D810 - facial recognition - how to turn off?

MaxBerlin

I've tried dozens of options but without success. I want to turn off the function that makes the camera switch from a single point in the center to a roaming yellow box that picks up faces and tracks to anywhere in the view finder.

Changing B5 to 'off' doesn't stop the behavior.

Thanks for any help you can give.

ThomasHorton

I hope there is a way to turn it off. I can imagine how annoying that could be if you wont' want it.

MaxBerlin

It doesn't do it through the OVF but it does it quite readily when using live view. I've spent more than day trying to stop it.

MaxBerlin

OK got an answer from Nikon support. Turn the AF/M button to AF - you must have an AF capable lens attached to camera. Turn on live view and then advance menu by info button until you see the screen with the icons across the top. Now depress center button of AF/M button and the icon for facial recognition will be seen in yellow. Then rotate front button until norm is seen in yellow area. Finally it is off !

So here's the most important thing - if you're heading out for a holiday and you don't have an AF lens you can't change this setting. So either make sure you like the settings you have or take at least one AF lens with all of your manual lenses.

spraynpray

I just checked the manual and it isn't well written on this subject. The only reference to face recognition is on page 40 and it just explains what it is.

C'mon Nikon, improve your manual!

funtagraph

@spraynpray +1 there's some space between this manual and a real good one but I'm afraid Nikon doesn't want to cut sales numbers for all those "D810 books with secret tips" sometimes the manual itself remains a little bit too secret. It took me a while to find out the differences of banks vs. U1, U2 modes and it's also not very clear about certain features like ADL and HDR (not for RAW, but can be interpreted by Nikon Capture NX-D )

@MaxBerlin of course face recognition only works with AF lenses - how would you do with a manual focus lens? You don't need to use the Info-button, btw. if you press the front button for AF mode and use front and real dial, you can scroll through the modes. I haven't seen much use of the face recognition yet. LiveView and fast focus are worlds apart and until the mirror has moved, shutter closed and reopened all faces could be on different places. It's more for japanese models who freeze in front of a point of interest until the photographers relieves them back into life.

As for the manual - I don't envy their technical authors, sometimes I feel Nikon makes their work extra difficult by the complicated menu structures.

Killerbob

...and when you go through these steps to turn it off, does it stay off, or does it turn back on again when you off/on the camera?

Msmoto

I am not certain which body you are using, but, with my D4, the focus point seems to remain stable, on my D800E it was wondering all over the place. What I discovered was I did not have the focus selector lock placed on "L" for lock, and my nose was pressing the multi selector dial when I looked through the viewfinder.

Problem solved when I placed the dial on "L".

ThomasHorton

OK got an answer from Nikon support. Turn the AF/M button to AF - you must have an AF capable lens attached to camera. Turn on live view and then advance menu by info button until you see the screen with the icons across the top. Now depress center button of AF/M button and the icon for facial recognition will be seen in yellow. Then rotate front button until norm is seen in yellow area. Finally it is off !

Cripes, I wonder how much it would have cost Nikon to have an "on/off" function in a menu?

funtagraph

That's not necessary. On/Off is already placed on the switch of the AF-lens and on the cameras AF lever round the AF function button. WIth the AF function button one can choose and I think, that's enough. If I want AF, I have to decide in which mode it should be. There are enough On/Off switches, Nikon should increase the quality of the manuals.

montsergirl

MaxBerlin said:

OK got an answer from Nikon support. Turn the AF/M button to AF - you must have an AF capable lens attached to camera. Turn on live view and then advance menu by info button until you see the screen with the icons across the top. Now depress center button of AF/M button and the icon for facial recognition will be seen in yellow. Then rotate front button until norm is seen in yellow area. Finally it is off !

So here's the most important thing - if you're heading out for a holiday and you don't have an AF lens you can't change this setting. So either make sure you like the settings you have or take at least one AF lens with all of your manual lenses.

Oh My GOSH!! I just did what you had said and I am just headed to shoot for work- I am just ecstatic! I don't know this D7500 as well as I would like but if this works I will be so happy!!!! THANK YOU!!!! What a terrible way of having to do this. Again Thank you!

Pistnbroke

I have two 810s and I did not even know it did it never mind seen it !!!

spraynpray

RTFM Pistnbroke...

HankB

spraynpray said:

RTFM Pistnbroke...

And you can download the FM pdf and put it on your phone — a quick searchable reference in the field.

Pistnbroke

Had to google that ...it was the third letter that I was not sure about ...F.....Which considering all my boats in Australia were called Fucawi is supprising ...

Note (for the ill educated )....The Fucawi are a tribe of 4 ft pigmies who live in 5 ft grassland ...When they go anywhere they are always jumping up down shouting "where the fucawi"

On the same theme when I went to register my Jetski in Aus I put W.T.F on the form for the name ...lady said you cannot have that . Why ? no full stops allowed . So
WTF it was.......

rmp

Pistnbroke it seems I have heard a lot of people saying something that sounds like "where the fucawi."

HankB

Ah...for the day when "RTFM" goes into consumer product support scripts.

spraynpray

LOL! Hank. Soon, I'm sure.

Pistnbroke

yes RMP