Yes BBF all the way. Mine are set up per your a1 guide.
Last edited:
Back Button AF With Mirrorless: Yes Or No?
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
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).
Seems to me that focusin and recomposing with BBAF might be easier and/or quicker for some people than moving the focus point. It relies on a single thumb press and large muscles rather than multiple thumb twitches, which takes some practice. Excellent video in any case.
I was delighted to discover BBF for my DSLR hundreds of years ago. Now I’m all Mirrorless. I read all the reports describing that BBF wasn’t needed etc etc with mirrorless, but as I need reading glasses, I only use the EVF, and while I tried reverting to shutter release for a couple of months, I’m staying with BBF as it simply suits me better this way.
Each to their own.
The best way is the way that suits each individual….there is no right or wrong here.
Each to their own.
The best way is the way that suits each individual….there is no right or wrong here.
When I got the Z9 I quit using BB because I wanted to use that button for something else, 3D, and it just seemed right to to do that. Still using shutter button focus and it's working out fine.
Great Video! My answer No and Yes 
When I am helping someone set up their camera I try to make sure if they want to use BBF that it is for a reason other than they just "heard it focused better".
I have helped people set up their cameras both ways over the last few years.
The last two people with new Z9's I helped in person we used my saved menu settings card to start the set up in their new camera and then we tweaked it then and after they had used it a little to fit what they wanted.
I had a person moving up to a D850 who wanted to have me help him set up his camera the same way I had mine. As I got to know more about what he shot and learned that it was easier for him to use focus and recompose than moving the focus point etc using AE lock if needed etc. I suggested he try what I used to use BBF for a couple of weeks and see what worked best for him. I had guessed right for him it was the way to fly.
I used BBF for about a year in my DSLR days but just never liked my thumb tied up and preferred front button focus so what I was used to.
As the Z9 and it's various firmware has progressed I now use a version of "Hybrid" ... I am set up for both hand off and not.
My basic set up actually utilizes what I think of as a hybrid version of BBF.
I have a7 focus point persistence on auto to help facilitate hand off from one AF Area mode to another. I have animal subject detection on.
I have my buttons for AF-Area Mode and AF set to:
Shutter half press wide-area AF C1 sized to 5x3.
AF/ON button to AFArea mode 3D + AF-ON
Fn1 button to AFArea mode single point + AF-ON
Fn2 button to AFArea mode to AF Area Mode + AF-ON
Many times I will use shutter release button focus wide area AF C1 5x3 only.
After FW 3.01 and now with FW 3.1 .... I now frequently go directly to 3D or AF Area mode + AF directly by pushing the button I have set.
I seldom use single point AF but will if I want precision and animal detection off.
When I am helping someone set up their camera I try to make sure if they want to use BBF that it is for a reason other than they just "heard it focused better".
I have helped people set up their cameras both ways over the last few years.
The last two people with new Z9's I helped in person we used my saved menu settings card to start the set up in their new camera and then we tweaked it then and after they had used it a little to fit what they wanted.
I had a person moving up to a D850 who wanted to have me help him set up his camera the same way I had mine. As I got to know more about what he shot and learned that it was easier for him to use focus and recompose than moving the focus point etc using AE lock if needed etc. I suggested he try what I used to use BBF for a couple of weeks and see what worked best for him. I had guessed right for him it was the way to fly.
I used BBF for about a year in my DSLR days but just never liked my thumb tied up and preferred front button focus so what I was used to.
As the Z9 and it's various firmware has progressed I now use a version of "Hybrid" ... I am set up for both hand off and not.
My basic set up actually utilizes what I think of as a hybrid version of BBF.
I have a7 focus point persistence on auto to help facilitate hand off from one AF Area mode to another. I have animal subject detection on.
I have my buttons for AF-Area Mode and AF set to:
Shutter half press wide-area AF C1 sized to 5x3.
AF/ON button to AFArea mode 3D + AF-ON
Fn1 button to AFArea mode single point + AF-ON
Fn2 button to AFArea mode to AF Area Mode + AF-ON
Many times I will use shutter release button focus wide area AF C1 5x3 only.
After FW 3.01 and now with FW 3.1 .... I now frequently go directly to 3D or AF Area mode + AF directly by pushing the button I have set.
I seldom use single point AF but will if I want precision and animal detection off.
Is it more efficient to need to press 2 buttons every time you want to shoot with AF activated (90+% of the time) or is it better to press 2 buttons for the times you want to shoot without activating AF (probably less than 10% of the time)?
You can prefer to do it however you would like and thats fine but its objectively more efficient to shoot with shutter AF.... especially when you consider how important the AF-on button can be when switching af modes.
