Back Button Focus

godzoo

Senior Member
Does anybody use back button focus? Advantages or disadvantages to using it? I've been trying it lately and so far I like it. Any tips or things to know about it?
Thanks all.
 

godzoo

Senior Member
Thanks for all the responses. Is there only one change needed to be made in the settings? That would be to make the shutter release button as a shutter release button only?
 

ShootRaw

Senior Member
I tried it out for a couple of shoots..I got frustrated with it and get better focused shots with pressing shutter hallway down and recompose...A lot of people enjoy it thou...
 

wornish

Senior Member
It works best when taking shots of things moving. So when using the af-c setting for the focussing mode. I use it all the time now but it does take a while to get used to it.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Thanks for all the responses. Is there only one change needed to be made in the settings? That would be to make the shutter release button as a shutter release button only?
Step one is to disable the shutter button from initiating auto-focus but step two is re-assigning the AE-L/AF-L button to "AF-ON" in the Custom Settings "Controls" menu.
This is what enables the AE-L/AF-L button to initiate auto-focus instead of the shutter button, which you disabled in step one.

....
 

Lawrence

Senior Member
I use it exclusively and find my blurred images to be rather artistic.

Oops that sentence should have ended after "exclusively" :D
 

480sparky

Senior Member
I have both my D600s set up for back-buton focus. That's because what I shoot with them makes sense doing so (architectural, still lifes, landscapes). This allows me to choose a focus point, focus the camera, and never have to worry about it being changed while I'm shooting.

My D7100, however, is still set up to focus with the shutter button. That's because this body is behind the Tamzooka 99.999999% of the time and I want to couple focus with shutter actuation as fast as possible since I'm shooting fast action (sports & wildlife).

BBF isn't a one-size-fits-all option, IMHO.
 
It is something that you need to commit to and use for a couple of weeks before you quit. My wife has not gone over to it yet on her D7000 and when I pick it up it drives me crazy to half push the shutter to focus.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
BBF isn't a one-size-fits-all option, IMHO.
Agreed.


It is something that you need to commit to and use for a couple of weeks before you quit.
Agree here too... It's going to be a change and as such it's going to be uncomfortable at first. Once you get the hang of it, though, it's hard to go back to having your shutter button controlling the auto-focus. The concept seems really odd to me having used BBF for as long as I have. But then I use focus-and-recompose a lot and, as has been pointed out, this is not always the best way to handle things. BBF is definitely not a "one size fits all" solution. Still, you do need to give it a week or two of REAL use before you decide about it one way or the other.

.....
 

godzoo

Senior Member
I disabled the shutter release button from focusing. Is there something else I need to change in the settings? Thanks for all the great info and articles.
 
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