Thank you for breaking down back button focus. I never had a clear understanding until this video! Glad to see you have your computer issue resolved .😊 PEACE from ATL 😊📸
Thanks for watching. BBF was always a bit of a mystery to me too. My computer issues are not quite resolved. That iMac is at the e-recycling now. It was the power supply. Too old (7 years) and too costly to fix it. Plus couldn't find anyone who would actually fix it. Everyone said to let it go.... So, I'm squinting along using my 13" MacBook Pro for now. I have to admit it was painful editing this video. At some point I will need a new video editing workstation. So I'll likely be making less videos until that happens.
You are correct when you say some photographers will find back button focus invaluable while others will find it a needless complication. I never used it with any camera that preceded my G9 and, to my knowledge, never needed it. But the G9 shutter release is different. I find the G9 shutter release button to be so sensitive that I release the shutter prematurely often enough for it to be annoying. When this happens, I'm neither framed nor focused where I want to be. It usually happens when I'm trying to find the half-press to lock focus and slightly overdo it. Also, I've always found having to choose between AE Lock, AF Lock, or AE/AF lock for the AE/AF Lock button to be annoying. I use all three options and inevitably find that the option I want is not the way the button is currently set. This has been the case with every Panasonic camera I've used. Enter back button focus and its implicit AF Lock function. That is, the AF is locked when you AREN'T pushing the focus button. I set Shutter-AF to Off, the AE/AF Lock button to AE Lock, and the F1 button to AF-ON. I first used the AF/AE Lock button set to AF-ON, but didn't like the loss of the AE Lock function. So I moved the AF-ON function to the (for me) unused F1 button so I can leave the AE/AF Lock button set to AE Lock. For me, this configuration solves both problems. I can't do this on my GH3 where the AF-ON function can only be assigned to the AE/AF Lock button. I'm not sure which camera models allow AF-ON to be a general function that can be assigned to any function button. Obviously, YMMV! I don't shoot fast moving subjects, I use 1-Area AF, and I use the joystick to select that area. I've trained myself to use my index finger to activate the shutter, ISO, and +/- buttons as well as spin the front dial. I've trained my thumb to use the AE Lock, joystick, and F1 buttons as well as spin the rear dial. Yes, all of this takes practice and it conditions you to a particular camera configuration. But that's true regardless of your camera and configuration. richard hargrove -- See my work at www.flickr.com/photos/richard_hargrove/
Thanks for sharing your workflow Richard. This is awesome. I'm sure it will help others, especially those who find the shutter button a light touch on the G9. I did at first, but now I really like it. That may change as my arthritis advances further into both of my hands. The great thing is that this camera (and most) are fully customizable for everyone's needs. Many camera users likely don't delve into the menus to the extent that you do! Cheers!
Thanks for the follow. The images were captured with a variety of cameras, mostly Panasonic Lumix models. I try to put relevant capture and post-processing information at the end of the image's descriptive text. If you saw one of my images on DPReview then they stole it from me. richard -- Ah, those three little words so many people seem to have so much trouble saying: “I was wrong.”
Nice explanation, thanks. An issue I have for critical focus is that my body sways back and forth a little bit. If there is too long a delay between when I focus and when I take the shot, then the focal plane may have shifted too much. Being fast with whatever technique I am using becomes useful. That is why, for example, I really appreciate good eye AF.
Finally a RUclipsr who unabashedly stands up and admits she sucks at BBF! 😁 I tried switching several times in the past and I admit I suck at it too. It's just an extra step to remember, which takes a spit second longer, causing you to miss the decisive moment. I know that back in my film SLR days, you always had to manually focus first, before pressing the shutter. But that was nearly 40 years ago...too much muscle memory to overcome!
Hey, Marlene! Before I bought my new Nikon D3500, I never heard of BBF. I watched some RUclips videos that recommended BBF, so that's what I switched to, even though I was never really comfortable with it, and even though I never had a real reason to use it (I take nothing but still shots). So, you've convinced me to go back to the ol' tried-and-true way of focusing, and I don't feel guilty about it in the least. So, thanks!!
This makes me happy Nathaniel. Do what works best for you and don't worry what others think or tell you is better. (That goes for shooting, or not shooting RAW files as well. I've been on both sides of that too.)
I love this video, Marlene! You are unpretentious and pragmatic. I do sometimes use bbf. I keep it in one of my custom modes. That way I can return to the conventional mode in a wink. Thanks for your refreshing perspective.
Hi Marlene, thanks for this great video. I spent the day back button focusing. Since I shoot mostly wildlife and birds, though it could work. It gives me perfect timing for the shots. I combine it with no preview. I think it's awesome, it improved my photography pretty much instantly. Keep up your great work, more lumix stuff.
Thank you so much for this clear and concise video. I accidentally set focus to back button only and I was able to "reverse engineer" how to set focus back to the shutter button. I agree with your statement of the G9's fast focus ability. It has changed how I shoot weddings.
Phew! Glad you figured it out Russ. Nothing worse than setting something up only to forget how you did it. Been there. Done that! Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy your G9!
Thank you very much for this little secret. I tried back button focus but like you I didn't find any particular use for it in the wildlife videos I do. Now thanks to you Marlene, it sets my mind at ease and I don't feel like a dummy. Happy Holidays! Joan
Great to hear it Joan. Camera nerds try to make everything mysterious for the average user. My (self-appointed) job is to demystify those things. Cheers!
Awesome! It takes a bit of getting used to at first. But I hope that after a few hikes you’ll find it as useful as I do. Let me know how it goes, Marko.
Really enjoying your videos, thank you so much. Nice and succinct, not unnecessarily technical, very practical and clear. Helping me make more of my own lumix camera gear. Great stuff!
Thanks, as always, Marlene for an informative vlog. I'm like you, in fact I did a custom set for BBF and haven't used it since. In this instance, it's the destination not the journey. Mike in Oz
I'm into the back button focus *lock. I find it pretty useful, but like you said, it takes some getting used to. Now that it's second nature, the lock option is awesome. Thanks for the great vid.
Lumix are endepted to you, I'm am loving this camera and a lot of that is down to you. This tutorial just adds to my exploration of the incredible range of functions to help me to develop my craft.
How very nice of you to say Moto-Photo. Thank you so much. I love this camera too and I'm happy that people like you are still discovering it's many functions.
I'm glad I found your channel since I recently picked up a G9. I'm very impressed with it. I find it to be better in all respects than my Olympus OMD-E-M1.
I am back again Marlene and thank you for your quick response. Th green focus light is the one that appears at the top right hand corner of the screen when you press the shutter release half way down. I find it is difficult to see and would like to move it say half way down on the right hand side of the screen. Thank you for your most interesting items about the G9. Jack Tomlinson
Hi Jack. I highly doubt you can move that green dot/light. And no one has ever asked me about it before. To be honest I don't use it that much myself. I usually have the focus Beep ON, and that indicates focus as well. But hey you can always send a note to Panasonic. Maybe there's a solution out there.
The Panasonic S1 has a dedicated BBF button for a reason. It comes in handy if you do not want the camera to refocus every time you press the shutter button. So you can lock the focus e.g. on the eye of a subject and recompose the image without need of refocusing. And when you keep the BBF button pressed you can follow a moving subject. So this is a bit best of both of manual focus and autofocus. I agree that the G9‘s focusing is so fast that in many cased you do not have to worry loosing time due to refocusing. But when you are focusing on a particular area in the frame or let’s say on one person in a group, and you want to recompose without losing this focus, BBF can be a good thing.
Thanks for diving into this ' hot ' topic. It is an individual preference kind of thing & requires lots of practice to make it automatic. I wanted to activate the ' Half Press Release ' on myFz2500 in order to cut down on camera shake when depressing the shutter. This did help but then I began taking unintended shots. First tried the traditional - as you explained - ' back button focus ' set up but , for me, found this arrangement awkward. In the Menu under custom c there is a tab for assigning function buttons - another easy / great feature of Lumix cameras. On top my Fn 4 button was for exposure comp. - which I've changed to ' Focus ' The top wheel I've assigned to be the ' exposure comp. ' With this set-up the focus is wright next to the shutter ! Index finger to focus & my 2nd finger to ' lightly ' push the shutter. My last 2 fingers & thumb hold the camera body. I found - on Amazon - a small rubber stick on ' cap ' that is textured that I've put on my ' new ' focus button. Now with the added height & textured feel of the cap I no longer need my eyes for locating it. I've had this arrangement for sometime now & It's become automatic. Hope this helps someone. Thanks again for the video Marlene.
Ray, I really appreciate your insight into this topic. I see I've barely scratched the surface. Thank you for taking the time to share your exact process for using BBF. I'm sure several people will benefit from it. I love those little red button pads. I use them on my GH3. Cheers!
You can use BBF without switching off Shutter AF. The shutter button won't undo an AF lock made using the AF Lock button. Pressing the AF Lock button again releases it and you get the normal shutter button AF behaviour. So, with just AF-ON set you can get best of both. I also find it's mostly not needed except to get bird shots and odd cases where the AF can't guess my intent. I'll BBF on a branch some bird is likely to appear on and then I have a good chance. I find it's really helpful at times and glad to have it.
I'm with you on this. A friend suggested back-button focusing - I asked him to explain what advantage it might have. I did not understand the reply but I tried it. What a mess...
Well I have tried it again and now see the big advantages of it. It's not for everyone, or every subject, but for birding, I love it now. So don't give up.
Just an additional and super handy use of Back button....enable Manual AND autofocus mode. In AFS / single area or pinpoint....acquire the focus , then fine tune manually if so desired In manual focus mode you can switch between single area and manual at will and if your focus does not need to change...you're not constantly re-acquiring by depressing the shutter.
@@ImageMaven i was trying but using a 500mm reflex lens, had to chase the moon as it moved and it was super hard to get the focus right, i really need to get an off camera trigger of some kind too
@@ArcticGator Use your phone as the trigger. Works with bluetooth and wifi (makes it's own wifi). Super easy. I sometimes sit in my house with my camera outside shooting close ups of birds in the -20C temps. I can completely control the camera and stay warm. If you don't want to do that, you can also use the 2 second delay if you're worried about moving your camera when you press the shutter button.
@@ImageMaven i tried, but the lens i was using was full manual, and the image on the phone wasn't enough to tell if it was in focus even with peaking on and i can't use the viewfinder when the phone is the remote!
