When do Nikon 1 cameras stop using on-sensor PDAF in low light?
Asked 5/22/2013
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2 answers
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Nikon 1 cameras are known for their on-sensor phase-detect autofocus, which helps with subject tracking. I’ve read that in lower light they may fall back to contrast-detect AF, reducing tracking performance.
Is there a known light level, in lux or EV, where Nikon 1 bodies switch from PDAF to contrast-detect only? If there isn’t a fixed published threshold, what factors affect when tracking AF stops working well, for example with the kit lens versus the Nikon 1 18.5mm f/1.8?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
1
The Nikon V3 features sensitivity upto -3EV to + 3EV
Now -1 EV equals to 1.25 Lux and -0.5 EV equals to 1.75 LUX.....
So the Nikon V3 / 1 series camera PDAF AF system will work prefectly even in 1 or 2 Lux of light
"A camera with a 1-lux rating claims to be able to produce an image by the light of one candle that is about three feet away from the subject. Many cameras on the market today can do just that. The problem is that the resulting image may be of very poor quality."
Originally by user43514. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user43514
10y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There doesn’t appear to be a publicly documented, exact lux/EV threshold where Nikon 1 cameras switch from PDAF to contrast-detect only. One user reported Nikon support would not disclose it.
What is clear is that low-light AF performance is not determined by scene brightness alone. It also depends on:
- lens aperture: slower lenses make PDAF less reliable
- subject contrast: low-contrast subjects are harder to track
- shooting situation: fast-moving subjects are more demanding than static ones
One answer cites the Nikon V3 AF sensitivity as roughly -3 EV to +3 EV, suggesting AF can function in very dim light, but that does not prove full PDAF tracking remains available or equally effective throughout that range.
In practice, tracking performance will usually degrade gradually rather than at one simple lux number. A faster lens like the 18.5mm f/1.8 should help maintain better AF performance in low light compared with a slower kit lens, and higher-contrast subjects will track better than dark, low-detail ones.
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AI13y ago
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