Remote Shutter Release and Back Button Autofocus.

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LarryG

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Good evening. I have my Nikon D500 set up for BBAF using the AF-ON button.
My question is what happens with auto focus if I want to use a remote shutter release? Since the remote is mimicking the shutter release button I am concerned that the camera will not auto-focus, or is the camera "smart" enough to compensate for this? If not, is there a work around other than going into settings to re-configure autofocus to the shutter release button?
Thank you.
 
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As others have posted, if you have AF activation disassociated with the shutter release button you won't have AF when running a remote trigger. You'll still get remote shutter releases but the camera will not auto focus and will just capture images at whatever focus you have set prior to using the remote shutter release. This can be a good thing for remote release images where the focus is preset to a particular focal plane but not good for remote release where you want the camera to acquire focus prior to each capture.

As Gordon posted you'll want to enable shutter release AF activation if you want the camera to refocus prior to each remotely released shot.
 
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On my D 500, I set Custom Settings as follows: a1 to Release; a2 to Release; and a8 to AF/ON. I use a remote cable release that is attached to the ten pin connector o the front of the camera. I focus using the AF/ ON button. Once focus is obtained I take my finger off the AF/ON button. I trigger the shutter with the cable release by pressing its shutter button.
 
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Why the need to reconfigure focus when using a remote shutter and BBAF on a static subject where you acquire focus before triggering the remote shutter.

Why will the camera not auto focus in the same circumstances.

When using the Nikon ML-L3 you can press the fire button as many times as needed without adjusting the already acquired focus on a static subject.
 
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So if I understand all that has been said I will not be able to trigger the shutter release using a cable release if I have bbaf enabled. I'm using a D500 and a D850 and have not been able to use a remote release with either!
 
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Kenyan said:
So if I understand all that has been said I will not be able to trigger the shutter release using a cable release if I have bbaf enabled. I'm using a D500 and a D850 and have not been able to use a remote release with either!
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No, that's not accurate.

You'll be able to trigger the shutter with a remote wireless or cable release but you won't be able to trigger an auto focus cycle. If your remote release shots are pre-focused then that's no problem but if you need to start an auto focus cycle prior to having the shutter release then you'll want to restore normal AF activation on the shutter release button when using a remote release.

Basically think of BBAF as running your camera in manual focus mode with the option of turning on auto focus via that back button. If you think of it that way then when using a remote release you'll basically be capturing photos on a manual focus camera if the camera is set up for BBAF. If you turn off the BBAF by enabling AF operation on the shutter release then when using a remote release you'll get both normal AF operation and of course shutter release.

I run both of those cameras and there's no problem using a remote release with either the D850 nor the D500 when they're set up for BBAF. I do it all the time for things like landscapes and astro photography where I'll use a cable release or intervalometer but since I want to run the camera as a manual focus camera anyway I just leave it set up for BBAF.
 
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Sorry to say I don't know what an auto focus cycle is. Does it mean that focus is going to be different for each consecutive shot ?

" Basically think of BBAF as running your camera in manual focus mode with the option of turning on auto focus via that back button. If you think of it that way then when using a remote release you'll basically be capturing photos on a manual focus camera if the camera is set up for BBAF.". Struggling with this too. Isn't the obvious thing that having set up BBAF, that the button involved has to be pressed to invoke the AF system prior to firing the shutter by any method, and having done so the remote release will work.

BBAF and the half shutter focus method in their simplest form are the same in that they achieve the same result via different routes.
 
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gbodave said:
Sorry to say I don't know what an auto focus cycle is. Does it mean that focus is going to be different for each consecutive shot ?
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When you have the camera set up for BBAF and use a remote shutter release the camera will not auto focus. That's all that it means to not start an auto focus cycle.

That's basically what you posted in the first response, it appears we're saying the same thing here :)
 
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gbodave said:
" Basically think of BBAF as running your camera in manual focus mode with the option of turning on auto focus via that back button. If you think of it that way then when using a remote release you'll basically be capturing photos on a manual focus camera if the camera is set up for BBAF.". Struggling with this too. Isn't the obvious thing that having set up BBAF, that the button involved has to be pressed to invoke the AF system prior to firing the shutter by any method, and having done so the remote release will work.
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Sure, if you want to use the AF system then the obvious thing to do is to press that AF-ON button to auto focus prior to using the remote release. That is one approach, another is to manually focus the lens which is what I often do for landscape and always do for astro photography shots before using a remote release or intervalometer.

Not sure where the struggle is. Maybe my perspective comes from decades of shooting manual focus lenses but it's one thing I really like about BBAF. I only use AF when the situation dictates and otherwise the camera behaves as if it's in manual focus mode. The difference here is that from the factory the camera defaults to auto focus mode via the shutter release button but there are several ways you can switch the camera or the lens into manual focus mode when desired. When operating in BBAF mode that gets turned around so the AF only gets activated when you want it and otherwise the camera operates as though it's in manual focus mode.