Great video Marlene and also enjoy your channel too!!! I too tried the back button focus but only really use it for video when I’m in MF mode and need to grab focus quickly for static shots
I use BBF much more now than when I made this video. I have since set it up, and I like it a lot, especially with my long telephoto lens. Thanks for watching my videos!
Yes, this is something that definitely requires a lot of practice. I should give BBF more practice time myself, especially for wildlife and bird photography. Hopefully this spring and summer I'll get some opportunities. Thanks for chiming in!
Another good video! I've seen some RUclips videos that counsel against using BBF so it does seem to come down to personal preference. I use it and seems like second nature to me now but definitely takes a while to get used to it. Say, a video idea for you is how to shoot birds in flight or skateboarders (or anything) in motion using AFC. I am not good at it and would welcome good advice. I still am not savvy on what focusing mode to use for what occasion.
Hi Steven, Great to hear you’ve got BBF dialed in. As it happens I use AFS 100% of the time when shooting skateboarding as I can easily predict where the action is going to happen. Birds in flight however, is a whole other thing! It’s on my list. Just not sure when I’ll be around said birds. I may have to enlist the help of some friends who are experts at bird photography or it will be a video full of crows and magpies.
@@ImageMaven Interesting aspect mention after 6 minutes in this video. You can use AFC all the time since when you release the BB, its AFS :-) ruclips.net/video/556QCFI1BtE/видео.html
When you use MF assist ( full screen ) you will wait a long time before the assist will disappears by itself ( and you want to recheck the framing ) and you will lose the focus if you release the shutter button, the back button focus in AF lock position will direct the MF assist to disappear and you can correct the framing. ( Shutter AF in My Menu setting for versatility )
Hi Marlene - great tutorial as always. I also use a sort of hybrid ‘back button focusing’. I have set the Fn5 custom button to AF-ON and then have the AE/AF Lock set to AE LOCK. This allows me to just point and click on the Shutter release, and if I need more control then I have separate buttons for both exposure and focusing. Works for me ;o)
Thanks for sharing this. I'm not all that keen on using it, but I am more tha a bit frustrated with how sensitive the shutter button is an I find myself taking shots when I'm barely touching the button. I consider this to be ba design on the part of Panasonic. Best, D.
Great video, Marlaene. I use the back button focus when shooting videos with my G9. Sometimes the camera hesitates when to start re-focusing after shifting from one scene to another while recording videos. So, by using the back button focus you kinda tell/force the camera to start focusing.
@@ImageMaven When using the back button focus for video, one should keep the shutter button focus functionality for taking pictures. Also, the beep sound should be silenced in order not to be picked by the mic during video recording.
I used back button focus on my GH3 and GH4 but I have never felt I needed it on the G9. Besides, I’m a left eye shooter and back button focus puts my thumb in my right eye!
Thank you Marlene -- your videos have helped me a lot with my G85. I was watching some other videos on BBF -- on non-Lumix cameras, and it seemed that the AF-ON button would "latch" focus with just a press. So you compose, line up the AF point with the subject, push *and release* the AF-ON button and the camera stays latched (avoiding the word lock at this point) on that focus setting while you are free to take multiple pictures (shutter AF = off). But some of the Lumix BBF info seems to indicate that the AF button needs to be held in the whole time to latch the focus point/distance. And there is the additional menu option of enabling "AF-LOCK" for AF-ON where the AF locks with one press of the AF-ON button and then stays locked until the AF-ON button is pressed again. Do you know if my first scenario (push the AF-ON once and focus is "latched") is correct? Or must I use the AF-LOCK function as well?
Great Video! I have been enjoying the series so far! Thanks for all the effort. So true regarding handing your camera to someone else... I have found if you quickly return the camera into iA mode this will put the camera into 'normal shutter focus mode' for the short time someone else is using it!
I don't like back button focusing as such. I set the button to AF lock with the hold setting turned on. This way if I want the shutter decoupled from the AF temporarily, I just press AF lock and then I can take photos at the same focal point. Another push and it's back to normal shutter button focusing. This is also helpful for when I want to manually adjust the focus.
Thanks for the video -- and you are just fine. If you spent as much time using back button focus as you have using the shutter button, you might suck at using the shutter button! Can't argue with not fixing what isn't broken, though. Thanks for the video.
Well I am going to have to eat crow here. If you watch this more recent video of mine, you will soon learn that I have changed my mind about the BBF. Here it is! ruclips.net/video/t_Dp6dXd-e0/видео.html Thank you for stopping by to chat!
@@ImageMaven I knew it!!! ;-) Not that you'd switch, but if you did, you'd be able to nail it down to a science with some practice. I liked the pictures and videos in the video you referenced, as well as the content of the videos, of course..
I like BBF because sometimes I want to take a picture with 3 steps: lock exposure with a half press of the shutter button on one spot in the frame, reframe and lock focus with BBF on a second object, and then reframe for the whole scene and choose my moment to fire the shutter. Hard to do unless you can separate locking exposure, focus and shutter firing.
Hi Marlene. Love your videos and passion for the Lumix cameras. Can you advise if their is a way to zoom in on shot on the back of the camera without pressing buttons heaps of times. I have a G9. Thanks.
Do you mean in playback mode? or Shooting mode? In playback mode you can roll the Rear Dial with your thumb. To move around the frame, push the Joystick or the Control dial up, down, sideways. That's what I do. Hope that helps.
Its funny I used to shoot football with a Nikon D4s with a 400 2.8 on a Monopod and I used the back button focus and did not care for it. I end up using the single focus point and sometimes don't even use continuous focus. I shoot manual with Auto ISO short bursts around 10 fps. But when I started shooting football I was using a Nikon D7000 with an 80-400 4.5-5.6 first gen. It taught me a few things (Luckly Youth Football is more predictable) First It taught me the game. Second it taught me how to see through my camera and at the same time watch where I think the ball is going to go. And third it taught me how to forget about following the play but get the lens on where I though the ball was going get focused and wait for it to come to me. That lens took 2 seconds to focus. Forget night games although I tried. When I got the 400 everything got easier except handing off another camera with a 70-200 for plays closer to me. Transitioning between cameras on the play was too risky for me. But in the beginning doing it the hard way helped me. And one thing you learn real quick is when looking through a 400 on the field you better be alert because a stray ball or player can make for a bad day (thankfully never happened to me but I had seen it happen) Especially in the NFL
Great to hear your first hand experiences with BBF and different lenses. Thank you very much for sharing. In the 90s I shot mountain and road bike races and didn't even have a fast motor drive and did just fine with predicting where the cyclists would be. I'd prefocus on a spot on the road/mountain. After awhile you get enough experience to know the best timing. Sounds a bit like your football technique, but I used wider angle lenses as I was closer to my subjects. Cheers and thanks for stopping by.
If you're focusing on a bird within some foliage then back button focus helps. As the focus may switch to a twig or branch instead of the bird when you take a second shot. Although you could just use AF lock to help with that. To be honest I don't really use BBF either.
I’m definitely a convert to BBF since getting my 100-300mm lens. To deal with foreground background focus problems you can set up the near and far focus bias on the Lumix G9, and other Lumix cameras. You can set them up as function buttons for quick changes. Make sure you check out my latest BBF video. Thanks for stopping by!
Optimal. But I keep both activated. If I need to keep focus I use the rear button, otherwise I can use the one on the shutter button. The rear one is proper and does not affect the shutter release. G9 has such a sensitivity that the half shot is almost non-existent
I have since changed that AE/Af Lock button to AF-On-Far, for when birds are hidden behind tree leaves. Took me awhile to get used to the half-press but now I'm okay with it. Thanks for stopping by, Walter.
You can turn off the Touch pad AF. In my pdf of the owner's manual it's on page 101. Just search the pdf manual for Touch Pad. Link to the manual is in the video description.
Not sure I know what you mean, but you can find all the focus information starting on page 89 of the PDF owner's manual. You can find it here: eng-ca.faq.panasonic.com/app/operating_manuals
thanks Marlene, after watching all your G9 videos , ordered mine & it's on the way , have you a video on metering modes & when to use them ? thanks Kevin UK
Hi Kevin, Good choice on the G9. I don't specifically have a video about metering modes, although I think I briefly cover it somewhere. Just can't recall which video. But I think that topic would make a great video on it's own. I'll put it on the list. Short answer though, is that I use the multiple point metering and I check my histogram to ensure my exposure is sitting well in the tonal range I'm aiming for.
Thank you for this gr8 tutorial. If I use the back button focus in video, will it keep the same focus during all shoot, or will the focus readjust? I shoot mainly real estate, would like to focus once, and then concentrate on exposure and composition. Looking for that setting: focus only when I press a button, and then keep the same focus during the next shot.
Check out my video about Auto Focus for more help on that topic. ruclips.net/video/CsPeDCYP4qc/видео.html But if you want to keep the exact focus on your video, the simplest thing to do is use Manual focus.
Hey Marlene. Great video as always. Is there a wide lense that you recommend for the G9? I use the Leica 12-60mm kit lense. I would love an affordable fast lense that will have an F stop around 1.8 to shoot tight closed in spaces with real estate. I would be so grateful if you or any of your subscribers have any suggestions. Keep up the great work - Australia loves you :)))
Hello! As it happens I just picked up the Lumix 15mm f/1.7. My next video, on the topic of lens speed, will feature this lens. But it might not be wide enough to capture what you need in tight spaces. It is barely wide enough for my skateboarding shots actually. I mostly shoot with the Lumix 7-14mm f/4. Much wider, but comes with some distortion at the 7mm side. Does the 12mm capture wide enough for you? If so, keep using it. If you shoot real estate you can always use a tripod and slower shutter speed in low light so a super fast lens might not be necessary. Because you'll want deeper depth of field in your real estate photos anyhow. So f/1.8 is something you'll likely never use because it may throw too much out of focus. And if you need more light, just raise the ISO a bit. The G9 has lots of room on that. Hope that helps and thanks for asking!
this could help my issue: I come from Sony and the (harder) shutter-button is what I am used to. Lumix G9 button is far to itchy, meaning a few micro-grams shoot a photo. Sony waits much longer and needs more pressure. So with your idea i could separate the pre-focusing from the actual release. Thx.
Even previous Lumix users find the shutter button on the G9 rather touchy. Took me a few hundred shots to get used to it. You'll grow to like it. So don't give up.
