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Back button focus


Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

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A few minutes later.. I will add that the last object I was photographing was too close to focus on once I checked with manual focus - this was despite the in focus bleep sounding both when I set focus and when the Q re-focussed (it has also bleeped when being utterly out of focus for me) and worked fine with manual focus : )

 

The thumb button which I googled and could not find (and which I assumed was the menu control button!) turned out not to be the zoom lock haha and I really had never noticed the thumb button ever! It is kind of ok but a little hard to press.

 

A half shutter press would be best with flash on - why does the flash disable it?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not strictly correct because I have been able to use a thumbs up and still retain that buttons assigned function. However, I don't use that button to focus. I use the Q mainly as a fast point and shoot. Some users use face detection but I'm interested only in instantaneous and spontaneous captures.

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  • 3 weeks later...

HI,

 

I just charged my battery and have been playing with the Q.  I was puzzled by this whole thumb button (which they call a zoom//lock button).  It seems that if this is set-up to lock focus (AFL), then this is the ONLY way one can focus.  I expected it to turn off after the shot was taken, and focus would revert back to normal (depress the shutter button halfway).  But it seems once this is set to AFL, it is the only way to focus.  This doesn't make sens to me.  It can slow one down if one needs to take a quick shot, or a quick shot from the hip by having to mess with two buttons:  the thumb button, then the shutter.  I am not sure why it is set-up this way.  I thought I was missing something, but from this thread (before it lost focus, so to speak), it seems this is correct.  Can someone clarify simply, that this is so?  Thanks.

 

Munene

Edited by Munene
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If your preferred method of focussing is to use the centre point to focus and recompose there is a chance that in recomposing with a half pressed shutter button that a slight loss of pressure means you lose focus and have to go back to square one. I see a double benefit of BBF in firstly avoiding that situation and secondly if you are waiting for something to happen having established the focus point you can then fire the shutter when the decisive moment takes place without having to maintain a half press for some time. With practice the coordination of thumb and forefinger becomes second nature. On my D800 I cannot now contemplate a different approach. There is the added benefit there that holding in the AF button changes the focus to continuous. I haven't yet discovered whether that is also the cae with the Q.

 

Having said all of that I find the ergonomics of the Q so different to the D800 that BBF doesn't seem to come as naturally. This may also be due to the Thumbs Up which as its name implies is occupying my thumb! So I tend to stick to the half press with the Q. Horses for courses!

 

Just my take on the issue.

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Thanks both of you.  I agree HK, to the benefits of this system, and with my Fuji I used it all the time.  OK, I just checked the Fuji to see why the Q felt so different.  The focus stays locked on the Fuji, even after the photo is taken.  But, 1) the green focus square stays lit, so it reminds you you are locked in.  Also, depressing the AFL button, unlocks the focus and it is back to working like a normal auto-focus (however you set it for that).  So, the Q is not quite as "friendly", but I imagine I will get used to it.  Maybe this is a firmware issue?  Today was the first day I carried it around.  Unfortunately I was at work.   Friday I fly from Fla to Scotland for two & 1/2 weeks of hiking and touring.  My equipment: Q, three batteries/charger/plug adapter (not power, but the plug), some cards.  Can't wait!!!!  : )

 

I am sure I will have more questions.  Thanks!

 

Cheers,

Munene

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Friday I fly from Fla to Scotland for two & 1/2 weeks of hiking and touring.  My equipment: Q, three batteries/charger/plug adapter (not power, but the plug), some cards.  Can't wait!!!!  : )

 

Enjoy, but be prepared for a temperature drop. Here in the Highlands it is cloudy and 15C today! I don't know where you plan to go but do try to get to the far north (north and west of Inverness) North Coast 500 is a superb scenic route and if you can get to Skye and Harris (Outer Hebrides) you will need a lot more than "some" cards!!! Have a great time.

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Enjoy, but be prepared for a temperature drop. Here in the Highlands it is cloudy and 15C today! I don't know where you plan to go but do try to get to the far north (north and west of Inverness) North Coast 500 is a superb scenic route and if you can get to Skye and Harris (Outer Hebrides) you will need a lot more than "some" cards!!! Have a great time.

