Sony RX10IV: Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

Firstshot Loc: East,tn

Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

Bill_de Loc: US

Myadvice is to watch 0ne or more of the videos available.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+use+a+sony+rx10+iv&oq=setting+up+sony+rx10+iv&aqs=edge.1.69i57j0i390l3.21070j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

--

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Firstshot wrote:

Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

You can always PM member Gene51 if you are still having trouble. He has one and is a professional. Hopefully the U-Tube videos will get you "up the hill" first.

MDI Mainer

The consensus here is that the Friedman guides are the most useful:

https://friedmanarchives.com/RX10-IV/

melueth Loc: Central Florida

Firstshot wrote:

Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

I stumbled upon this RX10IV user in a FB group, and really liked his settings for BIF. I've been using them with some luck. He likes to use JPEG, but you can easily change that to RAW if you like that better (i do).

https://psnp.info/psnp_/?p=1525

Here's a couple i've shot after programming his settings into MR mode.

Gene51 really is the expert though. Hopefully he'll chime in here also.

Marylea

(Download)

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Firstshot wrote:

Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

From the Friedman book:
3) With the “AF w/ Shutter” option set to OFF, you can split the responsibility of focusing and shooting to two separate buttons. Set MENU  2  9  Custom key(Shoot)  3  AEL Button to AF On or Eye AF, then use the AEL button to focus, then take the picture using the shutter release. Once you achieve focus, you don’t have to keep holding the center button in -- the focusing will stay put until you press it again. For many years (like when I shot with film using the Minolta Maxxum 9) this was the preferred way for me to work. This configuration is popularly known as Back-Button Focus or BBF.
So that’s what the setting is for. AF w/ Shutter simply allows you to decouple autofocusing and taking of the picture (which normally are assigned to the same button).

I have my RX10 IV set this way.
Good luck,
Mark

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Firstshot wrote:

Having trouble setting up back button focus. Also would like help setting up for bif. Purchased Alex Whites guide and only led to more confusion.

This involves changing two settings.

First you need to turn off the AF with shutter - Camera Settings 1 - page 5/14 - AF with shutter should be off.
Second, you need to assign the focus function to another button - Camera Settings 2, Custom Operation 1 (Page 9/10) - Select Custom Key (Shoot) and you will get two more pages of settings for the programmable buttons - the second page offfers the AEL Button, which can be set to AF On. You can also set the Focus Hold Button to AF On, so you can use the thumb on your left hand to focus.

As far as focus settings and what to assign to what buttons for quick access - you'll need to spend some time with the various AF modes and settings to see what works best for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ5vnpgbdSQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-0FjKWBCoA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d9zQ2Kxuo8

Jason Hermann does an excellent and thorough job of investigating all of the AF modes and settings for you.

Firstshot Loc: East,tn

Thanks for all the help. I should have plenty of opportunity to explore and conquer all the good advice since 4 to 5 inches of snow fell last night here in East Tn.

Firstshot Loc: East,tn

markngolf wrote:

From the Friedman book: br 3) With the “AF w/ Shut... (show quote)

Thanks

Firstshot Loc: East,tn

melueth wrote:

I stumbled upon this RX10IV user in a FB group, and really liked his settings for BIF. I've been using them with some luck. He likes to use JPEG, but you can easily change that to RAW if you like that better (i do).

https://psnp.info/psnp_/?p=1525

Here's a couple i've shot after programming his settings into MR mode.

Gene51 really is the expert though. Hopefully he'll chime in here also.

Marylea

Thanks I would be happy with photos like that.

MDI Mainer

Firstshot wrote:

Thanks for all the help. I should have plenty of opportunity to explore and conquer all the good advice since 4 to 5 inches of snow fell last night here in East Tn.

When I lived in Tidewater Virginia and we had a snow like that (rarely I admit) we never saw a plow truck, and the theory was "let it melt." Here in Maine the state and local governments plow continuously during the storm, and the roads are down to bare pavement within half an hour after the snow stops falling -- even after the 15 inches that fell a couple of weeks ago. Good if you need to travel, but not good for an excuse to stay home.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

markngolf wrote:

From the Friedman book: br 3) With the “AF w/ Shut... (show quote)

For wildlife I use BBF but I keep it on AF-C and continue to hold the focus button while I shoot. Acquiring focus and releasing the button will never work for BIF.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

melueth wrote:

I stumbled upon this RX10IV user in a FB group, and really liked his settings for BIF. I've been using them with some luck. He likes to use JPEG, but you can easily change that to RAW if you like that better (i do).

https://psnp.info/psnp_/?p=1525

Here's a couple i've shot after programming his settings into MR mode.

Gene51 really is the expert though. Hopefully he'll chime in here also.

Marylea

Excellent ⭐🌀⭐🌀⭐

Firstshot Loc: East,tn

MDI Mainer wrote:

When I lived in Tidewater Virginia and we had a sn... (show quote)

I know about snow in Maine, I spent three years at Dow AFB in Bangor.

MDI Mainer

Firstshot wrote:

I know about snow in Maine, I spent three years at Dow AFB in Bangor.

And it gets even better inland than along the coast.