By now I’m sure you have become used to the sensitive shutter button - It just perfect! Much easier to take stable photos and click free videos. I love it. All the other cameras should copy it, if it ain’t copyrighted somehow 😉.
Gee, Many thanks, I will sleep tonight knowing I don't need to shoot with back button. It's like driving a manual car for years then changing to automatic, I find that I still want to change gears and my concentration slips. Cheers
Hi Marlene , if i was to use back button focus , would it continuously focus if i keep my finger on the button like for tracking ? & lock the focus if i lift my finger off ? or push once to lock on ?
That depends on the focus mode/method you're using. If using Focus Tracking, then press once, lock on to your subject and it should track. I suggest, as I always do, that you try out the different focus modes and see which works best for you. Also with back button focus, most people use their thumbs on the focus button (at the back of the camera) and the finger on the shutter button. The basic thing that BBF does, is separate focussing from shutter button pressing. The focus mode/method is something different.
Hi Marlene, A great video as always, your explainations and instructions are always so easy to follow. I myself only use back button focus on one of my cameras and mainly for wildlife or sports photography as I find he tracking works best for me, but as you mentioned it does take time to learn and on to many occasions I have forgotten to use the back button and ended up with blurry shots. I have just ordered a G9 after watching your videos for wildlife photography - Would you be able to recommend the best Telepho lens please. I have tested the 100-400mm which i find a little stiff on the focusing - I was then recommend the faster 50-100mm lens which would still provide me with 400mm. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Adam, Great to hear from you. I don't have any experience with wildlife or super long lenses. My longest lens is the 35-100mm. But I suggest you give the 100-400mm another try. Each lens has slightly different feel to it in terms of 'stiffness'. And I'm assuming you mean the zoom-ring here. 100-400mm is a long way to travel so I expect might seem stiff when rotating the zoom ring. Can you rent one or try one out when you get your G9? Otherwise you've got the 50-200 or the 100-300. But I would say test any lens out for yourself before buying, as they are a big investment. My pal Joseph has a review on this lens that you can watch here: ruclips.net/video/lIjxZj9MWyk/видео.html He's got access to a lot more gear than I do. And he's a great teacher too. I suggest you ask him the same question about tele lenses. He's much more knowledgeable on the topic. Sorry I couldn't give you more help than this! Let me know what you decide.
I just recently picked up a G9 as I transition away from Canon. I did rent the Leica 50-200 lens and it is quite a beauty. The copy I had focused quickly but it's a tad expensive. I bought the Panasonic 100-300 mark ii for bird photography and I have found that I have more keepers with this lens than the Olympus 75-300 which I also own. I am intentionally not trying to shoot birds in flight due to a shoulder injury but the few times that I broke that rule, they came out pretty good. Practice makes perfect.
Thanks for another nice tutorial! I want to understand how back button focus works in conjunction with burst modes. Let's say I switch to BBF just like you did in this vid, so the shutter AF is disabled. I am shooting action sports like skateboarding. If I am tracking an athlete and I fire burst mode, will I need to keep the back button depressed for the entire burst?
Hello Quartz, Yes definitely keep the BBF button depressed during burst, when tracking. You'll find this works in AFS using Custom Multi, or 1-Area focus, too. I just tested it out today with some runners and my 100-300mm lens, and it tracked perfectly. Another technique is to pre-focus on a spot where the skater is doing a trick, like a hip they're flying over. You can focus on the hip using BBF, and then take your finger off the BBF button and just jam that regular shutter when they hit the area. I do that a lot when I'm looking for a specific composition and just need my skater to get to the spot in the frame I want them and I don't want to worry about the camera re-focusing. Hope that helps. Thanks for your question and for watching!
Hi Marlene, I agree I will probably stick to ordinary focusing in my LUMIX cameras. But I do have a question for you, What is the difference between “Monochrome“ in Filter and “Monochrome” in Photo Style? (Filter wins over Photo style as cannot ally both simultaneously). Any great suggestions? I got and use G9, LX100, GH2, GF3 and G3. Some of them has this ambiguity.
Hi Claes, The Monochrome Photo Style has a bunch of customization such as contrast, sharpness, colour tone, Noise reduction, filter effect and grain effect. The Monochrome filter has less adjustments. Check out my both my videos for more about each of those Monochrome modes: ruclips.net/video/FCKoHTmIATY/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/5DnLD35mq1M/видео.html
Great tutorials, I'm have trouble with the shutter button, it is too sensitive, I keep taking photos when I didn't intend too!!! can I adjust the sensitivity of the shutter button? Many thanks. Dave UK.
@@ImageMaven Hi Marlene, Many thanks for your prompt reply, I'll try to remember to keep my finger of the trigger!! and hope that someone at Panasonic reads theses notes and fixes this problem. Love your clear and informative tutorials. Dave UK
I’m like you. I don’t understand the use of AF lock. I configure the button as AE lock, to lock the exposure on the brightest part, using the spot exposure. So I don’t have « burnt » parts in the image. What do you think? Makes sense?
Hmm, that metering method wouldn't work for me. I use the multipoint metering and check the histogram to catch those hot spots and then see if they're enough to worry about. I don't want my whites going grey. That's what the meter tries to do. So it will turn hot spots into 18% grey and if you do that you risk underexposing other areas of the shot. But if it works for you that's great, but honestly I'd have to spend too much time thinking about things and I prefer to let the camera do it's job so I can concentrate on getting my shots, as I mostly shoot action stuff. Thanks for your question though! Cheers.
Marlene Hielema thanks Marlene. How do you then deal with high contrast situations? How do you avoid bright areas to be burnt when high contrasts? I personally lock the exposure on the brightest area (eg sky) and brighten the darker areas in Lightroom. I’m curious to know how you deal with such high contrast situations... thx
Hello, Marlene, I am a new sub on your channel. Enjoyed your video! I just purchased a new G9 and will receive it this week. I can't wait to watch all your G9 videos and more. What lens do you use for shooting your youtube videos? what lens do you suggest for youtube videos and vlogging? Thank you so much for these great videos.
Hi Amy, thanks for subbing. :) I mostly use the 12-35mm f/2.8 lens for my RUclips videos. I'm shooting from a tripod and typically about 5 feet from the camera at 25mm (normal for M4/3) focal length, to get a nice head and shoulders shot with room for text on the side (as you can see from my videos). That way you don't get any wide angle face distortion. (At my age I need all the help I can get.) I often zoom to 30mm or 35mm to add variety. The kit lens, 12-60mm, that comes with the G9 would be a good start, but it's not super fast so you will need adequate light when working indoors. If low lighting is an issue you will need a faster lens, or LED lights in your space. I just got the 15mm f/1.7 and it's lovely but you may get some distortion if you go too close to the camera. But with that big f/stop you need to make sure you are in focus. My next video is about lens speed, so stay tuned.
@@ImageMaven Thank you for the speedy reply. I only purchased the G9 body so I can pick the right lens separately. :) I bought a 14mm f2.5 I thought I might use it for vlogging (correct me if I am wrong, please). If I end of getting this 15mm f1.7, I would like to use it for RUclips videos because of the shallow depth of field. Question: if I have two people in the video, would this lens in focus both people well? Looking forward to your next video.
Keep in mind f/stop is only one part of the equations that controls DOF. The other optical considerations are: Focal length, and distance to your subject. Wide angle lenses have deep DOF (more in focus) than telephoto lenses. So yes, with two people, both should be in focus as long as they are in the same plane and parallel to the camera. If one is in front of the other, you might lose focus on some facial features. So shallow DOF is not always a good thing. IMHO people make too much out of the blurry background thing. Your content is what counts. If you have good content you'll attract viewers. Your 14mm is a good place to start, but watch for distortion. No one wants a wider face!
@@ImageMaven Thank you so much for the detail explanation! you taught me so much. I miss my back in the day "photography classes" lol. I will receive my G9 in a couple of days so I can test it with 14mm first before I decide on what lens I need. I totally agree on your point "content is what counts" I will always remember that. Thank you and have a great week!
@@AmyiReport Exciting week for you! Have fun with your G9. New cameras can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm sure all those photo classes will come in handy when it comes to the basics too.
Hi Jack, It would be hard (maybe even impossible) to use BBF with a remote. BUT .... You can focus using the Lumix Sync app or the Lumix Image App and touch the phone/ipad/tablet screen where you want to focus. I have a video about that. I'll grab it an add another comment.
After watching this video, I tried the backbutton focus setting and practised a bit. Conclusion: no, not for me. Thankfully not another thing that I will need to get myself experienced with🙂
Ha ha. So true. It's not for everyone. But it's always good to test so you don't feel like you're missing out. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!
Marlene Hielema :I am looking for wildlife /bird , currently using 300 mm f4 Panasonic lens , could you give some advise and settings on camera settings
@@ImageMaven Hi, I acknowledge the sentiment, but I've had the G9 well over a year and still run Canon full frame and APS-C alongside M43. I've also got Lumix GH4, GX8, FZ330, FZ2000 and FT7, yet still struggle with bizarre lightness of the G9's shutter button. I initially thought it was faulty when I first used it.
@@Audit-The-Auditors I agree, that light shutter sensibility is a bit annoying. Grumbling when I accidentaly take a picture :) It happens at every shoot session (not the grumbling, but the accidental pictures).
The composition issue is the most important take away. BBF should not be your go to setting what with all the power of the G9s capabilities. Only use when all other considerations have been factored in. BBF for a couple years, I'm going back to what the engineers knew all along. Thank you.
Thanks for chiming in Carl. You raise an interesting discussion point. There are those who use BBF all the time, and those that never use it. I'm in the latter group -- I will trust the engineers. Cheers and stay healthy and well out there!
Sorry another issue that does my head in is that the auto focus area keeps moving to another area on the screen even once Ive set it on the LCD. How do I stop this? Also often when I push the Fn1 button to show the AF modes or the button to bring up a photo nothing comes up. I have to turn the camera off and on again to be able to show them on the LCD. The photo shows inside the viewfinder though..Thanks again
Hi, this is probably because you have set AFC (autofocus continus), set AFS (autofocus single instead). Or you are in manual focus mode (in manual mode the Fn1 button is not poping up as you mention). The focus mode switch is just above the Fn1 button. As for the EVF not activating. Press the Fn3 button. It has 3 modes: EVF and LCD, LCD, EVF. By pressing the button, you switch the current mode.
Hello Marlene, you make nice video's, love to watch them! I have a question and i hope you can solf the "problem". Is there a way to lock exposure when you use backbuton focus?
