Back-Button Focus Explained Simply for Absolute Beginners

By default, your camera does two things when you press the shutter button halfway: it meters the light, and it locks focus. This is fine for snapshots, but it can be incredibly frustrating when you are trying to recompose a shot or track a moving subject.

Enter Back-Button Focus (BBF)—the technique used by almost all professional photographers.

Decoupling Focus from the Shutter

BBF moves the focusing action to a button on the back of your camera (usually labeled AF-ON or AE-L). Your shutter button now only takes the picture. This allows you to lock focus with your thumb, let go, and take as many photos as you want without the camera trying to refocus every time you press the shutter.

The Assignment: Look up how to enable Back-Button Focus for your specific camera model. Try it for one week. It will feel strange for the first two days, and then you will never want to go back.

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