Back Button AUTOFOCUS Canon

does this method work for shooting video also??

BACK BUTTON FOCUS: Today's modern DSLR / MIRRORLESS cameras, back button focus is really not necessary.
When the back button was useful was at a time when the a.f. points were limited to such a small portion on the viewfinder screen. Like when 9 points were all that was available.
Today, most professional photographers use back buttons for many other options.
I never use the back button for focusing.
Generally, I leave tracking on and eye detection off since most of my wildlife is moving.  On the R7 at least, I've found that Eye Detection isn't as consistent as it is on my R3/R5, so for Birds in flight or rapidly moving animals it's better to be able to quickly get on target and let tracking follow the subject.  I get a higher keeper rate this way.  For static/perched animals, I usually have time to toggle Eye Detection on and if it is still having difficulty latching onto the eye, I can always turn tracking off.

Today the main advantage of decoupling autofocus from the shutter button is so that the photographer can leave the camera in continuous autofocus, yet still be able to focus and recompose (with the subject off center) when necessary, by simply letting go of the AF-On button on the back of their camera.

I have been perfectly capable of locking focus and recomposing through the years. The “magic” simply comes from the AF-Lock button, or in my case, the AF-On button, that is configured to serve as a dedicated AF-Lock button instead.

With normal use of your shutter release button, let's say a subject is stationary. All you need to do is press the rear button with thumb to disable a.f. Then, if it moves, just release the rear button to start focus tracking. Easy peasy... very few professional photographers use back-button for focusing, measly to change some settings in the A.F.

Moreover a more important use of a rear button is to have it programmed to One Shot/Ai Servo switch, eye detection on/off,start/stop subject tracking or on Canon to Register Recall Function.

Also possible to program a rear button to a single point a.f. selection or any one of the cluster boxes.
With today's DSLR'S / MIRRORLESS, the possibilities are numerous.

My r3 has numerous options for a.f. operational interfaces. Using my eye , rear lcd touch screen, joystick or top and rear dials to select movement of where to start focus.
My r5 and r7 have quite a few options as well.

Besides all that:
Why use two fingers to do what can be accomplished with just one finger.

This video could have been even better without the background music, which is useless and spoiling the speech.

So helpful. Thank you!

Thank you for explaining this better than any other video that I have watched

Hey Per, I just bought the Canon R6. I just subscribed to your channel as well, since it is just the informations I needed for a good start and even more. Thanks for all your videos, including thoses that I'm about to watch !
Cheers from Canada

The main advantage of decoupling autofocus from the shutter button is so that the photographer can leave the camera in continuous autofocus, yet still be able to focus and recompose (with the subject off centre) when necessary, by simply letting go of the AF-On button on the back of their camera.

I have been perfectly capable of locking focus and recomposing through the years. The “magic” simply comes from the AF-Lock button, or in my case, the AF-On button, that is configured to serve as a dedicated AF-Lock button instead.

With normal use of your shutter release button, let's say a subject is stationary all you need do,is press rear button with thumb to disable a.f. Then if it moves just release the rear button to start focus tracking. Easy peasy...very few professional photographers use back button for focusing.

Moreover a more important use of a rear button is to have it programmed to One Shot/Ai Servo switch, or on Canon to Register Recall Function.

Besides all that:
Why use two fingers to do what can be accomplished with just one finger.

Great info. I've been shooting back button focus, I think I've been doing it wrong. I've been depressing af-on button when in focus I release the af-on button, then press the shutter button. Listening to you I should'nt release, but continue holding it down while pressing the shutter; is this correct?

HI. Great video and tutorial. to assign 2nd ''star'' button is possible for 90D? thanks, Tom

Fortunately, the R5 has made BBF obsolete. The "standard functionality" now beats BBF hands down. Finally! But thanks for covering how to do it anyway.

Thank you for explaining this better than any other video that I have watched. It actually makes sense now in my mind, I was so confused before. Hats off to you!!

Today I got my new r5 and the first thing I changed was the autofocus to the two back buttons I love it thanks again ❤

can I switch eyes with the AE in this settings?

Was trying this on the rp but it doesn’t work

I've watched a bunch of videos about back button focus but this is the FIRST to explain it to me properly. Thank you!

Wonderful!

Wow you delivery is absolutely bang on and very insightful …. Great content! ❤

Thanks for your great tutorial AF video
Just need one thing regarding the AF
how to stop eye tracking completely just as not excising in the camera !
Because it’s fail sometimes
Just need to focus to the whole scene in the
Foreground and background only !

Best wishes 🌸🙏🏼

Bruh! This is an amazing video and I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!

Since the shutter button has to "pass" through the half-press point when taking a picture, will it not trigger metering+exposure lock thereby canceling any previous exposure lock (say for backlit situation)? For that reason, I've got my video record button set to perform exposure lock but maybe with what you're saying, I can free up my red button :-)

Thanks for this useful video. Do you think that we can do this buttons layout on C1 on a R7 and keep the original buttons layout on original modes ?

This confused me so much at first and I had to read a lot of material to understand the camera better. Now it all just makes sense, thanks a lot for the video.

You mean i can keep pressin the back button AF-On while focusing then take a shot?

thx for the insights! as a R6 user, would you recommend shown button configs also for the movie mode?

Just grabbed this camera for Christmas. Looking forward to setting focus this way.

Can this method be used on Nikon mirrorless cameras?
I have a Z5.

Hello
Thanks have now changed my autofocus to two back buttons
Hope I can Handel it😊

When i put my EOS R onto spot focus it removes the option for eye AF, is there a way around or something I'm not doing?

Perfect! I just rented the R6 and so excited that I can still use the eye tracking even with BB focusing. Very helpful and easy to follow! Thanks!

Big thanks. This should be the default settings! 😃 Keep these tutorials coming.

How do you change the focus spot with the joystick if your thumb is in use holding down one of the buttons?

Informative video, New subscriber here. Keep up the good work.