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Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S vs. Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S

Pick the 35mm f/1.2 if you want a wider field of view, pick the 50mm f/1.2 if you want about 43% more background blur. Compare both side by side.

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

Optical & Portrait Metric Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance 1.42 m 2.01 m The Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S requires 0.6 m more room behind you for the same subject size.
Background Field of View (Compression) 55° 40° Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S shows a 27% narrower slice of the room behind the subject (40° vs. 55°), isolating them against a cleaner background.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 29.2 mm (f/1.2) 41.7 mm (f/1.2) Distant background blur discs are 43% larger on the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S.
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 33% (-1.9 EV) 31% (-2.4 EV) Similar corner bokeh shape wide open (33% vs. 31% roundness at 90% field).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 34.5 mm (-1.3%) 49.0 mm (-1.9%) Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S frames like 34.5 mm (-1.3%) at 1.4 m; Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S frames like 49.0 mm (-1.9%) at 2.0 m.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 17 cm (1.34 m – 1.51 m) 17 cm (1.93 m – 2.10 m) Both lenses deliver the exact same 17 cm sharp focus zone.
Minimum Focus Distance 0.3 m 0.45 m Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S focuses 15 cm closer (0.3 m vs. 0.45 m) for tighter close-ups.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S or Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S?

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 50mm f/1.2 S at f/1.2 has a 41.7 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S and Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S?

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 50mm f/1.2 S stands 2.01 m away (sharp zone 17 cm, from 1.93 m to 2.10 m).

How do the optical designs of Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S and Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S 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 50mm f/1.2 S uses 17 elements in 15 groups (WO2021241230A1, effective focal length 49.0 mm).

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