Beginner Back Button focussing

R

Ruthie5611

Suspended / Banned
Messages
17
Name
Ruth
Edit My Images
Yes
I have been told I need to start using Back Button focussing on my Nikon Z50.
Is there any real benefit and how do I do it?
I mainly take photos of buildings and street scenes,
 
No one should tell you what you ‘must’ do. You’re free to use whatever method you want.

I use BBF because I came late to autofocus cameras and was frustrated by using the shutter button to activate AF. My brain automatically thinks of focussing and picture taking as 2 separate functions, and I’m more comfortable keeping them that way.

The advantage for me is that I can leave my camera on continuous AF, and I can use the focus button to achieve focus, then recompose and take the image at my leisure. It’s easier than holding the shutter half way, switching off AF etc.

Nowadays I have a more customised version of this where I use single point AF on one back button, and eye tracking on another, so static objects, focus recompose, track objects by keeping my thumb on the button, or track people with my thumb on the other button. All without changing a thing.

I ‘can’ easily change AF modes simply if needed, but I generally have no need.
 
Back button is useful for where the subject moves especially in an erratic manner. With the “ intelligent “ AF systems of modern mirrorless cameras it’s not as useful as it used to be on DSLRs
 
I couldn't manage without it and think focussing with the shutter button is a crazy idea.

Still, we're all different - each to their own as you say. :cool:
 
Learn how to do it, then decide?

If I'm doing landscape stuff, I use back button as mentioned earlier so I can then recompose.

I don't use a tripod much anymore, if I did I imagine I'd start just poking the area of the live view screen to select focus point and shoot.
 
It has it's advantages.
It allows instant access to all three focus modes...don't press- manual focus, press release- AF-S, press hold- AF-C.
It can allow exposure lock separate from AF lock; although I have never used that. And it can prevent interrupting the AF function if you tend to over release the shutter button.

But there are other ways to do all of that; and it has some negatives as well.
It can tend to cause the user to "jab" the shutter button because they are not already holding it at half press. And there are a lot of other useful things your thumb could be doing... exposure compensation, shifting focus point location, changing the SS/Ap, etc, etc. With more modern cameras like the Z8/Z9, having buttons assigned to things like different focus modes, tracking/recognition modes, focus recall, etc, can make a big difference in getting the most out of it. And you need to be able to use all of those buttons/functions without interrupting everything else that is going on (AF activation, viewfinder tracking, etc).

Personally, I was never a convert; although I did use it for the occasional event where the ease of switching focus modes was more relevant for me.
 
Last edited:
Mintchocs said:
Back button is useful for where the subject moves especially in an erratic manner. With the “ intelligent “ AF systems of modern mirrorless cameras it’s not as useful as it used to be on DSLRs
Click to expand...
I think it’s more useful when the subject doesn’t move.

Whenever I use someone else’s camera that’s not set for BBF I constantly get caught out by the camera refocusing when I’m recomposing and I don’t want it to.
 
What I find useful is that you can have the camera on continuous focus. I then press the back button to focus on a static bird and release the button so that focus is maintained.
If the bird then flies off I can simply push and hold the button pressed in and the camera will continuously focus on the moving bird. I find it easier than the various tracking modes.

As others have said it is easy to focus and recompose as you do not have to keep the shutter button pressed half way.

Half pressing my shutter button is set to lock the exposure so that option is always available, i.e. expose for the sky, recompose and take the shot.

If you do try it give it a week or so while you get used to it as you will forget a few times and take some out of focus shots :)
 
Phil V said:
I think it’s more useful when the subject doesn’t move.

Whenever I use someone else’s camera that’s not set for BBF I constantly get caught out by the camera refocusing when I’m recomposing and I don’t want it to.
Click to expand...
This is one of the areas where the much wider spread of AF points on mirrorless makes a difference - focus and recompose for many types of shot becomes a thing of the past, as you can focus on pretty much anything in the scene.
(The exception would be for things like motorsport, where you might want to pre-focus where you know a car will be).
 
Phil V said:
No one should tell you what you ‘must’ do. You’re free to use whatever method you want.

I use BBF because I came late to autofocus cameras and was frustrated by using the shutter button to activate AF. My brain automatically thinks of focussing and picture taking as 2 separate functions, and I’m more comfortable keeping them that way.

The advantage for me is that I can leave my camera on continuous AF, and I can use the focus button to achieve focus, then recompose and take the image at my leisure. It’s easier than holding the shutter half way, switching off AF etc.

Nowadays I have a more customised version of this where I use single point AF on one back button, and eye tracking on another, so static objects, focus recompose, track objects by keeping my thumb on the button, or track people with my thumb on the other button. All without changing a thing.

I ‘can’ easily change AF modes simply if needed, but I generally have no need.
Click to expand...
:agree:
 
Thankyou for all the replies. I am going to try it, mainly for what Phil says about recomposing after acquiring focus.
 
Muscle memory takes a while to sink in so give it a while,but separating focus from the shutter gives you lots more flexibility. And yes you can manually pick a focus point on a modern mirror less camera using the directional controls or the touch screen, but BBF focus and recompose is virtually instant, so much much faster.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top