Failing the BBF intelligence test

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Front Yard & Washhouse

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BBF is showing me up as slow to catch on. You'll all have better things to do on Dec 25th but in due course some thoughts would be welcome.

- how long did it take you to get the hang of BBF; did you need lots of practice? Despite reading about it I seize up, can't retain the info, and don't persevere in trying it out. I don't think it's just a case of dimness —perhaps it's just the rule of the 'six Ps'.
- do you find it has a big advantage over shutter release-based focus and in what circs (static for wildlife, but also mobile in general)?
- does it have any use combined with MF? Confusion could be partly a result of different methodology on Fujifilm cameras.

I can and will go back and read Steve's explanations but any other simple hints/reassurance would be good for this one topic I struggle to 'get'. Thanks and best wishes. 🎄
 
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Front Yard & Washhouse said:
BBF is showing me up as slow to catch on. You'll all have better things to do on Dec 25th but in due course please help me out of my misery:

- how long did it take you to get the hang of BBF; did you need lots and lots of practice? Despite reading about it I seize up, can't retain the info, and don't persevere in trying it out. I don't think it's just a case of dimness —perhaps it's just the rule of the 'six Ps' (military may be familiar).
- do you find it has a big advantage over shutter release-based focus and in what circs (static for wildlife, but also mobile in general)?
- does it have any use combined with MF? Confusion could be partly a result of different methodology on Fujifilm cameras.

I can and will go back and read Steve's explanations but any other simple hints/reassurance would be good for this one topic I struggle to 'get'. Have pity on me! Thanks and best wishes. 🎄🎄
Click to expand...
It takes a lot of shooting. You have to retrain your brain to press the BBF first and not the shutter.
Your first instinct is to press the shutter. If it’s a mirrorless camera, there is no longer much of an advantage unless you are using single point or dynamic. If you think about it, in the old days with film, BBF is similar to what you did. You focused first on the subject and then you fired away.
 
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I can't remember when I started using BBAF, but I did trial the shutter based dual Autofocus/Release about 2022 but soon returned to BBAF.

It is far superior for my needs and muscle memory. More generally, BBAF makes wildlife photography that much more feasible, particularly capturing the proverbial moment (appended video refers).

I also find BBAF also suits our species' dextrous, opposable thumb interacting with the fingers of the right hand. This is the movement to practice: alternating thumb on AFOn, forefinger on shutter button.

To try answer your 3rd question, it's simple to switch to MF with BBAF, at least in my experience

Back Button AF With Mirrorless: Yes Or No?

Once upon a time, when DSLRs roamed the land, Back Button AF was the automatic go-to for many - even most - photographers. However, with mirrorless taking over at a blistering pace, things are changing. Many are questioning the wisdom of using BBAF and, indeed, many have switched back to shutter...
bcgforums.com bcgforums.com
 
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Front Yard & Washhouse said:
BBF is showing me up as slow to catch on. You'll all have better things to do on Dec 25th but in due course please help me out of my misery:

- how long did it take you to get the hang of BBF; did you need lots and lots of practice?🎄🎄🎄
Click to expand...

Took me 3 attempts spread over quite some time. I like that you can lock focus at any time by just releasing the button. Just stick with it, it will become instinctive.

Don't think I'll ever go back but some people on here have with mirrorless cameras, or use a combination of both.
 
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Front Yard & Washhouse said:
BBF is showing me up as slow to catch on. You'll all have better things to do on Dec 25th but in due course please help me out of my misery:

- how long did it take you to get the hang of BBF; did you need lots and lots of practice? Despite reading about it I seize up, can't retain the info, and don't persevere in trying it out. I don't think it's just a case of dimness —perhaps it's just the rule of the 'six Ps' (military may be familiar).
- do you find it has a big advantage over shutter release-based focus and in what circs (static for wildlife, but also mobile in general)?
- does it have any use combined with MF? Confusion could be partly a result of different methodology on Fujifilm cameras.

