Hi, I'm Joe Hendrix and some of you have asked me to explain Backbutton Focus. So that's what I'm going to do today. I'll try to explain it as easy as possible, as I can to you. I will say that when I first started Backbutton Focus, I didn't like it. And I switched back to Shutter Focus instead. And then it wasn't until I watched a YouTube video about a wildlife photographer using Backbutton Focus that it coled. And a lot of times when you have to have something to explain to you in photography, you need to explain exactly right to the way that you understand that. And that's what I hope to do for you today. So we'll see if I can do it. If I can't, go to somebody else's Backbutton Focus video and hopefully they can explain it better. But here we go. So I'm using the Z6-2 here. It has a dedicated Backbutton Focus, which is there for a reason. OK, so let's say you are in Shutter Focus. Be in Shutter Focus. You need to be in single focus if you're taking pictures of something and recomposing. So if there's a tree out there and you're a landscape photographer, you focus on the tree, you hold it halfway down and you recompose, you take your picture. That's kind of what everybody knows. That's how I learned how to take a picture. Completely understandable. And it works every time. OK, with single focus. Now, if you're in continuous focus, which you would not be with landscape photography, but let's just say it, if you're in continuous focus and you hold down on that tree and you recompose to make the image look amazing in your camera, then it's going to catch focus on something else. That makes sense too, right? OK, so let's switch to a different subject to where you're actually going to use Backbutton Focus. Let's pick a dog. A dog is a great example, actually. OK, so the dog is just sitting there. Somebody said, stay. We are using Shutter Focus. OK, we're going to go through this example first. The dog sitting there, you push your button halfway down, you recompose, you're in single focus, you're using your Shutter Focus button, you recompose, you go, the dog is like this, you take the picture. Simple, super easy, works every time, just like focusing on the tree and recomposing works every single time. Now here's where it gets interesting. You're using Shutter Focus. That dog is standing still. But the dog all of a sudden decides, I want to go lick the photographer or I'm just going to run towards something. There's a bird, there's a squirrel, whatever. So what are you going to do if you're in Shutter Focus and you're in single focus because you're recomposing and making the image look good? What are you going to do when that dog takes off? You're going to have to switch, well, it's inside your camera, switch to continuous focus as fast as possible. So usually you're looking at your settings or going into a menu or whatever you have to do, you may have a shortcut to it, it gets to it quick, but you get to continuous focus as fast as possible, follow the dog, take the picture. That works, but you're going to miss some shots while you're filling with your buttons to get into continuous focus. Here, that is where the beauty of Back button focus comes into play. Here's the secret to Back button focus. You always leave your camera in continuous focus. Maybe other people do it differently, but I don't. You always leave your camera in continuous focus, always. And here's why. Because when you focus on something in continuous focus and you're using Shutter Focus and you move, it's going to focus on something else. But if you're using Back button focus, you grab your focus. You take your finger off and recompose and it'll still stay on your subject. So it's staying on the dog. And then you recompose, you take your picture. Because this is no longer focus, your focus is back here. So the dog is still focused, let go, recompose, take a picture. Now that dog starts charging you all the sudden. This is where the beauty is. All you have to do, put your finger on the Back button focus and it follows the dog. That's it. And then you take your picture. The whole entire time the dog's coming towards you. The dog stands still again. All you do, focus on it, let it go. It's like continuous, it's like single focus in that moment. Because you're focusing, you're letting go, recomposing, taking the picture. Dog runs towards you. Hold it down, click, click, click. It eliminates the step of going between single focus and continuous focus. That's pretty much all Back button focus does. It eliminates that step. Because you can use your shutter in single focus and you can recompose by holding the button halfway down. Okay, that's how we all learn how to focus. But as soon as something starts running towards you or running away or whatever, you have to switch to continuous focus. You don't have to do that with Back button focus. And that's why so many wildlife photographers love it. Because if they're shooting in the eagle and the eagle is perched on a branch, they focus, let it go and then take the picture, picture, picture, picture. The eagle flies, hold it down, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click. And it follows the whole entire time. That is the difference. If you're a wedding photographer, a really good way to look at it is when you're shooting the ceremony and there are people sitting down, you're taking pictures of the people sitting down, you focus with the Back button focus, let your finger off of it, recompose, take a picture of a person sitting down or standing still. In other words, they're not moving. And then somebody starts walking down the aisle, you just hold down the focus, click, click, click, click, click, and you follow them the whole entire way. And what's actually really cool about being a wedding photographer and using Back button focus is as you're following them down, you see like the flower girl picking her nose. You focus on her, stop and take the picture. And you don't have to worry that you're in continuous focus because you have full control over the whole entire thing. So I hope that was a clear explanation of Back button focus. Once you try it and you understand the difference in eliminating that step between single and continuous, it'll change your life. Guaranteed. And if it doesn't, hey, no big deal, you can keep shooting with your shutter focus all the time. I mean, everybody has their own way of doing things that keeps them creative and keeps them going. And I'm not saying one way is better than the other, but I will say for me, it absolutely changed my life. And I know so many other photographers that has changed their life also. So if you have any questions, comment below and I'll try to get back to them as soon as possible. Like I said, I am not probably the best at explaining it, but I hope that helped you out. And if you didn't get it from me, no big deal. Go search a wildlife photographers who use it for a living and are professional and they will probably explain it better. And they'll probably show you in the viewfinder and all that fancy stuff that I don't do. So you can check out my portfolio at joehintrix.com. Take care and thanks for watching.