Are people ditching bbf with subject detection?

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
So just for super clarification for a z8 newbie. If I am using BBF and have another button set to 3D. When I press that 3D button I must hold it in the entire time I want to shoot in 3D? And I only hold that button in and press my shutter button when I take the shot.
David Berry said:
Yes (in my setup arrangement for Canon R5):
  • Front Button (shutter):
    Continuous AF + Animal Eye Detect + sticky 'case' settings
  • Rear Button (AF-On)
    Single-shot AF + Spot + auto 'case' settings
Pressing a rear button will override the shutter button's AF settings for as long as the rear button is pressed.

… David
Click to expand...
So just for super clarification for a z8 newbie. If I am using BBF and have another button set to 3D. When I press that 3D button I must hold it in the entire time I want to shoot in 3D? And I only hold that button in and press my shutter button when I take the shot.
 
Member's gallery
On the Z9 just curios is it possible to “handoff” BBF to shutter release button? In some rare occasions when I shooting I am a 100% BBF shooter I may inadvertently let go off the BBF
 
Member's gallery
I like separating the functions, so I continue to use bbf. I never even thought about changing until I watched Steve's video. I never had to get used to bbf, it seemed like a more natural location for focusing and using my thumb. I'll never switch back!
 
Member's gallery
kkdji1 said:
So just for super clarification for a z8 newbie. If I am using BBF and have another button set to 3D. When I press that 3D button I must hold it in the entire time I want to shoot in 3D? And I only hold that button in and press my shutter button when I take the shot.

So just for super clarification for a z8 newbie. If I am using BBF and have another button set to 3D. When I press that 3D button I must hold it in the entire time I want to shoot in 3D? And I only hold that button in and press my shutter button when I take the shot.
Click to expand...
Yes, the 3D button needs to be held all the time.
 
Member's gallery
Did BBF for a year in DSLR days. Wanted my thumb free and not having to use 2 buttons to do the same thing I could do with one so back to shutter release.

With my Z 9 and subject detection and 3D and AF Area Mode Auto that work well and AF Wide Custom 1 set to 5x7 and Custom 2 to 1x1. I have ended up as others have noted with a hybrid of sorts. My shutter release use Wide Custom 1 5x7. My AF-ON button set to 3D+AF where I will not be using my thumb to move the focus point around.

FN 1 has AF Wide Custom 2 at 1x1 + AF on FN2 has AF Area Mode + AF on ... both of these may use my thumb with FN 1 to move the focus point, AF Area Mode to move between subjects or switch eyes etc.
 
Member's gallery
The biggest problem that I had with BBF was that when I was pressing the AF-on button, I noticed a slight rotational axis towards the left as I was pressing on the camera. I had a lot of difficulty with the subject being shifted out of the red target square when I was using Dynamic area AF mode. Similarly, when I was using the Fn1 button as a replacement BBF button, it seemed that the camera was rolling downwards on a horizontal axis. I guess my anxiety and jumping on the trigger made subtle camera body movements, so I stopped trying this for now
 
Member's gallery
Yes and no. A while back, I re-enabled shutter button focus, and used my AF-ON as focus lock (kind of a reverse BBAF). Since getting the Z8, which has more options for changing focus modes, my AF-ON button is now used for 3D Tracking + AF-ON (for those "handoff" situations, mostly in action scenes). My sub-selector / joystick button has also been assigned to Recall Shooting Functions: 3D Tracking + Subject Detection OFF, when I want to instantly turn off all Subject Detection. Depending on what I'm shooting, the sub-selector button might also be assigned to Single Point, Wide Area Small, etc., in my other shooting banks.

I find that Subject Tracking is SO good now, that AF-ON is better utilized for other tasks, vs being used full-time for all focusing. Much more efficient for me.

One major missing feature with my Z8, for me, is the lack of options for quickly accessing Subject Detection features. It's either a menu dive, an Info Screen button (not terrible, as long as the correct Info button stays pre-selected), or assigning a button in Recall Shooting Functions. In my Z62, I could assign "Subject Tracking" to a single button - it was ideal, and instant.

