"Shutter AF" (Panasonic) on Olympus cameras? Meaning half-pressing shutter focuses even with BBF.

[PakkyT]

Think of focusing through a welter of branches to a critter in a bush–and then waiting for something interesting to happen. One has the ability to get close with the AF, achieve critical focus with MF and not lose all that effort by pushing the shutter button. Maintaining a half press over longer durations can lead to inadvertent captures. That said, when there is any action going down it is undoubtedly more convenient to initiate focus with the shutter button and to be able to transition instantly to that mode of use might be appreciated.

I think you have two conflicting scenarios? How do you do the first example if your shutter button will also AF when not maintaining a press of the AEL button?

edited: Never mind. I think I see what you are saying. Maintaining a half press of the shutter may accidentally fire the shutter (and this will also require to you to refocus if you want to try again) where as in your first scenario I think you left out that part where you do have to also maintain the press on the AEL button, right? But that doing so poses no risk of accidental full press on the shutter button.

 

[RS86]

Anyway, back to the OP from @RS86

One solution would be to use the Fn lever in mode2 with the following focus settings for positions 1 and 2:

1. S-AF or C-AF with whatever AEL/AFL mode you prefer
2. MF; AEL/AFL in mode 3.

This way you’d have BBF with the lever in position 1 for most of your shooting; and when a people shot presents itself just flick the lever to position 2 for (S or C)-AF on shutter half press.

The problem is that I have only E-M10 II & PEN-F from Olympus, and neither has the Fn-lever. But I just edited my Manual Mode with Auto-ISO custom mode to focus with the half-press shutter, no problem.

Regarding on how it works on Panasonic cameras, I'm not sure if I can explain it better. The colors are not the point, it just shows if you have to focus with BBF or shutter button.

When you have focused with BBF, it won't focus with the shutter button and this shows with the color. If you have not focused with the BFF, you can focus with the shutter button. And you can focus that way as long as you want until you lock the focus again with BBF.

 

[comment23]

The problem is that I have only E-M10 II & PEN-F from Olympus, and neither has the Fn-lever. But I just edited my Manual Mode with Auto-ISO custom mode to focus with the half-press shutter, no problem.

Regarding on how it works on Panasonic cameras, I'm not sure if I can explain it better. The colors are not the point, it just shows if you have to focus with BBF or shutter button.

When you have focused with BBF, it won't focus with the shutter button and this shows with the color. If you have not focused with the BFF, you can focus with the shutter button. And you can focus that way as long as you want until you lock the focus again with BBF.

Doh! Looks like I didn’t RTFQ (like RTFM but with questions rather than manuals).

Anyway, yes I think what you’ve done with custom modes is the best solution with those bodies. Apologies for triggering this tangent.

 

[Hendrik]

edited: Never mind. I think I see what you are saying. Maintaining a half press of the shutter may accidentally fire the shutter (and this will also require to you to refocus if you want to try again) where as in your first scenario I think you left out that part where you do have to also maintain the press on the AEL button, right? But that doing so poses no risk of accidental full press on the shutter button.

Actually, when properly set up, BBF is set and forget…as long as the subject doesn't move and the camera doesn't drift forward or backward. It's not necessary to maintain a press on whichever button is set to AEF, although one might wish to in order to keep IBIS engaged. I learned to do this with the Nikons and wouldn't have had any truck with m43 cameras if it hadn't been possible to configure them similarly. On the 5.2 I have AEF set not to a button on back but whichever button is located directly next to the shutter button. I had to do this while I was recuperating from a wrist injury that temporarily rendered my thumb less mobile than before and never changed back. I've settled on using the rear corner button on bodies that have one. Go ahead, call me idiosyncratic - that's OK. I regard BBF/S-AF + MF as MF with benefits, which benefits I use liberally. Among other things, it makes focus-and-recompose simple and nearly foolproof. Likewise waiting for a shot.

