Pressing Shutter Halfway or using "*"

robigouk

Hi all

I've doing a few weddings/portrait shoots with plenty more booked from the future. My background is also live music photography.

Since I started shooting live music I've always changed my custom settings to set the "*" to my autofocus (as in dark lighting it was always searching etc.) on my Canon.

Now - most none music shoots I've done since then I've shot in full manual, exposing the background and using my 580exii to fill etc. However, I've seen some wedding photographers have great "action" shots, e.g. bride running to groom etc. - and I'm assumming they use continuous focus?

Just wanted to know if anybody else shoots with the "*" like I do?

cheers

Rob

www.robigophotography.com

Blurmore

* only...since the 10D. I love how it drives mortal camera monkeys nuts. To Elaborate I use * to stop/start AF and shutter to AE lock, direct multi controlled select for focus points, and I have broken a direct controller already, not to mention done permanent damage to my thumb (of course I doubt the Wii had anything good to contribute).

jeffreaux2

I use ( * ) also....and prefer it, but like Blurmore.....am experiencing a bit of carpal tunnel.

theNOIZ

Rob,

I move my AF to * when shooting anything that moves quickly (i.e. wildlife, sporting events, my two sons). It's a tip that some of our camera club members turned me on to. My wildlife shots have improved a ton! I usually have it saved on C1 on my 40D so I can quickly access it. However, like jeffreaux2 mentioned, after awhile I find my right-hand starting to tingle and ache.

Tim Kamppinen

If this is like the Nikon option to use the AE-L button for focusing instead of a half shutter press (maybe it isn't, I don't know) could someone explain to me the advantage of it? It's in sort of an awkward position (on my D90 anyway) in the first place, and I don't see what it achieves over just holding the shutter half way, which is what I do when tracking something that's moving. If there's actually an advantage I'd like to know, but I don't get it.

jeffreaux2

Tim Kamppinen wrote:

If this is like the Nikon option to use the AE-L button for focusing instead of a half shutter press (maybe it isn't, I don't know) could someone explain to me the advantage of it? It's in sort of an awkward position (on my D90 anyway) in the first place, and I don't see what it achieves over just holding the shutter half way, which is what I do when tracking something that's moving. If there's actually an advantage I'd like to know, but I don't get it.

Well for starters it unties focus from exposure lock....

You can focus...then re-compose.....and then half press the shutter to set the exposure for the recomposed scene.

It was awkward for me for a bit.......maybe two afternoons of shooting, but I prefer it now.

Tim Kamppinen

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Well for starters it unties focus from exposure lock....

You can focus...then re-compose.....and then half press the shutter to set the exposure for the recomposed scene.

It was awkward for me for a bit.......maybe two afternoons of shooting, but I prefer it now.

Well on my camera the shutter doesn't have anything to do with exposure lock unless you deliberately change that setting... for instance if shooting in AV mode the camera is metering and adjusting the exposure right up until the shutter is tripped, even if you've already focused with the shutter half-press. You can use the AE-L button to lock exposure if desired. It seems like switching this around just swaps the functions of the two buttons... since I need to focus for every shot and rarely need AE-L (normally shoot in manual, and when in Av the matrix metering is close enough, easily correctible in ACR if it blows the highlights, for instance) I find it much easier to focus with the shutter button... I still feel like I'm just missing something obvious here though.

FedererPhoto

Back button focusing, FTW!

Art Scott

a lot of people use the AF-on button to help eliveate camera shake and also get more in focus photos of moving objects such as birds in flight, motor sports and other constantly moving objects...............

