Back Button Focus (Page 2): Well put, khorinek. Thank You.

Marionsho Loc: Kansas

khorinek wrote:

I always use back button focus with AI SERVO. I ha... (show quote)

Well put, khorinek.
Thank You.

peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA

DavidPine wrote:

Check out Steve Perry's book on the Nikon Focus System. If you will spend the time reading it you will get good control of your camera's focusing system and understand the whys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLmrut6MVUs

Steve's the guru. On my pocket-size Sony RX-100 I like the 1/2 press of the shutter button to focus. That's because when I hand the camera to somebody else, I don't have to explain BBF. (Not sure BBF on an RX100 is possible.) On my big Nikon, I use a back-camera button for group focusing and a front-camera button for single point focusing. Great for wildlife shots.

saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee

Try it. See if you like it (but give it a little time). I began using BBF over two years ago and I will never go back to the half press. I use it in all situations whether my subject is a static landscape or a fast moving bird. Once you get used to it BBF becomes second nature.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

This is the way you have to look at it. With BBF you are simply giving the focusing capability to the "back button". you are NOT a slave to the exposure button which is doing two jobs. so EVERY time you have to focus you have to push to focus and then perhaps reframe the subject and shoot(while holding the damn button) with BBF you simply focus on the subject (push and release the BBF) when you reframe you can shoot away because you have already focused and as long as the subject is in the frame (and you and the subject haven't moved) the subject will always be in focus. I hope I'm making sense. Once you get used to BBF you will probably never want to go back. I don't.

and with the servo option as long as you hold the BBF down the camera will continually focus until you release the button. That is the option I use ALL the time

gilmorecs wrote:

I have read about how to set up back button focus on my Nikon 7200, but I am not clear on the advantages of doing so. I have always depressed half-way and then recomposed, then release the shutter so I am pretty good at that. What benefit is back button focus?

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

gwilliams6 wrote:

Back button focusing separates the dual functions ... (show quote)

good explanation. If I had read the answers I would have bothered. Although I think mine is good too. LOL

Grand Loc: Lebanon, Pa

Not only for sports...try it, practice, you will love it.

Flash Falasca Loc: Beverly Hills, Florida

gilmorecs wrote:

I have read about how to set up back button focus on my Nikon 7200, but I am not clear on the advantages of doing so. I have always depressed half-way and then recomposed, then release the shutter so I am pretty good at that. What benefit is back button focus?

once you go back you never go back !!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

peterg wrote:

Steve's the guru. On my pocket-size Sony RX-100 I like the 1/2 press of the shutter button to focus. That's because when I hand the camera to somebody else, I don't have to explain BBF. (Not sure BBF on an RX100 is possible.) On my big Nikon, I use a back-camera button for group focusing and a front-camera button for single point focusing. Great for wildlife shots.

Its so fast and easy to just undo the setting if I hand my camera to someone, which I will rarely do. To get a pic of me and my wife I'll hand the phone sometimes before my camera. I always fear them running or dropping my camera.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Flash Falasca wrote:

once you go back you never go back !!

Love the pun.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

gilmorecs wrote:

I have read about how to set up back button focus on my Nikon 7200, but I am not clear on the advantages of doing so. I have always depressed half-way and then recomposed, then release the shutter so I am pretty good at that. What benefit is back button focus?

One benefit is not having to constantly switch between AF-C and AF-S modes in situations that are optimal for either or seconds apart - e.g. bird photography/BIF if you want to shoot a perched bird, change the comp and then follow the bird as he takes off. You press the BBF button (usually the AE/AF-L button near the thumb wheel) only when you want to focus so it behaves like AF-S (just press the button to focus, release, recompose if necessary, shoot with shutter button, or AF-C just hold the BBF button down continuously while shooting - this takes some getting used to as you have to press 2 buttons while firing a sequence - I do wish Nikon put the AE-L button a little closer to the right. BBF is a definite advantage for situations like that but for street shooting and non-action photography I prefer the half press method better.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

gilmorecs wrote:

I have read about how to set up back button focus on my Nikon 7200, but I am not clear on the advantages of doing so. I have always depressed half-way and then recomposed, then release the shutter so I am pretty good at that. What benefit is back button focus?

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The main advantage I see is that you can leave your csmera in continuous focus mode all the time bet still use single focus when you want. If you press the button to focus you can release it as soon as you get focus and shoot as many shots as you want without the focus changing until you press the button again. If the subject is moving you can just hold in the button while you shoot and them camera will continuously focus for you

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Here's why I use BBF:

It's a pretty delicate maneuver on my EOS 60D to 1/2-press the shuttter button, say to see your display info (meter readings, focus points, etc.), without accidentally snapping the shutter. Especially if you want to move around while doing it.

Also, with some (but not all) Canon USM lenses, you can leave lens switch set on AF permanently while doing all the manual-focusing you want. It's the ones with a focusing scale in a window, or the newest 70-300 with an LCD focusing distance display.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Some folks swear by BBF and others, like me, hate it. I'm old and I prefer the old way, but to each his/her own. Do whatever works best for you. Best of luck.

rusty66

I have a Nikon 7000 and tried bbf for the first time last weekend after several articles and books written by credible people recommended it, particularly for action shots. I shot a regatta with small sailboats racing while I was on another boat. (That's another but related issue of shooting boats bobbing up and down from another boat bobbing up and down). I agree with the person who said you have to train your brain and there were a few times when I was still trying to press the shutter button half way. That said, bbf was a great help for continuous focus and had the added benefit of the bbf encouraging me to shoot bursts rather than single shots. My keep rate fell shooting bursts (delete several for 1 keeper) but my total of good images went up significantly shooting bursts. I don't care about keeper percentage but I do care about getting the greatest absolute number of good images. Obviously bursts would not have worked without continuous focus and the bbf made continuous focus MUCH easier. I'm a believer

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

jamesl wrote:

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The main advantage I see is that you can leave your csmera in continuous focus mode all the time bet still use single focus when you want. If you press the button to focus you can release it as soon as you get focus and shoot as many shots as you want without the focus changing until you press the button again. If the subject is moving you can just hold in the button while you shoot and them camera will continuously focus for you