p.3 #1 · I have a question about back-button focusing
duet wrote:
Honestly, I don't understand what you just said here. Sorry
You do understand that you only have to press the back button once to focus and not hold it in, right? And to shoot, all you have to do is press the shutter release. So, if you were to let your guard down, and take the camera off your eye or put it down all together, all you need to do is pick it up and start shooting away... without having to refocus at all... not even with the back focus button.
p.3 #2 · I have a question about back-button focusing
Inku Yo wrote:
You do understand that you only have to press the back button once to focus and not hold it in, right? And to shoot, all you have to do is press the shutter release. So, if you were to let your guard down, and take the camera off your eye or put it down all together, all you need to do is pick it up and start shooting away... without having to refocus at all... not even with the back focus button.
Hope that's more clear.
well yea I understand that.
I do see the clear advantages of back-button focus now from reading this thread and some other pages, however it's not what most of people were saying which was like you can ONLY focus lock and recompose when you use back-button focus. That's what was confusing me.
If i were to sum up, the advantages are
1. you dont need to have your finger half-pressing on the shutter to lock focus. You can just press back-button once to lock focus.
2. you can release shutter even if the focus isn't locked (pointed out by inku)
3. back-button focus is very beneficial when shooting in ai-serve mode
4. since shutter no longer controls focus, you as a photographer has more control over the camera.
p.3 #4 · I have a question about back-button focusing
Inku Yo wrote:
You do understand that you only have to press the back button once to focus and not hold it in, right? And to shoot, all you have to do is press the shutter release. So, if you were to let your guard down, and take the camera off your eye or put it down all together, all you need to do is pick it up and start shooting away... without having to refocus at all... not even with the back focus button.
Hope that's more clear.
AHHHHH! I never realised this! But then, wouldn't it be better if the subject was static? So only hit the back button when subject and distance change?
p.3 #7 · I have a question about back-button focusing
One type of scenario:
You're shooting the slide into second base, with your finger on the shutter, tracking focus on the base runner. At the last moment, just before shutter release, focus locks on the second baseman's cleats, which are now the only sharp things in the shot.
Now replay this scenario, but with BBF. Prefocus on second base, take your finger off the focus button, and shoot happy.
p.3 #8 · I have a question about back-button focusing
also, if you wanted to manual focus, you can without turning off af. And it also saves your shutter button by allocating half of the shutter presses to the back button.
p.3 #9 · I have a question about back-button focusing
ichiban wrote:
also, if you wanted to manual focus, you can without turning off af. And it also saves your shutter button by allocating half of the shutter presses to the back button.
p.3 #10 · I have a question about back-button focusing
Ok, so an update on the whole VR is not engaged when you back-button focus thing I mentioned.
Did some testing this weekend, both real-life testing and let me shoot a focus target testing.
Ok, so first... in terms of "odds of getting a shot that isn't actually stabilized because you did NOT engage VR" (the biggest concern). The tests were conclusive: EVERYTHING IS FINE.
In actual use, as hard as I tried to create a fail, I never jammed onto the shutter button fast enough to beat the VR. I just don't naturally press the shutter button from some state of my finger is lifted off the button. Part of it might be the whole "squeeze" the trigger technique to reduce shake.... so yeah at least as far as I'm concerned, there is no difference
Secondly, in terms of "will it take the camera longer to AF since the image the AF sensor is seeing has motion that isn't compensated?" The test was (surprisingly) pretty conclusive again: EVERYTHING IS FINE.
This one is really weird... I honestly expected to find a benefit... but no. I tried to artificially introduce camera shake... amazingly the camera was able to focus even with a fairly severely moving camera. I'm sure that scenarios could be devised where this IS an issue, but I was trying to prove that it WAS an issue and had to come away with the findings that I probably will never see an advantage.
That said it's nice to have the stabilized viewfinder experience...
In the end I'm almost tempted to say Nikon may in fact have been crazy ... but crazy like a fox. It may well be that decoupling VR from Focus delivers longer battery life without sacrificing the results.
p.3 #11 · I have a question about back-button focusing
lisy78 wrote:
Not really sure how your example extolls the benefit of BBF. In that same scenario with SBF I'm not sure why you'd mess up the focus.
A better example of the same.
You're at the front for the processional, the groom is there looking back down the isle at the bride walking down.
Stick the camera in AI-Servo mode.
BBF on the groom, recompose and get a shot of his expression in focus with the bride out of focus walking down.
Press and hold BB to track the bride walking down the isle and get a shot of her in focus.
Switch back to the groom and repeat.
Basically it enables you to leave the camera in AI-Servo 24/7 and still enjoy the ability to focus+recompose.
