Do you: Focus and Recompose, or Compose then Focus?

How do you prefer to shoot?

  • Focus and Recompose

    Votes: 7 63.6%
  • Compose then Focus

    Votes: 4 36.4%

  • Total voters
    11
Most of my photography is portraits with time to compose, so I compose and move my focus point as desired. I agree with what has been said and find this technique the most accurate.

If a run n gun situation like a wedding I switch to Nikon's 3D focus and use it in a way that is probably not intended. Using the centre I point I lock focus where I want, hold the focus button (on the back.... The only way) and then recompose as needed and the focus point stays locked to the spot I selected and moves around the viewfinder. Kind of like a combo of the focus and recompose method and compose first method. It works amazingly well.
 
Excellent discussion and very helpful for those trying to come to grips with this.

Dave
 
Does anyone prefer using back button focus?

One of my cameras is set to backbutton and the other is still on the shutter button:

1) The camera on the shutter button is the cheaper "weaker" camera that I take on day trips or workexperience where it honestly doesn't matter if it gets broken* and where others might pick it up to get a photo of something happening. So it needs to be simple and idiot proof - so its shutter button.

2) The other camera is my main primary good camera and that is always on back-button focus and never off. In fact it was one of the first things I setup on it when I first got it.

Back-button is good!
It lets you separate focusing from taking a photo which means that if you've got any USM/HSM or other full-time-manual lenses you can shift from manual to autofocus in a second without having to find the little switch hidden on the lens. It also means that if you focus and recompose you can take the shot without a problem - you can also meter different bits of a scene without the focus jumping around etc....

It's good and whilst it takes a little getting used to I would strongly recommend people try it and practice at it as most photographers I know really enjoy it!


-*yes yes it still matters just not as much!
 
Dammit! I can't find any back-button focus function on my camera!

2015-10-01%2015.04.00.jpg
 
I use BBF all the time on my D800. On the Olympus EM10 I have no option to do that (at least that I know).
 
I only use back button focus. No need for focus lock that way. Generally I try to compose pick a focus point that will yield the desired composition. If I can't do it that way then I'll just manually focus (I have a precision focusing screen in one of my cameras). If I can't get a focus point over the subject and I can't manually focus I'll try to use one as close as possible and then recompose.
 
Bit of both - sorta. See something, compose, focus, recompose a bit. Sometimes with street photos I focus/focus lock and wait for people to get closer then quickly frame it.
 
Last edited:

Most reactions

Back
Top