Patent: Dual Pixel Phase Detect AF While in AI Servo

[Canon Rumors]

<div style="float: right; margin:0 0 76px 0px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-url="http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/08/patent-dual-pixel-phase-detect-af-while-in-ai-servo/">Tweet</a></div>
<p>A new patent that integrates normal AF with phase detect AF has become public. This sort of technology could very much improve AF tracking in burst mode. Perhaps we’ll see this technology on the upcoming EOS 7D replacement?</p>
<p>If anyone can further clarify this patent, please do.</p>
<div id="attachment_17016" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014_142372_fig07.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-17016" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2014_142372_fig07.png" alt="Phase Detect AF w/Normal AF" width="401" height="219" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Phase Detect AF w/Normal AF</p></div>
<p>Patent Publication No. 2014-142372</p>
<ul>
<li>Published Date 2014.8.7</li>
<li>Filing date 2012.1.22</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Source: [<a href="http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-08-12" target="_blank">EG</a>]</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[Dylan777]

Never enough for af accuracy. 1dx ii perhaps?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

 

[Orangutan]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

That would be nice, but after getting bit with mirrorless technology 3 times, Canon is pretty shy. The Fiasco with the "M" cost them a bundle. Its nothing to do with the camera, just that the buyers that it targeted wanted nothing to do with it. They dumped them for a big loss.

 

[Dylan777]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

Makes that FF mirrorless with native pancake prime lenses, I can smell the trouble

 

[Dylan777]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

That would be nice, but after getting bit with mirrorless technology 3 times, Canon is pretty shy. The Fiasco with the "M" cost them a bundle. Its nothing to do with the camera, just that the buyers that it targeted wanted nothing to do with it. They dumped them for a big loss.

I got smarter through my own mistakes.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

Makes that FF mirrorless with native pancake prime lenses, I can smell the trouble

Perhaps if they targeted a mirrorless toward enthusiast buyers with a full sized body, it would sell. In a early interview, Canon stated or hinted that the M was targeted at women buyers in Japan. That demographic is apparently a big miss in USA and Europe. It sells in Asia.

I'd certainly welcome the demise of that flapping mirror.

 

[Etienne]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

That would be nice, but after getting bit with mirrorless technology 3 times, Canon is pretty shy. The Fiasco with the "M" cost them a bundle. Its nothing to do with the camera, just that the buyers that it targeted wanted nothing to do with it. They dumped them for a big loss.

It had everything to do with the camera. The EOS-M was woefully far behind the competition. The EOS-M is a good value at $300, but Canon has to do a lot better to compete with Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic GH4 etc.

Canon can do it, and I think they will. The next EOS-M will be a killer because it has to be in order to compete. They have dual pixel AF, which is revolutionary and incredibly beneficial to a mirrorless cam. It's only a matter of time before Canon takes the lead on mirrorless I think.

 

[RGF]

will dual pixel improve DR? or only AF? It would be nice if it would

 

[Etienne]

will dual pixel improve DR? or only AF? It would be nice if it would

I have no idea, but you can bet Canon is not sitting on their asses. They can see the danger of Sony, Panasonic, Fujifilm. It's been a game of leapfrog for a long time, and Canon will leap ahead soon. That's just my guess.

 

[Lee Jay]

I'd certainly welcome the demise of that flapping mirror.

So would I, except for the fact that all the alternatives are dramatically worse.

 

[weixing]

Hi,
I personally won't get a DSLR with EVF for birding/wildlife... it'll "eat" the battery very fast. If it's a hybrid (with option of using either optical or EVF), then I don't mind.

Anyway, may be the Dual Pixel Phase Detect AF is use to do fine adjustment to the AF when the mirror is up during the image capture phase...

Have a nice day.

 

[Dylan777]

I'm expecting something like this. Canon wants to improve the tracking ability of the dual pixel technology to make it suitable for professional level autofocus. I expect some solution to be in all future CanonDSLR's.

And maybe take one more step toward pro-level mirrorless.