@@supertuberdries If the light doesn't change (like outdoors on a sunny day) during your shoot, then it doesn't matter. What is the specific situation you're referring to?
@@supertuberdries Don't overthink this. You can program a Custom Function button, if you really want to, but it will be more complicated than just using Manual exposure in that rare situation that you require it. You can check the camera manual (pdf) and it will have the instructions for that. Page 106 in the English version. If you can't find it, put "ae" in the search bar of your pdf reader. Link to the camera manual is in the video description.
Well ... If you do indeed suck at this than I am in the same club. The G9 is so good with its autofocus that I also prefer not to use it. I did however make myself use back button with my Olympus cameras.. and it just made switching back and forth between the two more difficult than ever. I can possibly see an advantage at some things that I've shot like car shows and maybe some birds where you know they're going to land and perch.. but for the most part the back button focus doesn't seem to enhance my success either.
Hi Clint, I go in an out of using the BBF. Sometimes it's very handy. I've made newer videos where I show how to set up BBF to the AF Near-Far buttons. Hopefully you can have a look at that too. Here it is if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/u_lW3G_w-AQ/видео.html
Yes it's true. You have to program another function button for BBF. I tried Fn2, as it's the most convenient place on the camera for me. But unless I'm using a super telephoto with the G100, which is rare, I don't really need it much.
Hi. Thank you Marlene. You are the greatest :) I just got my G9 body and Lumix 100-400mm lens today and I'm charging a couple of batteries while binge watching your videos. Going out shooting tomorrow. Whoo Hooooo! I have a question please. Will I need to hold constant pressure down on the back focus button continuing through pressing the shutter release button to take the picture? Or can I achieve focus on my target with the back button, then take my finger off the back button, and then press the shutter release when I want to take the photo? For example, achieving focus on a bird fidgeting on a tree branch, take my hand off the back focus button, then press the shutter release to take the picture when I am happy with what direction he is facing? Or get focused on an area of the branch with the back button, and then take my finger off the back button, hold that aim, and wait for the bird to land there or walk across that point before snapping the picture? Thx :)
Hmm, I'm thinking if the bird is moving around quite a bit and depending on your depth of field at the time, you may have to keep the BBF active (press, press, press, not press and hold). But I also think that it depends on your focus mode. I found that with tracking, once it locks on to the subject, you're good to go and also you can see it in action, so you'll know. In general though, I think that's why people use BBF, because they can keep pressing that button over and over, until they're ready to fire. But please, please experiment for yourself. Everyone develops their own muscle memory with BBF and for some it works better than others. I for one, don't feel it necessary for what I do. But others use it 100% of the time. Have fun with your new camera!! And let me know how you like the 100-400mm!
@@ImageMaven Thank you Marlene. That makes sense, and sounding like it would be easier than repeatedly pressing the shutter release trying to grab the focus. That's kind of a pain and then they fly away too fast. Yeah, I have not "discovered" tracking yet.
@MarleneHielema Hi again Jetty. Sorry to hear of your bad experience. It's a big change from what you're used to so may take some time to develop new skills with the new gear. I always dislike my new gear until I work with it for a few weeks. My quick advice is to close your f/stop for better depth of field. At least f/5.6 or f/8, even smaller if you can. You may have to raise your Iso to do so. What shutter speed were you using? Try to keep it no slower than 1/focal length. i.e. 1/400s or faster to reduce camera shake even more than what you get using built-in the stabilizer. Drop the BBF for now. You can come back to it. Try AFS for birds sitting in branches. Half-press the shutter and when you're locked on, go full press. Use the Custom-multi point focus area for starters. The advanced owners manual has some extra tips on how to customize it. (Link in video description) But I just keep half pressing until it hits the target (which is usually accomplished in 1-3 presses). You can also touch the LCD to get it exactly where you want right away. (Okay that wasn't a really fast answer!) But don't give up. New gear takes some getting used to. And you're working with extremes here on the focal length, so hang in there!
@@ImageMaven Thank you Marlene! That's exactly how I was feeling and I was embarrassed after I wrote that question "demonstrating I didn't know anything", panicked, and deleted it "before you saw it". Sorry about that. I didn't know you responded. Thank you for your kind response. I completely miffed that one. I had set the camera to AFS, Shutter Priority, bumped up the ISO to 800, put the shutter speed at 1000, and used spot exposure to prevent a lake in the background from overwhelming the sensor, thinking that would be enough. And then I'm there like "WTF,? after what I just paid for this thing?!?" when only one of the small birds standing right next to each other was in focus. I am so nervous with this thing, I did not stop to think about the aperture. Maybe the camera's computer is thinking I am taking wedding photographs and making sure I have enough bokeh. I hate bokeh in nature photography! LOL.
The video did not explain the reason, why it was useful in the past to use back button focus. This makes it hard to understand, why it is nowadays not so useful anymore. I used it always on my old Canon 5D, because the 5D has only 9 focus fields. The focus fields where fixed, you could not move them around. And every focus field but the center field was garbage. So you had to use the center focus for every shot even when your subject was not in the center. A typical 5D shot was taken by 1.) moving the middle focus field to the subject, 2.) focusing, 3.) moving the camera to the final framing, 4.) doing the shot. In this workflow it was essential not to change the focus while you take the shot. But the G9 is totally different. It has many focus fields which you can easily move around to almost every position of the sensor. This makes the three steps focus-frame-shot useless. You can frame while you focus. Decoupling focusing from shooting does not make any sense anymore. Even worse: when you focus first and shoot later, there is a small time gap between focusing and shooting. And during this time your subject can move out of focus. I lost many photos with my 5D because of this time gap. Although I used back button focus for almost every photo with the 5D, I never use it with the G9. It is useless nowadays in particular with a camera using contrast auto focus.
I still use BBF quite a lot, especially when shooting birds with a super-telephoto lens. I find it works great and I can concentrate on shooting at the right moment, especially when the birds are really mobile, instead of worrying if the shot is in focus. To each their own I guess.
Ha yes. Glad I’m not the only one. 😀I think if you need it, you’ll figure it out. But if you’re already getting good focus, you’re less inclined to use it.
I don't think BBF is a now and then thing.. It's a way of life! one button to focus, one button to take the shot. Continuous BBF is even better, ESPECIALLY for moving subjects
I am a converted BBF user since making this video. I use it a lot. But I've also started using the AE/AE Lock button for AF Far with birds that are hidden in tree branches. Thanks for your tip!
Thank you for breaking down back button focus. I never had a clear understanding until this video! Glad to see you have your computer issue resolved .😊 PEACE from ATL 😊📸
Thanks for watching. BBF was always a bit of a mystery to me too. My computer issues are not quite resolved. That iMac is at the e-recycling now. It was the power supply. Too old (7 years) and too costly to fix it. Plus couldn't find anyone who would actually fix it. Everyone said to let it go.... So, I'm squinting along using my 13" MacBook Pro for now. I have to admit it was painful editing this video. At some point I will need a new video editing workstation. So I'll likely be making less videos until that happens.
Thanks Lee!
You are correct when you say some photographers will find back button focus invaluable while others will find it a needless complication. I never used it with any camera that preceded my G9 and, to my knowledge, never needed it. But the G9 shutter release is different.
I find the G9 shutter release button to be so sensitive that I release the shutter prematurely often enough for it to be annoying. When this happens, I'm neither framed nor focused where I want to be. It usually happens when I'm trying to find the half-press to lock focus and slightly overdo it. Also, I've always found having to choose between AE Lock, AF Lock, or AE/AF lock for the AE/AF Lock button to be annoying. I use all three options and inevitably find that the option I want is not the way the button is currently set. This has been the case with every Panasonic camera I've used.
Enter back button focus and its implicit AF Lock function. That is, the AF is locked when you AREN'T pushing the focus button. I set Shutter-AF to Off, the AE/AF Lock button to AE Lock, and the F1 button to AF-ON. I first used the AF/AE Lock button set to AF-ON, but didn't like the loss of the AE Lock function. So I moved the AF-ON function to the (for me) unused F1 button so I can leave the AE/AF Lock button set to AE Lock. For me, this configuration solves both problems.
I can't do this on my GH3 where the AF-ON function can only be assigned to the AE/AF Lock button. I'm not sure which camera models allow AF-ON to be a general function that can be assigned to any function button.
Obviously, YMMV! I don't shoot fast moving subjects, I use 1-Area AF, and I use the joystick to select that area. I've trained myself to use my index finger to activate the shutter, ISO, and +/- buttons as well as spin the front dial. I've trained my thumb to use the AE Lock, joystick, and F1 buttons as well as spin the rear dial. Yes, all of this takes practice and it conditions you to a particular camera configuration. But that's true regardless of your camera and configuration.
richard hargrove
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See my work at www.flickr.com/photos/richard_hargrove/
Thanks for sharing your workflow Richard. This is awesome. I'm sure it will help others, especially those who find the shutter button a light touch on the G9. I did at first, but now I really like it. That may change as my arthritis advances further into both of my hands. The great thing is that this camera (and most) are fully customizable for everyone's needs. Many camera users likely don't delve into the menus to the extent that you do! Cheers!
Hey Richard. Just followed you on Flickr. Are all of those photos taken with G9? I think I saw the pool room photo on dpreview.com. GREAT shots!
Thanks for the follow. The images were captured with a variety of cameras, mostly Panasonic Lumix models. I try to put relevant capture and post-processing information at the end of the image's descriptive text. If you saw one of my images on DPReview then they stole it from me.
richard
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Ah, those three little words so many people seem to have so much trouble saying: “I was wrong.”
Nice explanation, thanks. An issue I have for critical focus is that my body sways back and forth a little bit. If there is too long a delay between when I focus and when I take the shot, then the focal plane may have shifted too much. Being fast with whatever technique I am using becomes useful. That is why, for example, I really appreciate good eye AF.
Just received my new G9, thank the lord for your videos
Enjoy it! There's a lot to learn with this camera. Don't forget to get out and take some pictures too! Cheers!
Finally a RUclipsr who unabashedly stands up and admits she sucks at BBF! 😁 I tried switching several times in the past and I admit I suck at it too. It's just an extra step to remember, which takes a spit second longer, causing you to miss the decisive moment. I know that back in my film SLR days, you always had to manually focus first, before pressing the shutter. But that was nearly 40 years ago...too much muscle memory to overcome!
