PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

This has been discussed in the forum but I would like to get a little different twist on it. I would only like to hear from photographers who use it and for what type of photography, sports, BIF, landscape, etc. I am thinking about trying it and have done some research.
Has it helped or hurt your keeper rate?
How long did it take you to get used to it?
After trying it did you go back to shutter button focus?
If you are shooting BIF how do you know where to lock in focus if you are waiting for action to happen?
Any other pros, cons are tips will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Don

Thru the lens Loc: South Central PA

I have been using BBF for about a year now and I love it! I must admit that the first time I tried it, I gave up and went back to shutter button focus. I read more about it and decided to give it another try. It took me a few weeks to get used to it and now I use it all the time for wildlife photography and other action shots. I even got a great shot of my son's fiance jumping up in the air when he proposed! Give yourself some time to get used to it before you decide. Practice taking photos of birds in your yard until you get the hang of it.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Your questions can only be answered by your personal experience.
But, it works for me.

mleuck

I use it for everything and will not go back.

Just try it. It is not perminent. Change back if you wish.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

I use it for every thing I shoot with AF.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Has it helped or hurt your keeper rate?
->>>Probably helped as I can focus then select what I want to meter on.

How long did it take you to get used to it?
->>>A few outings, maybe more.

After trying it did you go back to shutter button focus?
->>>Nope, and I will NOT go back to shutter button focus.

If you are shooting BIF how do you know where to lock in focus if you are waiting for action to happen?
->>>I normally don't do birds in flight.

Any other pros, cons are tips will be appreciated.
->>>Like I said, the biggest advantage is separate metering and focus. I can focus on one thing, then move the spot meter multiple times, keeping the same focus.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

I switched to BBF many years ago and use it always for auto focus, regardless, for events, sports, everyday shooting. The only time I do not is with manual TSe lens and when I switch an AF lens to manual for product or food photography. I do not shoot BIF.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Tool me a few days to get used to, but since then that is the only focus method I use.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

I use BBF for everything. I recently shot some wakeboarders at a cable park jumping ramps and doing tricks. I have a canon t6. I put it in AI SERVO (continuous focus), hold down the BBF, and hold down the shutter in burst mode. I got some really good shots. I am just a rookie amature photographer but it worked great for me that way.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

No, I would not go back. I got used to it fairly easily while shooting wildlife, especially birds in flight. For sports and action, there is no other way to focus. If you want to do burst shooting, what other method would work? Learn it, you'll never go back.

Fotoserj Loc: St calixte Qc Ca

I’ve been using BBF for well over two years now and yes my keeper rate as improved ten fold especially with BIF, that and enlarge focus area to center point and all height suronding for a total of nine.
I set mine to the button resting naturally under my thumb and will not go back

srt101fan

Hi Don, I switched to BBF and don't see myself ever going back to shutter release button focus. BBF just makes too much sense. Don't see any negatives.

Didn't take too long to get used to it.

Did it increase my keeper rate? Probably.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I switched about a month ago, and am starting to get used to it. Finally.

The two biggest problems for me as a Nikon user: 1) I have to turn off the auto preview if I want to fully disable the half press. 2) Holding down the lock button for continuous AF.

But yeah, I’m all in.

Andy

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Q. for what type of photography, sports, BIF, landscape, etc?
A. Everyting.

Q. Has it helped or hurt your keeper rate?
A. Helped.

Q. How long did it take you to get used to it?
A. About an hour.

Q. After trying it did you go back to shutter button focus?
A. No.

Q. If you are shooting BIF how do you know where to lock in focus if you are waiting for action to happen?
A. Shooting moving subjects I just mash the (back) focus button and the camer tracks focus as the subjects move. Same as using shutter button focus (continuous auto-focus tracking mode). Continuous shooting mode may be your friend here. I have attached one of my BIF images taken using this technique.

Blue Angels at the 2016 Reno Air Races

(Download)

Bill_de Loc: US

I tried it and found no real advantage. I use continuous mode with the shutter half press, and use the back button to lock focus when I want to recompose. In reading a lot of the comments here over the past year, for many the advantage was that they were finally using continuous focus full time. One person recently wrote that he can now use continuous full time 'thanks to bbf'. It was a ridiculous statement since it was always available full time.

The only real drawback I found was that by keeping your thumb on the back button it is not available to move focus points around the screen. That is a real great feature which got even better on the Nikon cameras that include a joystick. I mentioned that once before and was told "nobody uses that while shooting'. I guess that's why the joysticks were added.

The best thing about all the publicity bbf gets is that folks are following step by step instructions on how to set up their cameras and using a feature or two they never knew was there. In reality it is six of one, half dozen of the other. People who use it should use it because it makes a positive difference in their keeper rate, not just because they don't want to feel left out.


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