Canon Dual Pixel CMOS AF

Last updated

Canon Dual Pixel CMOS AF is a proprietary autofocus technology developed by Canon Inc., first introduced in mid-2013 with the Canon EOS 70D DSLR. It represents a major advance in autofocus design by integrating fast, accurate phase-detection autofocus directly on the image sensing plane. [1]

Contents

Overview

Dual Pixel CMOS AF enables every imaging pixel on a supported CMOS sensor to perform both phase-detection autofocus and image capture. Each pixel is split into two independent photodiodes (side-by-side or top/bottom), allowing the camera to compare light arriving at the two halves for phase detection, and then combine the full signal for image output. [2]

Unlike earlier systems that used separate AF sensors or sparse on-sensor AF pixels, Dual Pixel allows autofocus across a wide central area – about 80% of the frame in early implementations (e.g. EOS 70D) — with later mirrorless models realizing nearly 100% frame coverage. [3]

Technical Background

Limitations

Applications

Dual Pixel CMOS AF is widely used in:

References

  1. "Canon develops new Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology for significantly improved autofocus performance during Live View shooting and when shooting movies". Canon Global. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  2. "Canon Autofocus Series: Dual Pixel CMOS AF | Canon U.S.A., Inc".
  3. "Canon Technology Explainer: What is Dual Pixel CMOS AF?". SNAPSHOT - Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  4. "Canon Dual Pixel CMOS AF". TIPA. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  5. "Support". support.usa.canon.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  6. "Best Cameras - All Categories". Top Tech Choices. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  7. VanTine, Michelle (2025-07-10). "Autofocus Stress Test: Can Canon's Dual Pixel AF II Live Up to the Hype?". Canon Rumors. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  8. "Canon Dual-Pixel CMOS AF System « NEW CAMERA". thenewcamera.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.