Thank You for another awesome G9 video. I've learned SOOOOO much from you and I really enjoy your videos!!
Thank you so much Frederick. I'm still learning too!
Děkuji za přidání titulků do videa, rád se učím podle vašich rad a doporučení.
Hey, Marlene! Before I bought my new Nikon D3500, I never heard of BBF. I watched some RUclips videos that recommended BBF, so that's what I switched to, even though I was never really comfortable with it, and even though I never had a real reason to use it (I take nothing but still shots). So, you've convinced me to go back to the ol' tried-and-true way of focusing, and I don't feel guilty about it in the least. So, thanks!!
This makes me happy Nathaniel. Do what works best for you and don't worry what others think or tell you is better. (That goes for shooting, or not shooting RAW files as well. I've been on both sides of that too.)
I love this video, Marlene! You are unpretentious and pragmatic. I do sometimes use bbf. I keep it in one of my custom modes. That way I can return to the conventional mode in a wink. Thanks for your refreshing perspective.
Thank you for watching and leaving your technique C mode technique. I've had this suggestion from others as well. Sounds like a keeper!
Hi Marlene, thanks for this great video. I spent the day back button focusing. Since I shoot mostly wildlife and birds, though it could work. It gives me perfect timing for the shots. I combine it with no preview. I think it's awesome, it improved my photography pretty much instantly. Keep up your great work, more lumix stuff.
Hi Leland, Thanks so much for sharing your technique. It will help others I'm sure. Do you also use the Animal detection focus (on the G9)? Cheers!
Thank you so much for this clear and concise video. I accidentally set focus to back button only and I was able to "reverse engineer" how to set focus back to the shutter button. I agree with your statement of the G9's fast focus ability. It has changed how I shoot weddings.
Phew! Glad you figured it out Russ. Nothing worse than setting something up only to forget how you did it. Been there. Done that! Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy your G9!
I didn't get into back focusing until perhaps the 4th year of my photography, but in my defense the first 3-4 years I focused mostly on landscapes : )
Ok, I won't completely give up on it. 😀
Just heard of your channel from Camera Conspiracies. I have the Lumix G85 and I am now subscribed and look forward to your new videos.
Thank you for the stopping by Charles. Cheers.
Thank you very much for this little secret. I tried back button focus but like you I didn't find any particular use for it in the wildlife videos I do. Now thanks to you Marlene, it sets my mind at ease and I don't feel like a dummy. Happy Holidays!
Joan
Great to hear it Joan. Camera nerds try to make everything mysterious for the average user. My (self-appointed) job is to demystify those things. Cheers!
Excellent explainer video. I just set it up on my G9/100-300mm lens combo for my daily hikes taking bird photos.
Awesome! It takes a bit of getting used to at first. But I hope that after a few hikes you’ll find it as useful as I do. Let me know how it goes, Marko.
Really enjoying your videos, thank you so much. Nice and succinct, not unnecessarily technical, very practical and clear. Helping me make more of my own lumix camera gear. Great stuff!
Hi Steve, Welcome to the channel and happy to hear this. Practical is my middle name. Cheers.
Thanks Marlene. .very clear explanation . I do not think that normally I will use B.B.F. my self..
I didn't think I would at first either, but now I use it a lot for bird photos. Try it! Thanks for watching.
Thanks, as always, Marlene for an informative vlog. I'm like you, in fact I did a custom set for BBF and haven't used it since. In this instance, it's the destination not the journey.
Mike in Oz
Haha. Mike, that sounds exactly like something I’d do. Great to have you in my comments stream, as always. Cheers from spring-like Canada.
I'm into the back button focus *lock. I find it pretty useful, but like you said, it takes some getting used to. Now that it's second nature, the lock option is awesome. Thanks for the great vid.
Good to know this! Thanks for chiming in to the conversation.
Lumix are endepted to you, I'm am loving this camera and a lot of that is down to you. This tutorial just adds to my exploration of the incredible range of functions to help me to develop my craft.
How very nice of you to say Moto-Photo. Thank you so much. I love this camera too and I'm happy that people like you are still discovering it's many functions.
Thanks Marlene, that's made it much clearer
I'm glad I found your channel since I recently picked up a G9. I'm very impressed with it. I find it to be better in all respects than my Olympus OMD-E-M1.
Glad you like your new G9. I'm still loving it after about 15 months of steady use. Thanks for stopping by.
I am back again Marlene and thank you for your quick response. Th green focus light is the one that appears at the top right hand corner of the screen when you press the shutter release half way down. I find it is difficult to see and would like to move it say half way down on the right hand side of the screen. Thank you for your most interesting items about the G9. Jack Tomlinson
Hi Jack. I highly doubt you can move that green dot/light. And no one has ever asked me about it before. To be honest I don't use it that much myself. I usually have the focus Beep ON, and that indicates focus as well. But hey you can always send a note to Panasonic. Maybe there's a solution out there.
The Panasonic S1 has a dedicated BBF button for a reason. It comes in handy if you do not want the camera to refocus every time you press the shutter button. So you can lock the focus e.g. on the eye of a subject and recompose the image without need of refocusing. And when you keep the BBF button pressed you can follow a moving subject. So this is a bit best of both of manual focus and autofocus. I agree that the G9‘s focusing is so fast that in many cased you do not have to worry loosing time due to refocusing. But when you are focusing on a particular area in the frame or let’s say on one person in a group, and you want to recompose without losing this focus, BBF can be a good thing.
Great to hear your real life examples on this (sometimes) confusing topic. Thank you for the extra info about BBF and the S1. Cheers.
Focus hold can achieve the same without BBAF
Thanks for diving into this ' hot ' topic. It is an individual preference kind of thing & requires lots of practice to make it automatic. I wanted to activate the ' Half Press Release ' on myFz2500 in order to cut down on camera shake when depressing the shutter. This did help but then I began taking unintended shots. First tried the traditional - as you explained - ' back button focus ' set up but , for me, found this arrangement awkward. In the Menu under custom c there is a tab for assigning function buttons - another easy / great feature of Lumix cameras. On top my Fn 4 button was for exposure comp. - which I've changed to ' Focus ' The top wheel I've assigned to be the ' exposure comp. ' With this set-up the focus is wright next to the shutter ! Index finger to focus & my 2nd finger to ' lightly ' push the shutter. My last 2 fingers & thumb hold the camera body. I found - on Amazon - a small rubber stick on ' cap ' that is textured that I've put on my ' new ' focus button. Now with the added height & textured feel of the cap I no longer need my eyes for locating it. I've had this arrangement for sometime now & It's become automatic. Hope this helps someone. Thanks again for the video Marlene.
Ray, I really appreciate your insight into this topic. I see I've barely scratched the surface. Thank you for taking the time to share your exact process for using BBF. I'm sure several people will benefit from it. I love those little red button pads. I use them on my GH3. Cheers!
I use the lower of the 2 buttons on the right of the lens for focus and my middle finger to operate it. Love your videos BTW.
Sounds good! My hands are too small for that kind of set up. Those front buttons are a real stretch for me.
Me too.
You can use BBF without switching off Shutter AF. The shutter button won't undo an AF lock made using the AF Lock button. Pressing the AF Lock button again releases it and you get the normal shutter button AF behaviour. So, with just AF-ON set you can get best of both.
I also find it's mostly not needed except to get bird shots and odd cases where the AF can't guess my intent. I'll BBF on a branch some bird is likely to appear on and then I have a good chance.
I find it's really helpful at times and glad to have it.
This is great to know. Thank you so much for adding your experience to the conversation. Cheers 😀
I use BBF with G9 for wildlife all the time. Got so used to it that it has become second nature. Big help to help frame your shot
I definitely see the advantage of BBF for wildlife shots. Thanks for adding your comment to the conversation. Cheers!
Thanks so much
I'm with you on this. A friend suggested back-button focusing - I asked him to explain what advantage it might have. I did not understand the reply but I tried it. What a mess...
Well I have tried it again and now see the big advantages of it. It's not for everyone, or every subject, but for birding, I love it now. So don't give up.
@@ImageMaven OK... I'll see if I can get my finger and thumb to coordinate as birding is my thing.
I keep my thumb on the back button, and then press the shutter when the decisive moment presents itself. You'll get used to it. Have fun!
Thank you for this!
Just an additional and super handy use of Back button....enable Manual AND autofocus mode. In AFS / single area or pinpoint....acquire the focus , then fine tune manually if so desired In manual focus mode you can switch between single area and manual at will and if your focus does not need to change...you're not constantly re-acquiring by depressing the shutter.
Great tip. Thanks! 😊
I have never used this, and was told that it would make doing moon shots easier, so this is a thing i will have to try
Or you can just shoot manual focus. That works great too, as long as you're using a tripod. Have fun!
@@ImageMaven i was trying but using a 500mm reflex lens, had to chase the moon as it moved and it was super hard to get the focus right, i really need to get an off camera trigger of some kind too
@@ArcticGator Use your phone as the trigger. Works with bluetooth and wifi (makes it's own wifi). Super easy. I sometimes sit in my house with my camera outside shooting close ups of birds in the -20C temps. I can completely control the camera and stay warm. If you don't want to do that, you can also use the 2 second delay if you're worried about moving your camera when you press the shutter button.
@@ImageMaven i tried, but the lens i was using was full manual, and the image on the phone wasn't enough to tell if it was in focus even with peaking on and i can't use the viewfinder when the phone is the remote!
@@ArcticGator Do your best.
Great video Marlene and also enjoy your channel too!!! I too tried the back button focus but only really use it for video when I’m in MF mode and need to grab focus quickly for static shots
I use BBF much more now than when I made this video. I have since set it up, and I like it a lot, especially with my long telephoto lens. Thanks for watching my videos!
Hey Marlene, thanks for making sense of bbf. Will do as recommended and have a go and practice and decide for myself. Thanks for your honest opinion.
Yes, this is something that definitely requires a lot of practice. I should give BBF more practice time myself, especially for wildlife and bird photography. Hopefully this spring and summer I'll get some opportunities. Thanks for chiming in!
Another good video! I've seen some RUclips videos that counsel against using BBF so it does seem to come down to personal preference. I use it and seems like second nature to me now but definitely takes a while to get used to it. Say, a video idea for you is how to shoot birds in flight or skateboarders (or anything) in motion using AFC. I am not good at it and would welcome good advice. I still am not savvy on what focusing mode to use for what occasion.
