Experimenting with camera mode
Aug 3, 2018 10:25:57 #
Iankahler wrote:
SOOOOO. I wanted to experiment with the back but... (show quote)
So, your world stops turning for a few minutes? It is mandated by the big shooter that this is a common happenstance for photographers. Just keep working and shooting your way out of it. BTW, BBF isn't so much about setting another button to focus, it is about REMOVING focus from the shutter button. This fact makes BBF so appealing to most shooters who like to focus and recompose. We read on this forum about people experiencing problems when they first try to set up BBF, they do not realize they have to de-activate the focus function of the shutter button. A confusing environment arises when the person focuses with the back button only to have the camera re-focus when the shutter is activated. BBF is all about changing the control of focus from one button to another. As soon as your world begins to spin again go out and experiment and see the benefits of BBF, but make sure you have it set up properly. Good luck with it, it really is a "different" way to make photographs.
Aug 3, 2018 10:36:25 #
One of the things I battled experimenting with BBF is a tendency to "let go" just before I activate the shutter. I have no idea why I do it, but I've missed quite a few shots that way. There are also times I actually I forget to, when I WANT to let go, to keep my focus on an subject that isn't necessarily dead center in the frame. I'm still practicing, but in the end, I believe it's going to be worthwhile.
What's more frustrating than getting used to BBF is actually making the best use of the focus modes of my 80D. It always seems to want to focus on something other than what I want it to focus on.
What's more frustrating than getting used to BBF is actually making the best use of the focus modes of my 80D. It always seems to want to focus on something other than what I want it to focus on.
Aug 3, 2018 11:07:31 #
kskarma
Loc: Topeka, KS
There is a very simple solution to this vexing problem....merely set up a tripod and make all the required settings to take a longer landscape 'study' of a quiet street scene. Suddenly you will find three lanes of heavy traffic have been diverted and are now passing right in front of your position...!! Removing your camera from the tripod and getting into BBF mode will instantly revert things to a tranquil scene.... Ask me how I know...…! 
Aug 3, 2018 11:31:15 #
Iankahler wrote:
SOOOOO. I wanted to experiment with the back but... (show quote)
THAT would have been your perfect moment, (when those 2 cars showed up unexpected)! You were given the perfect scenario!
By the way, you can check that out perfectly with still objects as well (it's not any different then before, you'll be still using the same af points you're used to, only you'll be using a different button)!
Aug 3, 2018 12:17:57 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
Iankahler wrote:
SOOOOO. I wanted to experiment with the back but... (show quote)
15 minutes?
I've spent an hour gradually approaching a grazing deer...
I've waited days for everything to be just right for a scenic shot.
I've spent a MONTH acclimating a coyote so she'd let me get close enough for some portraits!
But when I'm testing something like you're trying to do... I often just go to my local Starbucks, get a cup of coffee and sit at one of the tables out front.... it's a busy strip mall with plenty of traffic.
And I'm plenty impatient with other things! Like waiting for Amazon Logistics to deliver an order... You can actually track their progress on a map as they make stops. I was waiting for something Monday... and I swear they delivered everything else... then appeared to stop for nice, leisurely dinner... and finally showed up after 9 p.m., more than 2 hours after the store had closed! (All the other delivery services know when to deliver there!)
Aug 3, 2018 12:25:32 #
Aug 3, 2018 14:08:13 #
Iankahler
Loc: Seattle WA
No Nikon.... I am not serious.... I was just making light of a frustrating experience
Aug 3, 2018 14:09:50 #
Aug 3, 2018 15:03:45 #
Iankahler
Loc: Seattle WA
Hello Davidrb, thankyou for pointing out that I had to deactivate the shutter release AF. I was aware of that. On my Nikon, by selecting AF-ON in the back button menu, this automatically cancels the AF feature of the shutter release. My only regret now is that I did not understand this earlier.
But, thanks to folks like yourself and all the other people here, I am really appreciative of all the help you have offered, not only with this issue but with other experiences as well.
I will admit, that the concept is exciting... AND addictive lol.
But, thanks to folks like yourself and all the other people here, I am really appreciative of all the help you have offered, not only with this issue but with other experiences as well.
I will admit, that the concept is exciting... AND addictive lol.
Aug 3, 2018 15:25:18 #
Ha Ha, Ian. Well written and funny! Most of us hobbyist's understand well the old saying, "S__t happens!!"
Aug 3, 2018 16:00:57 #
Aug 3, 2018 16:35:30 #
Angel Star Photography
Loc: Tacoma, WA
Iankahler wrote:
SOOOOO. I wanted to experiment with the back but... (show quote)
Ahhh....patience, meditation, all part of the practice but, truthfully, I have had similar situations. Thanks for the chuckle...
As for the practice, the first thing to get down is the habit of going for the back button when you prepare to take the shot. My first experiences resulted in several shots out of focus simply because I did not have the habit down to where I would hit the back button before pressing the shutter. To solidify this habit, you don't need moving targets. Practice on stationary targets to acquire the habit and then step up to moving targets. Moving targets will require a bit more than just the use of the back button. You will need to take into consideration shutter speed, f-stop (where does your camera start to lose AF tracking), panning speed, etc. Get the habit down first so that you can at least eliminate that element when analyzing your shots.
Aug 3, 2018 16:37:04 #
Angel Star Photography
Loc: Tacoma, WA
OddJobber wrote:
144,000 cars in Seattle and you couldn't find ONE?
On I-5 or I-405 they would stationary....
Aug 3, 2018 18:20:54 #
Jerry G wrote:
Patience is one of a photographer's most important assets.
Patience, a virtue seldom in a woman and never in a man. So I have heard
Don
Aug 4, 2018 02:59:09 #
Iankahler wrote:
SOOOOO. I wanted to experiment with the back but... (show quote)
Some days it seems like God, Nature or whatever is not in the mood to let us do photography.
As far as moving objects go. One place where so far nothing has helped is photography at a drag strip from the stands. I've seen great shot by the authorized from the track at the start area. But from the stands everything is either too far away or the cars are moving too fast. I've done panning for horses, that works fine, but it is next to impossible to photograph a Funny Car travelling at 330 mph as it flies by you. If you focus on a spot in front of the car you have to press the shutter well before the car even enters your frame. I have managed to get a few usable images by photographing the cars as they complete an initial burn-out. But they look fake as there is someone standing nearly in front of the car. Also the shaking from a NitroMethane engine is like an earthquake or atomic bomb (I can only guess at that second example), it is hard to hold the camera steady or at all from the shaking.
Well, good luck with your BB and other camera experiments. Do try to remember how to set your camera set up back again.
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