Eye-based autofocus is the flavor of the month in camera development, and Canon is working overtime to make sure that their cameras can take full advantage of the feature. The Canon 90D and M6 MK II both support Eye AF, and it looks like their full-frame EOS-R mirrorless cameras will be the next in line thanks to an upcoming major firmware update.
Quietly posting a coming soon clip to their YouTube channel, Canon is teasing three main features coming to the EOS-R line. In addition to Eye AF, those features include object tracking/subject identification, and AF Frame display delay.
The video states:
"The firmware update aims to add detection of the subject’s eye when the subject is at a distance, improve overall AF frame tracking for moving subjects, as well as improve initial subject recognition and start tracking when subjects are at a distance."
Credit: Canon
While EOS R shooters have been quite pleased with how well the full-frame mirrorless sensor handles autofocus in various situations, with Nikon adding Eye AF to it's Z7 and Z6 with a firmware update, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Not only that, but Canon is also giving a boost to its realtime object tracking and subject identification feature in answer to what Sony recently added to their Alpha lines.
With Canon locked in a full-frame mirrorless cold war with Sony, Nikon and now, Panasonic with the Lumix S1H. So, it makes sense that Canon would want to keep its customers from looking at features in competing cameras, by adding and upgrading their mirrorless features to keep up.
The new firmware update will be available for both the EOS-R and EOS-RP full-frame mirrorless cameras by the end of September.
