Looking for Foolproof AF for non-photographers

[catalytic]

Looking for a camera that has foolproof AF for non-photographers. I'm sure you've all been in this situation before. You hand your camera to a non-photographer friend / relative / bystander and ask them to take a picture of you and your companions in front of a landmark / at a restaurant / etc. and they are completely flummoxed as to what to do:

"I don't see anything. How do you turn it on?"

"It's on. You have to look through the viewfinder. The hole near the top"

"Ah, okay. Um, how do i take the picture? Which button?"

"The shutter button. The big flat button on the top right"

"This one? (putting their finger on the +/-, WB, ISO, etc.)"

"No, the one that doesn't have any letters on it towards the front"

When you get the camera back, it's framed poorly and out of focus. I think the hardest thing for a non-photographer to do with a dSLR is to take a focused image, as they don't know how to put the AF point precisely a good "edge" on the subject (preferably the eyes, but that's asking too much).

I've found that Live View cameras with sophisticated CDAF systems like the Panasonic G m4/3 and the NEX5 make it much easier for non-photographers to use. Not only can they compose on the LCD screen like a P&S, the AF system automatically detects and focuses on the subjects' faces, so everything is usually in focus.

My question is do the phase detect Live View systems in the A33/55 and the older system in the A500/550 offer the same kind of foolproof subject identification / face detection AF like the advanced CDAF systems do? My guess is that it is not quite as foolproof, as you need to have the subject directly under one of the PDAF focus points first.

Can anyone confirm? Any thoughts on the matter? I am looking for a camera like the A700 that is good enough quality and advanced enough for me to enjoy using, but yet has the ability to be used by non-photographers successfully should i want to hand off the camera to someone else so i can get in the pics too...

[Javelin]

I think both the new cameras have face detect. sweep pany and HDR features but there is a list on DPR .. you should look to be sure

[bakubo]

I always keep a digicam in my pocket and that is what I hand to people when I want a photo that I am included in. The very few times I have handed an SLR to someone I first focus, set the zoom, set the exposure. I then hand it to the person and tell them not to adjust anything or touch any controls. Just point and shoot. Yes, I show them the shutter button too. It is easier to just hand them a digicam.

[agorabasta]

The most fool-proof AF is the CDAF (as found in all the P&S cams) used with a small 1/2xx inch sensor. The smaller the sensor - the better.

[catalytic]

The most fool-proof AF is the CDAF (as found in all the P&S cams) used with a small 1/2xx inch sensor. The smaller the sensor - the better.

Why does a smaller sensor AF better than a larger one?

[agorabasta]

Smaller sensor means greater DOF, which means easier and much faster operation for the CDAF.

[Andy B]

I always keep a digicam in my pocket and that is what I hand to people when I want a photo that I am included in. The very few times I have handed an SLR to someone I first focus, set the zoom, set the exposure. I then hand it to the person and tell them not to adjust anything or touch any controls. Just point and shoot. Yes, I show them the shutter button too. It is easier to just hand them a digicam.

I do the same thing unless the person who will take the photo is using a DSLR (and looks trustworthy!). I find that most people are hesitant to use the lens' zoom ring and generally include way too much background unless you pre-set the zoom as Bakubo suggests.