Eye-controlled AF is coming to more EOS R cameras, but you’ll have to be patient

[Canon Rumors Guy]

In a recent interview by DPReview with Canon folks at CP+ last month, they touch on all things Canon mirrorless and a few tidbits of what’s coming in the future. One of the more interesting bits of information is in regards to eye-controlled autofocus that we have in the Canon EOS R3. According to Canon,

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[jam05]

Not simply 3rd party RF lenses. 3rd party RF lenses with AF

 

[ata bora]

My guess is we might see eye-controlled autofocus on the Canon R5 Mark ii as well.

 

[CampanellaFoto]

No thanks, I tried it and turned it off right away. Just way too distracting. You have your focus cursor which you can move around and then you have a second circular cursor from the eye control bouncing around. So distracting. Just so unnecessary , they should bring the swipe-able AF-On button to the R5 Mark II instead.

 

[SnowMiku]

I'm surprised they are not keeping the eye controlled AF as only an R3/R1 feature. It sounds like they want to have this in the R5 II and maybe in an R7 II down the track?

 

[Maximilian]

I have no experience on Eye-controlled AF.
But from what I've heard, it must be cool.
It would be great to see this coming to lower end camera bodies.
Especially if the "sensor" seems to be implemented already and if it is just a" firmware switch on".

 

[Blorp]

No experience either, but I wonder how they solve it when I look at the settings while shooting.

Often I don't look at the subject but at the edge of the picture to make a good frame, or what's happening around the subject then it shouldn't focus.

 

[exkeks]

I don’t quite understand how this interview can be read as saying something about eye control coming to *existing* camera bodies

 

[HMC11]

No experience either, but I wonder how they solve it when I look at the settings while shooting.

Often I don't look at the subject but at the edge of the picture to make a good frame, or what's happening around the subject then it shouldn't focus.

I wonder about that as well. Perhaps it is possible to stare/look at a spot and lock that as the focus point by half-pressing the shutter button or pressed a customised button akin to back-button focusing? Whateve the case it may be, I imagine the software would improve over time and become more intuitive. It therefore makes sense to spread this feature to other bodies so that Canon can field test it more extensively to accelerate the pace of its development.

 

[Blorp]

Yes, maybe just as the starting point, then auto mode and tracking takes over and I can watch other stuff until I release the AF button again.

 

[Pierre Lagarde]

On R3, as far as I used it, I found eye-AF to be quite practical and easy... as long as you don't wear glasses.
It could be tricky to make it work correctly depending on the correction and form factor of your glasses, and it could be more felt as a distraction than a real help.
So, unless they really make it much better for this use case, it may not be a part of a buying decision for many.

However, I've no doubt Canon will keep on improving their AF system itself, even though it is already very efficient in most of the situations.

 

[Photonensammler]

I wonder about that as well. Perhaps it is possible to stare/look at a spot and lock that as the focus point by half-pressing the shutter button or pressed a customised button akin to back-button focusing? Whateve the case it may be, I imagine the software would improve over time and become more intuitive. It therefore makes sense to spread this feature to other bodies so that Canon can field test it more extensively to accelerate the pace of its development.

The eye control AF in the R3 does not replace the tracking autofocus. You just set the starting point of the tracking by looking at it and then let the camera do its job. It is just a tool to quickly change between different subjects. So looking down at your settings is not interfering with the tracking (unless you initiate tracking again).

 

[tangerine_sedge]

No thanks, I tried it and turned it off right away. Just way too distracting. You have your focus cursor which you can move around and then you have a second circular cursor from the eye control bouncing around. So distracting. Just so unnecessary , they should bring the swipe-able AF-On button to the R5 Mark II instead.

I persevered for a while, but turned it off recently - 80% of the time it was good, but the other 20% was just hard work and made me lose plenty of shots. I'm a glasses wearer, and I think it struggled with working out where I was looking under certain lighting conditions. It was better than the old EOS 3 film camera which also had this feature though!

 

[EOS 4 Life]

I'm surprised they are not keeping the eye controlled AF as only an R3/R1 feature. It sounds like they want to have this in the R5 II and maybe in an R7 II down the track?

It sounds like it is expensive at the moment so I guess that will be the case until it becomes less expensive.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

I don’t quite understand how this interview can be read as saying something about eye control coming to *existing* camera bodies

I read it as eye controlled AF will come to future bodies lower in the Canon hierarchy than the R3.

 

[Del Paso]

Very good news for me, that's what I've been waiting for.
Thumb activated focus-point definition doesn't work for me, thumb, index and middle finger "suffer" from a reduced sensitivity after spinal hernia. And, since I'm a left-eye shooter, I can't easily use back-screen for focusing.
So, eye-control warmly welcome!

 

[TonyG]

If it trickles down to lower R bodies other then the R3 and R1, wonder how much of a price increase the R5ii is going to see
Actually kind of wonder now how much cheaper an R3 would have been without it.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

Actually kind of wonder now how much cheaper an R3 would have been without it.

I wonder as well but eye control AF was a signature feature of the EOS 3.
It only makes sense that the R3 would have it to garner the name.

 

[Kit.]

I wonder as well but eye control RF was a signature feature of the EOS 3.

I had it in my EOS 50E. Was close to useless, though.

 

[LesC]

I remember having eye controlled focus many years ago on the EOS 50E - an AF film camera. It was quite clever but with the excellent tracking of the R5 I really don't think I'd need it anymore. I suspect it will only come to future models and probably won't be so effective for people like me who now wear varifocal glasses!