Back Button Focus

ianjm

Senior Member
Just done a daft one, had a 35mm lens off Santa. Just trying it out and thought the auto focus wasn't working. After 5 minutes I realised that my camera was set for bbf. Dohhhhh
 

Michael J.

Senior Member
On our vacation, my daughter took some great photos. I explained her that I use BBF. She used it as she never used other. Great girl.
 
Just done a daft one, had a 35mm lens off Santa. Just trying it out and thought the auto focus wasn't working. After 5 minutes I realised that my camera was set for bbf. Dohhhhh

My cameras are always set for BBF BUT my wife will not use it so here camera is not set for it. When I pick up her camera to do something I am pushing the BBF button and wondering why it won't focus.
 

Spottydumplings

Senior Member
My cameras are always set for BBF BUT my wife will not use it so here camera is not set for it. When I pick up her camera to do something I am pushing the BBF button and wondering why it won't focus.

Hi Don,

I know that this might be a daft question but is BBF something that can be saved as a U1/U2 setting? If it could then you set one of them on your wife's camera so that YOU could use it and she doesn't have to; just by turning the dial.
 

gunnerhedge

Senior Member
I've just set my D7200 to bbf and I've noticed that I can still focus by half pressing the shutter button as well as the bbf, I've checked my settings and they seem correct so any ideas folks?


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nickt

Senior Member
I've just set my D7200 to bbf and I've noticed that I can still focus by half pressing the shutter button as well as the bbf, I've checked my settings and they seem correct so any ideas folks?


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Check menu a4. Looks like it needs to be set to 'af-on only'. I don't have the d7200, but it looks like is done a little differently from the d7100.
 
Nickt, that done the trick! Thanks mate


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You would really not want that to function on both. The beauty of BBF is you can set it and then play with composition all you want and then shoot. If the main shutter button still controlled the focus it would refocus on whatever was in the area at that time. So your BBF would not do you any good at all.

I know you figured this out but putting this here so when a newby reads this he might think this would be a good idea.
 

TL Robinson

Senior Member
I just read this and thought I'd give it a try - both bodies - and wow...why I never did this before is beyond me. I also assigned the FN button to turn on virtual horizon since I tend to have a little tilt in my photos (my heads lopsided I think)....what a difference!
 

Danno_RIP

Senior Member
I just read this and thought I'd give it a try - both bodies - and wow...why I never did this before is beyond me. I also assigned the FN button to turn on virtual horizon since I tend to have a little tilt in my photos (my heads lopsided I think)....what a difference!
I just did the Fn button to turn on the horizon. I think that will help me too.

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I read this post and set it up on my D7100. Hit the button once and it stays on as long as the camera is on. Very handy.


BBF function will be on till you change it in the menu. But are you talking about the focus staying the same? If so yes the focus will not change until you hit the BBF button again. A really handy feature if you are shooting something that is stationary. I remember seeing a wading bird once and waiting till it took of to fly away. I set my focus on the bird and lowered my camera and waited, and waited and waited till 15 minutes he started to move and I was able to pick up my camera and start shooting of course I put my thumb on the BBF so it would be in continuous mode for the focus. Being able to start in focus gave me the extra time needed to get the takeoff and the flight.
 

Zeke_M

Senior Member
BBF function will be on till you change it in the menu. But are you talking about the focus staying the same? If so yes the focus will not change until you hit the BBF button again. A really handy feature if you are shooting something that is stationary. I remember seeing a wading bird once and waiting till it took of to fly away. I set my focus on the bird and lowered my camera and waited, and waited and waited till 15 minutes he started to move and I was able to pick up my camera and start shooting of course I put my thumb on the BBF so it would be in continuous mode for the focus. Being able to start in focus gave me the extra time needed to get the takeoff and the flight.

A couple of us got off on a tangent after Danno mentioned he configured the fn button for the level feature.
That's what I was referring to.

I set up the AE-L button for BBF a few days ago. Now I need to remember not to use the shutter finger to focus.
Old habits die hard.
 

lostnomore

Senior Member
I don't like the position of the AE-L/AF-L button on the back of the D750 when set to AF-ON - about 1/4-inch too far left. So I've set the preview (Pv) button to AF-ON and I get a much more natural grip on the camera. Middle finger controls the AF using the Pv button and index finger fires the shutter. To each his own.

Also, I've put f3 onto My Menu so I can disable AF-ON from the Pv button and switch AF back to the shutter button. With soccer, for example, I like AF to be controlled by the shutter but for basketball I like having AF-ON using the Pv button to be able to switch between manual and auto focus; I'll manually lock focus on the basket sometimes but then continuous-AF on players moving around once away from the basket. Again, another little trick that works well for me.
 
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