Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S vs Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4

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

Optical & Portrait Metric	Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S	Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4	What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance	1.42 m	1.42 m	Identical working distance—both frame an upper-body portrait from the exact same spot.
Background Field of View (Compression)	55°	55°	Identical 55° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter	29.2 mm (f/1.2)	25.0 mm (f/1.4)	Distant background blur discs are 17% larger on the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S.
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field)	33% (-1.9 EV)	43% (-1.6 EV)	Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (43% vs. 33% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing)	34.5 mm (-1.3%)	34.5 mm (-1.3%)	At 1.4 m, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S frames like a 34.5 mm lens while Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 frames like a 34.5 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone)	17 cm (1.34 m – 1.51 m)	20 cm (1.33 m – 1.53 m)	The Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S has a 14% thinner focus zone (17 cm vs. 20 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance	0.3 m	0.27 m	Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 focuses 3 cm closer (0.3 m vs. 0.27 m) for tighter close-ups.

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Questions

Which blurs the background more, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S or Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4?

At the same subject framing, distant background blur scales with the entrance pupil diameter (focal length ÷ f-number). Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S at f/1.2 has a 29.2 mm entrance pupil, while Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 has a 25.0 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S and Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4?

For an upper-body portrait, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S stands 1.42 m from the subject (sharp zone 17 cm, from 1.34 m to 1.51 m), whereas Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 stands 1.42 m away (sharp zone 20 cm, from 1.33 m to 1.53 m).

How do the optical designs of Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S and Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 compare?

Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S uses 17 elements in 15 groups (JP2025-052870A, effective focal length 34.5 mm at portrait distance). Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 uses 13 elements in 8 groups (JP2026-035920A, effective focal length 34.5 mm).

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