 

 

I always carry a small case with four cards & one in the Q.  A small WD My Passport Wireless drive is in my suitcase.

Immediately upon return from shooting I put the used cards into the SD card slot of the drive.  Now I have backup!  

Then I import the images into my computer from a SD reader -- post processing and 2nd backup.  

AFTER both backups are assured, reformat cards for the next day.  

Actually I just bought a 12 card holder and some new cards... the more the merrier!  I can go a whole week now without reformatting.

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 There is the added benefit there that holding in the AF button changes the focus to continuous. I haven't yet discovered whether that is also the cae with the Q.

 

 

 

 

If you set the focus mode to AFC along with setting the back button to AFL the Q will keep focusing as long as the back button is depressed.  You'll hear -- and maybe feel -- the focus motor and see a fluttering in the viewfinder as the camera moves the lens to determine proper focus.  It's OK for following moving objects.

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I always carry a small case with four cards & one in the Q.  A small WD My Passport Wireless drive is in my suitcase.

Immediately upon return from shooting I put the used cards into the SD card slot of the drive.  Now I have backup!  

Then I import the images into my computer from a SD reader -- post processing and 2nd backup.  

AFTER both backups are assured, reformat cards for the next day.  

Actually I just bought a 12 card holder and some new cards... the more the merrier!  I can go a whole week now without reformatting.

I think I have 3 32gb and a 16gb card.  I doubt i will use more than two cards in the two weeks I am there (well the Q's files are a little larger than the Fuji's).  I am not a profound shooter.  It might go back to the film days as a student.  Film was not cheap!  Also, I usually am very deliberate, kind of take in the scene, get a feel for what is moving me, take a shot, maybe two, then move on.  I have gotten a higher percentage of "good" shots over the years (40+!)  : )  I'll have no computer, so bringing a portable drive won't do much good.  I do back everything up and keep a drive in my office, away from home.

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Enjoy, but be prepared for a temperature drop. Here in the Highlands it is cloudy and 15C today! I don't know where you plan to go but do try to get to the far north (north and west of Inverness) North Coast 500 is a superb scenic route and if you can get to Skye and Harris (Outer Hebrides) you will need a lot more than "some" cards!!! Have a great time.

Ahhhh 15C sounds delightful!  It has been around 33C down here (well, the rain has cooled things off.  Slightly).  I am taking a train to Inverness directly when I get off the plane.  Renting a car for 4 days. Tooling around Skye for a few days, returning the car to Inverness, then train to St. Andrews - west coast for a week (hiking on the Firth Coastal trail), then a few nights in Edinburgh (with a stop in Kircaldy where my fiance has friends in a castle!).  Can't wait.  I will bring my heavy fleece's and rain gear!  Maybe with the car we will take a ride NW of Inverness if we have a chance.  We will have to return to Portree, Skye at night (B&B).  Or, we will have a full day in Ft. William, maybe we can leave early and go for a drive.  Thanks for the tips!  With the clouds, I am curious to shoot some B&W (it took me a few years of carrying a digital camera to wrap my head around shooting B&W while shooting in color!  Not like film, you shoot what you load.  it's mostly that I "see" differently in B&W then I do in color and I had to learn to fool myself).

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OK, So, I have the zoom/lock/thumb button on AEL/AFL.  Since I shoot dominantly in manual shutter/f-stop, I was wondering if it would maybe only lock the focus, and work slightly differently.  But it does not seem to lock since when I am ready to take the photo, pressing the shutter button refocuses!???  As expected, the exposure on manual doesn;t need a locking.

 

Also, not to mix things up, but still on focus:  I am finding the manual focus to be really awesome.  But (always a "but", no?!)... I love that when you move the focus ring it zooms in, but it would be nice if when I changed the shutter or f-stop it would go back to normal view, instead of having to press the shutter button.  Something else to get used to.  : )

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I think I have 3 32gb and a 16gb card. I doubt i will use more than two cards in the two weeks I am there (well the Q's files are a little larger than the Fuji's). I am not a profound shooter. It might go back to the film days as a student. Film was not cheap! Also, I usually am very deliberate, kind of take in the scene, get a feel for what is moving me, take a shot, maybe two, then move on. I have gotten a higher percentage of "good" shots over the years (40+!) : ) I'll have no computer, so bringing a portable drive won't do much good. I do back everything up and keep a drive in my office, away from home.

