Good News for Nikon 1 / FT-1 Users - Firmware Update adds AF-C on AF-S Lenses Only

TriShooter

Sorry I've been traveling, so among the missing. I wanted everyone to know that Nikon has finally decided to allow AF-C or Continuous Auto Focus mode for the Nikon 1 / FT-1 Mount Adapter when used with their AF-S lenses.

Use the link below, but be careful to verify you have the latest firmware installed for your Nikon 1 Camera before you update your FT1 mount adapter's firmware.

https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18517/~/mount-adapter-ft1-l-firmware-1.10

Gareth

Thanks for this. I have been looking into an nikon 1 to use with my 300 2.8 recently. I didn't even realise there was no AF-C with the FT-1. Good that there now is.

Msmoto

It will be interesting to see how well the AF-C works with the long lenses in any type of action shooting...like sports. As far as I know, the V1 does not have the ability to accurately do what in the cameras with phase contrast AF do, predictive AF.

Ade

The V1 is equipped with both phase-detect and contrast-detect AF systems. The camera will automatically switch between the two detection methods based on the current shooting conditions. Being mirrorless, the V1's phase-detect AF is embedded right into the image sensor.

When in phase-detect mode, the V1 has advanced predictive AF, based on the same algorithm used on the D3S.

PB_PM

I was under the impression that the Nikon 1 cameras worked a little differently than that. From what I read, they use phase-dectect to get focus quickly and finished the process with contrast-detect AF. Thus it is considered a hybrid system.

Ade

@PB_PM:

What you're describing is the how hybrid AF works in some Canon cameras.

However, the Nikon 1 hybrid AF works differently. Basically, when there is enough light, phase-detection is used (enabling fast predictive AF). In low-light, the AF automatically switches to contrast-detection.

TriShooter

Ade's comment on how the Nikon 1 focusing works is my understanding, and experience with them.

The V1 is a hybrid that resorts to contrast detection when light levels are low. In good light it will use phase detection in almost all circumstances. The focusing is very fast with the Nikon 1 lenses, and it uses the same battery as the D300/D7000 so ought to work well with the long telephoto lenses too.

The only problem with long telephoto.lenses on the V1 will initially be finding the target for small bif (my larger birds have flown north), and next following the birds for a couple of seconds with a 2.67 crop factor. lol.

I am comfortable shooting small BIF with a 300mm lens on a 1.5 crop sensor, but anticipate needing some, or probably a lot, of extra distance to do that with the 2.67 crop. LOL, a 2.67 is about 800mm, and I typically shoot small bif at 25 - 50 feet to get reasonable detail. A 300mm lens on a V1 for a small swallow darting around will likely drop my coordination level back to about age 4, if I am having a good day.

TriShooter

@Gareth - You are welcome. The proof is in the putting so we will see how it works in practice. I thought Nikon was foolish not including this capability in the first place because it would increase their sales of af-s lenses for new Nikon users, and make it easier for them to upgrade to one of their current dSLRs.

TriShooter

@MSmoto - I suspect the V1 will work fine with FT-1 for fast moving cars, but have to try it. Of course the cars you shoot are moving a lot faster than highway speeds but it might give you an indication of what it can handle.

Msmoto

I guess we will see....if the focusing system works as well as that on the pro camera DSLR's, then the requirement of a mirror in the system is diminishing rapidly.

TriShooter

@Mmoto: The matrix af-c on the V1 worked very well. I pulled over on the side of the road at a point where drivers have tendency to speed up going down hill, and pulled the trigger using an 18-200mm @ 200mm getting 44 consecutive shots before the buffer was full shooting raw. I can do the same with the 300mm for you, but think if anything that lens will focus faster.

The zip which has the converted jpg files is available to you, and anyone else wondering how the latest update works using matrix to look at. I looked through them using the magnifier glass in CS6 Bridge, and thought the results looked pretty good. It was an a dull overcast day with intermittent rain so the ISO is high owing to my wanting to shoot at 1/2000th of a second +1/3 F Stop compensation because of black road, and black car which was overkill without a tripod, and VR in the "On" position "Normal."The zip file with the 44 shots is located below for you, and anyone else that might want to look at them.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2937044/V1-FT1-Matrix-AF-C/V1-FT1-18-200mm-Matrix-AF-C.zip

TriShooter

I apologize for being lazy, but the 18-200mm was already on the V1, and it was a very busy weekend. Both of our children have now moved backed to Georgia so we are celebrating.

All of my lenses after 300mm F4 are either ais or tamrons that are not af-s compatible on the Nikon V1.