Spurious Face Recognition in EM-1

[jnewell]

Comparing the EM-5 and the EM-1, the face recognition in the EM-1 seems much stronger. For example, it easily recognizes faces in paintings that the EM-5 doesn't recognize. It seems to be overly sensitive, however. It goes into face recognition mode on some objects that I wouldn't have thought could be recognized as a face at all (because they weren't, and weren't even close). I'm wondering if anyone else has experimented with face recognition in the EM-1 and had similar results?

 

[Growltiger]

My E-M1 found a house that looked like a face - it was the positions of the door and windows. I have turned the feature off - I didn't want it to focus on the house in the background.

 

[pdk42]

Both my E-p5 and E-M5 do the same. I doubt that Oly changed the algorithm much between any of these cameras.

 

[chipbutty]

I find it pretty poor on the EM5. It can be pretty slow to recognise a face even if the face is clear and in front of the camera. Strangely I found it much more reliable on my EPM1. My Fuji XF1 also has no issues. It's disappointing as it's a feature I've really come to appreciate when photographing my young daughter.

 

[Amin]

Interesting, I find face detection much more reliable with both my E-M1 and E-M5 than with my Fuji XF1.

 

[jnewell]

Both my E-p5 and E-M5 do the same. I doubt that Oly changed the algorithm much between any of these cameras.

I'm seeing very different behavior between the EM-5 and the EM-1, with identical menu settings - fwiw.

 

[jnewell]

I find it pretty poor on the EM5. It can be pretty slow to recognise a face even if the face is clear and in front of the camera. Strangely I found it much more reliable on my EPM1. My Fuji XF1 also has no issues. It's disappointing as it's a feature I've really come to appreciate when photographing my young daughter.

I guess what my experiments show, at least with my two cameras, is that the EM-5 is ok but the EM-1 seems to be way to eager to find a "face." :smile:

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Maybe we should have a non-face face thread. Photos that the camera thought were faces, but weren't. Earlier today I thought an interesting thread would be inanimate faces, faces found in nature and architecture, I just haven't found any yet.

 

[hazwing]

my em5 occasionally seems to find faces in random bits of rock and stuff. I've generally turned face detection off as it's annoying when it finds a nonexistant face and then changes metering for the so-call 'face'.

 

[mrjr]

Same experience with my EM-5. It very frequently finds "faces" in all sorts of settings. Useful when it's working properly, but frustrating when it's not.

 

[taz98spin]

My E-P5 sometimes focuses on painted nails of hands & sometimes on my wife's bag.

 

[robbie36]

I find the face recognition on the EM1 pretty effective and very useful. Yes it occasionally finds faces in things without them (such as butterflies) and occasionally misses finding a face. Perhaps the biggest problem is getting it to recognize the right face.

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[OzRay]

Mine sometimes picks up some unusual objects, such as (the focus point was supposed to be the corner where the white met the red):

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Perhaps it's looking for its robot masters.

 

[pdk42]

For those with mysets assignable to the mode dial (pretty much everything except the e-m5 ), I have configured '"P" to mean "people" with face detection on (+ L continuous shooting and focus on half-press shutter) and "A" to mean "lAndscape" with face detection off (+ single shot abd back-button focus). Works really well.

 

[chipbutty]

How strange that we have such differing experiences! I find the XF1 is even good at recognising faces side on and I've never had an issue with it recognising faces in walls, footballs and other none face like objects as I do with the EM5. I find it so poor on the EM5 I no longer trust it and have stopped using it. Then again I used it all the time on my Pen Mini without such problems.

Interesting, I find face detection much more reliable with both my E-M1 and E-M5 than with my Fuji XF1.

 

[radamo]

For those with mysets assignable to the mode dial (pretty much everything except the e-m5 ), I have configured '"P" to mean "people" with face detection on (+ L continuous shooting and focus on half-press shutter) and "A" to mean "lAndscape" with face detection off (+ single shot abd back-button focus). Works really well.

Paul,
This is a good use of the assignable myset function.
Thanks..

 

[mcasan]

I happen to be in a macro workshop a couple of weeks ago. I was shooting some paper money from other countries. The eye and face recognition was spot on focusing on the printed faces on the money.

Since I normally shoot still-life, wildlife, and landscapes....face and eye recognition are turned off. I want to select the focus points...not have the camera think there might be a face that needs focusing.

 

[jnewell]

I find the face recognition on the EM1 pretty effective and very useful. Yes it occasionally finds faces in things without them (such as butterflies) and occasionally misses finding a face. Perhaps the biggest problem is getting it to recognize the right face.

That is actually the biggest problem I find with face recognition (in spite of this thread) - the right face is the key...

For those with mysets assignable to the mode dial (pretty much everything except the e-m5 ), I have configured '"P" to mean "people" with face detection on (+ L continuous shooting and focus on half-press shutter) and "A" to mean "lAndscape" with face detection off (+ single shot abd back-button focus). Works really well.

That's a brilliant suggestion!

 

[mrjr]

That is actually the biggest problem I find with face recognition (in spite of this thread) - the right face is the key...

Yeah. Too frequently it grabs the wrong face for me. Why doesn't it know which one I want?!

 

[pdk42]

Yeah. Too frequently it grabs the wrong face for me. Why doesn't it know which one I want?!

Well, the solution to that is eye (the photographer's eye) focus selection. Canon had it years ago on the Elan/50e 35mm SLRs. With an EVF, it should be fairly straightforward. Probably more difficult with a rear LCD, but Samsung do it on the Galaxy, so why not?