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Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published JP2015-118186A optical prescription (12 elements in 8 groups, 1 aspherical) with a 19.4 mm entrance pupil and 0.3 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | JP2015-118186A · 12 elements in 8 groups (1 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 19.4 mm (at f/1.8) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 99% at f/1.8 · -0.1 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 37° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 2.15 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 34.9 mm (-0.4%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 40 cm (1.97 m – 2.37 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.3 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX produce?
Wide open at f/1.8, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX has a 19.4 mm entrance pupil (35 mm ÷ 1.8) and 99% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.1 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 2.15 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 40 cm (1.97 m to 2.37 m) with a 37° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent JP2015-118186A, tracing the focusing group at 2.15 m gives an effective framing focal length of 34.9 mm (-0.4% vs. the nominal 35 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX?
The patent prescription (JP2015-118186A) specifies 12 lens elements in 8 groups with 1 aspherical surfaces. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
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- Nikon 35mm f/2 AF-D FX
- Nikon 35mm f/2 AI-s
- Nikon 35mm f/2.8 PC
- Nikon 40mm f/2.8 Macro DX
- Nikon 28mm f/1.4E FX
Compare with similar portrait lenses
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.