The Passport Wireless does not need a computer, in fact it is rarely attached to one. I rarely take a computer for short sessions. But always carry the Passport to back up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  • 3 weeks later...

Why do you configure the button to AEL/AFL rather than AFL?

I don't normally, I just tried it once to see what would happen.  So, I have just returned from a trip and did get used to the way it works (set to AFL), still too bad I cannot unlock it by pressing it again and having the system work on whatever setting it has been set for, and also that the rectangle doesn't stay there in green to remind you it is locked in.  Oh well.  The latter was less a hassle then the former issue, which could be changed in a firmware.  : )

 

I haven't had a chance to look at the files yet, I literally just returned!!!!

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...too bad I cannot unlock it by pressing it again and having the system work on whatever setting it has been set for, and also that the rectangle doesn't stay there in green to remind you it is locked in.

Unlock? Please explain.

 

When I have Focus AFs/AFc set to AFc, Focus AF Mode set to 1 point and Zoom/Lock-Button set to AFL, the camera behaves like I am used to from my Nikons (I have used Nikon back button focus for a very long time)

 

I aim, press and hold(!) the button with my right hand thumb, and the camera focus-tracks the part of the subject that happens to be covered by the focus point in the viewfinder. Leica Q indicates "in focus" with a green square in the image part of the viewfinder, my Nikons indicate "in focus" with a green dot in the lower left corner, below the image area. If I want to freeze the focus distance, stop focus tracking that is, I just release the button. If I need AFs, I just press the button momentarily, long enough to accuire focus and let go of the button.

 

My Nikons removes the green dot "in focus" indcator from the viewfinder when I release the button, but the  in manual focus mode, the Nikons displays the indicator. My Leica Q removes the (green) square when I release the button and provides other means for manual focus assistance.

 

Let us know what your camera does with the same settings (Focus AFs/AFc set to AFc, Focus AF Mode set to 1 point and Zoom/Lock-Button set to AF) when you press and hold(!) the button and have the focus point indicator (square) on a moving subject in the viewfinder.

Edited by odds
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  • 1 month later...

Scenario C:

 

- Zoom/Lock-Button: AEL

When I use the back button the camera will measure exposure

If I want to keep the setting, I have to keep pressing the backbutton otherwise the camera will re-measure when (half-)pressing the shutter.

Pressing the shutter will AF

 

As someone in this thread mentioned above, I have to keep pressing the backbutton so that the chosen exposure will lock. Is there a way to press and release the backbutton (on AEL function) and it will keep the AE locked until a certain amount of time passes or you press and release the backbutton again. 

 

The hassle is sometimes i take family selfies with the Q, since it has the same focal length as a phone, i want to use AEL but its hard to reverse the Q and keep on pressing the backbutton at the same time.  

Edited by Sandbites
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Folks, lets get to basics of why many DSLR users prefer BBF, particularly for wildlife, birds, and other fast moving subjects. I have been using BBF with my Nikon DSLRs for more than a decade now. One key issue to remember is that you can set your camera to AF-S or AF-C. Without BBF, depending on which one you set, half-pressing shutter will either focus once (AF-S) or will continue focusing for as long as it is half-pressed (AF-C). Now, there are some scenarios that this would be a problem:

 

1) Locking focus for consecutive shots: This will only be possible by locking the focus using the back button, or else consecutive shutter release will continue to focus again, regardless of AF-S or AF-C modes.

2) Focus and recompose: Without BBF, you can only do this with AF-S, and it will not be possible with AF-C.

3) Track focus: Without BBF, you can only do this with AF-C, and it will not be possible with AF-S.

