face detect

[camerhoon]

I am confused. I can't see what face detect does. I focus using ae/af button the little square chases faces around the LCD and I take a photo focused where I asked it too.... I am actually quite happy with that however I am missing something... when is face detect useful or how is it useful?

 

[Amin Sabet]

Face detect is useful when someone's face is the intended subject in the frame. It serves two benefits: 1) It focuses on the face(s), which is especially handy when you let someone else who doesn't know how to focus and recompose use the camera; and 2) It prioritizes the proper exposure of detected faces when metering for automatic exposure, which can be a very handy substitute for dialing in exposure compensation or switching to spot metering. If you're taking photos of people and using autofocus and autoexposure, face detection is generally the way to go. I used to think it was a gimmick, but I now find it genuinely useful.

 

[camerhoon]

so... no good for A,M modes... have to use iauto? or have to use AF on the shutter button?

 

[Streetshooter]

No, it works fine in A mode.....it's really a focusing device and the exposure is a second thought...

 

[camerhoon]

got it, had to turn the af from centre point only to random/roaming variety (which is useless on the e-p1 , unless using face detect!!!)... thankyou

 

[Streetshooter]

Face detect will work with a fixed AF point also. I keep it centered and if I use Face Detect which is very rare, it will seek with a moving box....