What is Back Button Focus?

When you take a picture typically you press the shutter down halfway to focus and then the rest of the way to actually take the picture. Back button focus, or BBF, allows you to use a separate button on the back of your camera to focus. Why would you want to do that?

For me, it changed everything. In the beginning of my photography journey I was constantly frustrated with my results. My images weren’t as sharp as I wanted. I had read something about back button focusing in a forum online and decided to try it out. It was a pain in the butt at first, but after practicing for a while, I got used to it and my photography has improved so much. Here’s why. I’m a shaky shooter. I don’t trust my hands. And giving my pointer finger two jobs instead of one was asking a lot! With back button focusing, I use my thumb to focus and then my pointer to press the shutter. It might not seem like enough to make a difference but for me it did!

I photograph kids and families who are always on the go. I love movement in my images and using back button focus has helped me capture motion better. Imagine trying to take a shot of your child being lifted in the air by their daddy. In the few seconds between pressing the shutter halfway to focus and then pushing it again to take the shot, your little one could have moved. And if you are using a shallow depth of field, there’s even more chance for your image to be out of focus.

Another plus is that I can keep my finger pressed on the back button the whole time I’m shooting. So if I wanted to capture a child running towards me; first I’d make sure my shutter speed was high enough, and then I’d keep the back button pressed down while I’m clicking the shutter. Both actions at the same time. Quick tip: make sure your focus mode is set to AI-Servo if you shoot Canon and AF-C if you are Nikon. Doing this will help get you more precise focus.

If back button focus is something you want to try, check out You Tube for some great tutorials or google how to set it up for your particular camera model.