 

Now while you are in the field taking pictures of wildlife and such, a lot of times you would want to switch, particularly between Scenarios 2 and 3 above, as quickly as you can. And instead of having to switch the mode from AF-S to AF-C and vice versa, it would be much quicker and more convenient if you decouple the shutter release from focusing, and instead use BBF. By doing that, you can leave your camera in AF-C all the time. And for scenario 2, you would just press the back button once and then release before recomposing, whereas for scenario 3, you would keep depressing the back button. 

 

Leica Q works exactly the same way, i.e., when on my Q, I change the back button mode to AFL, half-pressing the shutter button does NOT focus anymore. Technically I can still leave the focus mode on either AF-S or AF-C. In AF-S, pressing the back button will focus once even if you keep pressing it. And it will only refocus once you release the back button and press it again. And if AF-C, it will continue to focus for as long as you depress the back button. Again, similar to DSLR, when you are using BBF, in general, it no longer makes sense to leave the focus mode in AF-S. Because to achieve the single focus, you can simply press the back button once and release it. And when you want to track focus, you can simply continue depressing the back button. 

 

All that said, I have concluded that with my Leica Q, the focus accuracy and speed is much better in AF-S mode than in AF-C. As such, and given that I will rarely use my Q for wildlife and fast moving subjects, I have decided to NOT use BBF with my Q, and just leave it on AF-S most of the time. The fact that the back button is a bit inconvenient to use when a Thumbs Up is installed was another factor for me forgetting about BBF with the Q despite it being my strongly preferred way of focusing for many years with my Nikon DSLRs...

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Folks, lets get to basics of why many DSLR users prefer BBF, particularly for wildlife, birds, and other fast moving subjects. I have been using BBF with my Nikon DSLRs for more than a decade now. One key issue to remember is that you can set your camera to AF-S or AF-C. Without BBF, depending on which one you set, half-pressing shutter will either focus once (AF-S) or will continue focusing for as long as it is half-pressed (AF-C). Now, there are some scenarios that this would be a problem:

 

1) Locking focus for consecutive shots: This will only be possible by locking the focus using the back button, or else consecutive shutter release will continue to focus again, regardless of AF-S or AF-C modes.

2) Focus and recompose: Without BBF, you can only do this with AF-S, and it will not be possible with AF-C.

3) Track focus: Without BBF, you can only do this with AF-C, and it will not be possible with AF-S.

 

Now while you are in the field taking pictures of wildlife and such, a lot of times you would want to switch, particularly between Scenarios 2 and 3 above, as quickly as you can. And instead of having to switch the mode from AF-S to AF-C and vice versa, it would be much quicker and more convenient if you decouple the shutter release from focusing, and instead use BBF. By doing that, you can leave your camera in AF-C all the time. And for scenario 2, you would just press the back button once and then release before recomposing, whereas for scenario 3, you would keep depressing the back button. 

 

Leica Q works exactly the same way, i.e., when on my Q, I change the back button mode to AFL, half-pressing the shutter button does NOT focus anymore. Technically I can still leave the focus mode on either AF-S or AF-C. In AF-S, pressing the back button will focus once even if you keep pressing it. And it will only refocus once you release the back button and press it again. And if AF-C, it will continue to focus for as long as you depress the back button. Again, similar to DSLR, when you are using BBF, in general, it no longer makes sense to leave the focus mode in AF-S. Because to achieve the single focus, you can simply press the back button once and release it. And when you want to track focus, you can simply continue depressing the back button. 

 

All that said, I have concluded that with my Leica Q, the focus accuracy and speed is much better in AF-S mode than in AF-C. As such, and given that I will rarely use my Q for wildlife and fast moving subjects, I have decided to NOT use BBF with my Q, and just leave it on AF-S most of the time. The fact that the back button is a bit inconvenient to use when a Thumbs Up is installed was another factor for me forgetting about BBF with the Q despite it being my strongly preferred way of focusing for many years with my Nikon DSLRs...

Agree completely. That is exactly my rationale with Q and DSLR. Moreover, the ergonomics of the D800 and the position of the button fit my hand perfectly and in a way that is just not possible with Q with or without a Thumbs up, for perfectly understandable reasons. Not a complaint just an inescapable fact for me!

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