Great tip on using the joystick for group focus, I had a problem with it though. If I quickly try to press it, a lot of times I would not hit it squarely and the focus point would move. This was causing me to miss shots. So I found a work around. I programmed the front top PV button to do it. That also makes it much easier and faster to change the focus area. When my trigger finger is on the shutter, my middle finger is right there for the PV button and my thumb is on the normal back focus button. Check it out, I think you might like it.
Thanks for the full walkthrough! I decided to try it today and other videos said "turn it on, turn it on, turn it on!". No one actually said how to do it. I found the settings myself, and initiated it, but because I didn't know I had to change a custom control assignment neither half pressing the shutter or the AF-ON button would work. This cleared things right up and I'm already enjoying the added versatility!
Hey that's interesting having two AF-ON buttons. I'll definitely have to try this when I get mine. I can see how this would be great going from one mode to another. Thanks for the tip!!
Thank You so much! I am so glad I found your channel. Perfect instruction with clear precise shots and narrative. Does this back focus feature work when shooting video? I need a camera that shoots video and stills. The video is under demanding, quick paced moments and I need great focus. Subscribed.
great tutorial Steve, just one question. If I setup back button with "Area Mode + AF ON" in liveview is not gonna works, do you have any suggestions why ?
Waiting on my D850 to arrive, and finding this video is perfect timing as I have always use the Back Button AF set up. I am curious on why you use AF-C and Dynamic 9 point for the initial set up? I mostly shoot landscapes and use AF-S when shooting. I surmise that you set up for wildlife scenarios? Can I program the BB AF in the single servo mode w/o any problems? Thank you in advance!
Yes, you can use back-button with any focus mode. Most people who use back-button have it set in AF-C because of the way back-button works, it behaves like AF-S (locking focus) when you release the button, so it’s like having AF-C and AF-S at the same time, if that makes sense.
Hey Steve, first off love the channel.. Secondly when using the back button AF do you have to hold it down while pressing the shutter button or just press it once and go about shooting?
Thanks! You have to hold it down anytime you want the camera to actively focus. The shutter button no longer causes the camera to AF. There are some great youtube tutorials (I haven't done one) about it. Check it out, once you get used to it, you'll never go back!
Do you know, if there's a way to set the AF-ON button to lock both exposure and focus? If I go in "controls" and I map the AF-ON button to AE/AF lock, the camera only locks the exposure. Thanks.
While we can all agree that BBAF is preferred, I don't think that using the toggle button is a good idea for an AF option, because in the heat of shooting, it is almost impossible to push it in perfectly straight, and you wind up moving your focus points around instead. I would suggest that you assign your favorite "group" option (D5 / D9 / D25) to the AF On button, but assign a single point AF (deadly and necessary for getting the eye of a person or bird in focus) to the Pv button on the front of the camera body. Try this for a while and you'll never go back.
HI Steve, thanks for the help with set up. Always use back button and just setting up my D850 but I couldn't follow with the second button set up in group focus points. My icon appears different to what you had. It has a little white box with handle and in it it says AE and directly AF. When click this it goes to sub-selector center and AE/AF lock. There are a variety of other options such as AE Lock only, AE lock, AF lock only etc. Help please?
Hmmm, I'm not quite sure what you're asking but if you want to set up the sub-selector (thumbstick) center button to be a 2nd AF-ON button, get to the custom controls (f1), then find the 'sub-selector center' and set it to 'AF-area mode + AF-ON'. Scroll to the right to set which AF area mode you want that button to activate.
Thanks - I was able to do this on the D850 months ago and it's working great. However, with the vertical grip MB-D18, I can only do this with the grip's AF-on button, but can't set up the wider autofocus points (25 pt) using the grip's multi-selector joystick/button. Have you been able to do this? Should it be possible to use it that way?
Yes you can set this up (I have mine set up this way...) It's not very intuitive, but go to custom setting F10 'AssignMB-D18 buttons' and set the Multi Selector to 'focus point selection'. This should do the trick for you. Good luck!
Thanks for very good information may I have help from you please I have Nikon D 850 I was trying to set up bank A and my LCD shows i am in SHOOT A MODE and I couldn't complete setting but I want my Camera to return to its normal as I was shooting before start to save setting in bank A now how can I remove the icon which shows SHOOT A thanks in advance
My D850 menu does not look exactly like yours. I wonder why. I find that AF-On is not available in my subselector menu. I want to continue to use the AF-On Only as my focusing button (with Single Point), but I also want AF auto when I press the subselector button, for when the bird takes off. I feel I am close to solving this, but still so far away. It is frustrating. Maybe I need to update my D850’s firmware. Not sure, and not going to do anything until I know for certain. Thank you
Hi Steve! I have just purchased the d850, i mainly use the BBAF with all my cameras but with the d850 it doesn't work in live view mode what I'm using mostly...I'm missing something? Thanks!
thanks for the setup video! after setting it up and - while pressing the release button half way - my focus points still turn red. is there a way that they only turn red while pressing the af-on button? i changed from another camera manufacturer and this is really confusing to me...
