Eye autofocus is a joy for portrait photographers

Saturday 4 December 2021, 20:02 by Elja Trum | 4,816 views | 4 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Last Thursday I had my first serious photoshoot with my brand-new Canon EOS R5. I got a lot of enjoyment from this camera's eye autofocus feature. What a joy to have as a portrait photographer!

With my Canon EOS 5D mark III, I mainly used the focus-and-recompose method. I usually focused on the central autofocus point, which is also the most sensitive. After focusing, I moved the camera to get the composition I wanted.

Julia - f/2.8, 1/200s, 320 ISO @ 70mm
I had already enjoyed using eye autofocus when trying out different cameras, but now that this is actually my own camera, I have looked more closely at the autofocus options.

Eye autofocus is only ideal when there is actually an eye in the frame. If there isn't, the autofocus just jumps around. It often doesn't focus where you want it to.

I therefore want to be able to switch quickly between using eye autofocus and the more traditional focus based on a specific point.

With the Canon EOS R5, this is very easy. By default, when I press the shutter button, my camera is set to 'One shot' and 'Expanded AF area'. You can easily set this by clicking the Q button on the back of the camera, the two items at the top left of the screen.

Julia - f/2.8, 1/125s, 400 ISO @ 70mm
The system also works with closed eyes, falling back to the face if necessary
However, this means I miss out on the handy eye autofocus option. I also want to have that available immediately when I am taking photos. That is why I assigned this function to the AF-ON button.

To set this up, go into the menu. In the second-to-last menu item, on page 3, choose 'Customize buttons'. Choose the 'AF-ON' button and then press the INFO button. This takes you to the detailed settings.

I set 'AF operation' to 'SERVO' here. This keeps the camera continuously focusing on the eye of the person in the frame. Under 'AF method', choose the eye detection function.

When you press the AF-ON button while taking photos, the camera immediately switches to focusing on the eye. Keep the button pressed while you take the photo, and the focus will be right.

In the video below, I show you exactly what I set:

I also gave the * button exactly the same setting. That way it doesn't matter if I accidentally press the wrong button, as both buttons are next to each other.

Julia - f/2.8, 1/160s, 400 ISO @ 65mm
During my shoot, I discovered that this is a really pleasant way of working. You can switch extremely quickly between handy eye autofocus and the traditional way of focusing.

Because I didn't have to keep adjusting my composition, I could take photos much faster than before.

With a practiced model who can change poses quickly, you can take even more great photos this way. What's more, the eye autofocus on the Canon EOS R works so well that out-of-focus eyes have become a thing of the past.

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About the author

Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.

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4 comments

Eugene wrote on Sunday 5 December 2021 at 12:13 | reply
The skin tones look beautiful. Think Canon still gives a a small edge over the other brands. Realistic rendering of the skin, in all the different shades, in my opinion make a good portrait a top portrait.
Translated from Dutch.

Lauran wrote on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at 06:02 | reply
Hi Elja, first of all congratulations on your new camera. You write in the article about the "traditional way of focusing". Do you mean autofocus or manual focusing by this?

Ps. Some time ago you asked whether more people wanted to write about photography. I contacted you about this but did not receive a reply. Perhaps it escaped your attention.
Translated from Dutch.

Paul wrote on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at 07:17 | reply
Very beautiful photos with natural colors Elja! Maybe also mention that with the new firmware update 1.5.0, vehicles have also been included in the autofocus, and this applies to both the Eos R5 and the Eos R6. I did the update on my R5 and the autofocus is now insanely good.
I would also like to mention that you can set the menu to Dutch, unless you prefer the English version as you do. Either way, setting your camera according to your own preferences is best. Tips from experienced photographers are always a great added value.
Translated from Dutch.

Elja Trum wrote on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at 14:09 | reply
@Paul; Oh yes, I’m also going to perform that firmware update. I deliberately have my menu set to English, I often find that pleasant.

@Lauran; by traditional I mean 'focus and recompose'. So 'one shot' autofocus on the central focus point of your camera, focus on your subject, keep the shutter button half-pressed and adjust the composition as desired and then take the shot.

Oh, and I didn’t see your message. Strange! Could you perhaps send it again to elja@photofacts.nl? New writers are always welcome!
Translated from Dutch.

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Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about Photofacts

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