I probably spend too much time thinking about ideal button setups 😆
 
Member's gallery
I discovered BBF years ago when I did wedding photography. I used it to focus and then recompose before shooting. Since giong mirrorless (Sony A1/A9 II), I no longer use BBF. Subject detection/eye detection/trackig modes do the job, so I’m not sure I understand the value of BBF any more. It seems like it would just be another thing to have to think about.
 
MikeInMI said:
I discovered BBF years ago when I did wedding photography. I used it to focus and then recompose before shooting. Since giong mirrorless (Sony A1/A9 II), I no longer use BBF. Subject detection/eye detection/trackig modes do the job, so I’m not sure I understand the value of BBF any more. It seems like it would just be another thing to have to think about.
Click to expand...

What about having some way to lock the focus point? You would never want to override the tracking?
 
Member's gallery
I went to BBF years ago with the D7100 and continue to use it. The Z6 I had for over 4 years wasn’t that good at subject detection, so that wasn’t a factor for me. I went back to shutter release for a month or so, but I very much preferred BBF, especially with muscle memory! Now with a z8, I’m staying with BBF … I see no reason not to With my generalist style. No BIF, well, rarely.
 
Member's gallery
Kuau said:
On the Z9 just curios is it possible to “handoff” BBF to shutter release button? In some rare occasions when I shooting I am a 100% BBF shooter I may inadvertently let go off the BBF
Click to expand...
No, the Shutter can not override any other button that has an AF mode programmed to it. So no FN buttons or buttons on the back of the camera AF ON, DISP and the Sub selector. Any and all of those buttons can override the shutter
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
What about having some way to lock the focus point? You would never want to override the tracking?
Click to expand...
I assume you mean subject detection not tracking (a different function in older Z bodies) correct? If so as I have mentioned before I just have my vid record button set up for recall shooting functions hold and the only thing there is to turn off subject detection. So if for some reason I do not want it on simple to turn off. I seldom have used it but if I am photographing people in church and want to photograph candles etc. or if I am photographing birds and a mammal shows up I can quickly turn off subject detection. Of course that does not "lock a focus point" and in my case it only applies to the wide are custom settings I use and then I just move my focus point to where I want it using the sub selector (joy stick) or use 3d and move the camera to move the subject in the frame for composition.
 
Ken Miracle said:
I assume you mean subject detection not tracking (a different function in older Z bodies) correct? If so as I have mentioned before I just have my vid record button set up for recall shooting functions hold and the only thing there is to turn off subject detection. So if for some reason I do not want it on simple to turn off. I seldom have used it but if I am photographing people in church and want to photograph candles etc. or if I am photographing birds and a mammal shows up I can quickly turn off subject detection. Of course that does not "lock a focus point" and in my case it only applies to the wide are custom settings I use and then I just move my focus point to where I want it using the sub selector (joy stick) or use 3d and move the camera to move the subject in the frame for composition.
Click to expand...

I mean if you want to focus and then hold that focus distance for whatever reason without further changes. Landscape for example.
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
I mean if you want to focus and then hold that focus distance for whatever reason without further changes. Landscape for example.
Click to expand...
I seldom do landscape but when I do I would be in manual with auto iso or full manual and with single point af area and that does not use subject detect so it is going to stay focused where I put it.
 
Member's gallery
bleirer said:
I mean if you want to focus and then hold that focus distance for whatever reason without further changes. Landscape for example.
Click to expand...
That's actually one reason I prefer to activate with BBAF rather than lock with back button focus lock. If I just want the focus to stay put while I wait for a break in the wind or for clouds to move or someone to move out of the scene, I'd prefer not to hold a button the entire time to keep focus locked.

Yup, shooting full manual accomplishes the same thing with an easy switch on the lens or a quick trip to the menus but with BBAF my camera by default is operating as a manual focus camera until I want AF and then I just hit the button with my thumb. IOW, I don't have to switch anything to achieve manual focus, that's the camera's default state but when I want AF it's right there ready to go.

But that's the beauty of highly programmable modern cameras, lot's of ways to set them up to suit each photographer's needs and no singular right or wrong way to approach these things.
 
Cameron T said:
well, you'd probably just be in manual focus.
Click to expand...

Though with traditional bbf once your thumb is off, focus is locked at that distance or you can choose to manual focus, but not so if the shutter reactivates focus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top