Vigneron

Are there any "Point and Shoot" / "Pocket Cameras" that use something other than half button focusing? I have just recently discovered "Back Button Focusing" for my Canon T3i on Utube. I do not believe there was any mention of it in the manual. What a relief.

For some of us who are chronologically advantaged, or just do not have sufficient control of our fingers, holding the shutter button half way down to focus without sometimes having it go all the way down can be a hit and miss challenge.

Are there any "Point and Shoot" cameras that offer back button focusing or some other means of focusing? I remember the "Good Old Days" with film cameras and split image focusing. Kinda sorta makes me wish some modern cameras would offer the same option.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Spent an hour trying to locate the “half button” on my camera.🧐

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The manual does not call it "back button focusing", it simply states that focusing can be re-assigned to another button.
Not helpful for someone looking for a BBF reference.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This is supposedly a list of compact cameras with assigned buttons. At least, that's what Google offered me when I did a search.

https://www.google.com/search?q=compact+cameras+with+assigned+buttons&sa=X&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS716US717&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&ved=0ahUKEwj3gtXd54PfAhUQm-AKHXngDxYQsxgILQ&biw=1920&bih=938

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I think he means "half-press" of the shutter button...

Vigneron

It's there, just above the "Full Button" - or as some to prone to call it (The shutter release button)

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You are comparing apples to oranges, as in focus-aids to focus-techniques - both are different things. I have done that with both, back button focus with fim cameras and also use a spit screen fousing aid in my Canon 5D (but changed back to the regular screen, because I never really liked the split screens)!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Wow. As soon as I read the post, I knew what he was asking. He made a simple mistake.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

traderjohn Loc: New York City

That's exactly what he meant. However, the ladies will belittle him. I'm sure even they knew what he meant.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

In answer to your question, back button focus (often referred to as "BBF) is primarily a feature of interchangeable lens cameras: SLRs, DSLRs and mirrorless.

There may be some "bridge" cameras that have it too... Panasonic FZ200, for example. Bridge cameras are not "pocket" cameras, by any means. They are larger. In fact many look like DSLRs and have similar design and controls, except they have a non-interchangeable lens... Often a "super zoom" covering a very wide range. They often use a tiny image sensor to exaggerate the telephoto effect of the lens.

If you Google "Back Button Focusing" you'll find numerous articles about it online. How and why to use it (besides what you've found it does for you). It's a popular feature especially among sports & wildlife photographers. But it has other applications and really can be used by anyone who simply wants to have more full control over their camera's AF system.

Most "point n shoot" and compact "pocket" cameras just don't have enough buttons or even room for buttons to dedicate a separate one to the AF system alone. In fact, more and more those types of cameras rely upon a Touch Screen instead of buttons and dials. The whole design principle of compact point n shoots is automation versus user control, anyway. And when you think about it, that's sort of at odds with BBF, which is a feature to give the user more control and be less reliant upon automation.

Manual focusing a camera with "focus peaking" would be a lot like using BBF... Giving you similar control. This would require a camera with an electronic viewfinder (many/most? mirrorless), the focusing peaking feature AND a direct means of manually focusing such as a focusing ring on the lens itself (which most point-n-shoot, compacts, bridge cameras lack).

Folks... keep in mind that the Internet is worldwide and that for some people on a forum such as this, English may be a second language. Or, they just don't know what to call a feature. You or I might have asked this question differently, but we could certainly figure out what was being asked without being rude, snarky and dismissive.

Bill Munny Loc: Aurora, Colorado

My Pentax Lumix FZ80 bridge camera has back button focus, or you can assign it to any of the other four Function (Fn) Buttons. Not sure of any other bridge cameras.

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

Fuji cameras offer digital split imaging focus options that might interest you "Vigneron."

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

You can use the AF/AE LOCK button on the DMC-ZS100.

This camera has a 1" 20 Mp sensor, EVF, 25-250mm zoom lens and has a P&S form factor, though I would call it a bridge camera.

(Download)

Vigneron

Thank you very much. Lots of very useful information