Hi Steven, Great to hear you’ve got BBF dialed in. As it happens I use AFS 100% of the time when shooting skateboarding as I can easily predict where the action is going to happen. Birds in flight however, is a whole other thing! It’s on my list. Just not sure when I’ll be around said birds. I may have to enlist the help of some friends who are experts at bird photography or it will be a video full of crows and magpies.
@@ImageMaven Interesting aspect mention after 6 minutes in this video. You can use AFC all the time since when you release the BB, its AFS :-) ruclips.net/video/556QCFI1BtE/видео.html
Once again, thank you!
My pleasure!
When you use MF assist ( full screen ) you will wait a long time before the assist will disappears by itself ( and you want to recheck the framing ) and you will lose the focus if you release the shutter button, the back button focus in AF lock position will direct the MF assist to disappear and you can correct the framing. ( Shutter AF in My Menu setting for versatility )
Thanks for sharing your tips Michel. I will try that out.
Hi Marlene - great tutorial as always. I also use a sort of hybrid ‘back button focusing’.
I have set the Fn5 custom button to AF-ON and then have the AE/AF Lock set to AE LOCK.
This allows me to just point and click on the Shutter release, and if I need more control then I have separate buttons for both exposure and focusing.
Works for me ;o)
Great tip Jon. I'm going to give it a try! Thank you.
Well explained Marlene
Great to hear this Mark. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing this. I'm not all that keen on using it, but I am more tha a bit frustrated with how sensitive the shutter button is an I find myself taking shots when I'm barely touching the button. I consider this to be ba design on the part of Panasonic. Best, D.
Hi Freedda, Yes, at first that was a problem for me as well, but I did get used to it. Don't give up!
Great video, Marlaene. I use the back button focus when shooting videos with my G9. Sometimes the camera hesitates when to start re-focusing after shifting from one scene to another while recording videos. So, by using the back button focus you kinda tell/force the camera to start focusing.
Great tip Techana. Thank you for sharing! I shall try this one out.
@@ImageMaven When using the back button focus for video, one should keep the shutter button focus functionality for taking pictures. Also, the beep sound should be silenced in order not to be picked by the mic during video recording.
@@_techana Thanks for the extra tips. I never have a problem with the shutter sounding. I think it must be automatically disabled.
I used back button focus on my GH3 and GH4 but I have never felt I needed it on the G9. Besides, I’m a left eye shooter and back button focus puts my thumb in my right eye!
Yes, John we don't want you poking your right eye out! ;) Always great to have you chiming in. Have a great day!
Thank you Marlene -- your videos have helped me a lot with my G85. I was watching some other videos on BBF -- on non-Lumix cameras, and it seemed that the AF-ON button would "latch" focus with just a press. So you compose, line up the AF point with the subject, push *and release* the AF-ON button and the camera stays latched (avoiding the word lock at this point) on that focus setting while you are free to take multiple pictures (shutter AF = off). But some of the Lumix BBF info seems to indicate that the AF button needs to be held in the whole time to latch the focus point/distance. And there is the additional menu option of enabling "AF-LOCK" for AF-ON where the AF locks with one press of the AF-ON button and then stays locked until the AF-ON button is pressed again. Do you know if my first scenario (push the AF-ON once and focus is "latched") is correct? Or must I use the AF-LOCK function as well?
amazing teacher!
Great Video! I have been enjoying the series so far! Thanks for all the effort. So true regarding handing your camera to someone else... I have found if you quickly return the camera into iA mode this will put the camera into 'normal shutter focus mode' for the short time someone else is using it!
Thanks for adding that extra tip, Connor. Cheers.
Merci!
Merci Guy!! :)
I don't like back button focusing as such. I set the button to AF lock with the hold setting turned on. This way if I want the shutter decoupled from the AF temporarily, I just press AF lock and then I can take photos at the same focal point. Another push and it's back to normal shutter button focusing.
This is also helpful for when I want to manually adjust the focus.
Great tip Ed. Thank you for sharing. Cheers!
Thanks for the video -- and you are just fine. If you spent as much time using back button focus as you have using the shutter button, you might suck at using the shutter button! Can't argue with not fixing what isn't broken, though. Thanks for the video.
Well I am going to have to eat crow here. If you watch this more recent video of mine, you will soon learn that I have changed my mind about the BBF. Here it is! ruclips.net/video/t_Dp6dXd-e0/видео.html Thank you for stopping by to chat!
@@ImageMaven I knew it!!! ;-) Not that you'd switch, but if you did, you'd be able to nail it down to a science with some practice. I liked the pictures and videos in the video you referenced, as well as the content of the videos, of course..
I like BBF because sometimes I want to take a picture with 3 steps: lock exposure with a half press of the shutter button on one spot in the frame, reframe and lock focus with BBF on a second object, and then reframe for the whole scene and choose my moment to fire the shutter. Hard to do unless you can separate locking exposure, focus and shutter firing.
That sounds like a good technique and use for BBF. Thank you for sharing. I'm sure it will help others who stop in here. Cheers!
Hi Marlene. Love your videos and passion for the Lumix cameras. Can you advise if their is a way to zoom in on shot on the back of the camera without pressing buttons heaps of times. I have a G9. Thanks.
Do you mean in playback mode? or Shooting mode? In playback mode you can roll the Rear Dial with your thumb. To move around the frame, push the Joystick or the Control dial up, down, sideways. That's what I do. Hope that helps.
Its funny I used to shoot football with a Nikon D4s with a 400 2.8 on a Monopod and I used the back button focus and did not care for it. I end up using the single focus point and sometimes don't even use continuous focus. I shoot manual with Auto ISO short bursts around 10 fps. But when I started shooting football I was using a Nikon D7000 with an 80-400 4.5-5.6 first gen. It taught me a few things (Luckly Youth Football is more predictable) First It taught me the game. Second it taught me how to see through my camera and at the same time watch where I think the ball is going to go. And third it taught me how to forget about following the play but get the lens on where I though the ball was going get focused and wait for it to come to me. That lens took 2 seconds to focus. Forget night games although I tried. When I got the 400 everything got easier except handing off another camera with a 70-200 for plays closer to me. Transitioning between cameras on the play was too risky for me. But in the beginning doing it the hard way helped me. And one thing you learn real quick is when looking through a 400 on the field you better be alert because a stray ball or player can make for a bad day (thankfully never happened to me but I had seen it happen) Especially in the NFL
Great to hear your first hand experiences with BBF and different lenses. Thank you very much for sharing. In the 90s I shot mountain and road bike races and didn't even have a fast motor drive and did just fine with predicting where the cyclists would be. I'd prefocus on a spot on the road/mountain. After awhile you get enough experience to know the best timing. Sounds a bit like your football technique, but I used wider angle lenses as I was closer to my subjects. Cheers and thanks for stopping by.
Many thanks
You're welcome Mike!
If you're focusing on a bird within some foliage then back button focus helps. As the focus may switch to a twig or branch instead of the bird when you take a second shot. Although you could just use AF lock to help with that. To be honest I don't really use BBF either.
I’m definitely a convert to BBF since getting my 100-300mm lens. To deal with foreground background focus problems you can set up the near and far focus bias on the Lumix G9, and other Lumix cameras. You can set them up as function buttons for quick changes. Make sure you check out my latest BBF video. Thanks for stopping by!
Optimal. But I keep both activated. If I need to keep focus I use the rear button, otherwise I can use the one on the shutter button. The rear one is proper and does not affect the shutter release. G9 has such a sensitivity that the half shot is almost non-existent
I have since changed that AE/Af Lock button to AF-On-Far, for when birds are hidden behind tree leaves. Took me awhile to get used to the half-press but now I'm okay with it. Thanks for stopping by, Walter.
GOOD INFO BUT WILL NEVER USE IT EITHER, THANKS FOR VIDEO
Thanks for watching and commenting Wayne. Cheers!
Hi is there any way of locking the focus area display on the LCD? its annoying when my nose keeps changing it! thanks
You can turn off the Touch pad AF. In my pdf of the owner's manual it's on page 101. Just search the pdf manual for Touch Pad. Link to the manual is in the video description.
@@ImageMaven Oh brilliant thanks. I should have thought of that lol
@@gregkingston4913 Or use the Fn3 button and set the EVF/LCD mode so that LCD is not activated when you use the EVF.
Can I move the green focus light, to another position on my G9
Not sure I know what you mean, but you can find all the focus information starting on page 89 of the PDF owner's manual. You can find it here: eng-ca.faq.panasonic.com/app/operating_manuals
thanks Marlene, after watching all your G9 videos , ordered mine & it's on the way , have you a video on metering modes & when to use them ?
thanks
Kevin UK
Hi Kevin, Good choice on the G9. I don't specifically have a video about metering modes, although I think I briefly cover it somewhere. Just can't recall which video. But I think that topic would make a great video on it's own. I'll put it on the list. Short answer though, is that I use the multiple point metering and I check my histogram to ensure my exposure is sitting well in the tonal range I'm aiming for.
thanks Marlene, what about a little bit of astrophotography with the G9 ?
@@kevinridley8883 Not my area of expertise, sorry.
Thank you for this gr8 tutorial. If I use the back button focus in video, will it keep the same focus during all shoot, or will the focus readjust? I shoot mainly real estate, would like to focus once, and then concentrate on exposure and composition. Looking for that setting: focus only when I press a button, and then keep the same focus during the next shot.
Check out my video about Auto Focus for more help on that topic. ruclips.net/video/CsPeDCYP4qc/видео.html But if you want to keep the exact focus on your video, the simplest thing to do is use Manual focus.
Hey Marlene. Great video as always. Is there a wide lense that you recommend for the G9? I use the Leica 12-60mm kit lense. I would love an affordable fast lense that will have an F stop around 1.8 to shoot tight closed in spaces with real estate. I would be so grateful if you or any of your subscribers have any suggestions. Keep up the great work - Australia loves you :)))
Hello! As it happens I just picked up the Lumix 15mm f/1.7. My next video, on the topic of lens speed, will feature this lens. But it might not be wide enough to capture what you need in tight spaces. It is barely wide enough for my skateboarding shots actually. I mostly shoot with the Lumix 7-14mm f/4. Much wider, but comes with some distortion at the 7mm side.
