Back button focusing

wallyboy said:
so if you press BBF to lock on a bike say, it tracks it until you are ready to push shutter release for that super dooper bike pic:)
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It does if you're using AFC (Nikon) or AI Servo (Canon) whilst ever your thimb is on the button, it'll track.


other camera types are available - I haven't got all night;).
 
BBF always causes a debate, I personally use it for one situation but not others. BBF for landscapes is brilliant when using big stopper filters, it stops you accidentally trying to focus with the shutter button when the filter is on because I forgot switch back to manual focus! So much easier than swapping to manual focus on the lens and camera.

For wildlife I don't see any benefit using back button focus. I like to have my thumb free to quickly change the focus point position. My finger is always on the shutter button as I'm waiting for the animal to do something, it can over quickly and easily missed. Once I do work out how to swap aperture control to the rear dial my thumb is going to be changing aperture and the focus point, the shutter button can control focus. The rear AF/AE button is set to lock focus so it can do the same lock and recompose as BBF if I want to.

It's really about using settings/controls that work for you, it won't work for everyone but it's worth knowing the different options available to make your own decision.
 
Phil V said:
It does if you're using AFC (Nikon) or AI Servo (Canon) whilst ever your thimb is on the button, it'll track.


other camera types are available - I haven't got all night;).
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as I thought too clunky for me, for bikes I would stay with AFC shutter focus,

and I thought this was going to be a eureka moment,:p
 
[It's really about using settings/controls that work for you, it won't work for everyone but it's worth knowing the different options available to make your own decision./QUOTE]






totally agree, I would use it when I thought fit, but not for everything
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wallyboy said:
as I thought too clunky for me, for bikes I would stay with AFC shutter focus,

and I thought this was going to be a eureka moment,:p
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I'm probably being simple but I don't understand your point. :thinking:

If your camera is set to AFC, using BBF you keep your thumb on the back button and your camera tracks focus. So you can either peck at the shutter with your forefinger, or hold it for a series of shots, How is that 'clunky'? You can hold your thumb on the focus button as soon as a bike comes into view, then frame it and shoot it at will, let go of the focus button, pick your next bike.

OTOH (not for you obviously)
If you are shooting a static scene with your camera on a tripod, you would use one shot focussing, you'd focus the scene, re compose then shoot, no need to switch off AF whilst you're waiting for subtle changes in the light, no need to hold onto the shutter button, just focus - wait - shoot.
 
wallyboy said:
BBF and hold on shutter and peck don't sound good, two fingers for the price of one,:)
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Your forefinger is only taking the shot. You don't need to hold anything with it.
What else was your thumb doing? It's hanging about round the button anyway, you might as well put it to good use.
 
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Phil V said:
Your forefinger is only taking the shot. You don't need to hold anything with it.
What else was your thumb doing? It's hanging about round the button anyway, you might as well put it to good use.
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mmm...my thumb is holding camera......if I set AFON on my camera the BBF is next to the viewfinder, which is awkward for me thumb in eye nearly,:) so I have two things to do track bike BBF and take shot shutter release, it is clunky to me,
 
wallyboy said:
mmm...my thumb is holding camera......if I set AFON on my camera the BBF is next to the viewfinder, which is awkward for me thumb in eye nearly,:) so I have two things to do track bike BBF and take shot shutter release, it is clunky to me,
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Fair enough, we're all different.

I know I missed more shots with shutter button focus. But it's whatever suits.
 
Crikey. Would someone not just write an idiots guide to bbf and email me it? I tried it and I thought I was doing it right until it sometimes stopped focusing and I had to take a different shot and try it again. Then I read through some of the comments and I'm starting to think I haven't had a clue what I was doing!
 
Original issue:

GalJulie said:
Hi all

I'm hoping you can help. I've a D610 and nikon 24-70. I recently changed to back button focusing. It works for one shot but not always the next. The only way I can get it working is to focus somewhere else completely or switch it off and on again.

Suggested solution: Perhaps you have the focus mode set to af-s? When using back button focusing you should have it set to af-c and keep it there. There will be no need, to set to af-s, as the back button focusing will allow you to use whichever you want, i.e. do not press, once focus locked, for single focus or continue to press to enable continuous focus.

Update - still doing it after changing to AF-C
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I use two bbf buttons one for a1 servo and one for one shot. I just love it used it for years
 
I found some videos on YouTube that explain BBF in simple terms, I. Ow use it and don't think I'll ever switch back.
 
Pookeyhead said:
If you back button focus, then let go, it will still refocus when you press the shutter, surely.
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Not the way I've got it set up on my Olympus. Either manual focus or BBF to focus. Then shutter button to take the picture without refocusing. For me it
  • makes focus & recompose easier
  • allows me to focus on something and wait as long as I like to capture a fleeting moment
  • works well for any tripod use - macro, landscapes, product
  • is a convenient way of using AF and then tweaking focus manually
What it's not good for is close street photography and anything where people are moving.

I've another button configured to swap back to normal half-press AF, at which point my BBF button reverts to AFL.
 
Ed Sutton said:
Why not? :thinking:
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'cos the combination of my slight slowness and the OM-D E-M5's lousy focus tracking means that I invariably miss. It's fine if I can prefocus, or people are still, but if I want to capture people walking then it doesn't work.

On the other hand, the lightning fast S-AF focusing means that focus-on-half-press is adequate.
 
