Setting tip: eye detection combined with back button focus

Thursday 14 April 2022, 22:11 by Thijs Schouten | 5,630 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Back button focus is a technique already used by many photographers. However, with the arrival of eye detection, many photographers are switching back to autofocus behind the shutter release button. Eye detection systems recognise eyes automatically.

In many cases, this works perfectly, but there are moments when the camera struggles with eye detection. Think of situations with messy backgrounds or when photographing small animals, such as mice.

I have run into this myself and have now found a setup that works very well for me. Back button focus combined with eye detection! In this article, I will explain more about it.

What is useful about back button focus?

Back button focus is a technique where you place a camera's autofocus behind a specific button. By default, autofocus is behind the shutter release button. In other words, when you press the shutter release button, the camera focuses and takes a photo.

Because you do not want to adjust the focus in some situations, it is useful to place it behind a specific button. An example is a post where you expect a bird to land.

The advantage of back button focus is that you can determine the focus, and when you think the bird will land, you only press the shutter release button, after which the camera takes photos without adjusting the autofocus.

The result is that your subject flies into your focus, resulting in a sharp photo. Below is an example photo of a Black-tailed Godwit.

What is useful about eye detection?

Cameras with eye detection automatically recognise your subject's eye and then focus on it. Ideal, because this lets you switch very quickly and place the focus in the right spot.

In practice, eye detection works very well and I personally swear by it. I have noticed, however, that eye detection struggles in certain situations. Think, for example, of a busy background or very small animals, such as mice.

In these situations, eye detection may have to search, causing you to miss the moment. My tip: combine back button focus with eye detection!

What is the advantage of this combination?

By setting your camera up with both eye detection and back button focus, you are very flexible in choosing your autofocus system. You place back button autofocus behind one button and eye detection behind another button.

You can then choose which autofocus system you want to use for each situation. I have been working this way on my Canon EOS R5 for a while now, and it gives me the flexibility to switch quickly in situations where one works better than the other.

How do you set this up?

Setting up Back Button Focus and Eye Detection differs between cameras and even between models. Below, I will explain where you can generally find these settings. Are you unable to work it out completely using the steps below?

Just Google back button focus + your camera model. It may be located somewhere else in the menu on your model.

Canon

Do you have a Canon camera? Then you can customise the buttons in the Custom Functions Menu (C.Fn). We need to change the following things:

1. Make sure the shutter release button is changed from 'Metering and AF start' to 'Start metering'
2. Set 'eye detection AF' behind the AF-ON button
3. Set 'Metering and AF start' behind the * button

Nikon

Do you have a Nikon camera? Go to the Custom Setting Menu, the pencil icon. Here, you can customise the buttons under 'controls'. We need to change the following things:

1. Make sure the shutter release button is changed from 'Release + Focus' to 'Release'
2. Set 'eye detection AF' behind the AF-ON button
3. Not every Nikon has two buttons on the back that you can customise. For this reason, you can also customise the Fn1 button on the front, for example. This button is next to the lens. Set it to 'AF-ON'

Sony

Do you have a Sony camera? Go to the settings menu, the cogwheel, and then to 'custom key setting':

1. Set AF with shutter to 'off'
2. Set the function of the 'AEL button' to 'eye detection'
3. Set 'AF-On' behind another button, such as C2

Do you have another camera?

Check your camera's manual and see whether you can set the following:

- Set your shutter release button to only take the photo
- Set eye detection autofocus behind the AF-on button
- Set the AF-on function behind the star button or another button

Done? I am curious about your experience!
Leave a comment below!

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