Back Button Focus Technique in Digital SLR Camera
Usually, the way to lock focus is with the half press shutter button. But actually there’s one feature that often to use by professional photographer , there is AF-ON button. Focus technique with this button is called “ back button focus” because it use the button at back, it’s not the shutter button in front.
Understanding Back Button Focus.
Back button focus is the feature with current button in the back part of camera, usually marked by AF-ON or (*) button and also it’s pressed with the right thumb. If in the back part of your Digital SLR Camera there’s button with AF-ON button, so you can use this technique easily . But if there isn’t exist, don’t worry, yo still can do this technique with special setting in camera menu setting.
What the advantages of using back button focus technique?
The main advantages of autofocus with AF-ON button is we don’t need to do the half press shutter button anymore. You just need to press the AF-ON button with the thumb,then autofocus start to lock the motionless object or do tracking when shoot moving object. If it was ok and you want to shoot, just full press the shutter button without release AF-ON button.
Back button focus is very useful when we use continuous autofocus mode or tracking moving object and when we recompose. When use the continuous mode with the back button focusing, we don’t need shutter button to lock the focus. If you often shoot in continuous mode, of course you ever do when we want to lock the focus but the fact is button focus was pressed then camera shoot accidentally.
Some cases where back button focus is very useful
There are some cases of photoshoots where back button focus will very useful . Let’s figure out:
• When shoot little kids that always keep moving, or when shoot the sport activity. We can minimize the break times between half press shutter and when exposure. Just press AF-ON button with your thumb to lock the focus then take the exposure as fast as possible with your point finger.
• When you shoot people who’s posing for several times . You can shoot with quickly without choose the new focus dots.
• In situation when camera is confuse to choose the focus. For example when shoot the tiger behind the iron wire fence, sometimes camera confuse and choose the focus on fence , instead focus on tiger. With back button focus we can lock the focus on tiger then start to recompose.
• When we want the sharp photograph. With the half press shutter button to lock the focus, it wil so hard for camera to move front , so that the stability will decrease and photo will tend to blur. Back Button Technique can handle it.
How to use Back Button Focus in Canon Digital SLR
For high-end camera Canon such as 5D mark III, 6D or 7D mark II , AF-ON button is available. To activate the back button focus technique fully, the things that you have to do is turn off the autofocus function in Shutter Button. Follow this Steps : Enter to Menu >> Custom Function 2 >> Custom Control. Here you can change shutter button function from metering & AF start to metering Only.
For Canon camera with AF-ON button that doen’t exist, we can use the asterik (*)button or AE-L button to substitute AF-ON button. Follow the steps bellow:
1. Set the command option in one of P/S/A/M , don’t use Auto in order to enter the Custom Control.
2. Press the menu button the use the main dial to choose Custom control, then choose option called “Shutter/AE Lock Button”. From here, there’re many choices depend on camera, the thing you must remember is the numbers before the diagonal line show the shutter button, meanwhile the numbers after diagonal lines show the asterik (*) button or AE-Lock.
3. The point is you want to change the function combination from Shutter/ AE-Lock become Metering Start/Meter + AF Start.
How to Use back button focus in Nikon Digital SLR
In Nikon Digital SLR that is equipped by AF-ON button at the back, the way is pretty simple to activate the back button focus. Enter to menu ten Custom Setting Menu ( pencil icon) , then to autofocus part.Find the AF activation then choose AF-ON. Press OK to activate. It make shutter button in camera only for take the photo, meanwhile the task to lock the focus dots is AF-On button function.
For Nikon DSLR camera without AF-ON button at back, we need to substitute the function of AF-ON with some button at back. Enter to Menu,then Custom Settings ,then Control. Choose the Assign AE-L/AF-L button then sliding down to AF-ON, then press OK. Now AE-:/AF-L button which is exist at the back, the function has already change become AF-ON until you can use the back button focusing.
How about the others camera? You can open the manual book of camera, if you cant find the term”back button focus” , you can find another name like autofocus lock.
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