What to expect#
Aperture control: lenses with a manual aperture ring work directly; electronically controlled lenses (no ring) need a smart adapter or one with a built-in aperture lever.
Focus: use focus peaking and magnification in the viewfinder. Exposure metering works normally because the camera meters through the lens at working aperture.
Crop factor: on a 2.7× crop Nikon 1 (CX) body a 50 mm Canon EF lens frames like 135 mm. A focal reducer (“speed booster”) can bring back some width and gain about a stop of light.
Canon EF lenses you could adapt#
- Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM
- Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
- Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D
- Laowa 15mm F/4 Wide Angle Macro
- Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro
- Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS
- Samyang 12mm f/2.8 Fish-Eye ED AS NCS
- Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC
- Samyang 14mm f/2.8 AE ED AS IF UMC
- Samyang 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS
- Samyang 20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC
- Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS IF UMC
- Samyang 85mm f/1.4 IF UMC Aspherical
Nikon 1 (CX) cameras#
- Nikon 1 J5 2015
- Nikon 1 V3 2014
- Nikon 1 S2 2014
- Nikon 1 J4 2014
- Nikon 1 AW1 2013
- Nikon 1 S1 2013
- Nikon 1 J3 2013
- Nikon 1 V2 2012
- Nikon 1 J2 2012
- Nikon 1 V1 2011
- Nikon 1 J1 2011
Other systems for Canon EF lenses#
Frequently asked questions#
Will Canon EF lenses autofocus on Nikon 1 (CX)?
No — adapted lenses are manual focus on this combination.
Does a Canon EF to Nikon 1 (CX) adapter affect image quality?
A glass-free adapter is just a precisely machined spacer, so image quality is unchanged when it is built to the right thickness. Cheap adapters can be slightly too thin or thick, which shifts the infinity mark.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources