Nikon and Identix worked in partnership to develop Face-priority AF (Autofocus), a photography feature that uses the latest digital face finding technology from Identix to automatically detect human faces in the scene, and to automatically adjust camera settings – such as focus and gain – to produce optimal images of the faces irrespective of background, lighting or other viewing conditions. The Face-priority AF feature will initially be available with Nikon’s COOLPIX 7900, COOLPIX 7600 and COOLPIX 5900 models. The licensing agreement between Identix and Nikon covers production for the entire COOLPIX camera line, which is expected by Nikon to be in the multimillions of camera units. According to Identix President & CEO Dr. Joseph J. Atick, this license by Identix to Nikon represents the largest deployment to-date of FaceIt technology in a commercial application. The face finding technology works in real time and it is able to control the auto-focus even if the person moves or the photographer recomposes the picture. The feature works effectively for both horizontal and vertical positions or even if the camera is tilted. The end result is a smarter camera eliminating the need for the user to manually adjust the settings, making the camera more user-friendly, more fun and easier to use. Identix FaceIt technology has numerous capabilities that can be integrated into a wide range of applications. The face finding capability of FaceIt is especially important since it serve as the initial step for a number of applications, including enrollment and matching. Face finding provides integrators with the highly accurate and hands off ability to locate faces in the field of view regardless of background, or lighting or viewing conditions, a benefit that has been embraced here by Nikon to deliver a unique new offering to the consumer market.