I can and will go back and read Steve's explanations but any other simple hints/reassurance would be good for this one topic I struggle to 'get'. Have pity on me! Thanks and best wishes. 🎄🎄🎄
Click to expand...
There's certainly no requirement to use a back or alternate button for AF activation if it doesn't work for you, especially with mirrorless cameras with their improved AF capabilities.

I personally still like and use BBAF with my mirrorless cameras but many photographers I know prefer shutter release focus activation so it's really a personal thing.

To me the answer starts with your last question, the way I look at it removing shutter activation from the default shutter release button turns the camera into a default manual focus camera and then we can optionally engage AF when we want it. So yeah, in my mind BBAF has a lot to do with manual focus as basically it disables AF until you want it which I find helpful in a lot of situations like when I'm shooting a landscape and want to focus at a particular distance such as hyperfocal distance and don't want the camera continually trying to refocus every time I press the shutter release. Same for astro photography where I want to focus a star or planet crisp and sharp near infinity and don't want the camera to try to refocus for each shot. Sure I could work with normal shutter release AF and then turn the camera or lens controls to Manual Focus when I need that but it makes just as much sense to me to have a camera that defaults to manual focus and then with a back or assigned front button like Fn1 can turn on AF any time I want it but only when I want it. Basically I think of BBAF as AF on Demand. If that doesn't make sense or appeal to you there's nothing wrong with shooting with shutter release focus activation.

Wildlife situations where I like BBAF include things like shooting flight photos of birds like Osprey or Egrets frequently returning to a nest. I'll pre-focus on the nest, reframe with an AF Area that's smaller than full frame and pointed up at the sky where I expect the flying bird to enter the frame. I may half press the shutter release a number of times to keep the camera awake or check metering and adjust exposure if the light is changing but I don't want the AF system to try to focus during those times as I don't want the AF system to start hunting when I have it pre-focused near the correct distance. When a bird does fly into the frame I hit the back button to activate focus and track the bird and then start shooting. There are no doubt other ways to handle that situation like setting longer camera timeouts or using the memory recall function on a long lens to keep putting the focus distance back to the nest but I find BBAF very useful in situations like that where I don't necessarily want AF activation on every shutter release half press.

If you shoot mostly or all action photography and really don't find uses for manual focus then there's probably less value in BBAF. Similarly if the AF system nails the focus you want in most of your shooting situations there's probably less need for BBAF. And you can certainly program other buttons like an Fn1 or Fn2 button or for that matter the AF-ON button on the back for alternative focus area modes when running shutter release AF activation. So you can still support multiple AF Area modes and do a quick button press for AF Area override or active handover to alternative AF areas with the camera setup for the default shutter release AF activation. IOW, there's no requirement to run BBAF just to get multiple on the fly AF Area mode choices and active handover.

I really like BBAF but I come from the manual focus days and to me the idea of a camera that runs in manual focus mode but has on demand AF is great. But if you expect to use autofocus systems on most or every shot and just prefer to switch to manual focus when you don't want AF then that's fine, just stick with shutter release AF activation.
 
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On my OM-1 and most other cameras with pre-capture, BBAF does not start pre-capture. Only a shutter half-press does. This is, in fact, a pain because half-pressing for an extended time is harder, at least for me, than full-pressing, but that,s how the camera works so I don't use BBAF.

Tom
 
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I have tried BBAF on several occasions, but I never really liked using it. I know that there are theoretical advantages to BBFA, but I went back to shutter button activation, and it is fine for me. Like most things in life, figure out what works for you and go with it, despite what others may say. Ken
 
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Front Yard & Washhouse said:
BBF is showing me up as slow to catch on. You'll all have better things to do on Dec 25th but in due course please help me out of my misery:

- how long did it take you to get the hang of BBF; did you need lots and lots of practice? Despite reading about it I seize up, can't retain the info, and don't persevere in trying it out. I don't think it's just a case of dimness —perhaps it's just the rule of the 'six Ps' (military may be familiar).
- do you find it has a big advantage over shutter release-based focus and in what circs (static for wildlife, but also mobile in general)?
- does it have any use combined with MF? Confusion could be partly a result of different methodology on Fujifilm cameras.