But I agree, there are a lot of ways to use these features and for a lot of situations the easiest thing to do when using BBAF and a remote is to pre-focus with the rear panel AF-ON button and then once focused just use the remote release.
 
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As I've never used manual focusing we're approaching the topic from different directions and as is often the case there isn't only one answer to the same issue. In my mind as the original post was about having BBAF set I naturally connected that to AF.

As we agree, if using AF the shooting with a remote shutter is straightforward whether one or several shots are required.
 
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DRwyoming said:
Sure, if you want to use the AF system then the obvious thing to do is to press that AF-ON button to auto focus prior to using the remote release. That is one approach, another is to manually focus the lens which is what I often do for landscape and always do for astro photography shots before using a remote release or intervalometer.

Not sure where the struggle is. Maybe my perspective comes from decades of shooting manual focus lenses but it's one thing I really like about BBAF. I only use AF when the situation dictates and otherwise the camera behaves as if it's in manual focus mode. The difference here is that from the factory the camera defaults to auto focus mode via the shutter release button but there are several ways you can switch the camera or the lens into manual focus mode when desired. When operating in BBAF mode that gets turned around so the AF only gets activated when you want it and otherwise the camera operates as though it's in manual focus mode.

But I agree, there are a lot of ways to use these features and for a lot of situations the easiest thing to do when using BBAF and a remote is to pre-focus with the rear panel AF-ON button and then once focused just use the remote release.
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I think I understand what is being said, but thought I'd give an example of when BBAF works and when it doesn't with a shutter release. Hope this is correct - If I am at a wedding and want to take a picture of the grooms family (me included), I can have my camera on the tripod, the family stationary 12' away and activate (push/release the BBAF button), walk up and get in the group and hit the shutter release - picture is in focus!
However, if I am in the woods and up in a tree stand with my bow and have my camera on a tripod on the ground below, I have to de-activate the FFAB and use the AF on the shutter release. Reason being, I don't know in advance if the deer is going to be 6' or 20' away from the camera. Think that is right?
 
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LL4D500 said:
However, if I am in the woods and up in a tree stand with my bow and have my camera on a tripod on the ground below, I have to de-activate the FFAB and use the AF on the shutter release. Reason being, I don't know in advance if the deer is going to be 6' or 20' away from the camera. Think that is right?
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In a practical sense, yes. If you need AF to function with a remote shutter release then you need to disable BBAF.

But in a literal sense the remote release will still do its job in the second scenario you described, it will release the shutter. Whether the resulting image is focused properly is a different question. That of course assumes the shutter release is set to Release Priority which would normally be how you'd set up BBAF.

The problem with something like your trail-cam example is if you need to rely on AF to properly focus then you also have to choose an AF point and an AF Area mode. Maybe the right part of the animal will be in focus and maybe not. A safer bet is to use a wider angle lens stopped down sufficiently and prefocused near where you think the animal will be relying on DoF to give you pretty good odds of capturing your subject in focus. I've done exactly that for things like photographing Sage Grouse on a lek with a remote triggered camera and for nesting box scenarios.

There are some advanced remote shutter release applications like optically triggered remote releases where you might want to change these settings but for most situations where you'll remotely release the shutter while observing the scene you'll either want to pre-focus and not attempt real time AF unless you have high confidence that the right focus point(s) will be activated to properly focus on your subject when you're not behind the camera to ensure that's the case. Of course you can also run advanced scenarios like remote release with the camera tethered to a computer where you'll remotely have access to all the controls available in Live View mode but that's a bit more advanced setup as well.
 
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DRwyoming said:
In a practical sense, yes. If you need AF to function with a remote shutter release then you need to disable BBAF.

But in a literal sense the remote release will still do its job in the second scenario you described, it will release the shutter. Whether the resulting image is focused properly is a different question. That of course assumes the shutter release is set to Release Priority which would normally be how you'd set up BBAF.

The problem with something like your trail-cam example is if you need to rely on AF to properly focus then you also have to choose an AF point and an AF Area mode. Maybe the right part of the animal will be in focus and maybe not. A safer bet is to use a wider angle lens stopped down sufficiently and prefocused near where you think the animal will be relying on DoF to give you pretty good odds of capturing your subject in focus. I've done exactly that for things like photographing Sage Grouse on a lek with a remote triggered camera and for nesting box scenarios.

There are some advanced remote shutter release applications like optically triggered remote releases where you might want to change these settings but for most situations where you'll remotely release the shutter while observing the scene you'll either want to pre-focus and not attempt real time AF unless you have high confidence that the right focus point(s) will be activated to properly focus on your subject when you're not behind the camera to ensure that's the case. Of course you can also run advanced scenarios like remote release with the camera tethered to a computer where you'll remotely have access to all the controls available in Live View mode but that's a bit more advanced setup as well.
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Appreciate your expanded response - I hadn’t taken focus point into account. Makes sense to use a wide angle lens stopped down. Thanks!
 
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