Skip to main content

No more autofocus hunting? Canon patent could make it a thing of the past

Canon EOS 80D
Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends
Anyone who has used a modern auto-focus equipped camera has surely experienced the dread of autofocus hunting, when the camera moves the focus in and out when it’s having trouble nailing down the target. Well, a newly published Canon patent, if understood correctly, could soon make this incredibly annoying phenomenon a thing of the past.

The Canon patent, number 2016-24391, describes a method by which Canon’s sensor would be able to detect autofocus errors and correct for them without needing to actually drive the AF motor — in other words, removing the need for the camera to hunt with its focus in and out.

2016_24391_fig10The method, as described in the patent, would involve placing a polarizing filter between the lens and the imaging sensor. This filter would allow for the camera to detect how far it is front- or back-focused on its intended target, allowing for it to make adjustments without the need for refocusing multiple times, or hunting as we know it. How exactly this is achieved is not readily apparent from the patent, but the potential is definitely intriguing.

A key point to remember here, though, is that this is just a published patent, so there is no way of knowing if Canon has plans to ever introduce it in an official product. This patent in particular was actually filed in July 2014, but was only just published publicly this year. So don’t go getting too excited, but if you do, we don’t blame you. A world without AF hunting would be a glorious thing. Hint hint, Canon!

Anthony Thurston
Anthony is an internationally published photographer based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Specializing primarily in…
The best photo printers you can buy in 2024
Alan compares draft, standard, and high-quality photos from Epson's EcoTank ET-8500.

A comparison of draft, standard, and high-quality photos from Epson's EcoTank ET-8500. Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

If you love sharing photo prints or building physical photo albums, you might want to upgrade to a photo printer. When manufacturers optimize printers for pictures, the results can match or exceed that of the best printers available.

Read more
Crutchfield sale: Save on Canon, Sony and Nikon mirrorless cameras
Canon EOS R5

Photography can be a fun and even lucrative endeavor, although it also can be exceedingly expensive, with some of the best full-frame cameras on the market easily reaching and even exceeding one or two thousand dollars, and that's without taking into account the cost of the lenses. Luckily, there is a great sale at Crutchfield right now on various cameras and camera kits, and you can actually grab yourself some excellent cameras, whether you're just starting out or want to upgrade to the next level. To that end, we've picked some of our favorite deals below, although it's well worth checking out the full Crutchfield sale that's happenning now.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's camera sale
If you're just starting out with photography and don't want to spend the thousands of dollars you do for the slightly better cameras that you'll find in the mid-range, the Canon EOS R100 is an excellent option, and this kit includes a lens as well. It has a 24.1-megapixel sensor for high-quality photography, a 3-inch screen so you can get a better sense of what you're filming, and, of course, the RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 lens that the kit comes with. It can also connect with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and all of that comes packaged at , which is $100 off the usual $599 price tag.

Read more