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I've had BBF explained to me so many times over the years and its usefulness just never clicked. Now I see that it's the decoupling of the shutter butter from the half press focus that's the key. Great info, thanks Pierre!

I really enjoy back button focusing! I come from the days of 35mm cameras, even when manual focus only was still the norm. When I moved to auto focus it annoyed me that even in single shot autofocus I had to hold the shutter button down halfway to recompose, or the camera would refocus when I pressed the shutter button again. With back button focus I can focus on what I want, then recompose, then when I press the shutter button to exposure, it’s not going to refocus again. And it is handy to have the camera set to continuous autofocus, and use the back button to briefly focused, more like single shot, or to hold it down for quick continuous focusing! Since hearing my Canon Elan 7e would do it, I’ve setup back button focus on all my SLR/DSLR/Mirrorless cameras!

This is the way. Very similar to how I have my camera set up at the moment, but with two back focus buttons - one for small point focus, and one for face/eye detect. I then have the big 'joystick' button set to ditch all my 'arty' settings, and just take photos in full auto, as fast as it can. It's the 'oh shit' button for when something happens I wasn't prepared for. No time to be fancy, just get the shot.

I hereby give your tutorial my rarest rating... Helpful.

This was very helpful, I kept rewinding to fully capture everything. Well done, Pierre.

I really liked this technique. I stopped the video and tried it on my camera. I have 16-300mm Tamron lens with image stabilization. The image stabilization didn’t work when I turned off auto focus with shutter. At high zoom the image was shaking too much for autofocus to work. I ended up activating autofocus with shutter and programming a button to quickly change the aufocus mode

I'm not a photographer and I don't even own any cameras , but the explanation in this video is just on point. I understood everything. Every tips and trick should be like that. Great video !

On Sony A7iii i have one button for eye AF and another for holding focus. For me thats the better setup because most times i am fine with continious focus. I also use the tap on schreen to set the flexibal spot and then use C-AF with that spot.

It depends on which camera you are using not all DSLR have back button focus which camera are you using.

Very very helpful, thank you !

Hi Pierre. Thsnk you for this video. Can I ask what your default AF settings are for “Priority Set in AF-C”? AF, Release, or Balanced Emphasis? Also, what do you keep your “AF Tracking Sensitivity” set to most often? 1-5?

For the customized AF ON tracking, I have to use Tracking ON + AF On. Otherwise the green square doesn't appear when I hold down the BBF in AF-C. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is different than you. A6700

Sharpness is the one and only aspect in photography that matters nowadays It doesn.t matter if it is a good photograph, or not, as long as it is sharp.😥

Your photos are frikin AMAZING!!!! I love your work.....

I achieve i similar results without disabling the Af to the shutterbutton. I stead i set a custom button to Recall Custom Hold 1 and within that menu i set the focus area to center with tracking.

Don't forget, Af-S activates the Oncamera light assist (if it has one) to focus on Lowlight. Its perfect to use for portait or any subject that is still on a lowlight situation (like a club/bar or anything lowlight).

FINALLY! An explanation of BBF that makes sense. I have always tried to figure out the hype of BBF. Inasked a lot of people. Never got an answer that made sense to me. Now I get it. I have made the change to my camera and it works great. Thanks!!!!

I changed a back button to one-shot (AF-S) mode to accomplish the same thing (focus and recompose). I half press the shutter to confirm focus on my subject then shift the composition and full-press. Press the button again and i'm back to servo mode. I do wish there was a way (i use canon) to combine both one shot, and change the drive mode to single in one button. I don't need to be firing off a 40fps burst every time I press the shutter for focus-and-recompose, if I forget to also change the drive mode.

One. Why not move the focus points? V easy to do with a joystick, if your camera has one. Two. As you said, with the normal focusing method of using the shitter button, anyone can use it. BBF, as youve described it, is useful for many situations, mostly i think for where your main priority is to keep one particular distancevon focus, no matter what else you do. However, noone else will be able to use your camera (when set up that way), and unlrss all of your cameras are set up the same it gets confusing, and BBF is an extra thing you have to do. Its a pain when you are wandring around and have two butyons to press for every one photo. However, if you want to keep a camera in a common configuration so anyone can use it, and you need the BBF advantage every now and then, read on. You can also set up that button so that it turns OFF autofocus ... thats how i set up any camera that supports the function: that way, the camera behaves as normal UNLESS you press the rear button, and then while it's held down your focus wont change ... and you can release it any time to autofocus again, as/if required. It's like choosing manual or auto (af, shutter, and / or iso): if you are wandering around, not knowing what your next picture will require, automatic settings are great - allowing you to grab a shot you wouldnt have time to set up for manually. However, in a studio, say, you know exactly what the required settings are so you lock them in manually. It's up to you as to what works best for each situation in between (_and understanding what compromises you're making with each choice_).