Does the 12mm capture wide enough for you? If so, keep using it. If you shoot real estate you can always use a tripod and slower shutter speed in low light so a super fast lens might not be necessary. Because you'll want deeper depth of field in your real estate photos anyhow. So f/1.8 is something you'll likely never use because it may throw too much out of focus. And if you need more light, just raise the ISO a bit. The G9 has lots of room on that. Hope that helps and thanks for asking!
Do you have a video on AF modes? Ex., Face tracking, tracking, 225, etc.
this could help my issue: I come from Sony and the (harder) shutter-button is what I am used to. Lumix G9 button is far to itchy, meaning a few micro-grams shoot a photo. Sony waits much longer and needs more pressure. So with your idea i could separate the pre-focusing from the actual release. Thx.
Even previous Lumix users find the shutter button on the G9 rather touchy. Took me a few hundred shots to get used to it. You'll grow to like it. So don't give up.
By now I’m sure you have become used to the sensitive shutter button - It just perfect! Much easier to take stable photos and click free videos. I love it. All the other cameras should copy it, if it ain’t copyrighted somehow 😉.
Gee, Many thanks, I will sleep tonight knowing I don't need to shoot with back button. It's like driving a manual car for years then changing to automatic, I find that I still want to change gears and my concentration slips. Cheers
Great analogy! I feel that too. Thanks a bunch for watching.
Hi Marlene , if i was to use back button focus , would it continuously focus if i keep my finger on the button like for tracking ? & lock the focus if i lift my finger off ? or push once to lock on ?
That depends on the focus mode/method you're using. If using Focus Tracking, then press once, lock on to your subject and it should track. I suggest, as I always do, that you try out the different focus modes and see which works best for you. Also with back button focus, most people use their thumbs on the focus button (at the back of the camera) and the finger on the shutter button. The basic thing that BBF does, is separate focussing from shutter button pressing. The focus mode/method is something different.
Hi Marlene, A great video as always, your explainations and instructions are always so easy to follow. I myself only use back button focus on one of my cameras and mainly for wildlife or sports photography as I find he tracking works best for me, but as you mentioned it does take time to learn and on to many occasions I have forgotten to use the back button and ended up with blurry shots. I have just ordered a G9 after watching your videos for wildlife photography - Would you be able to recommend the best Telepho lens please. I have tested the 100-400mm which i find a little stiff on the focusing - I was then recommend the faster 50-100mm lens which would still provide me with 400mm. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Adam, Great to hear from you. I don't have any experience with wildlife or super long lenses. My longest lens is the 35-100mm. But I suggest you give the 100-400mm another try. Each lens has slightly different feel to it in terms of 'stiffness'. And I'm assuming you mean the zoom-ring here. 100-400mm is a long way to travel so I expect might seem stiff when rotating the zoom ring. Can you rent one or try one out when you get your G9? Otherwise you've got the 50-200 or the 100-300. But I would say test any lens out for yourself before buying, as they are a big investment. My pal Joseph has a review on this lens that you can watch here: ruclips.net/video/lIjxZj9MWyk/видео.html He's got access to a lot more gear than I do. And he's a great teacher too. I suggest you ask him the same question about tele lenses. He's much more knowledgeable on the topic. Sorry I couldn't give you more help than this! Let me know what you decide.
@@ImageMaven Thank you very much for your prompt reply. And for referring your friend. I look forward to your next video.
I just recently picked up a G9 as I transition away from Canon. I did rent the Leica 50-200 lens and it is quite a beauty. The copy I had focused quickly but it's a tad expensive. I bought the Panasonic 100-300 mark ii for bird photography and I have found that I have more keepers with this lens than the Olympus 75-300 which I also own. I am intentionally not trying to shoot birds in flight due to a shoulder injury but the few times that I broke that rule, they came out pretty good. Practice makes perfect.
Thanks for another nice tutorial! I want to understand how back button focus works in conjunction with burst modes. Let's say I switch to BBF just like you did in this vid, so the shutter AF is disabled. I am shooting action sports like skateboarding. If I am tracking an athlete and I fire burst mode, will I need to keep the back button depressed for the entire burst?
Hello Quartz, Yes definitely keep the BBF button depressed during burst, when tracking. You'll find this works in AFS using Custom Multi, or 1-Area focus, too. I just tested it out today with some runners and my 100-300mm lens, and it tracked perfectly. Another technique is to pre-focus on a spot where the skater is doing a trick, like a hip they're flying over. You can focus on the hip using BBF, and then take your finger off the BBF button and just jam that regular shutter when they hit the area. I do that a lot when I'm looking for a specific composition and just need my skater to get to the spot in the frame I want them and I don't want to worry about the camera re-focusing. Hope that helps. Thanks for your question and for watching!
Hi Marlene, I agree I will probably stick to ordinary focusing in my LUMIX cameras. But I do have a question for you, What is the difference between “Monochrome“ in Filter and “Monochrome” in Photo Style? (Filter wins over Photo style as cannot ally both simultaneously). Any great suggestions? I got and use G9, LX100, GH2, GF3 and G3. Some of them has this ambiguity.
Hi Claes, The Monochrome Photo Style has a bunch of customization such as contrast, sharpness, colour tone, Noise reduction, filter effect and grain effect. The Monochrome filter has less adjustments. Check out my both my videos for more about each of those Monochrome modes: ruclips.net/video/FCKoHTmIATY/видео.html and ruclips.net/video/5DnLD35mq1M/видео.html
I've never needed it but I find the shutter button is a bit lite for me on the Lumix g9
I got used to the light touch pretty quickly.
I set mine to c1mode
Great tutorials, I'm have trouble with the shutter button, it is too sensitive, I keep taking photos when I didn't intend too!!! can I adjust the sensitivity of the shutter button? Many thanks. Dave UK.
Hi Dave, I had the same problem at first too. But you will soon get used to it. Thanks for stopping by!
@@ImageMaven Hi Marlene, Many thanks for your prompt reply, I'll try to remember to keep my finger of the trigger!! and hope that someone at Panasonic reads theses notes and fixes this problem. Love your clear and informative tutorials. Dave UK
I’m with you. I tried BBF but didn’t like it. The ergonomics were just not comfortable for me. To each his own... Nice job.
Thanks Dave! Judging from the comments, I think BBF is one of those features that you like a lot, or not at all.
@@ImageMaven I think that's an accurate assessment. :-)
I’m like you. I don’t understand the use of AF lock. I configure the button as AE lock, to lock the exposure on the brightest part, using the spot exposure. So I don’t have « burnt » parts in the image. What do you think? Makes sense?
Hmm, that metering method wouldn't work for me. I use the multipoint metering and check the histogram to catch those hot spots and then see if they're enough to worry about. I don't want my whites going grey. That's what the meter tries to do. So it will turn hot spots into 18% grey and if you do that you risk underexposing other areas of the shot. But if it works for you that's great, but honestly I'd have to spend too much time thinking about things and I prefer to let the camera do it's job so I can concentrate on getting my shots, as I mostly shoot action stuff. Thanks for your question though! Cheers.
Thx, i use the ae buton for backbuton focos. So you can't lock the exposere. Is there a way to do this? I also use the G9!
Marlene Hielema thanks Marlene. How do you then deal with high contrast situations? How do you avoid bright areas to be burnt when high contrasts? I personally lock the exposure on the brightest area (eg sky) and brighten the darker areas in Lightroom. I’m curious to know how you deal with such high contrast situations... thx
@@daviddechamps8840 I typically use iDynamic in high contrast situations.
Can you set the Function 1 button to be AF-On? It's in a better position I think.
Possibly. Page 60 of the English expanded camera manual has instructions. Link to the manual is in the video description.
Hello, Marlene, I am a new sub on your channel. Enjoyed your video! I just purchased a new G9 and will receive it this week. I can't wait to watch all your G9 videos and more. What lens do you use for shooting your youtube videos? what lens do you suggest for youtube videos and vlogging? Thank you so much for these great videos.
Hi Amy, thanks for subbing. :) I mostly use the 12-35mm f/2.8 lens for my RUclips videos. I'm shooting from a tripod and typically about 5 feet from the camera at 25mm (normal for M4/3) focal length, to get a nice head and shoulders shot with room for text on the side (as you can see from my videos). That way you don't get any wide angle face distortion. (At my age I need all the help I can get.) I often zoom to 30mm or 35mm to add variety. The kit lens, 12-60mm, that comes with the G9 would be a good start, but it's not super fast so you will need adequate light when working indoors.
If low lighting is an issue you will need a faster lens, or LED lights in your space. I just got the 15mm f/1.7 and it's lovely but you may get some distortion if you go too close to the camera. But with that big f/stop you need to make sure you are in focus. My next video is about lens speed, so stay tuned.
@@ImageMaven Thank you for the speedy reply. I only purchased the G9 body so I can pick the right lens separately. :) I bought a 14mm f2.5 I thought I might use it for vlogging (correct me if I am wrong, please). If I end of getting this 15mm f1.7, I would like to use it for RUclips videos because of the shallow depth of field. Question: if I have two people in the video, would this lens in focus both people well? Looking forward to your next video.
Keep in mind f/stop is only one part of the equations that controls DOF. The other optical considerations are: Focal length, and distance to your subject. Wide angle lenses have deep DOF (more in focus) than telephoto lenses. So yes, with two people, both should be in focus as long as they are in the same plane and parallel to the camera. If one is in front of the other, you might lose focus on some facial features. So shallow DOF is not always a good thing. IMHO people make too much out of the blurry background thing. Your content is what counts. If you have good content you'll attract viewers. Your 14mm is a good place to start, but watch for distortion. No one wants a wider face!
@@ImageMaven Thank you so much for the detail explanation! you taught me so much. I miss my back in the day "photography classes" lol. I will receive my G9 in a couple of days so I can test it with 14mm first before I decide on what lens I need. I totally agree on your point "content is what counts" I will always remember that. Thank you and have a great week!
@@AmyiReport Exciting week for you! Have fun with your G9. New cameras can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm sure all those photo classes will come in handy when it comes to the basics too.
Hi when in BBF on my G 9 how do I focus when on a tripod using a remote
Hi Jack, It would be hard (maybe even impossible) to use BBF with a remote. BUT .... You can focus using the Lumix Sync app or the Lumix Image App and touch the phone/ipad/tablet screen where you want to focus. I have a video about that. I'll grab it an add another comment.
Here's that video: ruclips.net/video/LXhekvwfFJU/видео.html
After watching this video, I tried the backbutton focus setting and practised a bit. Conclusion: no, not for me. Thankfully not another thing that I will need to get myself experienced with🙂
Ha ha. So true. It's not for everyone. But it's always good to test so you don't feel like you're missing out. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers!