 

[RS86]

Actually, when properly set up, BBF is set and forget…as long as the subject doesn't move and the camera doesn't drift forward or backward. It's not necessary to maintain a press on whichever button is set to AEF, although one might wish to in order to keep IBIS engaged. I learned to do this with the Nikons and wouldn't have had any truck with m43 cameras if it hadn't been possible to configure them similarly. On the 5.2 I have AEF set not to a button on back but whichever button is located directly next to the shutter button. I had to do this while I was recuperating from a wrist injury that temporarily rendered my thumb less mobile than before and never changed back. I've settled on using the rear corner button on bodies that have one. Go ahead, call me idiosyncratic - that's OK. I regard BBF/S-AF + MF as MF with benefits, which benefits I use liberally. Among other things, it makes focus-and-recompose simple and nearly foolproof. Likewise waiting for a shot.

Yeah I don't keep any buttons pressed with BFF. I focus with it and don't keep it pressed. Just like you said maybe keep pressing shutter button to have IBIS on.

Actually now that I changed my Custom Mode for shutter focus after a long time with only BBF, what does the green AEL mark mean when I press the BBF-button on the back (while not having BBF on)? Is there some use to this AEL function in this case, without BBF?

 

[Hendrik]

Actually now that I changed my Custom Mode for shutter focus after a long time with only BBF, what does the green AEL mark mean when I press the BBF-button on the back (while not having BBF on)? Is there some use to this AEL function in this case, without BBF?

You (or Olympus, before you) may have that button set to AF-Home. That's what that function looks like. It's also a useful function at times. You can maintain two AT target positions at a time. One of them will be the position that is set in the menu (Cog A, [...] Set Home and the second set by manipulating the 4-way pad (plus info button). It would be possible to be able to toggle back and forth between a single target in the lower left and a 3-by-3 target in the upper right (just to suggest a ridiculous extreme). The custom functions can be set up to be very different from each other in terms of button assignments.

 

[PakkyT]

Actually, when properly set up, BBF is set and forget…as long as the subject doesn't move and the camera doesn't drift forward or backward. It's not necessary to maintain a press on whichever button is set to AEF,

Well I was responding to what I interpreted to be your explanation as to why someone might want a mode where you can use BBF and Shutter-Half-press AF in the same mode. But if if you don't have to maintain holding the BBF button in your first example, then I revert back to my original statement that your two examples are conflicting scenarios.

 

[Hendrik]

Well I was responding to what I interpreted to be your explanation as to why someone might want a mode where you can use BBF and Shutter-Half-press AF in the same mode. But if if you don't have to maintain holding the BBF button in your first example, then I revert back to my original statement that your two examples are conflicting scenarios.

I apologize. I think I see the misunderstanding. The first part of my answer was an explanation of BBF, as traditionally practiced. I attempted to cover the OP's particular question only at the end, when I suggested the possible convenience of instantly having shutter focus available by virtue of not using BBF. It's an intriguing capability and I look forward to trying it out if I succumb to the temptation of moving on to the 1.3 for its improved AF. In my current ignorance I do regard it as a solution for an edge case and one that might take some learning to master. I suspect that this is a feature that got added at the suggestion of pros who lost some shots and felt its lack.

 

[kbouk]

The main problem with long lenses is that you want IBIS on EVF to make sure you have accurate focus especially when you use ΜF or AF+ΜF. If I configure my camera with BBF on AEL/AF button and same time half shutter press=Off, I loose ibis when I release BBF button. That’s a big problem especially with BIF where long lenses are the main option.

I try both option enabled also and is very difficult to use it, not for my style. So I use BBF only on plain MF with option mode 3, just push a programmable button (arrow down is my selection) and camera change AF from SAF+MF (80%use) or CAF+MF to plain AF where the focus moves from shutter to BBF.

 

[mumu]

Okay, thanks, too bad. Great invention from Panasonic.

FYI my Nikon DSLRs operated the same way, so I was surprised when I could do the same thing with my Panasonics. But I was disappointed when I discovered that I couldn't do that with my Olympus EM5.2.

 

[mumu]

Anyway, back to the OP from @RS86

One solution would be to use the Fn lever in mode2 with the following focus settings for positions 1 and 2:

1. S-AF or C-AF with whatever AEL/AFL mode you prefer
2. MF; AEL/AFL in mode 3.

This way you’d have BBF with the lever in position 1 for most of your shooting; and when a people shot presents itself just flick the lever to position 2 for (S or C)-AF on shutter half press.

