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Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR vs. Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX

Pick the 58mm f/1.2 if you want about 17% more background blur, pick the 58mm f/1.4 if you want rounder highlights when stopped down. Compare both side by side.

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Portrait At-a-Glance Comparison (Upper Body Framing)

Optical & Portrait Metric Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance 2.33 m 2.33 m Identical working distance—both frame an upper-body portrait from the exact same spot.
Background Field of View (Compression) 34° 34° Identical 34° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 48.3 mm (f/1.2) 41.4 mm (f/1.4) Distant background blur discs are 17% larger on the Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR.
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 66% (-0.8 EV) 76% (-0.5 EV) Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (76% vs. 66% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 58.0 mm (-0.0%) 58.6 mm (+1.0%) At 2.3 m, Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR frames like a 58.0 mm lens while Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX frames like a 58.6 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 17 cm (2.25 m – 2.42 m) 20 cm (2.24 m – 2.44 m) The Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR has a 14% thinner focus zone (17 cm vs. 20 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance 0.5 m 0.58 m Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR focuses 8 cm closer (0.5 m vs. 0.58 m) for tighter close-ups.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR or Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX?

At the same subject framing, distant background blur scales with the entrance pupil diameter (focal length ÷ f-number). Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR at f/1.2 has a 48.3 mm entrance pupil, while Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX at f/1.4 has a 41.4 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR and Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX?

For an upper-body portrait, Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR stands 2.33 m from the subject (sharp zone 17 cm, from 2.25 m to 2.42 m), whereas Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX stands 2.33 m away (sharp zone 20 cm, from 2.24 m to 2.44 m).

How do the optical designs of Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR and Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX compare?

Nikon 58mm f/1.2 Noct-NIKKOR uses 7 elements in 6 groups (US4621909A, effective focal length 58.0 mm at portrait distance). Nikon 58mm f/1.4 G FX uses 9 elements in 5 groups (JP2013-019993A, effective focal length 58.6 mm).

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Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.