Back Button Auto Focus

Brentor

Brentor

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Steve
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I used/use this approach with DSLRs and I found it very useful.

With mirrorless cameras it seems that according to internet “advice” it is no longer necessary given the improvements in AF with AF points covering the whole viewfinder, eye and subject tracking. Some still use it or at least a version of it eg double back button.

I have used my old version on mirrorless cameras without issue but I may be missing out on just using the camera in its normal settings.

I am tempted to drop BBAF as I don’t do as much photography as I used to and if the double BB version is more complicated I will probably forget how to use it between shoots. Most of my photography is now landscape or static subjects.

Any using BBAF on mirrorless?
 
Yep I do use it on mirrorless cameras, the only one I struggle with is my OMD 5MkII as I find it just a little on the small side to get a comfortable grip.

Other than that I do find it useful as I can let the AF continually focus as the subject can change moving across the frame, mind you I only shoot motorsport, don't do birds in flight.
 
Brentor said:
I used/use this approach with DSLRs and I found it very useful.

With mirrorless cameras it seems that according to internet “advice” it is no longer necessary given the improvements in AF with AF points covering the whole viewfinder, eye and subject tracking. Some still use it or at least a version of it eg double back button.

I have used my old version on mirrorless cameras without issue but I may be missing out on just using the camera in its normal settings.

I am tempted to drop BBAF as I don’t do as much photography as I used to and if the double BB version is more complicated I will probably forget how to use it between shoots. Most of my photography is now landscape or static subjects.

Any using BBAF on mirrorless?
Click to expand...

I know I've back button focussed "since Noah were a lad" and my recollection is that the perceived benefit lay in separating focus from metering: maybe I'm not thinking quite had enough?
 
I only ever used/use BBF for events where I wanted instant access to all three focus modes. Otherwise, there were often better things for my thumb to be doing (able to do). And I find that even more true with mirrorless.
 
I use BBF all the time. I understand the benefits aren’t what they were but it still means for me I have (kind of) AF-S and AF-C on the same button without having to change settings. I use the hyperfocal distance a lot when on City breaks etc, I can use AF to focus and then shoot away without having to focus recompose all the time.
 
Never leave home without it, what I found when photographing birds is that once focused on a birds preferred perch it can be a lot quicker obtaining focus also as I'm used to it and it works why change? Russ.
 
I use BBF because it triggers tracking, whereas the shutter button is just AF-S.
 
Always. One button to track focus, another to release the shutter when the shot is ready. Much easier & more reliable than half-pressing. Especially when focussing & recomposing - which is still sometimes a thing. I haven't seen any camera do a good job of eye detection in a backlit scene.

In fact I have 3 buttons set up to instigate focusing in different modes (eye detection, single point, 3d tracking) so I can swap between them in an instant. Add the focus ring override to manual with focus-peaking and that makes 4 ;)
 
Brentor said:
Some still use it or at least a version of it eg double back button.
Click to expand...
As no one has answered this directly, if you genuinely do have muscle memory for BBF already, then programming the camera for your usual focus mode on one back button, than eye AF on a different button, then there's definitely an advantage to dual BBF on a mirrorless camera.
And genuinely it feels to me like photography has never been easier than it is right now with my mirrorless bodies. exposure and focus tuning are predetermined, and all I have to think about is framing the shot and timing.
 
Phil V said:
As no one has answered this directly, if you genuinely do have muscle memory for BBF already, then programming the camera for your usual focus mode on one back button, than eye AF on a different button, then there's definitely an advantage to dual BBF on a mirrorless camera.
And genuinely it feels to me like photography has never been easier than it is right now with my mirrorless bodies. exposure and focus tuning are predetermined, and all I have to think about is framing the shot and timing.
Click to expand...
Yeah if you’re used to probably easier to live with it that way.

As Phil says over 95% of the time for my personal shooting the mirrorless AF is nailing everything so I’ve got it left on AF off, so I can just disengage AF as required for animals in bushes etc
 
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