Who Uses the "AE Lock/FE Lock" Button on their Canon 5D Mark III Camera: I am trying to improve my focus abilities as they relate to taking images of stage plays. Many of you have...

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

I am trying to improve my focus abilities as they relate to taking images of stage plays. Many of you have answered my questions from yesterday. Now my question is, do you use, as a matter of course, the AE Lock "*" button on the Canon 5D MK III camera. By focusing on a face, for example, and then re-composing the picture seems the best way to ensure the focus of the individuals acting. Thank you for your help, again! Mike

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Banker0715 wrote:

I am trying to improve my focus abilities as they relate to taking images of stage plays. Many of you have answered my questions from yesterday. Now my question is, do you use, as a matter of course, the AE Lock "*" button on the Canon 5D MK III camera. By focusing on a face, for example, and then re-composing the picture seems the best way to ensure the focus of the individuals acting. Thank you for your help, again! Mike

It sounds like you're talking about Back Button Focus, BBF. Lots of us use it on various cameras.

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

I guess I didn't make myself clear. This button is on the cop of the camera and is evidenced by the "*" mark. You press that button, move the camera to re-compose the picture then take the picture. The image is in focus as it relates to the subject you depressed the button for.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

AE refers to exposure not focus doesn't it??

Draw865

Locks focus and exposure and will allow you to recompose the shot. Gets tricky unless you can keep the camera on the same plane. Otherwise you lose focus. I'm not steady enough to use it.

BJW

Sure sounds like BBF to me, which I use on my Nikon D500 to shoot sports (ice hockey). Tthe beauty of BBF in my experience, is that when you depress the back button, it serves as continous focus locks which is great for keeping fast moving subjects in constant focus. BBF simply removes the focus function from the shutter button so those 2 functions—focus and shutter release are simultaneously controlled by two separate buttons. This is done with menu settings. If you just press the back button once, that locks the focus on whatever youre aiming at, but with a moving subject, I find holding the back burron down keeps the moving subject in focus.

AFPhoto Loc: Jamestown, RI, USA

The "*" button is for exposure and not focus. I use it in situations where a very bright area will shift the histogram to o far right. I center the frame on the portion of the picture that I want properly exposed then press the button and recompose. The focus will occur when I depress the shutter finally. And at that time you will get an audio confirmation.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Nothing at all to do with BBF.

Shooting with the AE Lock feature:

Find the AEL button on the back of the camera and place your thumb on it.
While looking through the viewfinder, place the center focus point on your subject.
Press and hold the AEL button to get a meter reading. ...
Recompose your shot, and then take the photo.

The AE-L / AF-L button stands for “AutoExposure-Lock and AutoFocus-Lock” and its primary function is to lock camera exposure and/or focus.

BJW

Live and learn. Thanks for that explanation.

How does the AE feature affect manual focus function? Does one over-ride the other?

BJW

Sorry I meant manual exposure. In other words if you are shooting in M mode does AE affect the shutter speed and aperture that you have manually selected?

MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay

Thanks for all your help. I knew I could count on this site.

Paul Buckhiester Loc: Columbus, GA USA

Banker0715 wrote:

I am trying to improve my focus abilities as they relate to taking images of stage plays. Many of you have answered my questions from yesterday. Now my question is, do you use, as a matter of course, the AE Lock "*" button on the Canon 5D MK III camera. By focusing on a face, for example, and then re-composing the picture seems the best way to ensure the focus of the individuals acting. Thank you for your help, again! Mike

I use it occasionally to lock the exposure.

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

BJW wrote:

Sorry I meant manual exposure. In other words if you are shooting in M mode does AE affect the shutter speed and aperture that you have manually selected?

No, it just selects the exposure you set when pressing the "*" button.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

I use it most of the time, but not on the Mklll