GalJulie said:
Crikey. Would someone not just write an idiots guide to bbf and email me it? I tried it and I thought I was doing it right until it sometimes stopped focusing and I had to take a different shot and try it again. Then I read through some of the comments and I'm starting to think I haven't had a clue what I was doing!
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Bit late to this party ... Julie, this is how to set up BBF on a Nikon D610 and it works perfectly for me :)
1) set the cameras focus mode to AFC
2) Set Custom Setting F4 to AF-ON (Menu, CUSTOM SETTINGS)
3) Set Custom Setting A1 to Release (Menu, CUSTOM SETTINGS)

Make sure the lens is set to auto focus and also that the camera is too (obvious I know but ...)

That is all there is to it, now the auto focus will only happen when you press the press the AE-l/AF-L button on the back of the camera.

Hope that helps.
 
juggler said:
'cos the combination of my slight slowness and the OM-D E-M5's lousy focus tracking means that I invariably miss. It's fine if I can prefocus, or people are still, but if I want to capture people walking then it doesn't work.

On the other hand, the lightning fast S-AF focusing means that focus-on-half-press is adequate.
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Ah, the Olympus in particular. Ta.:)
 
juggler said:
Not the way I've got it set up on my Olympus. Either manual focus or BBF to focus. Then shutter button to take the picture without refocusing. For me it
  • makes focus & recompose easier
  • allows me to focus on something and wait as long as I like to capture a fleeting moment
  • works well for any tripod use - macro, landscapes, product
  • is a convenient way of using AF and then tweaking focus manually
What it's not good for is close street photography and anything where people are moving.

I've another button configured to swap back to normal half-press AF, at which point my BBF button reverts to AFL.
Click to expand...


See post #25
 
PaulButler said:
Bit late to this party ... Julie, this is how to set up BBF on a Nikon D610 and it works perfectly for me :)
1) set the cameras focus mode to AFC
2) Set Custom Setting F4 to AF-ON (Menu, CUSTOM SETTINGS)
3) Set Custom Setting A1 to Release (Menu, CUSTOM SETTINGS)

Make sure the lens is set to auto focus and also that the camera is too (obvious I know but ...)

That is all there is to it, now the auto focus will only happen when you press the press the AE-l/AF-L button on the back of the camera.

Hope that helps.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out, Paul! Will give it a blast tomorrow. J
 
PaulButler said:
3) Set Custom Setting A1 to Release (Menu, CUSTOM SETTINGS)
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That would mean the camera will allow you take a shot even though focus may not be achieved. That's great for fast action where you need to be able to track fast moving objects, but hardly something to recommend to everyone.
 
Pookeyhead said:
That would mean the camera will allow you take a shot even though focus may not be achieved. That's great for fast action where you need to be able to track fast moving objects, but hardly something to recommend to everyone.
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It's also advisable for focus-recompose. If a camera is set to fire on focus it won't if make the exposure if the focus spot is on something that's out of focus.
 
Ed Sutton said:
It's also advisable for focus-recompose. If a camera is set to fire on focus it won't if make the exposure if the focus spot is on something that's out of focus.
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Off a certain person goes to try his best to de-bunk that theory! :D
 
OldCarlos said:
Off a certain person goes to try his best to de-bunk that theory! :D
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Not me. Single AF point, AF-S.. shutter release. That's me. No interest in rear AF focusing... not for the way I work.
 
In short... there is no correct way. Try them all, and see which best suits you for the work you do. All this obsession with rear AF-ON use is probably only regurgitated because people think it's somehow more "professional" or something, Use whichever method suits you after trying them all. Dig out your manual, spend some time playing.. make your own mind up.
 
Pookeyhead said:
That would mean the camera will allow you take a shot even though focus may not be achieved. That's great for fast action where you need to be able to track fast moving objects, but hardly something to recommend to everyone.
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Wasn't necessarily a recommendation. If the poster (or anyone) wants to use BBF on a D610 then that is how to do it, it is up to them to decide for them selves if it works or not. Anyway in testing it is rather a moot point (at least on mine) as no matter what A1 is set to the camera works in release mode when focus mode = AFC and custom f4 = AF-ON so it seems to ignore A1 when set like this.

Pookeyhead said:
In short... there is no correct way. Try them all, and see which best suits you for the work you do. All this obsession with rear AF-ON use is probably only regurgitated because people think it's somehow more "professional" or something, Use whichever method suits you after trying them all. Dig out your manual, spend some time playing.. make your own mind up.
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I agree there is no one correct way. Not sure why you are so concerned with BBF being "regurgitated" as you put it. Nor do I think it is any form of obsession either, but you do seem to be concerned more than most here ;) It clearly isn't the way you like to work which you have made abundantly clear and that is fine. It is ok for others to work how they want and we should celebrate the choices available to us not try and influence people to work in the way we do, whether intentionally or otherwise :). I totally agree with you though when you say people should make their own minds up.
 
PaulButler said:
I agree there is no one correct way. Not sure why you are so concerned with BBF being "regurgitated" as you put it.
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The glut of articles and video "tutorials" that seem to suggest it is THE way to set your camera up probably.
 
Pookeyhead said:
The glut of articles and video "tutorials" that seem to suggest it is THE way to set your camera up probably.
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Yep, fair point, there are a few that's for sure. BBF is just one way to set a camera up, works for some not for others :)
 
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