It has been a couple of years now since I first discovered BBF or “Back Button Focusing”. From what I hear it is really one of those things that you either LOVE or you HATE. For me, it was looooove!
What is Back Button Focusing?
The default focusing button for cameras is the shutter button. On DSLRs, we learn to press the shutter half way, focus, then completely press the button to release the shutter. BBF simply stands for Back Button Focus. This is a term that describes using a button on the back of your camera for focus, thus separating focus and shutter from each other.
I heard about back button focusing a couple of years ago when the topic seemed to take a forum that I belong to by storm! It is one of those things that you will either LOVE or HATE. I happen to LOVE it and it really changed the number of in focus images that I get!
Pros:
1. The focus and shutter buttons are separated.
No accidental firing of the shutter or missed focus by not pressing the button quite hard enough, or lifting prematurely. When using BBF, the subject is in focus, until you purposefully press it again.
Read more: Make your Blurry Photos Tack Sharp with 6 Simple Steps
2. Easy to use when using AF-C or AI-Servo modes.
Hold the button down while you track your subject and press the shutter button when ready. There is no lapse between focus time (even as minimally as it can be) when using 2 buttons instead of one. Depending on what you read, you’ll find some people will say that using back button focusing, you should leave your camera on AF-C or AI-Servo all of the time. I disagree with this. AF-S or Single Shot will also work while using BBF. I continue to switch between the different modes depending on the subject that I’m photographing.
3. Using the thumb on the back of the camera helps stabilize the camera.
This can result in fewer out of focus images due to camera shake.
Cons:
I had to really think about the cons because I really haven’t run into any issues with it!
1.Moderately difficult to re-train yourself.
Instructions on setting up back button focusing:
In Nikons, the AF-On button is turned on.
The instructions for the D700 are as follows:
Press Menu > Custom Setting Menu >a Autofocus > AF-ON > OK
Instructions for the Nikons without an AF-ON button:
The AE-L/AF-L button can be programmed to function as an autofocus button.
Menu > Custom Setting Menu > Controls > Assign AE-L/AF-L Button > AF-ON
or
Menu > Set Buttons> Assign AE-L/AF-L > AF-ON
For Canon Users: (please correct me if I’m wrong!)
Canon Mark II
Custom Function 4 > Operation/Others > Set #1 to #3 AE-Lock Metering + AF Start > Set #2 to 1:Enable
If the settings are different for other Canon models, please consult your manual and look under Custom Functions. The lingo should be similar to what is written above. In reading, I am under the impression that autofocus can also be assigned to the * button on Canon cameras. Sorry that I’m not more help with back button focusing on Canon cameras! If you have questions, I promise to do my best to help!
If you are going to give back button focusing a try…
1. Give it a MONTH!
It will not seem natural to begin with. A month is a good amount of time to see a difference and realize if you love it or hate it! No one that I know that has used it a month has ever gone back!
2. At first, you will at times forget that you reassigned your buttons and think your camera is broken. It’s not! Just use the AF-On or AE-L/AF-L or * button and I promise it will work! With Canon users, pick the button that is most comfortable and natural for your thumb (whether it be the AE/AF-L button or the *).
2. Remember your camera isn’t broken!!!! I’m saying this again because I literally freaked out a dozen times before it seemed natural.
Have fun with this new trick! And I’m here to answer any questions! Canon Users: If you are having problems, I will do my best to help!
To go back to using the shutter button to focus, Nikon users:
Go to Menu> Custom Settings Menu> a Autofocus >a5 AF Activation> then Shutter/AF-ON (instead of AF-ON only).
And it isn’t a photography post without a picture….these are a few images that are close to my heart….and yes my boy is wearing girl clothes….go figure ;)
I LOVE BBF! In my first Clickin’ Moms WS, I learned about this amazing feature on my camera! Since my most easily accessible subject is my extremely active 2 yr. old son, this made life a million times easier! I haven’t changed my settings since! Thanks for the article!!
