Each post in this series builds on information discussed in previous posts. See the Photography for Beginners page on the menu for links to all the posts.
.

Back button focus (BBF) is an autofocus method that uses a button on the back of the camera body to tell the lens to focus, rather than the usual method of half-pressing the shutter button.

Once you are comfortable with using a camera it’s a good idea to set it up to give BBF a try. It takes some getting used to and you need some time to develop new muscle memory, so you’ll want to try it out over several shooting sessions before you decide if it’s for you or not.

If you end up not liking BBF after giving it a fair chance you can reset your camera and go back to the default method of half-pressing the shutter button to autofocus. Many photographers feel BBF is the only way to shoot and once they start using it never go back.

I’m not sure how common people like me are, but I use BBF situationally. It depends on what I’m doing and sometimes just my mood.

Continue reading →