Back button autofocus.

AnCatDubh

Does your camera have it and if so, do you use it?

In the spirit of the leaving certificate examination of the moment - compare and contrast please

Have to admit, I have back button autofocus on my k20d but never thought of actually using it :eek: until I read this tonight and i'm now thinking what have I been missing. I always knew it was there (kinda hard to miss) and if I pressed it the camera sure enough would autofocus, but I never thought by not using it that I was missing anything. Reinforces the need for us all to periodically read our manuals. (we need a doh! smiley methinks)

Gonna give it a go and see how I get on with it next time i'm out and about. What's been your experience?

pullandbang

Animal Rights posted something on this a few weeks back. I tried following the instructions but couldn't quite get it.
Must try harder (that's what my teacher used to say)

AnimalRights

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2286
I use this version
2: Metering start / Meter + AF start

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055870428

I Swear By it!

Kintarō Hattori

I confess that it's there and I have no idea what it's for. Coming from a K100D Super which was very basic the K7 is drowning in features and I have no idea what most of them do. The fecking manual that came with the camera is in French. I have been meaning to go through the various features and read about them online but I've just been taking photos instead.

Going off to read that site you've linked too.

pixbyjohn

Its on my D700 and D80, but unfortunately one needs a right thumb to be able to use it :mad:

AnCatDubh

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

The fecking manual that came with the camera is in French.

Here you go.

pixbyjohn

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I confess that it's there and I have no idea what it's for. Coming from a K100D Super which was very basic the K7 is drowning in features and I have no idea what most of them do. The fecking manual that came with the camera is in French. I have been meaning to go through the various features and read about them online but I've just been taking photos instead.

Going off to read that site you've linked too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dViPdpohhPA

PCPhoto

have it ... only use it when shooting sports.

Fajitas!

I can't be arsed. The AF camera I grew up on didn't have it and I've never had need to change over, if I need more control, I'll switch to manual focus, if AF suits, then I don't mind it being associated with the shutter button - I've enough things to be worrying about than another fiddly button on the back of the camera

Slidinginfinity

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Its on my D700 and D80, but unfortunately one needs a right thumb to be able to use it :mad:

On the D90 (and I assume the D700 and D80) you a Loooooooong right thumb to use it. My little boy hands just can't do it comfortably.

Every time I have tried to use it on a regular basis I always wind up turning on Live View instead.:o

chisel

I use this now almost exclusively and have come to love it....

I find it soo handy especially when recomposing shots.

.Longshanks.

pullandbang wrote: »

Animal Rights posted something on this a few weeks back. I tried following the instructions but couldn't quite get it.
Must try harder (that's what my teacher used to say)

Yep, had known about it but wasn't until AR's thread reminded me about to actually look into it properly. Have used all the time ever since.
Cheers AR!

Dimy

I guess it's personal preference. I've been using it on my 50D for a while now and loving it

magicbastarder

i'm still not sure what it does - you use the the thumbwheel to lock and adjust focus?

Fajitas!

Nope, it's the Exposure-lock button, you hold it down to focus and leave go when you're ready, and the shutter button is dedicated to the shutter, rather than half-press the shutter button for AF, then fully press down to release shutter.

magicbastarder

seems fussy. i don't shoot fast enough to warrant it, so i'll leave well alone.

sineadw

I'd be using exposure lock way more.

Nforce

I use it on my D300...becomes instinctive after a while.

gloobag

My 5DmkII has a dedicated AF on button, and I would imagine most modern DSLRs are the same. No need to use the exposure lock for this.

I use back button focus all the time, couldn't go back to half shutter presses now.

Fajitas!

Hah, I had completely forgotten my camera has an AF on button.

elven

i've been using the ae lock button for af since my first eos when i was 21. I saw that there was an actual button for it on the mkii but i don't like it so i've got the ae lock button configured anyway. I like to be able focus-recompose and it's just become more intuitive to me.

I suppose like anything, if you learn to do something in a way that you can do without having to think about it, that's the right way for you, rather than there being a universal right way.

kelly1

I converted to back-button focus a few months ago and I'm sticking with it. I think of it like semi-automatic focus, if you know what I mean. Once you've focussed, you can be sure the focal distance won't change between shots. It's automatic while the button is pressed and manual when you release.

AnimalRights

elven wrote: »

I suppose like anything, if you learn to do something in a way that you can do without having to think about it,

I can't believe that I learned it in one 1 hour session in the Pub praccying on a campanion and a Pint glass, cos I'm an old dog I never learn new tricks....

Jim

Started using it after being hassled by AR. Would never go back.

Borderfox

Used it today at a horse show, (200 competitors, three shots each) and didnt notice any difference between one method or the other.

Hugh_C

Nforce wrote: »

I use it on my D300...becomes instinctive after a while.

how do you do it? Is it that little button on the back top right? Seems awkward to use the way I hold the camera (a lot of portrait oriented stuff). How do you configure it?

magicbastarder

i tried to do it, based on what i thought the methodology was, and failed. so i'm chalking it down to an urban myth spread by boards.

ThOnda

Borderfox wrote: »

Used it today at a horse show, (200 competitors, three shots each) and didnt notice any difference between one method or the other.

Because you are master of perfect exposure and you really know what you are doing with your gear

Nforce

Hugh_C wrote: »

how do you do it? Is it that little button on the back top right? Seems awkward to use the way I hold the camera (a lot of portrait oriented stuff). How do you configure it?

Use the AF-On button....it needs to be configured in the menu first

elven

Actually I just remembered why it's a pain in the ass to use the shutter half pressed for AF. When I do a focus recompose or I'm manually focusing then I press the button to take the picture, it tries to focus somewhere else and throws the whole thing off.

I know you can keep the shutter button half pressed and recompose or actually switch to MF but both options seem long winded to me.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Used it for shooting an ozzie rules game on saturday, *way* better when shooting with continuous autofocus, I can see how you wouldn't want to shoot sports any other way once you've mastered it.