Back button focus

secman

Just wondering how many of the usual suspects posting here use back button focus on their kit. If yes.. how do you find it...what are the pro's.

Those who chose not to use it. ... why do you stick to the half press on shutter button. .
Just back from the weekly club meeting and our guest tonight Bill Power from Mallow photo club said it was one of his best decisions in photography to switch to back button focus.

look forward to your response

secman

pete4130

It gives you more control. The shutter is for taking pictures, focus button is for focusing.

It stops your camera thinking it's not focussed when you focus and recompose.

It means your camera will never hunt when you push the shutter button and possibly lose out on a shot.

It's not great for macro work I've found. Thats when I want the camera to only release when the subject is in focus.

Ben D Bus

It took me a while to get used to back button focus but it just makes life simpler and faster as required. Focus once shoot several times.

And although I rarely use it, there's also the advantage of having continuous AF instantly available as required simply by keeping my finger on the back button.

eoglyn

Ergonomically i find it a 100% improvement.

I use it 100% of the time. If your camera doesn't have a dedicated button you can usually reprogramme a button for bbf.

I would say try it, you don't have anything to lose, i doubt you'll go back to the old half press though, i have forgotten my camera even had that feature.

That said I find focusing on my 5d mk 2 a frustrating experience - it is the only feature that will push me into upgrading to a more modern camera. I think my reliance on the BBF, focus and recompose technique probably comes from the fact that the camera only has one decent and usuable focus point.

The ai servo or continuous focus mode mentioned by Ben D bus should be amazing on most modern cameras. Unfortunately i often find missed focussing using it, and much of the problem is user error i'm afraid, in that i am trying to use it wide open aperture but the focus motor is not as fast as i want it to be.

Tiriel

I'd heard it mentioned before and meant to try it but haven't. Will be out and about on Saturday doing street stuff so as good a time as any to try it. Using a 5D so I believe it's the * button.. will do some more research before then.

Great thread Secman!

vintagecosmos

What are peoples thoughts on using the back button for exposure too?

magicbastarder

main issue is when a family member takes the camera off you because they want you in the shot, and you have to explain that the focus button has moved, and they misunderstand you, etc. etc.

frozenfrozen

For different types of shooting I switch in between. It's nice for anything low light where at any moment you need to go to being 100% manual focus and not have to fight against the camera hunting focus. Especially on something like a 50 1.4 where the hunting in low light will never find a target

sheesh

Use it all the time as someone else pointed out, getting someone else uses it you can be in trouble.

Find it awkward when the thing you are trying to focus on is moving around alot like a bird or other animal. but you get around that by focusing at a point near them and wait (and wait,and wait ) until they are near it.

it is very good in that when you push the button there is no delay so you control when the shutter fires.

good for landscapes and portraits too

dirtyghettokid

eoglyn wrote: »

That said I find focusing on my 5d mk 2 a frustrating experience - it is the only feature that will push me into upgrading to a more modern camera. I think my reliance on the BBF, focus and recompose technique probably comes from the fact that the camera only has one decent and usuable focus point.

THIS. aw i could moan all day about focusing a 5d2. :(:(
i do use BBF sometimes....but focusing is ALWAYS an issue on that camera.
it's handy to use on other cameras though!

flyingsnail

I use back button most of the time but for some things I find the shutter focus to be better, I have one of the custom mode dials on the camera set to shutter focus (everything else is back button) so I can quickly change if I want to without having to go into the menu.

Anything with movement I find back button is best but the likes of macro or a close portrait I find the shutter button best except when I don't have a focus point that covers the thing I want in focus then back button is awesome.

Gehad_JoyRider

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

THIS. aw i could moan all day about focusing a 5d2. :(:(
i do use BBF sometimes....but focusing is ALWAYS an issue on that camera.
it's handy to use on other cameras though!

do you find it tends to ever so slightly back focus's?
have you had it serviced?

dirtyghettokid

Gehad_JoyRider wrote: »

do you find it tends to ever so slightly back focus's?
have you had it serviced?

not had it serviced. i just stick with the centre AF point, lock focus & then recompose... else use manual focus. i stopped using that camera for anything other than landscape really. i use a different camera for shots where accurate focussing really matters

secman

dirtyghettokid wrote: »

not had it serviced. i just stick with the centre AF point, lock focus & then recompose... else use manual focus. i stopped using that camera for anything other than landscape really. i use a different camera for shots where accurate focussing really matters

A nikon d7100 ?

adox

sheesh wrote: »

good for landscapes and portraits too

Can understand for portraits alright but how so for landscapes? Would you not manual focus for that?

secman

Looks like a fair few of you use back button focus, going to give it a try, where did I leave that manual !. Seems to make sense not having the focus hunting as you try to get the shot, a lot of sense.

