Using Autofocus with the Nikon J1

Autofocus can sometimes be frustrating for the new digital photographer, especially those coming from the point-and-shoot world. That’s because correct focus plays a greater role among your creative options with a mirrorless camera, even when photographing the same subjects. Most point-and-shoot digital cameras have sensors that are even tinier than the CX-sized sensor in the J1. Those smaller sensors require shorter focal lengths, which have, effectively, more depth-of-field.

The bottom line is that with the average point-and-shoot camera, everything is in focus from about one foot to infinity and at virtually every f/stop. Unless you’re shooting close-up photos a few inches from the camera, the depth-of-field is prodigious, and autofocus is almost a non-factor. The J1, on the other hand, uses longer focal length lenses to achieve the same field of view with its larger sensor, so there is less depth-of-field. (That’s true even though the J1’s sensor is smaller than those found in Nikon’s DX and FX cameras—size is relative.) The depth-of-field available with the Nikon J1 cameras, which is more than found in the company’s DX and FX models, is still less than with point-and-shoot cameras. That makes the correct use of autofocus more critical.