Find a lens for this look
eBay links may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Matching lenses from each maker's lineup, plus some classic medium and large format lenses. Email me if something is wrong or missing.
Nikon 19mm f/4 PC-E FX — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published JP2017-161685A optical prescription (18 elements in 12 groups, 3 aspherical) with a 4.8 mm entrance pupil and 0.25 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | JP2017-161685A · 18 elements in 12 groups (3 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 4.8 mm (at f/4) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 56% at f/4 · -1.4 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 87° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 0.80 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 18.9 mm (-0.6%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 72 cm (58 cm – 1.29 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.25 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 19mm f/4 PC-E FX produce?
Wide open at f/4, the Nikon 19mm f/4 PC-E FX has a 4.8 mm entrance pupil (19 mm ÷ 4) and 56% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-1.4 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 0.80 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 72 cm (58 cm to 1.29 m) with a 87° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 19mm f/4 PC-E FX show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent JP2017-161685A, tracing the focusing group at 0.80 m gives an effective framing focal length of 18.9 mm (-0.6% vs. the nominal 19 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon 19mm f/4 PC-E FX?
The patent prescription (JP2017-161685A) specifies 18 lens elements in 12 groups with 3 aspherical surfaces. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon AF-S 20mm f/1.8G ED
- Nikon 18mm f/2.8D FX
- Nikon 20mm f/2.8 AI-s
- Nikon 18mm f/4 AI-s
- Nikon 20mm f/4 AI
- Nikon Nikkor-O 2.1cm f/4
Compare with similar portrait lenses
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.