Is this the end of focus hunting? Canon has designed a new focus detection system that could be a very big deal
Does the above image look familiar to you? Chances are, if you've ever picked up a camera, you've experienced focus hunting – the phenomenon whereby the camera and lens are unable to identify the plan of focus inhabited by your subject, and endlessly drives forwards and backwards through a set range of focus "hunting" for it.
Well, Canon has just designed a new focus technology that sets out to solve this issue – something that would make millions of photographers, especially me, jump for joy.
The patent (2024-073200) (originally spotted by Canon Rumors) describes the solution as follows: "The focus control device includes a focus detection means for performing focus detection by a phase difference detection system, and a control means for controlling the drive of a focus lens included in an optical system based on a focus detection result obtained by the focus detection.
"In a search operation of acquiring a focus detection result while driving the focus lens in a search direction, the controller sets a drivable range of the focus lens based on the search direction and a position of the focus lens, and when a focus detection result for a position within the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven based on the focus detection result, and when a focus detection result for a position outside the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven in the search direction without using the focus detection result."
As with most patents, deciphering the technical jargon is pretty tricky. In short, the system comprehensively determines the search direction and autofocus direction, and calculates the difference between the search start position and the current position.
The system then continuously determines the search and defocus direction based on the current and previous frame, until it ultimately establishes the correct focus drive amount and search direction to find the correct plane of focus.
There's obviously much more to it than that – including plenty of diagrams and flow charts – but I think that's the gist of it.
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The caveat, as always, is that this technology may never find its way into a final product. After all, Canon has been a prolific patenter for almost 40 years and secured nearly 3,000 patents in 2023 – so there's no guarantee that this will go anywhere.
But if it does… boy, will my hat be off to the designers behind it.
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.