Thank you for explaining this is a way that is easy to understand! I mostly photography my 9 month old right now, but also photograph other people’s children sometimes. Can you explain why bbf reduces blur when kids inevitably move? I usually just increase the shutter speed to reduce that blur. I’m still learning a lot, so maybe that’s a dumb question!
Thank you! And there is never a dumb question. I like to know the technicals too. It helps me understand better. Just switching to BBF will not exactly keep images from being blurry, but it can improve the number of in focus ones that you get. You are correct that increasing the SS will do the trick there. However, by using the BBF button and chasing a toddler, you can switch your camera to AF-C or AI-Servo and hold the BBF button down to track the subject. THEN, because your don’t need to stop tracking in order to press the shutter button—you can keep holding it down with your thumb–there isn’t even a fraction of a second that the subject can move before the shutter clicks. Does that make sense? So it is basically a time factor….all about how fast you can press the button. Obviously, using one button works for many people, but for me, having two separate buttons works best. Also, using the thumb and holding that button down gives me a little more stability of the camera in my hand, so I feel that it reduces camera shake at lower shutter speeds.
Ooh! I’m going to give this a try, thanks!
Sorry, Im new with my DSLR… do you mean, focusing by choosing dots using the menu buttons?
Hi Valerie! Choosing your focal point is a great way (best way) to improve your focus. BBF is using a button on the back of your camera to tell the camera to focus (which you would usually do by pushing the shutter button halfway down to lock focus). Then when you press it all the way own, the camera will record the image. Does that make better sense?
I have a Nikon D5000…… which button should I use… Im sorry Im soo lost….!
Valerie,
You can assign BBF by selecting AF-ON to the AE-L/AF-L button through Custom Settings (pg 164 of D5000 manual).
Edwin
Thank you for your help! Off to experiment!
Thank you!!
I have 1 other con – Nikons VR (vibration reduction) is only activated with the shutter button. When you use BBF then press the shutter to take the picture the VR doesn’t have enough time to stabilize – or do whatever it does. It’s really not that big of a deal as long as your shutter speed is adequately fast enough for the lens you are using but for some it might be an issue.
You can still press the shutter button halfway to activate VR. It still helps with AF-S and recompose because is is easier to recompose after focusing and not worry about locking the focus by keeping the shutter button partially depressed. When ready to shoot just don’t give one press to the shutter button but pause briefly half way. Also, I know you disagree with this one but not sure why, there is no need to switch to AF-S, as far as I can see, since pressing and releasing the button will lock focus in AF-C as well as AF-S. I actually use AF-A most of the time unless I am shooting sports or wildlife.
You’re right that if you are using BBF you can still half press the shutter button to get the VR to activate. I’m not sure how you know I disagree with using AF-C since I don’t. BBF actually works better, IMO, using AF-C
Hi,I have a Nikon d7100 and use bbf,when I press it vr does go on. Maybe its your settings?
Thank you for sharing in depth how to change the BBF on my Nikon. I had tried to do it about 2 weeks ago with no success and now have changed my settings. I am willing to give it a try!
Haven’t made the move to BBF yet but am doing it now. Thank you for the easy tutorial.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wish I’d learned about this technique sooner. It would have saved me a lot of headache. Now to just remember why my camera isn’t focusing anymore when I press the shutter button!
Thanks so much for the explanation!
I have a d700 and was wondering- do you set the autofocus priority (pencil icon a1 and a2 setting) to “focus” or ” release” or ” release+ focus” ?
I took the CM class too and never understood it until I read this. I thought I had to hold it down continuously and try to shoot at the same time!! Can’t wait to try it again!
I feel almost silly that I HAVEN’T been doing this now that I read about it – makes so much sense. Must try. Can’t wait to see how it works! Thanks for the tip.
information is very beneficial and beneficial
nikon d700
Hi there – so once in focus as long as i stay within same ‘focal plane’ so to speak, don’t move my feet for example when using a prime lens… then whichever focal point I have set, should then focus correctly…continuously? Or am I understanding this all wrong? Of course I am readiing this at 1:23am lol (real life of mom/photog ;o) … I can’t wait till morning to try it out!