I recently had to do a Reset with my D850 and since then, I have loss the ability to focus using my back button focus button in Live View. It is working perfectly in normal shooting mode, but not in Live View.. Do you have any idea what could be causing this? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
@@annar301 Thanks Anna. I have since figured things out, and also have saved my camera settings to a folder on my computer in case I have to do another reset. Hard lesson to learn by not updating my saved settings!
Great tip on using the joystick for group focus, I had a problem with it though. If I quickly try to press it, a lot of times I would not hit it squarely and the focus point would move. This was causing me to miss shots. So I found a work around. I programmed the front top PV button to do it. That also makes it much easier and faster to change the focus area. When my trigger finger is on the shutter, my middle finger is right there for the PV button and my thumb is on the normal back focus button. Check it out, I think you might like it.
Thanks for the full walkthrough!
I decided to try it today and other videos said "turn it on, turn it on, turn it on!". No one actually said how to do it. I found the settings myself, and initiated it, but because I didn't know I had to change a custom control assignment neither half pressing the shutter or the AF-ON button would work. This cleared things right up and I'm already enjoying the added versatility!
Glad to hear!
Awesome video - straight to the point with an excellent presentation style. Thanks Steve!!
You also want to send it to AFC instead of AF single
Nikon / Fuji, way to go brother.....D500, D850 and X-T3.
Please.......When Shooting Continuously, do you keep the back button held in.........and hold, or just one touch....and press the shutter button?
Depends. If I want focus to be locked then I release the back button. If I want focus to track then I push the back button.
Thank you, very helpful!
Hey that's interesting having two AF-ON buttons. I'll definitely have to try this when I get mine. I can see how this would be great going from one mode to another. Thanks for the tip!!
👍
I used this 850 setup for my D500. It was too the point and easy to follow.
Thanks Steve- this was very helpful and informative. Will "focus" on the newly programmed button and give it two weeks and I'm sure I'll be hooked...
Cool, good luck! It will be worth it.
Thanks so much. Mine is coming in today. Back button focus is always the first thing I do with a new camera.
Excellent, enjoy! It’s a great camera!
Fresh out of the box, what do u suggest I set my 850 with? This is my fourth camera of 45 years.
Thank you. Someday when my D850 finally arrives, I will do this.
Someday... hopefully soon
Thanks for the video. I really like the group focus idea.
👍
Thank You so much! I am so glad I found your channel. Perfect instruction with clear precise shots and narrative. Does this back focus feature work when shooting video? I need a camera that shoots video and stills. The video is under demanding, quick paced moments and I need great focus. Subscribed.
Hi, Yes, back button focus works in video mode.
Steve Mattheis Thank You so Much!
great tutorial Steve, just one question. If I setup back button with "Area Mode + AF ON" in liveview is not gonna works, do you have any suggestions why ?
Waiting on my D850 to arrive, and finding this video is perfect timing as I have always use the Back Button AF set up. I am curious on why you use AF-C and Dynamic 9 point for the initial set up? I mostly shoot landscapes and use AF-S when shooting. I surmise that you set up for wildlife scenarios? Can I program the BB AF in the single servo mode w/o any problems? Thank you in advance!
Yes, you can use back-button with any focus mode. Most people who use back-button have it set in AF-C because of the way back-button works, it behaves like AF-S (locking focus) when you release the button, so it’s like having AF-C and AF-S at the same time, if that makes sense.
It makes total sense Steve-Thank You!
Thanks Steve, Look forward to using back button focus underwater with my 850 within a week.
Sounds fun, good luck!
Thanks, Steve. As others have said, the GRP-focus idea is genius. Will the AF-ON also set the exposure or do you handle that in a different way?
Great recommendations Steve.
Great finding you here on this search, I don't have my Ipad and that is where my 850 book was - thanks.
👋 hi
Hey Steve, first off love the channel.. Secondly when using the back button AF do you have to hold it down while pressing the shutter button or just press it once and go about shooting?
Thanks! You have to hold it down anytime you want the camera to actively focus. The shutter button no longer causes the camera to AF. There are some great youtube tutorials (I haven't done one) about it. Check it out, once you get used to it, you'll never go back!
Do you know, if there's a way to set the AF-ON button to lock both exposure and focus? If I go in "controls" and I map the AF-ON button to AE/AF lock, the camera only locks the exposure. Thanks.
