R10 - possible to use asterisk for eye detection?

[Mike79]

Hi, guys and gals -

I've seen a couple of YT vids of guys with Canon R cameras setting the asterisk button for eye detection - David Bergman and Brett Carlsen -  Bergman has the setting to an    "icon face+spot metering" setting, Carlsen doesn't show that, and, my R10 doesn't appear to offer that option.

In AF 1, I already have Eye Detection : Enabled.

Would I be able to use the asterisk for eye detection, and would I then have to disable it in menu AF 1?

I value your responses,

Mike

[p4pictures · Accepted solution]

It's possible that the videos you have seen are featuring EOS R5 cameras, these have a slightly different set of functions that can be assigned to the buttons. Also the way the AF works on the EOS R5 and EOS R6 (Mk1) is different to the EOS R10 and later cameras. EOS R5/R6 can only do eye detection when the AF area (called method on R5/R6) is set to face + tracking AF (called whole area AF on R10). So on the EOS R5/R6 the camera switches from whatever AF method is in use to face + tracking and also activates eye detection.  

On your EOS R10, you can assign the AF-ON or asterisk buttons to switch to Eye detection AF and focus, or to toggle eye detection on/off. The difference is that Eye detection AF means when you press and hold the asterisk button then the camera activates eye detection AF and starts focusing. This overrides the setting for eye detection in the menu while the asterisk is pressed. If you select the eye detection option then each press and release of the button will toggle eye detection on/off. On my camera I see a message on the LCD and in the viewfinder to confirm the change in eye detection status. 

[Mike79]

SO - the answer is YES, I can assign Eye Detection to the asterisk. Okay - and if I decide to do that, shouldn't I  "Disable" Eye Detection in menu AF 1, even though it's overriden by the asterisk button? 

I ask because I'd want to put asterisk activated AF Eye Detection in a Custom Mode, and I don't want excessive menu clutter in the Custom Mode. 

As always, many thanks for your informed and well articulated responses.

[cranfordrd]

I have eye detect option "on" an have set the asterix for eye detect. When I press the asterix I know eye detect has been turned off because it stops finding the eye but I have to KEEP it depressed to keep it off. If I press and let go the eye is once again detected. Is that the intended function? I want to be able to turn it on and off easily having to hodl the button down is not helpful.

[p4pictures]

There are two options with the words "eye detect" in them that can be assigned to the asterisk button.

One is eye detection AF, and the other is eye detection. They are quite different. 

Eye detection AF does the following while the button is pressed and held down. 

• Activates eye detection if not already active
• Switches to whole area AF
• Initiates focus searching for an eye in the scene

Eye detection does the following each time the button is pressed and released

• Toggles the current state of eye detection on / off and displays a message on the LCD or EVF to indicate the change

Check this section of the manual to see what I mean about two functions with eye detection in the Functions available for customization section. 

https://cam.start.canon/en/C006/manual/html/UG-10_Custom_0030.html

[cranfordrd]

Perfect answer! I asked at the camera shop but they could not get to the details for me. Last night I attended a zoom class with the shops Canon rep, sadly it was abysmal. There was another rep answering questions in chat and she gave multiple answers none of which were correct. Thank you so much!!!

[p4pictures]

Training people how to get the best from their cameras is what I do… I work online with Zoom and in-person for people in the UK.