Thanks for the tips…I went ahead and tried it, and I enjoyed it :) I was using a camera that I had borrowed from someone else and I thought it would be easy to revert to non-bbf, but I can’t figure out how to turn it back…I’m using a Nikon d90….any tips on how to revert back to the normal setting? Thanks so much :)
Okay, it took a minute for me to figure it out! I have a D700, but it should be similar for the D90. Go to Menu> Custom Settings Menu> a Autofocus >a5 AF Activation> then Shutter/AF-ON (instead of AF-ON only). If it isn’t exact, the lingo should be similar. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for the tip….it worked : )
I just set my camera up to do this and going to try it out. Going to take some getting use to but hoping it helps! Thank you for your suggestions and tips!
Laurie,
I have the Nikon D700. Can you tell me how to revert it back to normal settings? I was at a photo session today and my studio lights were going crazy and I think it was because of the bbf. I remember reading somewhere that you have to revert back to the normal settings to use studio lights. Thanks!
Go to Menu> Custom Settings Menu> a Autofocus >a5 AF Activation> then Shutter/AF-ON (instead of AF-ON only).
I’ll add this to the post :)
THE BEST PIECE ON BBF SO FAR, U SUMMED UP A TRICKY ISSUE VERY SIMPLY :) EXPECIALLY FOR NIKON! GGRRREEEAT JOB!!! ;)
I wonder if this is a setting I can save on u1 or u2 …on my D600 ? ..will look it up in the manuel…but if you have the answer it would be helpful :) Thanks for the great info !
Hi Brenda! I just did a little research on the D600. And I don’t think that is what the u1 or u2 buttons are designed for. From what I understand, those are used when you want to set your camera up for different types of photography. Say you wanted your settings to be one way for Nature photography, and another way for Portrait photography, you could program u1 and u2 to specific settings and with the switch of dial your camera would be ready (instead of going into the menus and changing everything every time). Ken Rockwell, did an article that described that type of thing if your are interested in looking it up.
You CAN set up your AE-L/AF-L button to back button focus. I think you should go to Custom Settings Menu>Controls>Assign AE-L/AF-L button>AE-L/AF-L button press>scroll to AF-ON>Press OK
Just found it in the manual: Look on page 244 of your Nikon D600 Manual :) to set the AE-L button to back button focus for you! If you don’t like it, go back there to change it back!
I appreciate this wonderful and complete reply …so very helpful :) than you so much for taking the time …I will practice with the back button focus and see how it goes :) Thanks again Laurie :)
Someone mentioned in the comments that the BBF can cause the VR not to work. If you use BBF all the time, then you wouldn’t necessarily even need the VR lenses, but could go ahead and use non-VR lenses with no difference in quality, right? (I haven’t done a price comparison between VR and non-VR lenses, but I assume the VR lenses are more expensive.)
I am using a D700. FWIW in my use I have noticed VR works when using BBF and holding the shutter button down halfway as to act like you are focusing. VR kicks in and the image is frozen. I then depress the shutter fully to capture the image. BFF is doing the focusing. Half-press shutter is kicking in the VR.
I usually keep mine set at AF-C single point, usually use center control point to focus and recompose. I use my Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC lens a lot with this method and it works great for me.
Nice article BTW.
Thanks for the great article, very helpful indeed. I have a Nikon D90 and have changed my settings to bbf and I’m liking it so far but was wondering if there was an easy way to revert back temporarily? if I hand my camera to someone else who is unfamiliar with DSLR’s they will never ever get it, they have enough trouble working the shutter half press focus :)
Great article! One “con” I have found to BBF is when you hand someone else your camera to take a photo you want to be in.. it is a difficult thing to explain ;)
I have switched back to using the focusing button but maybe I didn’t give BBF a fair enough try. Will have to try again!
