Back Button AF?

Just wondering how many people on here use back button focus on their camera? I have never used it before but seen a lot of videos from people saying it is the way forward!?

So do you or don't you and why / why not?

Take pictures faster while keeping focus on your subject. And to confuse the heck out of anyone who picks up my camera.

Allows for much more versatile operation. Taking panoramas? No need to switch the lens to MF. Focus like one shot but recompose for multiple shots without constantly refocusing. When you're in a situation where the AF can be easily fooled such as a bird behind branches you just need to get focus once then you can keep it there without having to worry about AF again. The list goes on.

it confuses me!! lol

Back focus all the way. Congrats on quitting, its been 3 years for me. I Wonder how people put up with me, stinking like that for 40 years. Don't miss it at all.

Here is the epic thread on the topic....


https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=46965

I switched over to back button focus about 18 months ago and am very pleased. This video helped me get started.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=FzqQskGoURE

Niteclicks wrote in post #17805026
Back focus all the way. Congrats on quitting, its been 3 years for me. I Wonder how people put up with me, stinking like that for 40 years. Don't miss it at all.

Thanks for the congrats stopped on 01 oct

thanks for the vid and the forum link

I think i will have to try this out if i can when i pick up my new camera on Friday (moving from canon to Sony so not too sure)

I read about it is one of the first things you should change so you learn with it rather than learn later.

urbanfreestyle wrote in post #17804831
So do you or don't you and why / why not?

I do.

Why? Because it is like having One Shot and AI Servo all wrapped into one. You can confirm focus, then let go of the button and recompose. Or you can keep the little red box on the subject and keep your thumb down on the button to track with it as it moves. If a running subject suddenly stops, you can simply let go of the button and compose as you like, without having to keep the shutter button pressed exactly halfway down as you do so.

that's one thing i saw on a youtube video of the a6k. the tracking looks awesome!!!

I use BBAF. It lets me determine when to start/stop focus, and it is a boatload easier than trying to do that by getting on and off a shutter button half-press. What I don't get is why focus was EVER put on the shutter button.

Simplicity for n00bs like me that have never used BBAF?

I switched over about 6 months after getting my first camera, a 7D in 2013. It would be really hard to go back.