Back Button

[robk47]

This is probably a question that has been asked and answered many times, but what are the menu settings to get back button focusing on the X-T1, please?

[Antony]

Set the camera to manual focus, press back button.

[aceflibble]

There aren't any. With the camera set to manual focus, back-button focusing works. With single or continuous autofocus, the shutter release always initates focus, and the AF-L and AE-L buttons lock the focus and exposure. (Or you can make one of them lock both simultaneously.)

Yes, it's silly and not in any way ideal. No, I don't know why Fuji haven't put in a simple back button focus option yet. Since they've not done it yet I find it unlikely they'll ever do it.

[Dis]

No, I don't know why Fuji haven't put in a simple back button focus option yet. Since they've not done it yet I find it unlikely they'll ever do it.

That's not fair. Some people didn't believe Fuji will implement EC in manual with auto ISO. Now we have it. Fuji listens and does.

[french02chris]

I am not sure that we are talking about the same thing here..BUT

 

I usually press the AF-L on my X-T1, it does focus..then I press the shutter to take the photo...

 

AND I am in autofocus mode...

 

In the menu : AF-L is on AF-L Lock Mode 

and  AE/AF lock mode is on P ( for pressing)

[aceflibble]

^^ That's almost right, but true back button focusing stops the camera from trying to focus when you press the shutter button. The AF-L does still cause (and locks) focus, but so does the shutter. Fuji does not offer the option to stop the shutter from activating autofocus, other than switching the camera to manual focus mode.
 

That's not fair. Some people didn't believe Fuji will implement EC in manual with auto ISO. Now we have it. Fuji listens and does.

 There's a truckload of things people ask for that never happen. Proper back button focus has been one of them from the very start. It's also one of the most straight-forward fixes. They've changed functionality and function options of many buttons (most recently the macro button), so if they've not sorted proper back button focusing yet, it is very unlikely they ever will.
Note that, again, I use the word 'unlikely' and not 'impossible'.

[Antony]

I don't see any reason for Fuji to fix something that's not broken. Rear button focus works perfectly, just set your camera to manual focus then press. Why would Fuji need to implement a change when this works fine? I don't see what functionality is missing that would be addressed by any change.

[aceflibble]

The problem is that there's no way to only have back-button focusing. Either you have it so the shutter still activates the focus or you have it so moving the focus ring will shift focus, and the rings on the newer lenses are very sensitive. It's pretty much impossible to hold a Fuji camera without some part of one of your hands touching the focus ring in some way. If you're trying to get perfect focus with something like the 60mm lens up-close or the 56mm lens at f/1.2, that is a huge, huge problem.

By allowing proper back button focus to work in AF-S and AF-C modes—AF-L activating focus when pressed and disabling the shutter from initiating focus—you would no longer have the risk of accidentally shifting focus with the manual focus ring.

[Dis]

I don't see any reason for Fuji to fix something that's not broken. Rear button focus works perfectly, just set your camera to manual focus then press. Why would Fuji need to implement a change when this works fine? I don't see what functionality is missing that would be addressed by any change.

Current back button focus works only like single point AF. You can't make it work in zone AF. It's also a long menu travel to switch from single AF to continuous. Proper back button focus should work in work in AF-C as continuous and in AF-S as single without menu fiddling and with ability to use zone and wide AF. Also half pressed shutter button locks the exposure.

[Antony]

Thanks for the clarification, I can see these would be beneficial changes.

[zachtgray]

I was hoping this would be something that was addressed in X-Pro2 but it doesn't seem to be. Sports shooters rely on true back-button AF and with the stated improvements in the AF abilities, now would be the perfect time for Fuji to give us back-button AF.

[yukosteel]

I shoot 100% using AF-L for autofocusing on X-T1, and never use half-shutter for focusing. It's a habit adopted from slower focusing X-E1.

I tried to use AE-L for back-button focusing for some time, but it's not so convenient.

 

Also I've recently noticed that autofocus works faster if AF-L is set to lock Focus Only. If it's set to Lock AF/AE then camera first locks Exposure, then proceed with autofocus - weird : \.

[JRphoto]

It is  interesting to notice that using lens with focus clutch mecanism (2,8/14, 1.4/16, 1.4/23), setting X-T1 to manual focus and leaving the clutch mecanism in AF, you can back button focus (BBF) with the AF-L button (you can change this to the AE-L button using the menu, if you want), the shutter will not refocus, and there is no risk to accidentally change the focus manually. So, with these lenses you can have the BBF experience with AF-S but not with AF-C (but the AF-C in the X-T1 is not great anyway). Edited: yes, you can have the BBF experience with AF-C also: you just need to go to Autofocus Setting --> Instant AF Setting and set this to AF-C.

Edited February 5, 2018 by JRphoto