I can and will go back and read Steve's explanations but any other simple hints/reassurance would be good for this one topic I struggle to 'get'. Have pity on me! Thanks and best wishes. 🎄🎄🎄
Click to expand...
The first outing afterwards I was completely clueless. Then spent a half dozen hours in the yard just practicing and it was better. Another 3mpr 4 outings and it felt completely normal.
 
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I first learned BBAF after watching Steve illustrate it on a YouTube video and started using it on my D7500. I think it took about 6 weeks of using it before it became engrained. It was great on the DSLR for focusing and then recompose on a perched bird or animal. Like others have stated with the movement to mirrorless, that the advantage of BBAF is not what it was. After I purchased my Z9, I did try going back to AF on the shutter release, but didn’t care for it. I want the camera to focus when I want it to, not every time the shutter button is depressed. But it comes down to a personal thing for a lot of folks. Some swear by it, and some swear at it. YMMV.
 
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I first used BBF with a D5xxx DSLR. It was not fun -- the camera overloaded the BBF button to write-protect images if the camera wasn't "live" when you pressed the button, so I was constantly having to undo that when I transferred images to the computer. And the camera body was small enough that the button wasn't in the right place for my thumb. But then I got a D500 and everything was exactly the way it should be -- the button was in the right place and did what I wanted it to do. With the D500, I have struggled to use an alternative button for a secondary focusing method, but the primary BBF is as natural as breathing. Perhaps the OP difficulties are at least as much a matter of the camera body's ergonomics in their hand as a it is a personal failing. Just a thought.
 
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Thank you, everyone. Good to read shared & different expertiences. I will practise with an open mind & gradually see what works best in different situations & evolve from there. Useful info plus will go back & rehear Steve's videos / writing. Definitely good to have the link to earlier thread / video too.
 
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Over the past 15 years have tried it several time. Don't like it; don't use it. With the current Z models, I want my thumb free to do other thing as needed like press the AF-On button programmed for single point AF when needed e.g., (when subject detection or something else doesn't work or not wanted and need an override). Moreover, as I approach 80 multi-tasking is not something I prefer which is what I view BBF. YMMV. Personal choices. Moving on.
 
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I tried BBAF on my D500 for about 18 months. I realized it was reducing my joy of photography and I went back to shutter button half press.
Fast forward to my Canon EOR R7 mirrorless camera and I like how BBAF works there. I cannot explain the difference or why but on the mirrorless camera it just seems to make more sense. Just a feel thing I guess.

Jeff
 
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BBAF was the first thing I learned from Steve. Been following him and using it ever since. I realize it’s not as necessary with mirrorless but I don’t think I can ever go back to shutter focus. I will say the only time I don’t like BBAF is when I hand my camera to someone else to use.
 
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I thought it was blasphemy. Didn't see the point or utility of it. Until I tried it. I am old and grumpy and don't like change. I did it trial by fire too. I tested it a few times from my office chair then went to the race track the next day. It only took my brain and finger 30 minutes max for it to become automatic. Now it's like driving a stick shift, you don't even think about it after you get used to it. I asked myself why I waited so long to try it. Have never looked back. To me, a perfect fit for shooting motocross.


(D500, 70-200 2.8)
 

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It takes a while to get it, just keep working on it. I’ve been using BBF since the DSLR days, but continue using it in mirrorless. I like separating the shutter and focus. I like the fact that pushin it and letting it off locks the focus like AF-S and holding it down is AF-C Without switching settings. IT just makes more sense to me than having shutter, focus and exposure all on one button.
 
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Front Yard & Washhouse said:
I can and will go back and read Steve's explanations but any other simple hints/reassurance would be good for this one topic I struggle to 'get'. Thanks and best wishes. 🎄
Click to expand...
I used BBF starting with my D2Hs. With the introduction of the Z9/Z8, & the various auto eye tracking modes I have found it much less useful. In fact now I never use it. The AF-ON button is to valuable a button to waste on the limited use. Typically I use the AF-ON to restore focus during BIF’s, and exposure comp depending on the situation.
 
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