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Nikon Z 5 Eye Tracking Focus Problems
Jan 9, 2023 10:27:48   #
azemon Loc: Saint Charles, MO, USA
 
I think that I am having trouble with eye tracking autofocus with my Nikon Z 5 + Nikkor 85mm F/1.8 G. Here are four test shots. In all cases, I used AF-C autofocus and held the back focus button until the camera settled on the nearest eye (subject's left eye).

At first I thought that the lens was soft when wide open but the subject's hair seems to be in focus near her right shoulder.

What are your thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

Would switching to one of the Z lenses help?

The only editing that I did on these photos was to crop, add text, and remove geolocation.

Thank you,
-- Art Z.


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Jan 9, 2023 10:47:51   #
pbcbob Loc: Delray Beach, FL
 
Take off the glasses and try again.

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Jan 9, 2023 12:28:19   #
azemon Loc: Saint Charles, MO, USA
 
pbcbob wrote:
Take off the glasses and try again.


That was it. Thank you. Without the glasses, the photo is perfectly focused.

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Jan 9, 2023 14:32:01   #
pbcbob Loc: Delray Beach, FL
 
Thanks. After I sent reply I thought I might have sounded sarcastic.
Glad things worked out.

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Jan 9, 2023 23:31:04   #
azemon Loc: Saint Charles, MO, USA
 
pbcbob wrote:
Thanks. After I sent reply I thought I might have sounded sarcastic.
Glad things worked out.


I didn't take it sarcastically at all. Short 'n' sweet works just fine for me. Best of all: you were right. It seemed so odd that I should be getting poor results from a modern camera and a highly thought of lens.

Cheers,
-- Art Z.

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Jan 10, 2023 14:05:05   #
linda lagace
 
azemon wrote:
I didn't take it sarcastically at all. Short 'n' sweet works just fine for me. Best of all: you were right. It seemed so odd that I should be getting poor results from a modern camera and a highly thought of lens.

Cheers,
-- Art Z.


Well for me it raises the question " How do you get good focus when the person is wearing glasses?"

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Jan 10, 2023 14:05:33   #
linda lagace
 
linda lagace wrote:
Well for me it raises the question " How do you get good focus when the person is wearing glasses?"


And when you really want to take a picture of them with glasses on?

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Jan 10, 2023 14:11:50   #
azemon Loc: Saint Charles, MO, USA
 
linda lagace wrote:
Well for me it raises the question " How do you get good focus when the person is wearing glasses?"


I will use a different focus mechanism. I could select a focus point at the bridge of the glasses instead of using eye tracking. Or I could use manual focus on the near eyebrow. Just two ideas.

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Jan 10, 2023 14:26:41   #
linda lagace
 
And with big enough depth of field I guess that would work. I always do birds.....who usually don't wear 🤓

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Jan 10, 2023 15:15:34   #
azemon Loc: Saint Charles, MO, USA
 
linda lagace wrote:
And with big enough depth of field I guess that would work. I always do birds.....who usually don't wear 🤓


I've done a lot of birds in flight. That's a whole lotta fun and a whole lotta challenge :-)

Now I am trying to learn about portrait photography, something that I have largely ignored. I have been playing with large apertures to blur the background and bring attention to the subject's eyes, so accurate focus has become critical.

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