Canon is playing catch-up to OM System when it comes to autofocus accuracy

Illustration of a Canon EOS R5 and OM System OM-1 in a race
(Image credit: Future, www.vecteezy.com)

According to a recent patent application, Canon could be working on a development of its Dual Pixel AF system. Launched in 2013 in the EOS 70D, DPAF improves autofocus speed when using contrast-detect AF. Around 80% of the pixels on the image sensor incorporate two separate light-sensitive photodiodes. The signal from these is combined when capturing an image, but can be split during autofocussing, so the camera can measure the difference between the two individual signals to determine the distance of your subject more quickly. It's proven to be an effective way to speed up contrast-detect AF, as without DPAF such focussing can be prone to focus hunting.

Read more: What is Dual pixel AF and why is it important?

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Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.