Most photographers know what back-button focus is, but not everybody understands how to use it to its fullest. I’ve been writing photography tutorials and engaging with camera enthusiasts for years, and while plenty of people claim to love or hate back-button focus, I’ve encountered a lot of confusion as to precisely why it presents such a huge advantage over the traditional shutter button method of engaging autofocus.
And you know what? I’m pretty sure the photography press is to blame. All too often I’ve mentioned back-button focus in how-to articles without adequately explaining the ins and outs of it. And I should know better. When I first started using back-button focus, I didn't like it because I didn't understand why I was using it and even ended up using it wrong!
