5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

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gel685
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p.1 #1 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

How do you back button focus while metering with the shutter release? The "AF-ON" button will focus and meter but I want it to just focus with metering with the shutter release. I'm sure I could do this with my 1D2n. Thanks,--Eric.

Feb 18, 2013 at 02:39 AM

Chumma
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p.1 #2 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Use the middle button ("*") on the back.

Feb 18, 2013 at 02:57 AM

Paul Mo
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p.1 #3 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Can you tell me why you'd want them separate? Thanks.

Feb 18, 2013 at 04:27 AM

ifxbonz
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p.1 #4 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Sports or action shooting with the back* button is a big plus. Once you get use to the coordination you start seeing the bennifits. I have shot that was since the 1dmk2 and never looked back.
Think about baseball..... Right handed batter man on first. The ball has a high possibility of going to short or third while the runner moves to 2nd. ( long primes have a focus reset ring ) so I can set the lens prefocus spot on 2nd base then set back button focus button on 3rd; now you have 2 focus positions covered, one with lens memory prefocus and one with back button focus and my camera pointed at short. Now If the ball goes to third I just turn and shoot, if it goes to short I re focus with back button and shoot when the runner on 1st advances just twist the prefocus ring and turn and shoot the play at 2nd. Almost always assuring me of capturing the whole play. ( the catch of the ball and the play at 2nd. Can't do that with the shutter button alone. The camera will miss focus somwhere.

Invaluable!

Andy

Feb 18, 2013 at 05:03 AM

robbymack
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p.1 #5 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

I've never been able to get my fat fingers to like back button focusing, but I wish I could because I really see the usefulness. It's sort of like the first time you decide to map the dof button to toggle between one shot and servo, it's eye opening.

Feb 18, 2013 at 05:09 AM

ifxbonz
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p.1 #6 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Depending on the camera you can map other back buttons for those with shorter fingers. I think the mk4 and possibly the mk3. I know the ex for sure has more than 1 possibility.

Andy

Feb 18, 2013 at 05:29 AM

Sunny Sra
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p.1 #7 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1119114

Feb 18, 2013 at 05:45 AM

BrianO
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p.1 #8 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

gel685 wrote: How do you back button focus while metering with the shutter release? The "AF-ON" button will focus and meter but I want it to just focus...

I'm don't think it can do that. You can set the shutter release to meter with a half-press and not focus, even while the back button is set to focus and meter; but I don't think you can set the back button to only focus and not also meter.

Feb 18, 2013 at 06:13 AM

BrianO
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p.1 #9 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Chumma wrote: Use the middle button ("*") on the back.

How do you seperate metering and AF start on the * button?

Feb 18, 2013 at 06:17 AM

gel685
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p.1 #10 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Sunny, The Canon link in that forum topic was helpful. Thanks.

For those who wondered why you'd want to do this, I find it helpful for focusing and recomposing. The 5D's only have one spot meter point. On 1D's you could link the focus and spot meter points together, which is very helpful for any photos of people, whether it be sports or portraits. The 5D's can't do that. But now that I've learned about metering hold with the * button, I'll just have to shoot a little differently.--Eric.

Feb 20, 2013 at 01:12 PM

Monito
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p.1 #11 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

If you shoot in Manual mode, you don't have to "meter hold". Back button focus is also very useful, as many here would attest.

Feb 20, 2013 at 01:35 PM

dgdg
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p.1 #12 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Monito wrote:
If you shoot in Manual mode, you don't have to "meter hold". Back button focus is also very useful, as many here would attest.

agree. It boils down to preference once you try both methods. I find holding down the focus button halfway to track in the cold awkward and a strain. Being able to mash down the back button and pump it as needed is easier for me. If I'm not shooting action, I set the focus button to the original setting. Some find it difficult to alternate, but it's not too bad and if someone takes a family photo for me there's no way they would be able to back button focus.

Feb 20, 2013 at 01:57 PM

Cometsoft
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p.1 #13 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

If you watch the Arthur Morris video on "Lenses for Birders", that someone kindly posted a link to on this forum, you'll get a very clear explanation.

He maps the shutter to metering and the * button to focus. Always leaves the camera in AF Servo. That way you don't to switch between single shot and servo. Just take the pressure off the back button and you've got your focus locked as in single.

Feb 20, 2013 at 02:06 PM

gel685
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p.1 #14 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

dgdg wrote:
Monito wrote:
If you shoot in Manual mode, you don't have to "meter hold". Back button focus is also very useful, as many here would attest.

agree. It boils down to preference once you try both methods. I find holding down the focus button halfway to track in the cold awkward and a strain. Being able to mash down the back button and pump it as needed is easier for me. If I'm not shooting action, I set the focus button to the original setting. Some find it difficult to alternate, but it's not too bad and if someone takes a family photo for me there's no way they would be able to back button focus.

I agree with manual shooting, but I've always been an Av shooter. To solve the problem with letting someone else shoot with my camera, I'm going to set up one of the custom profiles to shoot with normal shutter release focusing and auto-ISO.--Eric.

Feb 20, 2013 at 06:21 PM

Mike K
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p.1 #15 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

Read this Canon explanation:

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/backbutton_af_article.shtml

Sounds as if you want option 3 (see page 3 of the tutorial).
Mike K

Feb 20, 2013 at 06:58 PM

brad_s
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p.1 #16 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

That's how my 5d3 is set up. It's doable.

Feb 21, 2013 at 08:00 AM

schlotz
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p.1 #17 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

robbymack wrote:
I've never been able to get my fat fingers to like back button focusing, but I wish I could because I really see the usefulness. It's sort of like the first time you decide to map the dof button to toggle between one shot and servo, it's eye opening.

It can be done Robby. Force yourself to use it consistently for a couple of days. The oddness wears off and it becomes just part of what you naturally do to shoot.

Feb 21, 2013 at 03:24 PM

BrianO
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p.1 #18 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

gel685 wrote: ...The "AF-ON" button will focus and meter but I want it to just focus...

A couple of people have posted that this can be done. Could someone explain to me how to do it.

I know how to set the back button to focus and meter, but not how to just focus as the OP says.

Feb 21, 2013 at 07:43 PM

diverhank
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p.1 #19 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

gel685 wrote:
How do you back button focus while metering with the shutter release? The "AF-ON" button will focus and meter but I want it to just focus with metering with the shutter release. I'm sure I could do this with my 1D2n. Thanks,--Eric.

Gosh I wish I had my camera with me. I can't remember whether you can select just the AF and not metering on the AF-ON button. If it can be done, it would be via the CFn2 Custom Controls menu. I know that you can assign the shutter button half press to be just metering. I'm just curious why you would care whether the AF-ON button, besides focusing, would also does metering. When you press the shutter button to take the photo, the camera will re-meter anyways if you set the shutter button half-press to metering?

Edit: I verified that the AF-ON button cannot be programmed to just focus. It focuses and meters. I'm not at all bothered by that, though.

Edited on Feb 22, 2013 at 02:28 AM · View previous versions

Feb 21, 2013 at 08:41 PM

bcguy
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p.1 #20 · 5D3 Back Button Focusing Question

I read for years about back button focus for years, and actually tried it earlier this year. You do get used to it. Now, I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope you give it a serious try. It is worth it.

Feb 22, 2013 at 01:06 AM

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