AF-S and AF-C focus modes with Back button focus?

C

Confused123

New member
[h=2]I’m trying back button focus for the first time and have got it working on my Nikon D5300 but I’m confused about focus modes.

I’ve previously always used AF-S and single point AF. Most instructions seem to say to only use AF-C with bbf but it seems to still work on the AF-S setting. I haven't managed to find why AF-C and not AF-S should be used, could anyone explain it?

If I do have to use AF-C then should I still use the single focus point on that? I’ve tried the switch to bbf as I’ve been attempting street photography but I need to use my camera for landscape too which doesn't move hence the confusion with AF-C.

Many thanks in advance![/h]
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Confused123 said:
I’m trying back button focus for the first time and have got it working on my Nikon D5300 but I’m confused about focus modes.

I’ve previously always used AF-S and single point AF. Most instructions seem to say to only use AF-C with bbf but it seems to still work on the AF-S setting. I haven't managed to find why AF-C and not AF-S should be used, could anyone explain it?

If I do have to use AF-C then should I still use the single focus point on that? I’ve tried the switch to bbf as I’ve been attempting street photography but I need to use my camera for landscape too which doesn't move hence the confusion with AF-C.

Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

There's no reason you can't use BBF in conjunction with AF-S and if that's what you want to do, press on!

The reason most people suggest using AF-C (vs AF-S and regardless of the number of focus-points) is because it gives you the best of both worlds, essentially: Press and hold the back-button and you've got AF-C (for tracking, panning a moving subject) or... Press and release the back-button and it's just like using AF-S.

That's really the long and short (press) of it.
 
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