr croubie]

I've read elsewhere on this forum in another thread, people really complaining about the eye-control, couldn't get used to it, didn't want to spend a while training it, hated it, etc blah blah.
I've never used it (although i think my sis had it on her eos 50), but the one thing i do know is _if you don't like it, turn it off_.

the only arguement i can see against it is the 'i don't want to pay for something i'm not going to use'. yeah well, get used to it. how many people regularly change between all their different focus modes? us af microadjustment on every lens? use white-balance and ev bracketing? high iso and long exposure noise reduction, lighting optimiser, illumination correction in every shot? (probably not the people who shoot raw-only). record cards-full of HD movie at 3x zoom?

half your camera is stuff you're never going to use all the time. you want a simple camera? buy a film or a leica M9.

I say bring it back, i'd be interested in trying it out on my next body. at the least i'd certainly use it for zone-selection on my 7d...

 

[marcdenny]

When I changed mys film reflex, I took the EOS 30 (and not 33, even if price was more) only because of that function. If Canon make this on a new body, I buy without question

 

[motorhead]

This was on the EOS A2E (EOS 5 NOTE:not the 5Digital), the ELAN IIE (EOS 55), ELAN 7E (EOS 7 in Japan, EOS 30 elsewhere), Elan 7N E (EOS 30V) and later on the 3

There is an obvious issue - you can't turn the camera sideways (portrait) because you then had - effectively - a different eye (early models would refuse to take a picture sideways in auto mode, you had to switch to a manual mode; because it knew it could not "trust the metering so what you could do is meter, lock AE, then turn sideways)

This is not solvable and short of professionals, most people forgot and then got frustrated when the camera had to say NO

This is an interesting technology but you have to have a big production camera to make it cost-effective and who is going to pay an additional $150 - 200 for this when you can't use it while turning the camera sideways

I don't know the other cameras you mention, but the Eos3 had no such problem. It does require the calibration in both landscape and portrait, but once that's done its just as easy either way.

 

[dr croubie]

For that matter, let me ask, how many of you with Canons with the wheel to change AF points actually use that feature?

I've got the 7D, and i'm not sure if it was a custom setting or default, but my joystick sets the AF point, my thumb is practically *always* on it to set where i want it. If it's not there i'm teaching it to press the af-type button to change zone/spot/etc...

if eye control would save me a lot of rsi and physiotherapy, i'd pay an extra $100 for it...

 

[adamdoesmovies]

I've read elsewhere on this forum in another thread, people really complaining about the eye-control, couldn't get used to it, didn't want to spend a while training it, hated it, etc blah blah.
I've never used it (although i think my sis had it on her eos 50), but the one thing i do know is _if you don't like it, turn it off_.

the only arguement i can see against it is the 'i don't want to pay for something i'm not going to use'. yeah well, get used to it. how many people regularly change between all their different focus modes? us af microadjustment on every lens? use white-balance and ev bracketing? high iso and long exposure noise reduction, lighting optimiser, illumination correction in every shot? (probably not the people who shoot raw-only). record cards-full of HD movie at 3x zoom?

half your camera is stuff you're never going to use all the time. you want a simple camera? buy a film or a leica M9.

I say bring it back, i'd be interested in trying it out on my next body. at the least i'd certainly use it for zone-selection on my 7d...

Zone selection with eye control would be amazing. I've gotten myself in the habit of using the joystick for it, but eye control would be even better.

 

[Hillsilly]

The 7E / 30 also required calibration in both landscape and protrait orientation. Once calibrated, it worked fine in both modes. In fact, by recalibrating it in different types of lighting, it just got better and better.

There are people that just couldn't get it to work properly for them. I don't know if this had something to do with their eyesight, eye muscle control or camera defects. But for the rest of us, it is a good additional feature. It is also very easy to turn on and off (it has its own dial).

 

[kirillica]

For that matter, let me ask, how many of you with Canons with the wheel to change AF points actually use that feature?

in 90% of cases I use M mode and sometimes switch AF points manually. and I know lots of professionals who do the same.

btw, we don't ask eye control for xxxD or even xxD. put it in xD

 

[danski0224]

Did the eye control work with glasses?

 

[dr croubie]

Did the eye control work with glasses?

i don't think so (although it might work with some types of glass, strengths etc, definitely not all)

 

[alipaulphotography]

I manually select my AF points. Never trust the camera! Joystick just about works but often struggles to get a particular point. Hopefully a new method will be developed in a new camera. Eye control sounds pretty interesting if done well.

Might buy a EOS 3...

 

[Hillsilly]

Yes - it works with glasses. You just need to calibrate it with your glasses on. I've got mine set up as user 1 - with glasses and user 2 - with contact lenses. I'd have to say that it seems to work better when I'm wearing contact lenses, but it still works fine with glasses.

 

[dr croubie]

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/tech/report/2011/09/ just appeared in the Canon Camera Museum.

Even as innovations like 45-point Area AF and cross-type AF points have led to more compositional freedom and broadened the possibilities of photography, we are still devoted to developing in the near future AF technology that will focus where you want it just by thought alone without any physical operations. This “dream AF” will astound you all.

Could this be a return of 'eye control', or something totally new?