Great post. I’m two weeks into using BBF and already I’m seeing the benefits
Just got the D600… Even the manuals had it wrong on how to change to BBF… 18 blogs later and you were the only one who got it right…. Bless you keep it up…
yay! thank you! You made my day :)
Hi!!!! just wondering if my D80 would have the BBF??? I do use the AE-L and AF-L sometimes and now change my focal point rather than recomposing… but this is diff than the BBF right??? I dont seem to have AF – ON
Hi Tara! My first camera was a D80! What a great camera! Go to page 94 of your manual. Setting up back button focus is in the Custom Menu settings. Basically you assign the AE-L/AF-L button to use as BBF button. Hope this helps! :)
Hi there, I’m fairly new to photography and started a photography course in January and am finally getting confident with my camera and its manual settings! My main passion in photography is toddler/newborn photography which i then came across click it up a notch for some amazing advice, inspiration and tips! And came accross BBF and thought it might be worth me trying it out since I have fidgety moving subjects – on the lens it says M/A (which I’m guessing is manual/automatic) and just M (manual) and M is what iv been shooting with, I noticed the BBF doesn’t work with it switched to M but only M/A, just wondering do many photographers who capture moving subjects use the setting M/A? I feel like its cheating almost aha because the camera is doing the focusing rather than me moving my lens to focus! Dying to give it a go on a moving subject! Thanks for the help! : )
I have a Nikon D600, do you know if I can switch back and forth from back button focus to depressing my shutter half way? I’m having focus issues and want to activate all my focus point so make sure my camera is focusing correctly.
How can I find out which button this is on my camera? I’m honestly not sure if I am using it or not!
This post was timely for me. I just learned about back-focusing and now I might give it a try! Thanks!
ok hi
tried locating BBF on canon 7d got lost, would love to try it out, help?
Tony, I have a Canon 7D. There is an AF-ON button on the backside of the camera near the top right. If it’s not already turned on, then you can go into the Menu to turn it on.
Click on “Menu” then scroll to the custom settings, denoted by the orange camera icon (just left of the green star icon)
Scroll down to “C.FnIV:Operation/Others” and click on “Set”
Click on “Set” again once you enter the Custom Controls menu.
Scroll down to the AF-ON button, which is your “BFF” button, and click “Set” again.
Scroll across to the icon for “Metering and AF start” and click on “Set”. This will turn the AF-ON so you can use BFF.
Also, not sure if you are using the most up to date firmware, but Canon released an update for the 7D a couple of months ago, fyi. Happy shooting!
Hi there! I found this article and comment very helpful. I have a Canon Rebel Ti5. I found the C.FnIV:Operations/Others but I do not seem to have the AF-ON button. My options are 0:AF/AE lock 1:AE lock/AF 2.AF/AFlock, no AElock 3. AE/AF, no AE lock. Can anybody help me out? Thanks so much!
I just watched this Youtube video for my T3i which I think has pretty much the same settings as the T5i. I’m so excited I found this feature!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEBsfZx-NbU
Thank you so much for tips. They have been helpful. I finally stopped to read them yesterday and got great results by going manual! I’ve read a few sites and books, but you really made it “click” for me. Thanks!
So I DON’T have to continually hold the button with my thumb when I’m shooting using BBF?? I can place it on the eye, hit and release the back button, and then shoot? I’ve had my camera in BBF for a few months now, but it still confuses the heck out of me :(
Totally agree with everything you have said here – I am going to link to your post if ok as it says everything I was going to and probably a lot more eloquently. Love the pages
Pete
x
Any Sony users know how to do this?