Scott_Quier

I tried the "back button focusing" method for a while and didn't like it so I went back to the "normal" way of doing it. Then, I started reading of other's experiences and a lot of what I was reading kinda hit home so I tried it again. Now I love it and don't see me going back to the "normal" way ever again. Some situations where this works better:

• Put the camera in AI-Servo mode. Hold down the "*" button and AF kicks in and stays on. Now, press the shutter button as often as you like. The AF will track even though you've triggered and released the shutter button multiple times. This saves the time needed for the camera to re-acquire a focus lock on your moving target - as it would if the AF were linked to the shutter button. But wait! There's more! Some will say, "OK, fine! But with AF linked to the shutter button, all you need to do is keep the shutter button pressed 1/2 way!" Ummmm .... yeah, right. Try it sometime.
• It's dark, like in some of the older churches. You know that you want to get the shot of the bride with her father at "that" spot. But, getting focus lock will be tricky because it's dark. So what do you do. Get the focus lock early. Wait for her to get to that spot. Trigger the shutter. "Bbbbbbb...but you can do that if you turn off the AF on the lens after getting initial focus lock." Yes, but then you need to take that second (or more) to turn the AF back on again.
• The best reason is, like Blurmore says, it that it drives the un-initiated absolutely nuts until you take the couple of seconds to explain the functioning. :lol

Like others, my keeper rate has significanlty improved since moving back to the "back button focusing" way of doing things.

Tim Kamppinen

I'm starting to get it... the big advantage is if you use AF-C (on Nikon, I'm guessing that's the same as AI-Servo on Canon) so you can stop the focusing motor and start it as you please and you're free to recompose. I use AF-S most of the time so once I lock focus it's there until I hit the shutter and if I keep it pressed half way it stays there. This is very easy for portraits but I can see how moving subjects would create difficulties. I guess I'll have to give it another shot... I just wish Nikon could have put the button in an easier to reach location. It feels awkward to reach for it with my thumb...

heatherfeather

Scott_Quier wrote:

The best reason is, like Blurmore says, it that it drives the un-initiated absolutely nuts until you take the couple of seconds to explain the functioning. :lol
.

:poke(Yeah, I felt that... )
So why don't you just SAY my name? That was so totally me. I picked up your camera and couldn't get it to work... Finally broke down and asked why in the world the autofocus wasn't working...Yeah, that was one of THOSE moments....

(Still haven't tried this technique... I wanna try it at a non paying gig before I take the plunge...)

jeffreaux2

heatherfeather wrote:

:poke(Yeah, I felt that... )
So why don't you just SAY my name? That was so totally me. I picked up your camera and couldn't get it to work... Finally broke down and asked why in the world the autofocus wasn't working...Yeah, that was one of THOSE moments....

(Still haven't tried this technique... I wanna try it at a non paying gig before I take the plunge...)

***Goober*** (not for doing it but for admitting it!!! )




I handed my camera off to a realative at our family reunion. His father has been a wedding and studio photographer for decades.....and he himself is a Fuji DSLR toting enthusiast. The non focusing shutter threw him for a loop as well. Ive never tried to change it on the XTi and when I use it I find myself wigging out because the * WON'T focus the camera.

Scott_Quier

heatherfeather wrote:

:poke(Yeah, I felt that... )
So why don't you just SAY my name? That was so totally me. I picked up your camera and couldn't get it to work... Finally broke down and asked why in the world the autofocus wasn't working...Yeah, that was one of THOSE moments....

(Still haven't tried this technique... I wanna try it at a non paying gig before I take the plunge...)

Well, I kinda wanted to preserve your sense of competency and maintain your image with the rest of the DGrin community.

Seriously, I completely forgot about the incident. But now that you mention it, I do remember you were a little confused about why my 70-200 wasn't focusing for you.

Toshido

Scott_Quier wrote:

Some will say, "OK, fine! But with AF linked to the shutter button, all you need to do is keep the shutter button pressed 1/2 way!" Ummmm .... yeah, right. Try it sometime.

That's what I do and have not had a problem with it either. I have actually given up (for the most part) continuous shooting modes and use single shot like that Of course many years of tournament paintball might have trained my fingers a bit...

But I did use the * for a little while on my XT and it drove my wife NUTS! Now the wife will not touch the manly 50D so I think I need to go back to hat little * button....