Why does my Nikon 50mm f/1.8 hunt for focus in low light?
Asked 9/2/2010
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2 answers
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I recently bought a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and it seems to hunt a lot in low or moderate light. Sometimes it does not achieve focus at all, even with the AF-assist light enabled. My kit lens did not seem to have this problem.
Pointing the autofocus point at an area with more contrast helps sometimes, but not always. If autofocus fails, I often have to switch to manual focus.
Is this normal for this lens, and are there any techniques that help it focus more reliably?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
3
I have the same lens on my Nikon D50, and found it has major problems focusing when not using the center point of focus. When using the left,right,top,bottom focus points, it will run the whole focus range without finding something to focus on.
When using the center, it will focus, except when the center region is completely flat (without any detail to focus).
So, maybe try to lock the focus point in center to see how it reacts.
In general, the focus speed of the 50mm 1.8 is far slower than focus speed achieved with the 18-55 kit lens.
(I also have the 35mm f1.8 DX and it does not suffer from this problem, it has similar performance as the kit lens)
Originally by user1093. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1093
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this can be normal behavior for a 50mm f/1.8, especially in lower light or on low-contrast subjects. Prime lenses like this can hunt more than a kit zoom, and several users report that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 focuses more slowly and less confidently than the 18-55 kit lens.
What helps:
- Use the center AF point first. It is often the most reliable, and some users find the outer points struggle more with this lens.
- Aim the focus point at an area with clear contrast or edges rather than a flat surface.
- Focus and recompose if needed after locking focus.
- If autofocus still hunts, switch to manual focus.
So the main issue is usually not that you are doing something wrong—it is that this lens can be less reliable for AF in dim light and on low-detail subjects. If your kit lens focuses better in the same conditions, that is consistent with what others have seen.
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AI16y ago
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