An autofocus method for a digital image acquisition device based on face detection, comprising: using a lens, image sensor and processor of a digital image acquisition device; acquiring a digital image of a scene that includes one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both; detecting the presence of one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both within the digital image by applying one or more sets of classifiers trained on faces that are out of focus; determining one or more sizes of the one of more respective out of focus faces or partial faces or both within the digital image; determining one or more respective depths to the one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both based on the one or more sizes of the one of more faces or partial faces or both within the digital image including: recognizing a detected face or partial face or both as belonging to a specific individual, calling a known face or partial face spatial parameter from a memory that corresponds to the specific face or partial face or both, and determining a depth corresponding to a determined size and the known face or partial face spatial parameter; adjusting one or more respective focus positions of the lens to focus approximately at the determined one or more respective depths; and acquiring one or more further images of scenes that include at least one of the one or more faces or partial faces or both with the lens focused at the one or more respectively adjusted focus positions. using a lens, image sensor and processor of a digital image acquisition device; acquiring a digital image of a scene that includes one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both; detecting the presence of one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both within the digital image by applying one or more sets of classifiers trained on faces that are out of focus; determining one or more sizes of the one of more respective out of focus faces or partial faces or both within the digital image; determining one or more respective depths to the one or more out of focus faces or partial faces or both based on the one or more sizes of the one of more faces or partial faces or both within the digital image including: recognizing a detected face or partial face or both as belonging to a specific individual, calling a known face or partial face spatial parameter from a memory that corresponds to the specific face or partial face or both, and determining a depth corresponding to a determined size and the known face or partial face spatial parameter; recognizing a detected face or partial face or both as belonging to a specific individual, calling a known face or partial face spatial parameter from a memory that corresponds to the specific face or partial face or both, and determining a depth corresponding to a determined size and the known face or partial face spatial parameter; adjusting one or more respective focus positions of the lens to focus approximately at the determined one or more respective depths; and acquiring one or more further images of scenes that include at least one of the one or more faces or partial faces or both with the lens focused at the one or more respectively adjusted focus positions.