Makes that FF mirrorless with native pancake prime lenses, I can smell the trouble

Perhaps if they targeted a mirrorless toward enthusiast buyers with a full sized body, it would sell. In a early interview, Canon stated or hinted that the M was targeted at women buyers in Japan. That demographic is apparently a big miss in USA and Europe. It sells in Asia.

I'd certainly welcome the demise of that flapping mirror.

Sounds like they need to run new mirrorless campaign. This might help reversing that philosophy. And I HOPE&WISH for same type camera body that he's holding

 

[PhotoCat]

Wow, this is really happening!
AFMA hopefully will be eliminated altogether, now Canon can compare the results between
dual pixel sensor and normal phase-det sensor!!

 

[mackguyver]

Soon we'll be able to shoot sports with our phones! If Canon licenses this to them, they can do Ai Servo and maybe we'll see the momtogs ditch their Rebels for their phone!

Okay, just being silly, but this makes sense as the "big" thing for the 7DII announcement.

P.S. Dylan, nice Arnold photo!

 

[dgatwood]

The problem with mirrorless is that it has few real advantages and lots of disadvantages.

Its main advantage is the ability to make non-retrofocal wide angle lenses in the range from 22mm to about 40mm. So lenses within that tiny, narrow range get smaller. Your smallest lenses (the ones that were already light enough to not be a big deal) get smaller and lighter.

Unfortunately, because lenses longer than 40mm are already non-retrofocal, they don't benefit. Thus, most of your lenses stay the same size, but now require an adapter that reduces IQ subtly by adding another flex point, and adds another piece of hardware that you have to manage when out in the field. That's barely even an advantage, and for many people, is a disadvantage.

And the body gets thinner. Whee. That's such an advantage that I can hardly contain my giddiness. No, wait. The other thing. Boredom. If you use this to make the camera lighter, it becomes unwieldy because of the weight imbalance between the camera and the lens. And if you don't, then what's the point?

I suppose you can also do things like focus peaking through the viewfinder instead of having to do them on the live view display, though that's a pretty small benefit, IMO.

On the disadvantage side, you have much shorter battery life (no OVF), mandatory adapters on many lenses, and loss of night accommodation when shooting at night.

When you add all those things together, IMO most folks would be better off with a DSLR, using live view for those rare occasions when an EVF provides an advantage. And IMO most of the folks who are really better off with mirrorless (the folks who only use short lenses) would do just as well with a fixed-lens point-and-shoot.

 

[Marauder]

Hi,
I personally won't get a DSLR with EVF for birding/wildlife... it'll "eat" the battery very fast. If it's a hybrid (with option of using either optical or EVF), then I don't mind.

Anyway, may be the Dual Pixel Phase Detect AF is use to do fine adjustment to the AF when the mirror is up during the image capture phase...

Have a nice day.

I concur. I want/need an OVF. Don't mind a hybrid that I can use or turn off as needed. I also agree that the DPAF may allow continual AF with the mirror down, handing off the AF information between the two systems, depending on which one has a view at a given instant. It may even be able to AF based on shape and colour of object, which would be very cool if it can be made to work reliably! I also think the idea that it may eliminate the need to calibrate lenses, which would be a HUGE benefit!

As to the mirrorless, I'm not particularly interested, but I agree that DPAF could be the way forward for Canon to compete in that marketplace. Still, I see mirrorless as an alternative to an SLR, rather than a replacement for it.

My two cents worth...but pennies have been taken out of circulation here in Canada!

 

[AvTvM]

1. I see a mirror flapping in that patent.
2. To me it looks like a feedback loop for automatic, in-camera "AF-Micro-Adjustment".

I do not se anything directly linked to dual-pixel AF [automatic AFMA for DSLR-phase-detect AF-unit could be achieved with any sort of additional in-sensor plane AF ... CD-AF and/or PD-AF] nor to improved Servo-Tracking performance. And I also fail to see how this patent might improve AF-capabilities of *mirrorless* cameras.

As much as I am looking forward to the demise of the flapping mirror, too. ;D

 

[RGomezPhotos]

It will be in the 1DX MKII and 5D MKIV. It might be a dumbed-down version in the 7D replacement. With tracking like that in the 7D replacement, it could eat sales of the 1DX.