Alanstrainor

I set this up maybe a year ago now, and it was a revelation. Far better, especially for landscape photography, no more focus hunt every time you press the shutter. My camera is a 60D and it's generally pretty good at finding focus.

Only thing is that my 60D hasn't been getting all that much use since I got an RX100mk1.

zero19

I've been using it for the last few months, it's handy alright especially for recomposition.

dirtyghettokid

secman wrote: »

A nikon d7100 ?

looks like someone's reading my exif data :P:D

CabanSail

I must make the change, it's just that I have been using the half press shutter focus since 1989 when I got my first AF camera (the F801) and it's going to be a hard habit to break. Every time I hear or read about it I can see the advantages.

Alanstrainor

CabanSail wrote: »

I must make the change, it's just that I have been using the half press shutter focus since 1989 when I got my first AF camera (the F801) and it's going to be a hard habit to break. Every time I hear or read about it I can see the advantages.

Admittedly I haven't been shooting as long as you have! But I did think the same, but the transition wasn't as bad as I thought. However switching between cameras can cause some confusion!

CabanSail

Have made the change and after one shoot I am happy with doing so.

twowheelsonly

Love using it but the only problem I find is that the button isn't 'naturally' under my thumb and I have to reach a little bit for it. (Nikon D3s)
Usually shoot sports so sitting at the side of a pitch as I twist and turn the problem can be worse :-(

sheesh

adox wrote: »

Can understand for portraits alright but how so for landscapes? Would you not manual focus for that?

say you want to focus on particular thing like a tree that is a bit near also I have terrible eyesight so would not trust it for focus.

OldGoat

sheesh wrote: »

say you want to focus on particular thing like a tree that is a bit near also I have terrible eyesight so would not trust it for focus.

Same here. I trust autofocus more than my own poor judgement. Auto has proved over the years to be far more accurate then my attempts in manual focusing. Wearing vari-focal glasses doesn't help.

candytog

I use it all the time, one huge advantage is being able to lock your focus and take multiple shots without having to refocus.

bernard0368

I find BBF essential especially with wildlife I use it all the time. It can save that fraction of a second when obtaining focus and taking the shot. I find I get a lot more keepers.
As Pete said I always revert back for macro just can not get it to work. In macro I find manual focus the better option.

LUZ

id say bbf is good for weddings, waiting to get the first kiss you dont want the camera to be searching for focus!!

pixbyjohn

sheesh wrote: »

say you want to focus on particular thing like a tree that is a bit near also I have terrible eyesight so would not trust it for focus.

But you are not using manual focus, you just use a different button to autofocus!

sheesh

pixbyjohn wrote: »

But you are not using manual focus, you just use a different button to autofocus!

I know the other user said he uses manual focus for landscapes I said I use back focus. He asked why

In fairness I just have the camera on back focus all the time and do alot of Landscapes so really it is just the way I do things
Set focus
Compose
shutter

pixbyjohn

sheesh wrote: »

I know the other user said he uses manual focus for landscapes I said I use back focus. He asked why

In fairness I just have the camera on back focus all the time and do alot of Landscapes so really it is just the way I do things
Set focus
Compose
shutter

Understood, thank you

Hugh_C

I've been using it for a few months on the new camera (D750) and find it great. I just stick on a single, locked centre focus point and use BBF, gives you the option of continuous if you need it by just holding the button down.

Ben D Bus

Hugh_C wrote: »

I've been using it for a few months on the new camera (D750) and find it great. I just stick on a single, locked centre focus point and use BBF, gives you the option of continuous if you need it by just holding the button down.

Not to derail the thread, but how are you finding the D750 Hugh? I'm very tempted!