do serious underwater photographers use back button focus rather than the standard shutter release? I'm wondering if it is a new skill I should try to master

I don't know if anyone has to be 'serious', but back-button focus has made photography easier for me for many years, both above and below water.

I am not sure that I am a "serious" UW photographer, but since I read about dumb focus in Alex Mustards book, years ago, I use it and it helps a lot. I should add that I always had Nauticam housings that have a special lever for it, just placed were the dumb of the right hand is located...

Wolfgang

Edited August 5Aug 5 by Architeuthis

I have a back-button focus even on my coffe machine BTW

I have never gotten use to BB button focus. I am a half-press shutter man and it works well for me. With Nikon AF-C I rarely miss a shot. Out of focus images are very rare.

I had to look up what back button focus meant! 😝

Here I have found an article by two very serious UW photographers about this issue (also available as video):

Inside Scuba

Mastering Underwater Autofocus with Alex Mustard and Matt...

Expert tips from Alex Mustard and Matthew Sullivan on mastering autofocus for underwater photography. Learn the best settings for macro and wide-angle.

It seems even these guys have different preferences regarding this aspect (but I think what they say regards modern, up-to-date cameras)...

Edited August 5Aug 5 by Architeuthis

It depends for me. I find BBF causes some hand fatigue unless I'm shooting right on the bottom.

I disable shutter focus and only use bbf underwater. Only decent way to focus, then frame the shot. Look into focus peaking too for macro to get the eyeball just right. Im not sure if all cameras can do it hut OM1 could do focus peaking even in auto focus so you can focus with bbf, then use peaking to move the cameras thin depth of field forward and back to get the eyeballs in focus. Then press shutter and not have the focus change on you.

Edited August 5Aug 5 by hoekma

Always! It’s so much easier with the dedicated thumb lever on a Nauticam housing than half press on the shutter and the regular misfires that causes. I don’t think I could feel a half press with gloves.

1 hour ago, Troporobo said:

I don’t think I could feel a half press with gloves.

Ooooh, gloves!!! That's what it's all about! Yeah, well, good luck guys. If you need gloves, the water is too cold 😜

BBF on my housing is not easy to use so it strains my hands. Unless I'l shooting in the dark, I avoid using it.

34 minutes ago, TimG said:

Ooooh, gloves!!! That's what it's all about! Yeah, well, good luck guys. If you need gloves, the water is too cold 😜

Says a UK diver. Are you missing out on all the great local diving in your neck of the woods? :)

Got to say, diving without flying is the best thing ever. Bring as much camera gear as you can stuff into your car! And some extra gloves for good measure!

Cheers,

Dave

1 hour ago, Troporobo said:

Always! It’s so much easier with the dedicated thumb lever on a Nauticam housing than half press on the shutter and the regular misfires that causes. I don’t think I could feel a half press with gloves.

I never had a problem with half-press shutter (Nauticam housings) even with heavy dry gloves and liners. I've done it for so long that it is entirely natural. When I dive warm water with no gloves I don't notice a difference or need to make a conscious adjustment. It just works.

20 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Says a UK diver. Are you missing out on all the great local diving in your neck of the woods? :)

Ha! Been there, done it, sold the dry suit. It’s diving the tropics for me!

7 minutes ago, TimG said:

Ha! Been there, done it, sold the dry suit. It’s diving the tropics for me!

I start to get shakes and twitches if I haven't been diving in more than 7 days. They say a cold plunge is good to promote longevity, so I'm going to roll with that advice.

I used to be a half press guy, but now I've joined the dark side with BBF, since Nauticam ergs are very good for BBF. But I haven't disabled AF with shutter, so it's there if I need it.

I have my Sony set up for BBF and it locks. My Canon does not seem to have that capability but I do have BBF without focus lock.

I find BBF more useful for macro than WA. But BBF can be a game changer. Just do not forget to focus!

Back button works good but will not let you focus on a new shot till you use the shutter button, that's they way it works on my Nikon.

Back button focus for at least 20 years, separating out the focus from shutter release makes life easier and the Nauticam thumb lever means it remains easy UW. Different cameras have different options, but ideally you want AF only on the back button as if it remains on the shutter release the camera will attempt to refocus when you take the shot. On some cameras the options are all together on one menu line, others you turn on BB on one line and turn off AF on shutter release on another menu line

I find I can judge using it stop the lens hunting and also for the classic focus and re-compose, use it for all shooting. Can help when the camera for eaxmple doesn't want to focus on a shark body on the shadow side - just move to place the AF point on a fin and recompose. Once you learn it, it becomes second nature.

14 hours ago, TimG said:

I had to look up what back button focus meant! 😝

I'm about to look it up - sounds like a Gen Z thing - probably developed for iPhone...

thanks everyone

I'm not underwater until September so i am using BBF on my camera at work and getting used to it

I can see the advantages immediately but it is not second nature yet

the recent shark dive with ultra wide angle produced very few out of focus shots but my attempts at macro in the past have been much worse - it seems like a definite for macro at least

BBF is quite a disadvantage in awkward angle situations. With external monitor help my eye and hands can frame the shot. But human hand ergonomics just don't agree with housings BBF buttons. So as a rule I do not use it.

1 hour ago, RomiK said:

BBF is quite a disadvantage in awkward angle situations. With external monitor help my eye and hands can frame the shot. But human hand ergonomics just don't agree with housings BBF buttons. So as a rule I do not use it.

This is an aspect that people who unrestrainedly use and recommend BBF (like myself) overlook: everybodies hands as well as the construction of camera houses are different and do not fit together always... 👍

My personal situation concerned, when I take/took my Nauticam housings (EM5II/EM1II/A7R5) UW into my hands, the dumb is aready sitting rigth an the BBF lever and the index finger touches the shutter. It could not be easier and more relaxed...

But what about left handed, different anatomy of hands or different housing manufacturer?

Using AF together with shutter release requires a fine sense of touch in the index finger and also some practice: I am sure I would produce an enormous number of failures by pressing incidentially the shutter too soon...

I use back button focus for underwater photography, and decided to make the switch years ago during an Alex Mustard workshop. It takes a bit of getting used to it, but once you do, you will likely not go back to half shutter focus.

For wildlife and landscape photography, I have re-programmed the nearby AE-Lock button (I shoot Canon) for spot focusing and eye tracking, and have found iit convenient to have the two focus options side by side, using my right thumb for both.

As to the comments about human hand ergonomics, I can't dispute that. It's tricky navigating small buttons with one's thumb. Some underwater housings have made it a bit easier with larger levers on the back.