What is EOS iTR AF?

Question

I have read references to this feature on some Canon DSLR cameras and am wondering what benefits or uses it has.

Answer

Canon has introduced a new feature coined EOS iTR AF - Intelligent Tracking and Recognition Auto Focus on the Canon EOS-1D X DSLR.

The camera attempts to detect the locations of faces and focus on these in the scene or alternatively it can identify subjects of a particular color such as in sporting events for example. Face detection is given the highest priority, but if this lock fails it will fall back to looking for the color information.

The default AF mode for the EOS-1D X uses phase detection AF information, but the secondary option uses the face and color detection of the iTR AF. This feature is achieved by using information from the RGB metering sensor as part of the AF system.

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