New York, NY (PRWEB) May 25, 2007 -- A new breed of digital cameras was introduced earlier this year that are claimed to actually see a face in a scene, lock focus on it and adjust flash output and exposure so it comes out great. But does it really work as claimed? Veteran photo industry writer Jason Schneider takes new cameras with this feature into the field and reports on the results in an exclusive AIRC - Adorama Imaging Resource Center article, "Does Face Detection Technology Really Work?" (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?article=052107&op=academy_new).

"Conventional autofocus (AF) systems, even those with multiple AF zones, will sometimes miss the faces and focus on something else that's between them, farther away or closer, which results in out-of-focus pictures," notes Schneider. "Face Detection technology uses special algorithms that can detect typical face patterns in an image then adjust focus and exposure. It's an ingenious solution."

In the article, Schneider shows examples of when Face Detection technology works -- and when it doesn't. "For 40 years Jason Schneider tested and reviewed cameras for the two top photo magazines in the world, and his expertise in what goes on inside a camera is immense," notes AIRC editor Mason Resnick. "When he applies his analytical skills to the latest technology, such as Face Recognition, it's worth paying attention."

Author Jason Schneider has been writing about photography since 1969, when he joined the editorial staff of Modern Photography magazine and worked there until 1987. He served as editor in chief of Popular Photography magazine for 15 years, and has written scores of camera tests and technical articles on a wide variety of subjects.

Online photo magazine at a retail site?
AIRC - Adorama Imaging Resource Center is quickly becoming a choice destination for photographers at all levels of experience who want to improve their picture-taking and image-editing skills. AIRC has over 250 how-to photography articles, buying guides and picture-selling advice, as well as daily breaking news about the photography industry, written by a team of top photography experts.

Why would Adorama, a well-respected New York-based camera retailer, publish what is essentially an online photo magazine? Resnick says, "We believe the more information and knowledge we can provide, the more people will trust Adorama both as a reliable information source and as a place where they can feel comfortable buying their photographic gear."

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