Eye autofocus and focus areas: getting sharp eyes every time
Eye AF and subject detection have changed portrait and wildlife photography. Here is how to set them up and avoid the common mistakes.
Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash
In portraits, viewers look at the eyes first. If the eyes are soft, the photo feels wrong even when everything else is sharp. Modern eye autofocus solves this, as long as it is set up correctly.
Turn on subject recognition
On cameras like the Sony a7R V and α6700, enable subject recognition and choose the subject: human, animal, bird, insect, car, train or airplane. The camera will find eyes or the relevant part of the subject and track it.
Pick the right focus area
- Wide or tracking wide: lets the camera find faces anywhere in the frame. Good for candids and events.
- Zone or expanded spot: limits where the camera looks, useful in busy scenes where several faces compete.
- Spot: for precise control, like focusing on a ring in a wedding detail shot.
Choose which eye
With shallow depth of field, focus on the eye nearest to the camera. Sony lets you choose left, right or auto.
Common mistakes
- Using AF-S with moving people: the subject leans forward and the eyes go soft. Use AF-C.
- Shooting wide open at f/1.2 with a group: only one face will be sharp. Stop down to f/2.8 or f/4.
- Sunglasses and hats can confuse eye detection; switch to face or a small zone.
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