Back Button Focusing.

swiftflo

swiftflo

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As per my earlier posting I have just bought a Fuji XT-4. I now need to set it up. Anyone know how to set it up for Back button focusing please.
 
press the menu button
go to the spanner menu
button dial setting
function fn setting
af on to af on


Ive also got the ae-l set to af on. The af on button is a bit awkward at times because its positioned on the lip of the body.
 
Maybe edit the title to specify the body..... ;)


In the meantime I surmise the answer may be here

PS a bit slow searching and typing..... hopefully @bumper being in the know has answered your question aok.
 
Last edited:
bumper said:
press the menu button
go to the spanner menu
button dial setting
function fn setting
af on to af on


Ive also got the ae-l set to af on. The af on button is a bit awkward at times because its positioned on the lip of the body.
Click to expand...
Many many thanks - done.
 
Don’t you have to tell the shutter button not to focus ? Metering only.
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Another interesting function (all Fuji ILCs) is that if you set the body to M (Maunal Focus), then pressing AF-ON will actually autofocus the lens - and then keep it locked at that focus position, enabling the shutter button to be pressed at will!
Click to expand...
Thats handy to know, going to have to have a play with that
 
trevorbray said:
Don’t you have to tell the shutter button not to focus ? Metering only.
Click to expand...

Not with Fuji bodies, just flick to M mode and that stops the shutter button focusing but AE-L still focuses. It's the quickest way to BBF. I've never gotten the hang of it myself, for those that do - what's the main advantage?
 
The trouble with using M for back button focus instead of AF-C is that you don't get any of the customisable AF behaviour. You can't have zone focusussing or eye detect or choose how the AF behaves when subject is temporarilly obscured etc. Depends what and how you shoot as to whether you need that stuff.

To set it up properly to work in AF-C (or AF-S for that matter) you do need to de-couple auto focus from the shutter. It's under shutter AF on the button/settings menu.

A couple of other things worth mentioning, as a left eye shooter I find the AF-ON button awkward. It is on most cameras I've used other than the biggest Pro DSLR's. I find it easier to use the AEL button instead as it sits prouder and lower on the body and seems a much more natural place for my thumb to find. It's also much closer to the joystick thing which can help. But you can also use the rear dial pressed in if that's comfortable. That worked well on my old X-T2.

And one other minor quirk worth knowing about just in case it catches you out. If you shoot AF-C like me, bear in mind that the camera will switch to AF-S if you use the self-timer. If your button set up is different for AF-S to AF-C, you could find yourself unwittingly refocussing when you hit the shutter button. It's entirely avoidable when you know about it but I ruined a few landscape shots on my journey up the learning curve.
 
Cagey75 said:
Not with Fuji bodies, just flick to M mode and that stops the shutter button focusing but AE-L still focuses. It's the quickest way to BBF. I've never gotten the hang of it myself, for those that do - what's the main advantage?
Click to expand...

Advantage of BBF is basically that you can have all focus modes in one. To use it like AF-S, you just focus on your subject and let go and it's locked for however long you like. To use continuous autofocus, you just keep it held down. To manually focus, you just don't press anything and just twist the lens (although admittedly the fuji system complicates this aspect). It also means that your metering is totally independent of when and where you focussed. I'm a big convert, have used it for years though I will say that it's advantages aren't really valid for all forms of photography. Like most things, depends what and how you shoot.
 
Cagey75 said:
Not with Fuji bodies, just flick to M mode and that stops the shutter button focusing but AE-L still focuses. It's the quickest way to BBF. I've never gotten the hang of it myself, for those that do - what's the main advantage?
Click to expand...
Use it for landscapes so that it’s focused once and the just keep shooting. and long exposure with ND Especially 16stop the camera can’t focus through the filter. Focus with the back button attach ND then shoot with shutter button. Saves switching the lens to manual after focusing- or in Fuji world the body
 
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