Thanks, how can I set the Af-on button + AE-AL measurement ?
Thanks
While we can all agree that BBAF is preferred, I don't think that using the toggle button is a good idea for an AF option, because in the heat of shooting, it is almost impossible to push it in perfectly straight, and you wind up moving your focus points around instead. I would suggest that you assign your favorite "group" option (D5 / D9 / D25) to the AF On button, but assign a single point AF (deadly and necessary for getting the eye of a person or bird in focus) to the Pv button on the front of the camera body. Try this for a while and you'll never go back.
HI Steve, thanks for the help with set up. Always use back button and just setting up my D850 but I couldn't follow with the second button set up in group focus points. My icon appears different to what you had. It has a little white box with handle and in it it says AE and directly AF. When click this it goes to sub-selector center and AE/AF lock. There are a variety of other options such as AE Lock only, AE lock, AF lock only etc. Help please?
Hmmm, I'm not quite sure what you're asking but if you want to set up the sub-selector (thumbstick) center button to be a 2nd AF-ON button, get to the custom controls (f1), then find the 'sub-selector center' and set it to 'AF-area mode + AF-ON'. Scroll to the right to set which AF area mode you want that button to activate.
Thanks I'll give it a try
Thanks - I was able to do this on the D850 months ago and it's working great. However, with the vertical grip MB-D18, I can only do this with the grip's AF-on button, but can't set up the wider autofocus points (25 pt) using the grip's multi-selector joystick/button. Have you been able to do this? Should it be possible to use it that way?
Yes you can set this up (I have mine set up this way...)
It's not very intuitive, but go to custom setting F10 'AssignMB-D18 buttons' and set the Multi Selector to 'focus point selection'. This should do the trick for you. Good luck!
Thanks Steve! I’ll give it a try when I get the camera in front of me - Much appreciated!
Thanks for very good information may I have help from you please I have Nikon D 850 I was trying to set up bank A and my LCD shows i am in SHOOT A MODE and I couldn't complete setting but I want my Camera to return to its normal as I was shooting before start to save setting in bank A now how can I remove the icon which shows SHOOT A thanks in advance
Thanks a lot for this instruction. But changing groups around is not possible, right? Like 25 or 72 or 153 on my d500
The group size is not changeable, but you can move the group around. Your D500 has group area AF as well and it is excellent for many applications.
Very clear and to the point, thank you.
My D850 menu does not look exactly like yours. I wonder why. I find that AF-On is not available in my subselector menu. I want to continue to use the AF-On Only as my focusing button (with Single Point), but I also want AF auto when I press the subselector button, for when the bird takes off. I feel I am close to solving this, but still so far away. It is frustrating.
Maybe I need to update my D850’s firmware. Not sure, and not going to do anything until I know for certain.
Thank you
Steve, my D850 does not show options for AF Area Mode for the sub selector button--only AF-ON. Any idea why?
For the sub selector center, choose AF area mode + AF ON
Hi Steve! I have just purchased the d850, i mainly use the BBAF with all my cameras but with the d850 it doesn't work in live view mode what I'm using mostly...I'm missing something?
Thanks!
I definitely works in live view so you must have something set that is preventing it from working. Are you maybe in AF-F mode?
thanks for the setup video!
after setting it up and - while pressing the release button half way - my focus points still turn red. is there a way that they only turn red while pressing the af-on button?
i changed from another camera manufacturer and this is really confusing to me...
666Eddie123321 you need to set your shutter to ‘release only’,,,you still have it set to ‘focus & release’.
I recently had to do a Reset with my D850 and since then, I have loss the ability to focus using my back button focus button in Live View. It is working perfectly in normal shooting mode, but not in Live View.. Do you have any idea what could be causing this? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!
Custom Setting Menu, f-Controls, f1-Custom control assignment, AF-On Button. If it's set to anything other than AF-On, BBF won't work in LiveView.
@@annar301 Thanks Anna. I have since figured things out, and also have saved my camera settings to a folder on my computer in case I have to do another reset. Hard lesson to learn by not updating my saved settings!
Thanks Steve!
how do you easily change the number of AF-C points?
Custom settings
Hi there what gear would you recommend for off flash camera. Many thannks
Hi, I rarely use flash so I’m probably not the best person to comment.
So if I hold the back button focus it makes it continuous and when i press it once it locks it in like its af-s?
Yes
@@SteveMattheis Even in video mode (D850), like while an animal is walking toward me?
Thank you!
👍
Firstly thank you.
Didn't see the part where back button af setup was given
1:48
Don't forget to set Af-c to release
No doubt
That was wrong
Okey dokey