Back Button Focusing – Easier than you think!

Back Button Focusing – Easier than you think!

One of the most frequent questions I have received in the last month has been about back button focus and how to use it on Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. In this article you’ll learn what back button focusing is, and how to back button focus for Canon and Nikon cameras. What is back button [...]

Read more













Art Morris has a great tutorial on  using the back focus button too:

Rear Focus Tutorial

"Rear focus involves focusing by pushing a button on the top right back of the camera (rather than by pushing the shutter button). You need to change a custom function or two to set up rear focus. And with some systems you set up rear focus via the camera’s menu."

Also on Canon's website (Nikon does Rear focur too, Canon just added it earlier)
http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/backbutton_af_article.shtml

Video: http://youtu.be/gd2zk9FRjUE

Should all photographers use back button focusing?

Definitely not! If you’re not yet 100% comfortable with operating your camera or if you don’t quite understand how focus works, then head for the hills, hide yourself in the corner, and grab a teddy bear for protection. Back button focusing will only make using your camera more complicated–which is why camera manufacturers for decades have used the half-press shutter method of focusing.
If, however, you’re a confident photographer and you’re ready to try an advanced technique that can definitely improve your focus in some situations, then meet back button focus.