Yes, that's how I ended up doing it with my EM5.2 in order to somewhat emulate the functionality of my Nikons and Panasonics but there were often situations where I forgot to switch the camera out of MF mode and I missed a shot due to missed focus.

 

[SrMiPhoto]

The main problem with long lenses is that you want IBIS on EVF to make sure you have accurate focus especially when you use ΜF or AF+ΜF. If I configure my camera with BBF on AEL/AF button and same time half shutter press=Off, I loose ibis when I release BBF button. That’s a big problem especially with BIF where long lenses are the main option.

I try both option enabled also and is very difficult to use it, not for my style. So I use BBF only on plain MF with option mode 3, just push a programmable button (arrow down is my selection) and camera change AF from SAF+MF (80%use) or CAF+MF to plain AF where the focus moves from shutter to BBF.

On M1.3 there is an option "Half-Way Rls with IS" (C2.4) that turns on IS when half-pressing the shutter. That works well with BBF or MF.

 

[kbouk]

On M1.3 there is an option "Half-Way Rls with IS" (C2.4) that turns on IS when half-pressing the shutter. That works well with BBF or MF.

Thanks, I know that option and I use it , Ibis is engage on EVF when I use shutter button for focus and release , unfortunately doesn’t work when you use BBF for focus and shutter for release.

 

[SrMiPhoto]

Thanks, I know that option and I use it , Ibis is engage on EVF when I use shutter button for focus and release , unfortunately doesn’t work when you use BBF for focus and shutter for release.

I do not understand.
I use BBF for focus and shutter for release. IS is engaged when half-pressing the shutter button. This is on M1.3 with the C2.4 option set to On.

 

[Hendrik]

Thanks, I know that option and I use it , Ibis is engage on EVF when I use shutter button for focus and release , unfortunately doesn’t work when you use BBF for focus and shutter for release.

Can you confirm this? If so, then this is a new behavior. Both predecessor E-M1s initiated IBIS with whatever button was being used for AEL/AFL.

 

[SrMiPhoto]

Can you confirm this? If so, then this is a new behavior. Both predecessor E-M1s initiated IBIS with whatever button was being used for AEL/AFL.

My M1.2 works the same as my M1.3: with BBF setup (no focusing with shutter button) IS is engaged either while pressing the back-button (with focusing) or while half-pressing the shutter (without refocusing).

 

[Hendrik]

My M1.2 works the same as my M1.3: with BBF setup (no focusing with shutter button) IS is engaged either while pressing the back-button (with focusing) or while half-pressing the shutter (without refocusing).

Thank you!

 

[kbouk]

I do not understand.
I use BBF for focus and shutter for release. IS is engaged when half-pressing the shutter button. This is on M1.3 with the C2.4 option set to On.

sorry , my last response was very quick and not accurate,

the right one is my first statement : If I configure my camera with BBF on AEL/AF button (mode 3) which makes same time half shutter press=Off, I loose ibis when I release BBF button and try to MF for accuracy before I hit the shutter. I have to keep my finger on the back button and also MF with SAF+MF (not plain MF) with focus assist enlargement or focus peaking and then hit the shutter. It’s more difficult than all these are assign to one button : shutter

 

[SrMiPhoto]

sorry , my last response was very quick and not accurate,

the right one is my first statement : If I configure my camera with BBF on AEL/AF button (mode 3) which makes same time half shutter press=Off, I loose ibis when I release BBF button and try to MF for accuracy before I hit the shutter. I have to keep my finger on the back button and also MF with SAF+MF (not plain MF) with focus assist enlargement or focus peaking and then hit the shutter. It’s more difficult than all these are assign to one button : shutter

Got it. What you need to do is:
- release BBF to try MF, IBIS disengages.
- half-press shutter to activate IBIS.
- keep shutter half-pressed while doing MF (IBIS engaged)

Both half-pressing shutter or pressing BBF activate the IBIS.