Archive 2022 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

vbnut
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

I read a bunch articles on the web and watched several YouTube videos about setting up the R3 (especially the AF for wildlife and BIF) before renting an R3 (and R5) for a week a couple months ago. After renting the Sony A1 for a week (to rule it out), a week ago I purchase an R3, and have been revisiting the videos while setting up my copy and experimenting with it. I now have several questions.

It seems the most frequently recommended approach for back-button AF is to change the shutter button from "Moving AF pt, meter., AF by eye ctrl" to "Metering start" and change a back button to "Metering and AF start" (the AF-ON button does this by default). Can anyone explain why we would want to do metering when we start AF when we're going to get metering anyway when we press the shutter button?
To get back-button eye-control AF the recommendation is set another button to "Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl", but in my experience to get that button to use eye-control you also have to enable eye control (by default using the SET button). When eye control is enabled the eye control pointer is visible in the viewfinder when doing eye control AF (which is desirable), but also when not doing eye control AF (which is distracting and undesirable in my opinion). Is there some way, that I've missed, to enable eye control and do "Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl" with a single button press?
In my experiments, is appears that invoking "Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl" uses the current AF settings (AF operation, AF area, Subject tracking, Subject to detect, Eye detection, etc.), whether eye control is enable or disabled. I think that means that when eye detect is disabled, "Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl" is equivalent to "Metering and AF start" with the default details which mean is uses the current AF settings (except for the metering which seems unnecessary to me). Does that make sense or am I missing something?

If my understand is correct I think it makes sense for me to use "Moving AF point, start AF by eye ctrl" as my primary AF back button, whether eye control is enabled or disabled. That will allow changes I make to AF settings (e.g. AF area) to take effect in both eye control AF and non-eye control AF. I then only need to use "Metering and AF start"on other buttons for cases where I want to start AF with specific AF settings (details specified by pressing the INFO button).

Jul 22, 2022 at 10:54 PM

jedibrain
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

For your question 1- It can be helpful to see the meter while waiting for the shutter press, so you can dial in any corrections and changes you want to make ahead of an anticipated shot. But it's not the only way to akin the cat, so to speak. And if you are in manual auto iso, or Av or TV modes, and using Raw, it's less of a concern unless the lighting is particularly difficult or rapidly changing.

For the rest, I can't say since I don't have all the R3 Dancy features. But on my R6 I do what you suggest in your last paragraph...AF On button activates whatever mode I have set, and the * button activates face and eye tracking. Makes switching instant.

Brian

Jul 23, 2022 at 08:20 AM

Herb
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

I keep the eye control on my R3 turned off. I am way way old school and never used it before, wont use it now going forward. Maybe that might change some day but for the foreseeable future, no.

Good luck!

Jul 23, 2022 at 02:41 PM

Mike Jacks0n
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

When I was using an R3 I couldn't find a way to use back button and Eye Control together. I did set the "Set" button to Eye control but that changed the way the camera focused if I recall correctly and forced me to use the half shutter press.

But as far as why people like the idea of having Metering set to the AF-On button, I'd imagine its for ease of use.

Many people prefer the set it and forget it approach. Meaning, if I use the AF-On for focusing, I don't want to have to think about an extra button to meter. Granted, I shoot in manual with no auto ISO and really don't need to worry about metering if I'm shooting correctly (down direction of the metered exposure).

It would be annoying to have to figure out why there's no metering going on when I'm looking to do it. But when both buttons are set to do it, everything is covered and no confusion occurs. IMO, the main advantage of the way our cameras work is to ease the workload on the photographer, and this is one of those quality of life things in my book. Set it and forget it.

Jul 25, 2022 at 02:13 PM

garyvot
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · R3 back-button AF and eye-control AF

Mike Jacks0n wrote:
When I was using an R3 I couldn't find a way to use back button and Eye Control together. I did set the "Set" button to Eye control but that changed the way the camera focused if I recall correctly and forced me to use the half shutter press.

But as far as why people like the idea of having Metering set to the AF-On button, I'd imagine its for ease of use.

Many people prefer the set it and forget it approach. Meaning, if I use the AF-On for focusing, I don't want to have to think about...Show more →

I think you have this right. I have never even considered the notion of not having metering enabled with back button focus. There doesn't seem to be a penalty for leaving it on and only downsides for not doing so, IMO.

Jul 25, 2022 at 02:39 PM


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