An alternative I find more useful is to use AFC with a programmable button such as the lens button set to Focus Hold to recompose.

I have it setup kindof reverse. Half press for af-c. AF-ON assign to focus hold to simulate AFS after half press shuttle. Though still need to train my muscle memory for this. Need the shuttle to focus when using the camera to do selfie.

One tip about how handy to set subject detection on button. It ignores your focus point, and search subject in all angle of view. It's very usefull, when you usually have small point as focus area and want, for example, to focus on human, that's in some side of the frame. Moving focus point? Nope, just press a button, and you're perfectly focused.

Great content, thanks a ton for that. How do we set that in Nikon camera, I mean the bonus tip.

I have an older Sony A7r3 which has eye focus. Placed in on AF-C, subject focus, and BBF. I had the subject move back and forth and the eye focus did not work. Suggestions pls? Lens Sony 24-105 F4. Too when do you use AF-A, from static to moving subject? Enjoy your channel. Thanks

There is rarely told information that in low light condition with AF-S, the camera use the biggest aperture to focus and then come back to your selected aperture. For example if you use f4 but your camera can do f2.8, it will use f2.8 to focus but take the photo at f4. It does not do that in AF-C it will try to focus at f4 which can fail in low light condition. But i believe all people will use their f2.8 in low light but it is a minor detail.

Very informative, but can I do this on my old Nikon D60 or D90? Thank you.

Wow,it's actually very useful. 🙏Thank You Sir

This is the correct content!

The i button on the back with Nikon is enough to change what you want, but only in P

Is it available on Sony a6000?

Great tutor

What is the solution to approaching subjects when the af lock produces blurry images?

Question. What about IBIS, it is only activated when holding the AF button with BBF. IBIS is off while the button is not pressed !.. is this correct ?

thank you bro

My Sony RX10 IV has a dedicated button for S, A, C and M focussing modes

Great video. Can’t believe how many people in the comments just don’t get it.

The tip at the end was too good! Love it love it!

I still cannot understand why to use BBF when I can just set a button to AFL (auto focus lock). Event then AF-C (at least for mirrorless cameras) can track a point you set to focus. The cameras even track the subjects eye, so if you recompose it still follows the subject.

Hi Pierre, thank you very much for this subject, the back button is a very under used mode. It's an important function to use and makes a big difference. Once you get used to it its a life saver. A very useful video that will help a lot of photographers. Many thanks Pierre 😊

AF-S + MF with Focus Peaking

Do you use Sony ECM-B1M microphone?

If you really want to focus on something and then change the composition, why not just use manual focus?

Thanks!

Tnk U

does this setting work on sony APS-C? couldnt find the setting

Piere, you went through that menu so fast I couldn't see what you were selecting 😮. What's the big hurry? You've got to slow down the pace if you're going to teach effectively.

Love for india Pierre ❤

Just tried this set up but nothing happens when I single press the button, I have to hold for it to focus. What am I doing wrong??

You must be talking about the Canon 5D Mk11 and not the Mk111 that dose not focus well during action shots as the red dot is gone,gone gone? IF the Mk11 camera is perfect don't FIX IT Mk111?

Is bbf possible in DSLR?

woooww❤❤❤

Ypu can do the exact same thing with the default shutter button, and have one more button to customize, Cant you?

Years ago we never had this much trouble focusing. We waste so much time now trying to figure out witch mode to use, it's just not fun anymore. To much tech. I wish they made a camera without all the video features.

What would you say to a parent that doesn't let his son get a cheap camera like sony a6000 with kit lens?

In this video I saw that you travelled Bangladesh 😊 BTW I'm from Bangladesh 🇧🇩

4:55 Man, it is so stupid! Just chose the focus object and let the camera following this object. Un my old 550D I all the time used AF-S, just you have to be quick with your camera. ;)

❤❤❤❤

Hi, as this is not a tutorial, I won't go into details but I think you are confusing 2 terms. One is "sharpness" and the other is focus. Two quite different things.

Bro, thats the most complicated way of focusing. Simply use AF-C and set the reaction to 1 (1of5). Than pin your subject with the small square and the focus will stick forever

Try BBF and you will never go back.

Just move the AF point in continuous focus? Then there is no bonus to using bbf. Getting ‘sharper images’ or being able to focus better with bbf is a myth.

🤍

I can do everything with just AF Tracking.

BBF is a nonsense carryover from DSLR days when cameras had 8 AF points. Stop teaching people this.

BBF is obsolete today.

And you are the perfect example of one of those hated gaijin making photos of people without asking for their authorisation , giving everyone from outside japan a bad reputation for disrespecting privacy.

8 minutes lost in time.

Brother go get a job just like everyone else…