I’m so excited to try this out. I’ve heard about it so many times but this is the first time it was explained so clearly. I bet this will make a world of difference in my photos :)
I had to laugh when you recommended trying it for a MONTH! I’ve tried it a couple times when I’m just taking photos of my kids, to practice and my results have been spotty. When I get to a real session, I always switch back, because I’m getting paid and I can’t afford to screw it up. I keep meaning to come back to it. I’m watching Tyler Wirken’s Creative Live course now and he did a segment on it. I found your article while googling BBF and trying to make sure I’m doing it correctly. A month….that’s SO hard! :) I’ll try again though – I know if I got the hang of it, it’d be worth it.
I like to use spot metering on my subjects and usually use the AE/AF button for AE/AF lock. Any idea how this might affect how my camera meters?
Hi,
I’m new to BBF myself and have begun experimenting with it this evening, using a D3200.
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be working. Using ‘show focus’ in Nikon’s own Capture NX-D my focus remains at the centre point, rather than the subject after recomposing.
Another issue I have noticed is that my focus points are not illuminated by using the AE-L / AF-L button on this camera and are only illuminated once I begin pressing the shutter release to capture the shot; perhaps this is indicative of the facility not working on this camera, or that my settings or technique is off somehow.
This camera in particular is limited to very few focus points; 11, so there are times when it can be quite tricky to get the focus and the composition I want, being able to recompose as indicated in this article would be of great help to me, however, as yet I’m not convinced and will have to resort to earlier methods on shoots until I figure this out.
Any ideas anyone? Thank you.
The only con I could think of – handing my camera over to someone else to take a shot of me and my family, and forgetting to explain BBF, or if they don’t use DSLR/BBF. And then watch them get confused.
F AF lock only *
FOcus locks while the MB-D80 AE-L/AF-L button is pressed
A AF-ON*
PRessing the MB-D80 AE-L/AF-L button initiates auto
The above is from my Nikon manual. I understand the principle of the back button focus but wonder if the two settings above are just personal preference? I experience pictures are not as sharp if I use back button focus.
Hi Inka, as will all things, do what works for you. Many people find that BBF helps get more images in focus, but if you find it isn’t working I for you, switch back! There is learning curve and j encourage using it for a couple of weeks to a month. I find that there is no lag between focus and shutter using BBF. Thanks for reading!
Hi I have a D3100 and I tried BBF for the first time last night at a baseball game. It worked okay for the first few pictures and then I found that my camera was freezing up and literally would not take a picture!! It’s the first time that’s ever happened. I googled the issue today and found a couple of blogs that mention choosing “Release” instead of “Focus” in the AF-C Priority Selection. The D3100 doesn’t appear to have this option. Am I out luck for using BBF or was this a fluke incident of my camera freezing? User error?? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
I dislike using the back button for focusing. I tried it for a couple of months on two different Nikons and found it a big pain. You said you had a hard time thinking of any “con’s.” Here’s some:
If you wear glasses sticking your thumb up to work the back button makes things crowded. I look through the camera with my left eye so that puts my thumb totally squished against my nose (and it’s not a big nose or thumb.)
Black button focusing is difficult to used in any position other than upright. If you are laying down or in any position that restricts arm movement — tight spot to get a macro shot — you can’t even focus because your thumb can’t reach the button.
AND … it takes one easy operation and breaks it down into two. That is not only less efficient but increases the chances of not doing the sequence right and losing a shot. I think the technique is extremely overrated.
Hi Laurie! I’ve been trying BFF for a week so far on my D3300. I’m trying to get my head around the best way to use it in conjunction with the focus points and moving children. Do you select a new focus point each time the child moves within the frame, hit the BFF then the shutter? I feel like this loses time and opportunities because it’s a 3 step process and the thumb has too much to do. Or do you hold down the BFF button down to activate AF-C, try to keep the selected focus point on the subject’s eye and crop later to fix framing? I find with a 50mm lens and my camera’s crop factor there just isn’t enough breathing room for this and something important always gets cut off. Does this make any sense? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Hi! Thank you so much for this article. I’ve been doing tons of research trying to learn how to properly photograph my daughter using my Nikon D610 and this is one of the things I’d heard about but never really understood. I will use these tips to try it out this weekend though!