Hi Mam ,
Please make a video for best camera setting for gx9 camera
Best settings for what kind of photography? Also the G9 and GX9 are very similar so you should learn a lot from my G9 videos.
Marlene Hielema :I am looking for wildlife /bird , currently using 300 mm f4 Panasonic lens , could you give some advise and settings on camera settings
Zajímavá videa, mohu vás požádat, abyste přidala při natáčení videa titulky.
Jsem z České republiky a Google překládá mé titulky do mého jazyka.
Hi Radek, Yes I usually add the captions during the first day my videos are up. It will happen soon. Thank you for watching.
The one thing I don't like about the G9, is the shutter button's sensitivity.
I didn't like it at first either. But you will soon get used to it. Enjoy your G9!
@@ImageMaven Hi, I acknowledge the sentiment, but I've had the G9 well over a year and still run Canon full frame and APS-C alongside M43. I've also got Lumix GH4, GX8, FZ330, FZ2000 and FT7, yet still struggle with bizarre lightness of the G9's shutter button. I initially thought it was faulty when I first used it.
@@Audit-The-Auditors I agree, that light shutter sensibility is a bit annoying. Grumbling when I accidentaly take a picture :) It happens at every shoot session (not the grumbling, but the accidental pictures).
I feel like I'm the only person that finds the sensitivity absolutely perfect... and I used to have an A7III ^^
@@Simmiffy I like it too, Simon!
The composition issue is the most important take away. BBF should not be your go to setting what with all the power of the G9s capabilities. Only use when all other considerations have been factored in. BBF for a couple years, I'm going back to what the engineers knew all along. Thank you.
Thanks for chiming in Carl. You raise an interesting discussion point. There are those who use BBF all the time, and those that never use it. I'm in the latter group -- I will trust the engineers. Cheers and stay healthy and well out there!
Sorry another issue that does my head in is that the auto focus area keeps moving to another area on the screen even once Ive set it on the LCD. How do I stop this? Also often when I push the Fn1 button to show the AF modes or the button to bring up a photo nothing comes up. I have to turn the camera off and on again to be able to show them on the LCD. The photo shows inside the viewfinder though..Thanks again
Hi, this is probably because you have set AFC (autofocus continus), set AFS (autofocus single instead). Or you are in manual focus mode (in manual mode the Fn1 button is not poping up as you mention). The focus mode switch is just above the Fn1 button.
As for the EVF not activating. Press the Fn3 button. It has 3 modes: EVF and LCD, LCD, EVF. By pressing the button, you switch the current mode.
Hello Marlene, you make nice video's, love to watch them! I have a question and i hope you can solf the "problem". Is there a way to lock exposure when you use backbuton focus?
Simple Answer: You can just shoot in Manual Exposure mode once you get your exposure figured out. Then use BBF for focus.
Haha, that’s true!
@@supertuberdries If the light doesn't change (like outdoors on a sunny day) during your shoot, then it doesn't matter. What is the specific situation you're referring to?
Actually no, but sometimes it's useful!. Its my first system camera. So now you can see what you are doing! must be enough i think. You are right.
@@supertuberdries Don't overthink this. You can program a Custom Function button, if you really want to, but it will be more complicated than just using Manual exposure in that rare situation that you require it. You can check the camera manual (pdf) and it will have the instructions for that. Page 106 in the English version. If you can't find it, put "ae" in the search bar of your pdf reader. Link to the camera manual is in the video description.
Well ... If you do indeed suck at this than I am in the same club. The G9 is so good with its autofocus that I also prefer not to use it. I did however make myself use back button with my Olympus cameras.. and it just made switching back and forth between the two more difficult than ever. I can possibly see an advantage at some things that I've shot like car shows and maybe some birds where you know they're going to land and perch.. but for the most part the back button focus doesn't seem to enhance my success either.
Hi Clint, I go in an out of using the BBF. Sometimes it's very handy. I've made newer videos where I show how to set up BBF to the AF Near-Far buttons. Hopefully you can have a look at that too. Here it is if you're interested: ruclips.net/video/u_lW3G_w-AQ/видео.html
It's autofocus with extra steps
the first 2 min pretty much sum up how I feel
Thanks for chiming in Tony 😀
question! i turned on the back button focus but when i record a video it doesnt work?
Well that's a mystery to me. I just checked on my own G9 and it works perfectly.
Can I put this on C1?
It needs to be on a button that you can push when you’re focusing
How to lock using G100? Set it to AF lock but can’t figure out how to lock without the AF/AE lock button. 😅
Yes it's true. You have to program another function button for BBF. I tried Fn2, as it's the most convenient place on the camera for me. But unless I'm using a super telephoto with the G100, which is rare, I don't really need it much.
@@ImageMaven Thank you for the idea! :)
my camera does not have a back button
Well I guess that solves the problem of whether you should use it or not! ;)
Hoping for a G9H or GH6... ;-)
Hi. Thank you Marlene. You are the greatest :) I just got my G9 body and Lumix 100-400mm lens today and I'm charging a couple of batteries while binge watching your videos. Going out shooting tomorrow. Whoo Hooooo! I have a question please. Will I need to hold constant pressure down on the back focus button continuing through pressing the shutter release button to take the picture? Or can I achieve focus on my target with the back button, then take my finger off the back button, and then press the shutter release when I want to take the photo? For example, achieving focus on a bird fidgeting on a tree branch, take my hand off the back focus button, then press the shutter release to take the picture when I am happy with what direction he is facing? Or get focused on an area of the branch with the back button, and then take my finger off the back button, hold that aim, and wait for the bird to land there or walk across that point before snapping the picture? Thx :)
Hmm, I'm thinking if the bird is moving around quite a bit and depending on your depth of field at the time, you may have to keep the BBF active (press, press, press, not press and hold). But I also think that it depends on your focus mode. I found that with tracking, once it locks on to the subject, you're good to go and also you can see it in action, so you'll know. In general though, I think that's why people use BBF, because they can keep pressing that button over and over, until they're ready to fire. But please, please experiment for yourself. Everyone develops their own muscle memory with BBF and for some it works better than others. I for one, don't feel it necessary for what I do. But others use it 100% of the time. Have fun with your new camera!! And let me know how you like the 100-400mm!
@@ImageMaven Thank you Marlene. That makes sense, and sounding like it would be easier than repeatedly pressing the shutter release trying to grab the focus. That's kind of a pain and then they fly away too fast. Yeah, I have not "discovered" tracking yet.
@MarleneHielema Hi again Jetty. Sorry to hear of your bad experience. It's a big change from what you're used to so may take some time to develop new skills with the new gear. I always dislike my new gear until I work with it for a few weeks. My quick advice is to close your f/stop for better depth of field. At least f/5.6 or f/8, even smaller if you can. You may have to raise your Iso to do so. What shutter speed were you using? Try to keep it no slower than 1/focal length. i.e. 1/400s or faster to reduce camera shake even more than what you get using built-in the stabilizer. Drop the BBF for now. You can come back to it. Try AFS for birds sitting in branches. Half-press the shutter and when you're locked on, go full press. Use the Custom-multi point focus area for starters. The advanced owners manual has some extra tips on how to customize it. (Link in video description) But I just keep half pressing until it hits the target (which is usually accomplished in 1-3 presses). You can also touch the LCD to get it exactly where you want right away. (Okay that wasn't a really fast answer!) But don't give up. New gear takes some getting used to. And you're working with extremes here on the focal length, so hang in there!
@@ImageMaven Thank you Marlene! That's exactly how I was feeling and I was embarrassed after I wrote that question "demonstrating I didn't know anything", panicked, and deleted it "before you saw it". Sorry about that. I didn't know you responded. Thank you for your kind response. I completely miffed that one. I had set the camera to AFS, Shutter Priority, bumped up the ISO to 800, put the shutter speed at 1000, and used spot exposure to prevent a lake in the background from overwhelming the sensor, thinking that would be enough. And then I'm there like "WTF,? after what I just paid for this thing?!?" when only one of the small birds standing right next to each other was in focus. I am so nervous with this thing, I did not stop to think about the aperture. Maybe the camera's computer is thinking I am taking wedding photographs and making sure I have enough bokeh. I hate bokeh in nature photography! LOL.
The video did not explain the reason, why it was useful in the past to use back button focus. This makes it hard to understand, why it is nowadays not so useful anymore.
I used it always on my old Canon 5D, because the 5D has only 9 focus fields. The focus fields where fixed, you could not move them around. And every focus field but the center field was garbage. So you had to use the center focus for every shot even when your subject was not in the center. A typical 5D shot was taken by 1.) moving the middle focus field to the subject, 2.) focusing, 3.) moving the camera to the final framing, 4.) doing the shot. In this workflow it was essential not to change the focus while you take the shot.
But the G9 is totally different. It has many focus fields which you can easily move around to almost every position of the sensor. This makes the three steps focus-frame-shot useless. You can frame while you focus. Decoupling focusing from shooting does not make any sense anymore. Even worse: when you focus first and shoot later, there is a small time gap between focusing and shooting. And during this time your subject can move out of focus. I lost many photos with my 5D because of this time gap.
Although I used back button focus for almost every photo with the 5D, I never use it with the G9. It is useless nowadays in particular with a camera using contrast auto focus.
I still use BBF quite a lot, especially when shooting birds with a super-telephoto lens. I find it works great and I can concentrate on shooting at the right moment, especially when the birds are really mobile, instead of worrying if the shot is in focus. To each their own I guess.
Um, you said how to turn BBF on but you didn't say how to actually focus with it!!!! Is it like half=pressing the shutter button maybe?
@@Robin-bk2lm Well that was dumb of me! Press the back button and when you’re happy with your composition, depress the shutter button!
I set this up on C2 and I have been meaning to try it but I have been falling back on my usual settings instead. I might also give up.
Ha yes. Glad I’m not the only one. 😀I think if you need it, you’ll figure it out. But if you’re already getting good focus, you’re less inclined to use it.
I don't think BBF is a now and then thing.. It's a way of life! one button to focus, one button to take the shot. Continuous BBF is even better, ESPECIALLY for moving subjects
I am a converted BBF user since making this video. I use it a lot. But I've also started using the AE/AE Lock button for AF Far with birds that are hidden in tree branches. Thanks for your tip!