I don't ever use the AF-ON button, however on my D3s it's assigned to AE/AF-L. Yes I know the real AE/AF-L is just next to it but still...
Funny thing is that you can assign the AF Activation (a4 in menu) To be Shutter OR AF-ON only, but not Shutter only...?
And F13 (assign MB-D12 AF-ON) battery pack's AF-on can be assigned to AF/AE Lock...
Why don't you just use AF-ON? I assigned AE/AF-L to top item of "My Menu", which is LCD virtual horizon, then a push on joystick can bring up the full "my menu",where I have long exposure NR on/off, sensor cleaning, etc, etc. (I only use manual for my landscapes, so no use of AE/AF-L).
Of course, my AF Activation is AF-ON only, have been using this since my first slr.
AF-ON is pretty much useless when you have a4 assigned to shutter, since depressing the shutter button will establish focus. So, selecting shutter is by its function "shutter only."
IMO, using AF-ON gives better control of focus. As to the MB-D12, allowing assignment of the AF-ON is most likely to facilitate ease of use. Using other camera buttons can be awkward shooting verticals.
deklol wrote:
Thanks for replys but I think you missunderstood. What I meant was,
I do not use AF-ON for focus and I never will. I want the AF-ON button to be AE/AF-L.
Same here, and I totally understand. I have my D4 set to do this and would love to be able to set the D800 the same way (and yes, like you, I know the ae-l/af-l button is just next door but for me it's a muscle memory thing, I'd prefer to be able to slide my thumb to the next button to the left of the control dial, and since the D4 only has one button to the left of the control dial and the D800 limits what you can assign to the af-on button, that small element frustrates me when shooting both bodies).
BTW, this is useful for the Brenezier (sp?) method.
deklol wrote:
I don't ever use the AF-ON button, however on my D3s it's assigned to AE/AF-L.
My suggestion is to spent some time and get familiar with AF-ON only focusing technique. It is a great thing and can significantly improve AF success rate when mastered properly.
Once you get used to that, there is no way back to shutter-based AF. It is so much better.
ffstory wrote:
My suggestion is to spent some time and get familiar with AF-ON only focusing technique. It is a great thing and can significantly improve AF success rate when mastered properly.
Once you get used to that, there is no way back to shutter-based AF. It is so much better.
Out of curiosity, why does AF-ON improve focus accuracy, and is there some trick to getting it "mastered"?
I don't ever use the AF-ON button, however on my D3s it's assigned to AE/AF-L. Yes I know the real AE/AF-L is just next to it but still...
Funny thing is that you can assign the AF Activation (a4 in menu) To be Shutter OR AF-ON only, but not Shutter only...?
And F13 (assign MB-D12 AF-ON) battery pack's AF-on can be assigned to AF/AE Lock...
(o.O) ?
Unfortunately, only the AF-ON button the MB-D12 battery grip can be assigned a different function.
I persisted with the AF-ON button focus for about a year on my D3 and didn't see any advantage so went back to using the shutter button only. Now using a D800E and haven't got any complaints about the focus accuracy using the shutter button only either.
On some Nikon bodies, it seems that vibration reduction isn't activated with the AF-ON button. Some people preferred this for a variety of reasons, like saving the battery and reducing wear & tear on the VR mechanism. Those advantages (?) don't exist on a D4, however, as VR is always activated by the AF-On button.
Like Zesto, I haven't noticed any improvement in focus accuracy with AF-ON. What are we missing?
You miss the possibility to activate the shutter (aka take a shot) without even focusing. Not having to switch to AF-S and back to AF-C. To have a focus trap by doing so.
It's 'just' a habit.
Tracking with constant focusing, without having to fiddle around with the shutter is one more that comes to my mind...
The main advantage of the back button focus is being able to switch between tracking moving objects and shooting stationary subjects instantly without changing the AF mode to AF-S. I've been using it for about 15 years and would not want to be without it. Unfortunately that does not help to resolve the original issue.
Scott, I know how it works and I know several other pros who don't use it too. I persisted with it for quite a while and it offered no advantage to me. Therefore I don't use it; it's as simple as that.
its a preference. thats all. I personally use it, i couldnt imagine shooting sports without it, but to each his own, people often forget cameras are tools, and you can use them in any way you want, and choose. No right or wrong.
Apr 09, 2013 at 10:48 AM
Andre Labonte Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
turbodude wrote:
its a preference. thats all. I personally use it, i couldnt imagine shooting sports without it, but to each his own, people often forget cameras are tools, and you can use them in any way you want, and choose. No right or wrong.
+1000
What people do with the AF-ON button I can do just as easily with focus activated on the shutter button and having an AF-Lock button to use with my thumb. I understand the OP's question perfectly as this is how I use my camera.
I shoot a lot of sport and rarely have focus issues, so the idea that AF-ON is superior is bogus. Different and preferable to some people, absolutely.
Andre Labonte wrote:
What people do with the AF-ON button I can do just as easily with focus activated on the shutter button and having an AF-Lock button to use with my thumb. I understand the OP's question perfectly as this is how I use my camera.
I shoot a lot of sport and rarely have focus issues, so the idea that AF-ON is superior is bogus. Different and preferable to some people, absolutely.
You’re still using two buttons to effectively divorce autofocus from the shutter trip, so it’s not all that different.
