Face detection will help you take the best people shots - every time.

What is “face detection”? This is a technology now being incorporated in many digital cameras. It uses a special algorithm to “locate” faces about to be snapped. (Small boxes on the camera’s LCD preview screen actually lock onto the faces.) The camera then adjusts settings such as focus and exposure to best suit that portion of the photograph.

In some cameras, face detection may alternatively be called face recognition or face priority auto focus (AF).

Why would I want it? Unless you’re a professional or hobbyist photographer, chances are that most photos you take will be of friends and family. Face detection ensures you get the best people shots possible every time, without having to think about the settings. It also means the camera will focus on faces even when they’re not in the centre of the screen.

What if I’m shooting something other than a person? Most digital cameras with face detection allow you to disable this function. However, if there is no face in the frame – for example, if you’re shooting a field of flowers – it shouldn’t matter whether face detection is on or off; the camera will just auto-focus and take the picture.

How many faces can it detect? This depends on the brand and model you buy. Some cameras can detect up to 12 faces.

How much does it cost? It’s hard to say exactly, given that face detection is one of many features a camera might offer.

Basic face detection is becoming standard for many brands, but you’ll pay more for cool new iterations of face-detection technology. One company for example, now offers cameras that will allow users to select either adults or children as the focal point of a particular shot. Another has linked face detection to the timer function – so that the camera won’t shoot until it detects a specific number of faces in the frame. Neat!

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