HRB
Well-known member
I must be missing something. I set up my D500 for BBAF. When I press the AF-On button, the AF Area mode is Group AF in the finder display. How do I change the AF Area Mode to Single point when I press the AF-On button?
BBAF Question
- Thread starter HRB
- Start date
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There's several ways to set up BBAF:
- If you set the AF-ON button to simply AF-ON and disable the shutter release AF then the camera will run AF in the mode selected by the AF Mode selection button (down near the lens release button) and the sub-command dial. If that's the way you're running the camera then change the AF Area Mode using the AF Mode selection button and sub-command dial.
- You can also set the AF-ON button to not only activate AF but also to choose the AF Area Mode in which case you can set that to your preferred mode in the D500 menu.
- The D500 also lets you combine those ideas and have two instantly selectable AF Area Modes. That's how I run my D500 (and my D5 and D850). Again there are different ways to do this but here's what I'm running:
- Set the AF-ON button to only AF-ON but not AF Area Mode selection. Shutter release AF activation is of course disabled.
- Set the PV button on the front of the camera to Single Point AF Area Mode
- Select the preferred AF Area Mode for action shooting using the AF Mode Selector switch and sub-command dial. I usually choose Group or Dynamic 25 on the D500
If you do that then hitting only the AF-ON button enables my action shooting mode selected by the AF Area Mode button and sub-command dial. Hitting both the PV button and the AF-ON button selects Single Point AF and activates the AF system.
I like that setting as it's lightning fast to change from Single Point AF to an action mode (e.g. Group or D25) simply by pressing or not pressing the PV button on the front of the camera while holding in the AF-ON button with my thumb. Some folks swap those settings around but I figure for action shooting I want it as fast and simple as possible so I just use my thumb and for slower moving or static subjects it's easy to also hold in the PV button with one finger while always keeping my index finger ready for releasing the shutter.
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HRB
Well-known member
Ah never mind, I found it. doh!!
Thanks for that information. Thats an interesting way to set up the D500. Will try that out!
HRB
Well-known member
Do you ever set the Sub Selector Center button to any specific AF Area Mode? That would give a 3rd AF Area option you could get to quickly
I tried that for a while but I had a hard time activating the joystick center push without scrolling my focus point position. If there's even a slight sideways force on the joystick when you press it the focus point will start moving and the center press won't activate the assigned AF Mode. I worked on being very careful to press straight in on the joystick but it was still hit or miss as to whether I'd get a clean center press or start moving the focus point. I gave up after a bit as two AF Area Modes was plenty for my needs.
One downside of the two AF Area Modes approach described above, I can't easily reach the PV button when shooting in portrait mode. This is most apparent on my D5 or when I run vertical shooting grips on my D850 or D500. When shooting in portrait mode with the grip the PV button isn't readily accessible so the two mode approach sort of falls apart when the gripped camera (or D5 with its built in vertical shooting grip) is spun into portrait mode. So if I really want to shoot Single Point AF Area Mode in portrait orientation I temporarily set the main camera AF Area Mode to Single Point and then switch it back when I go back to landscape orientation shooting.