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Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4 — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published DE1183707B optical prescription (5 elements in 3 groups) with a 33.8 mm entrance pupil and 1.5 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | DE1183707B · 5 elements in 3 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 33.8 mm (at f/4) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 96% at f/4 · -0.1 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 15° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 5.40 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 140.8 mm (+4.3%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 56 cm (5.14 m – 5.70 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.5 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4 produce?
Wide open at f/4, the Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4 has a 33.8 mm entrance pupil (135 mm ÷ 4) and 96% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.1 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 5.40 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 56 cm (5.14 m to 5.70 m) with a 15° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4 show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent DE1183707B, tracing the focusing group at 5.40 m gives an effective framing focal length of 140.8 mm (+4.3% vs. the nominal 135 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4?
The patent prescription (DE1183707B) specifies 5 lens elements in 3 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
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Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Nikon 135mm f/2.8 AI-s
- Nikon 135mm f/2.8 Series E
- Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus
- Leica ELMARIT-M 135mm f/2.8
- Nikon NIKKOR 135mm f/2 AI-s
- Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.