Back button focus is a revelation for many new photographers. I mean, it’s not every day you come across a feature that’s built into your camera that can significantly change the way you capture photographs.
When I first got my Nikon D800 several years ago, I started by holding down the shutter button halfway to focus. I then recomposed before I took my shot. It wasn’t ideal, and it meant a few missed or soft-focus shots that I didn’t deliver on.
Back button focusing changes all that. By using the AF-ON button on the back of your camera (or on some cameras, the AE-L / AF-L button), you can focus with ease while leaving the shutter button to do what it does best — take pictures.
Say goodbye to manual focus
No more need to switch your lens to manual focus mode, because the camera will no longer refocus when you press your shutter! I find this especially useful while shooting long exposures or architectural photographs on a tripod, where my focus point won’t change for a while.
No more switching focus points on the back of your camera
This was a big one for me. I always found it tedious to use the arrows on the back of my camera to change the focus point. With back-button focusing, I can recompose my shot again and again, as long as the distance between the subject and myself stays the same.
Say hello to constant continuous servo mode shooting
By holding down the AF-ON button, you can track your subject as it moves, meaning you can always keep a constant focus on a subject. This is really handy, as it allows you to focus on your shot even faster than before, whether your subject is moving or not. It means keeping your camera in AF-C (Nikon) or Ai-Servo (Canon) mode all of the time, rather than switching back and forth between focus modes.
This also leads to more precise focusing when your subject is moving. This can be super helpful when photographing sports, kids or wildlife. I find it helpful while shooting events as well, especially as people are engaging with each other during candid photographs. It means I don’t miss a shot because someone suddenly moves their head.
Back button focus means less to worry about
For me, the less I have to fiddle with camera settings, the better. Taking advantage of back button focusing means I don’t have to constantly change focus modes, leading to more engagement with your subject(s), and delivering more photos that are crystal sharp to your client.
For most cameras, back button focus is configured in the custom menu options, but be sure to check your user manual, as setup varies from camera to camera.
Great subject for a first article! The back focus button is definitely the one I use the most (well… after the shutter button of course). I am in control of what I want to focus on, and when.
It has only one drawback: if someone else does a photo with your camera, you can be sure it’ll be blurry :D
Haha, so true Pierre!
Totally agree Bryan. Back button focus totally changed how I shoot–and the volume of keepers. I shoot sports and other dynamic images and the continuos focus-ability using BBF is awesome. Cheers.
What about if you are using a remote shutter release? Turn off back button focusing unless you have manual focused?
Hi Gary, you can do it one of two ways.
You could use manual focus, as you mentioned, if you want to use your remote shutter release to focus and take your photo. If you can find a way to turn off focusing though (depending on your remote shutter release and camera options), or if it doesn’t provide focusing already, you can use back button focusing to focus your shot and then use the remote shutter release to snap your photo.
Interesting article. I used back button focusing for a while but reverted back to the usual shutter half pressed method. I wasn’t aware how useful it could be in Ai-Servo mode so I’ll experiment with it on my next wedding. Thanks
Ah, yes, it totally changed the way I shoot too!
Hey Bryan, Very good read. I am going to share this with someone who just asked me about it but didn’t get the details as well as you laid them out.
Great subject for a first article! The back focus button is definitely the one I use the most (well… after the shutter button of course). I am in control of what I want to focus on, and when.
It has only one drawback: if someone else does a photo with your camera, you can be sure it’ll be blurry :D
Haha, so true Pierre!
What about if you are using a remote shutter release? Turn off back button focusing unless you have manual focused?
Hi Gary, you can do it one of two ways.
You could use manual focus, as you mentioned, if you want to use your remote shutter release to focus and take your photo. If you can find a way to turn off focusing though (depending on your remote shutter release and camera options), or if it doesn’t provide focusing already, you can use back button focusing to focus your shot and then use the remote shutter release to snap your photo.
Totally agree Bryan. Back button focus totally changed how I shoot–and the volume of keepers. I shoot sports and other dynamic images and the continuos focus-ability using BBF is awesome. Cheers.
Interesting article. I used back button focusing for a while but reverted back to the usual shutter half pressed method. I wasn’t aware how useful it could be in Ai-Servo mode so I’ll experiment with it on my next wedding. Thanks
I’m like you George. I still like the shutter-half-pressed method for subjects that don’t move. I found it to be faster using my Nkon 850. However, back button focus is great (along with AF-C(Nikon) or Ai-Servo (Canon)) great for moving subjects.
Hey Bryan, Very good read. I am going to share this with someone who just asked me about it but didn’t get the details as well as you laid them out.
Ah, yes, it totally changed the way I shoot too!