Back button focusing - pros and cons?
Discussion
BBF is quite useful if your autofocus points are a bit limited. Autofocus will only be active whilst you have it held so you can focus and recompose really quite easily as when you press the shutter button, it won't try and refocus again. Might be useful in motorsport as you can much easier pre-focus and then machinegun the shutter without it trying to hunt again. But honestly I'd stick with what you're comfy with.
But with modern mirrorless autofocus systems, it's really quite redundant now. I didn't like BBF at all on my Sony mirrorless, the autofocus tracking does everything BBF does and more.
But with modern mirrorless autofocus systems, it's really quite redundant now. I didn't like BBF at all on my Sony mirrorless, the autofocus tracking does everything BBF does and more.
Edited by satfinal on Monday 7th November 15:41
Well, just to provide some balance, I switched to using BBF a few years ago, and much prefer it to half depressing the shutter button.
Currently using a Canon R5 (so pretty much up there with the best AF available, and you'd expect that relying on this would be great), but I find BBF really useful once you get used to it. Note - it does take some practice, so if you decide to give it a try, force yourself to use it for a while before discounting it - it is worth perservering.
I have one rear button set up for continuous AF, which will (obviously) track subjects moving towards/away from you, but a single press will focus at a specific point, then you can release the BBF button, and it is effectively acting as one-shot AF, and you know what the camera has focussed on.
It is really helpful in situations where relying on the AF linked to pressing the shutter can cause issues, such as shooting through trees/fences where the subject is hard for the camera to work out what your subject is.
Decoupling the focus from the shutter button can be really helpful, and I'd not return to using the shutter button for focussing.
Not really that relevant to the original question, but I also have a second rear button configured for human/animal focus tracking, so if shooting birds, will tend to use the BBF button (to get the bird roughly focussed), then hold the animal tracking focus to keep it in focus, or quickly switch back to the BBF button if branches are starting to confuse the animal tracking. Works really well.
Currently using a Canon R5 (so pretty much up there with the best AF available, and you'd expect that relying on this would be great), but I find BBF really useful once you get used to it. Note - it does take some practice, so if you decide to give it a try, force yourself to use it for a while before discounting it - it is worth perservering.
I have one rear button set up for continuous AF, which will (obviously) track subjects moving towards/away from you, but a single press will focus at a specific point, then you can release the BBF button, and it is effectively acting as one-shot AF, and you know what the camera has focussed on.
It is really helpful in situations where relying on the AF linked to pressing the shutter can cause issues, such as shooting through trees/fences where the subject is hard for the camera to work out what your subject is.
Decoupling the focus from the shutter button can be really helpful, and I'd not return to using the shutter button for focussing.
Not really that relevant to the original question, but I also have a second rear button configured for human/animal focus tracking, so if shooting birds, will tend to use the BBF button (to get the bird roughly focussed), then hold the animal tracking focus to keep it in focus, or quickly switch back to the BBF button if branches are starting to confuse the animal tracking. Works really well.
Edited by C n C on Monday 7th November 19:30
I’ve been a bbf user for years. Took a while to get used to but I really like decoupling focusing from shooting. I originally did it to make it easier to track my son and other small kids when they were playing and also for sports in general but now use it for everything.
I have a 7D II and can switch focus points and areas very quickly with the joystick which, compared with the button makes focusing very easy. Either hold for continuous focus or tap and release for one-shot focus.
In ‘green rectangle’ easy mode the shutter release button works and normal so my wife can still use the camera
I have a 7D II and can switch focus points and areas very quickly with the joystick which, compared with the button makes focusing very easy. Either hold for continuous focus or tap and release for one-shot focus.
In ‘green rectangle’ easy mode the shutter release button works and normal so my wife can still use the camera
I like back button focussing and use it most of the time now, did take a while to get accustomed to at first.
Its not the be all and end all but it is useful to decouple focus from metering & shooting.
I can hold it for constant/tracking AF or press and release for a single focus (ie to set the focus and then recompose and/or spot meter on a different point before shooting).
Yes you can do some of that with a half-press of the shutter, but you end up having to switch back and forth between single and constant AF modes a lot more, and most still meter on the focus point which isn't always what you want.
Its not the be all and end all but it is useful to decouple focus from metering & shooting.
I can hold it for constant/tracking AF or press and release for a single focus (ie to set the focus and then recompose and/or spot meter on a different point before shooting).
Yes you can do some of that with a half-press of the shutter, but you end up having to switch back and forth between single and constant AF modes a lot more, and most still meter on the focus point which isn't always what you want.
I converted to BBF a while back. Nearly threw my kit into the hedge on many an occasion and was convinced that I had fallen for an Internet in-joke, such were my struggles at the start. Then it clicked (so to speak) and I am now a convert.
The points regarding whether it is useful on mirrorless are probably valid - the tracking available on these types of cameras is impressive.
However, as a DSLR user I find it to be extremely useful. I have the primary back button set to group focus mode, with a second button set to single point focus mode. If the focus on a subject (such as a bird) is problematic in group mode, I can attempt single point without moving the camera away from my face.
The points regarding whether it is useful on mirrorless are probably valid - the tracking available on these types of cameras is impressive.
However, as a DSLR user I find it to be extremely useful. I have the primary back button set to group focus mode, with a second button set to single point focus mode. If the focus on a subject (such as a bird) is problematic in group mode, I can attempt single point without moving the camera away from my face.
+1 for back-button focus, sometimes it's handy not to have the autofocus trigger for every shot, e.g. for some panoramas, Brenizer method, focus and recompose etc. As someone said above, don't buy into the "nail focus every single time!" b
ks you might see on the internet - even more importantly, don't fall for paying for a PDF on how this will revolutionise your photography or anything, I've seen those going about.
In some situations or types of photography it can be a big help but not all - as someone posted above, I think if I was doing lots of action shots for example I might find it preferable not to use BBF.
ks you might see on the internet - even more importantly, don't fall for paying for a PDF on how this will revolutionise your photography or anything, I've seen those going about.In some situations or types of photography it can be a big help but not all - as someone posted above, I think if I was doing lots of action shots for example I might find it preferable not to use BBF.
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