Back button focusing using the AF-L button on the Fuji XT-1

This is the first in a series of short posts in praise of some of the features of my Fuji X-T1 when compared to my previous Canon cameras. First up is back button focusing.

For those of you who haven’t tried back button focusing, there’s a useful article at DPS that explains the benefits.

Now I know most pro and enthusiast cameras will have this ability, but compared to my Canon the way Fuji have applied it in the X-T1 is so much easier to use.

Assuming I have my camera set up as it comes out of the box, where the shutter button activates auto-focusing, if I want to change it to back button focusing here’s the procedure with the Canon:

1. Bring the camera down from eye level so I can see the LCD
2. Press the menu button
3. Scroll through several options to find the setting (even the name isn’t obvious – C.Fn IV:Operation/Others – try remembering that when you last changed it two months ago!)
4. Press the set button twice
5. Scroll to select the new setting
6. Press the set button again to confirm the change
7. Half press the shutter button to return to shooting mode

Now here’s the procedure with the Fuji X-T1:

1. Flick a switch on the front of the camera – job done!

And … after becoming used to it, I can do that using my left index finger while keeping the camera to my eye

Now that it’s so easy to change on the X-T1, I find myself switching between these two modes as I need to, whereas with the Canon I just used to leave it on back button focusing and make do.

Note 1: admittedly I could have added the setting to my Canon favourites to make it slightly quicker, but I had already used up all six available settings.

Note 2: my Canon is 4 years old, so the situation may have improved in more recent models.

Update: The X-T1 has been superceded by a newer model, the Fuji X-T2. Although I don’t own one (yet), I’ve handled it and seen resulting images and it is also an excellent camera.