UKC

I've watched a few YouTube tutorials now on this method of Auto Focussing and have been thinking of switching to it from the usual shutter-release button. I've given it a quick trial at home but the big downside I can see is that it's not very ergonomic if you've got to adjust shutter speed/whatever.

From this quick trial, it feels to me that if you shoot on full Manual setting, it's slower than just using the shutter release button to focus. I was just wondering if anyone here uses back button focussing and if so, what do you find to be the pros and cons of doing so?

In reply to Fraser:

Yet another 'function' I'd forgotten all about...A bit bloody 'wee' that button, eh?!

Permanent back-buttoner here.

Pros:
It's basically manual focus without the faff. I no longer have to switch between auto and manual focus. Shooting in the dark means I can't use autofocus easily. Nothing worse than getting the shot all lined up and then you press the shutter only for the AF to start hunting about to no avail. It's also handy when doing focus/recompose in daylight.
No focus delays because shutter and focus are no longer linked. I have control over both directly and independently.
I can also leave AF in tracking/servo mode so I can quickly switch from static focus to tracking focus without messing about in menus.

Cons:
If you hand your camera over to someone to take a shot with you in it, you need to either switch it back or accept lots of blurry shots of you.

In reply to coolhand:

Do you find it straight forward enough to adjust other controls whilst you've got your thumb on the AF lock back button? It just feels to me at the moment like it's a bit more awkward doing this with your thumb rather than your index finger on the shutter release button. It might simply be a matter of getting used to doing it this way I suppose.

On my Nikon, I adjust the shutter with my thumb on the back of the camera body, but maybe yours is different.

In reply to Fraser: I have been using back button focus now for maybe 2 years - can't see myself going back to normal focus now.

In reply to Fraser:

I've used back button permanently for nearly ten years, so have probably dropped 500k+ to 1 million frames with this setting. Agree with all the advantages listed above.

I'm on 5 year old + Canon bodies which with absolutely shite autofocus means my focus point is always set centre frame, thus requiring a lot of reframing. Back button helps mitigate any unwanted refocusing from the shutter release. Canon ergonomics (at least on the 5Ds) are set up well for back button use so no problems with controlling other functions. Don't know about Nikons, except to say my Nikon using colleagues and counterparts use back button too to a man, so can't be all bad.

Cheers,
Tom

In reply to Fraser:

The best thing about back-button focusing is that you can have Servo AF turned on permanently because the camera only hunts while you're holding the button.

The worst thing is that nobody else has ever heard of it so you can't hand your camera to anyone and expect them to work it - photos captured by guest users of your camera will ALWAYS be blurry.

In reply to Fraser:

Not awkward at all, but I use the front roller on the D3 to adjust aperture, so my thumb is on back button for focus, my index finger is on the front roller and my forefinger is on release.

In reply to coolhand & others:

Thanks for the comments, I'll stick with it for a while and see how it goes. The issue of others using it and you getting blurry shots probably won't happen, as it's very rare other people use my camera.


@ coolhand: you've lost me there, isn't your index finger the same as your forefinger? Do you ever adjust the shutter speed with your thumb on the rear dial? (that's the one I'm finding awkward at present using BB AF)

In reply to Fraser:

I tried it and couldn't quite get on with it, maybe too much habit, who knows. I do have my back focus button set up to stop AF instead which is very handy when using it in servo mode and you are chasing something and I haven't got the right set up with regards to tracking.

In reply to Fraser:

Sorry about fingering confusion! I meant middle finger on the front roller dial and index finger on the release. Thumb on rear button for focus. I don't do any adjustment on rear dials, the rear is only used for focus control.

In reply to coolhand:


That doesn't work with the canon ergonomics as the front roller is for the index finger situated just behind the shutter button. I have my rear wheel set up for ISO which makes it less of a hassle to get the right shutter speeds

In reply to Fraser:

stated using it last year, just switch to auto when i hand my camera to someone else, it reverts to shutter button focus on the canon 600d