Also, just a note about your website in general, I LOVE how much information you have here and everything that is offered. Really, love it! However, it is a bit inconvenient being unable to open articles by right clicking to open a new tab. I understand the no right-clicking because of the possibility of people stealing your photos, etc. but it would be really great if when a link is clicked it simply opened a new window/tab. Otherwise it is a bit frustrating going back and forth between articles!
It’s not huge enough to make me not come back for more of the wonderful information you have here, but I do think it would make the website a little more user friendly. :)
Again, thank you for all the great information!
Hello, just a question regarding spot metering and back button focusing….do you program the AF-L button to lock exposure as well?
Hi there…ok, so I am feeling SO confused. I’ve been reading all of your stuff and have greatly improved my photography with my Nikon DSLR in the past three months. One of the first thing I did was choose my focal points like you suggested. My Nikon has I think 11 focal points. I got pretty crisp images for about three months and then decided to try BBF. I tried yesterday and find that my images are out of focus. What I don’t know what I am doing is, do I still choose my focal point and then press my button to focus? For good composition, I always try to put my subject off center but then my images are about 50/50 in and out of focus and I can’t figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks for any help you may be able to provide :)
Hi! So glad you are reading and learning more about your camera!
Yes! Still chooose your focal points!!! and basically BBF is just a button for focusing and one for the shutter. Using BBF you can maintain focus and press the shutter at the same time, where if you use the same button for both focusing and shutter release, there can be lag between the time you focus and when the shutter is pressed. So, put your camera settings on AF-C (for continuous focus) and hold down the BBF button the whole time you are focusing….and press the shutter button at the same time to take a picture.
Give it a couple of weeks of everyday shooting to get the hang of it so it feels more natural! You’ve got this!
Laurie or Courtney, I have a Nikon D5500 and I love BBF, except: Because the AF-L/AE-L button used for BBF also serves as the image protection button, I’m finding one glitch with this method. Unless I take images in rapid succession (within a second or two or less), the camera thinks I’m trying to protect the last image taken rather than focus. Unless I lightly press the shutter button to activate it and then focus using the BBF button, I’m missing images bc the AF-L/AE-L button is serving its other image protection function. Has anyone else ever experienced this issue and what can I do about it? Otherwise, BBF is great, but this has been frustrating. Thanks so much! Love the site and all the wonderful blogs.
How annoying! I’m sorry :( I did some reading and all I can think is if maybe the BBF is activated by half pressing the shutter, and lock is activated after taking an image? Idk. Bad placement for the lock button on Nikon’s part for that camera model. There must be a way to activate one or the other, then it would just be the matter of retraining yourself. (I’ve had to do that when I upgraded mu d700 to d750….buttons moved places 😩 Another thing I could think of would be to maybe take a look at your manual to see if you can deactivate the lock button so that it will only have one function. May not be possible, but if so, that would be another option. Sorry you are having trouble!
I have a Nikon 3300, and I set my BBF to the AE-L/AF-L button, but after pressing the button for my focus and taking some pictures, if I want to focus on something else, the camera won’t let me? There is a little white key in a black box on the picture in the playback folder that shows up when I take the picture, and I feel like this has something to do with it, but I have no idea what to do!
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Hi,
Thanks for all the information.
I just wanted to know if I use my AE-L / AF-L button for focussing how do I set / lock my exposure?
I’ve been using BBF for some time and I can’t figure it out.
Thank you again for the info.
Hold the button down while you track your subject and press the shutter button when ready.
Hi, I included this above sentence to ask about it:
When you hold the button down while tracking, and you press the shutter button, do you keep holding the bbf button while shooting, or do you release the bbf button and then shoot. I have never gotten a good answer on this. Thanks
This is truly amazing.i have a canon 5D mkiv and have been so disappointed not getting tack sharp shots always soft.
I gave back button focus ago and wow what a difference.