Back Button Focus for Wildlife

DocShaka wrote:

Morris0 wrote:

DocShaka wrote:

Morris0 wrote:

Back Button focus is an old style that was invented when subject tracking was not that good and before it was easy to steer the focus to your subject. Back button allowed for very nice focus using the center AF point and then recompose with the focus locked on the subject.

With the ability to move the focus selection to the subject it has been obsolete for a long time. When cameras began to track the area we focused on it became even more obsolete and with subject tracking even more trivalent.

I disagree. Using BBF and recomposing is easily 10x faster than trying to navigate the joystick or manually switching between AF-S and AF-C. But this is for the case of me not trusting subject tracking on the XT4. For birds about to take off I guess tracking is fine to recompose but as soon as the subject is moving I would want to be in 3x3 or 5x5. I guess I still trust my ability over Fujis at this point (really hope that changes one day).

On the Z9, some people like to override subject tracking with a single button push switching to 3D tracking.

I think the best solution on the X-H2s would be a preset or button that turns off subject tracking and you use the joystick. I don't use BBF so it overrides subject tracking to what I do today, move the joystick to the subject or place the joystick where I want the subject in the frame.

Morris

I have a button assigned that can scroll through AF modes but even that takes a second or two to activate, scroll, and push to select, rather than an instant switch.

My camera is always in AF-C. I don't see a reason for AF-S.

This is the whole point of BBF. By not triggering the focus via shutter button I can turn AF-C into both AF-C and AF-S effectively having both modes on simultaneously.

For you, I have no use for AF-S as I focus on my subject using the joystick while composed

What do you do with a camera with AF in the center when the subject fills the frame and you want to focus on the eye?

You're right here. If the subject is stationary and I'm watching it for a while I will move the focus point with the joystick. I would use tracking but the focus point often seems too large.

I use the center of the frame focus point and crop when there is space. It is faster on the X-T3 and X-T4 due to the joystick. The joystick on X-H2s and D500 are much faster. I can move them as fast as the camera and lens.

Morris

I agree that the joysitck is faster on the D500 which I have extensive experience on.

Interesting that some of the X-H2s users complain about the faster joystick.

Thanks for the input Morris!

Doc

Any time Doc.  I always tell people to use the method that works for them.

Morris