You can prefer to do it however you would like and thats fine but its objectively more efficient to shoot with shutter AF.... especially when you consider how important the AF-on button can be when switching af modes.
In the shutter scenario, is it possible to hold an eye while shooting, pausing, shooting again? Do you release back to half press without total release? That seems difficult.
I do double back button focus. One for bird eye detection, the other for spot focus detection. If I don't have enough contrast for the bird eye, I go to the other. Super fast, and fantastic results. My shutter release is just that...take the bloody picture.
I do it all the time without even thinking about it.
So you don't have to release and re-acquire the focus?
Great video as always! Thanks Steve
No. I can fire the shutter at will without fully releasing and disengaging the AF. To be perfectly honest if you cant do that with your index finger you might want to see a neurologist.
Welcome to BCG! Glad you joined us!
Not if you continue with half press and you can also hand off to another AFArea Mode programmed to another button. Or you can release and start again.
Chad Huff
Well-known member
Great video, Steve... Your reasoning is basically where I am at and why I'm sticking with BBF... Plus its just a muscle memory deal at this point. It just works for me.
arbitrage
Well-known member
I think on the Z9 particularly using shutter AF is beneficial just to maximize the number of back buttons you can use for different AF Area modes. On release this was limited to the AF-ON and now the DISP button can be used after FW updates. I know you can program the joystick push and the front buttons but I find those buttons less than ideal from an ergonomics standpoint and have never liked using them for AF Area modifiers.
On Sony and Canon you have 3 back buttons in a row so it isn't as necessary to have the shutter do AF to have 3 more AF modifiers.
I have no issue with index finger coordination to fire and then lift to half press position. Also no issue going straight to half press without accidentally pushing all the way and firing the shutter when I don't want to.
Even though I'm a shutter button AF guy these days I'm also using my back buttons a lot to modify what my shutter button is set to. I think all of us shutter AF guys are using the back buttons a lot anyways.
On Sony and Canon you have 3 back buttons in a row so it isn't as necessary to have the shutter do AF to have 3 more AF modifiers.
I have no issue with index finger coordination to fire and then lift to half press position. Also no issue going straight to half press without accidentally pushing all the way and firing the shutter when I don't want to.
Even though I'm a shutter button AF guy these days I'm also using my back buttons a lot to modify what my shutter button is set to. I think all of us shutter AF guys are using the back buttons a lot anyways.
I think if I could figure out how to make the R5 have tracking under the half press hand off in the same position to spot, I would give it a try. Spot on the half press can hand off to tracking but not the other way around. Makes me rethink the half press though.
The joystick press for activating another AF mode (including AF area - AFOn) is now more useful and ergonomically easier to use starting with firmware 3.X with the addition of custom setting F13 that when set to “ On” prevents the AF point from moving during joystick press.
I use both DSLR (Nikon D850) and mirrorless (Sony A74) and have never used back button focus. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know what it does or what it's purpose is! I mean pressing the shutter halfway seems a lot easier to me than trying to reach around to some button on the back.
The buttons fall under the natural position of the thumb. No reaching around involved. I'm wondering how do you handle it if you want to lock focus and recompose or want to switch from locked focus to tracking?
TonyF
Active member
Thanks for a great video. I think that comprehensively covers the relevance of BBAF in the mirrorless age.
I still have one good shout out for shutter AF.......
I'm doing a lot more nowadays with the camera at ground level or on a bean bag looking down at the back screen. I'm getting too old for lying facedown in the mud or maybe I just dont enoy it so much nowadays This is the one situation when I'm flipping to shutter release AF. It's s much easier to use the thumb on the release and not have to try and contort the hands and wrist into whatever weird yoga position thats needed in order to do BBAF and hit the release. I find it much steadier/stable too.
I still have one good shout out for shutter AF.......
I'm doing a lot more nowadays with the camera at ground level or on a bean bag looking down at the back screen. I'm getting too old for lying facedown in the mud or maybe I just dont enoy it so much nowadays
This is the one situation when I'm flipping to shutter release AF. It's s much easier to use the thumb on the release and not have to try and contort the hands and wrist into whatever weird yoga position thats needed in order to do BBAF and hit the release. I find it much steadier/stable too.
Map a button to AF Lock (one of the lens LN buttons is a good option.) Hold button to lock focus. Let go to resume focus/ tracking. Basically just the opposite of BBF - involves two ’digits’ on your hand(s) anyway you cut it.
But the poster said he didn't want to use a back button.
Refer to post 46. I was responding to your question.