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Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US5315441A optical prescription (11 elements in 8 groups, 1 aspherical) with a 20.0 mm entrance pupil and 0.35 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US5315441A · 11 elements in 8 groups (1 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 20.0 mm (at f/1.4) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 53% at f/1.4 (≥86% from f/2.8) · -1.4 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 66° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 1.15 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 27.8 mm (-0.5%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 21 cm (1.05 m – 1.26 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.35 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D produce?
Wide open at f/1.4, the Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D has a 20.0 mm entrance pupil (28 mm ÷ 1.4) and 53% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-1.4 EV corner falloff, reaching ≥86% roundness from f/2.8). In an upper-body portrait at 1.15 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 21 cm (1.05 m to 1.26 m) with a 66° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US5315441A, tracing the focusing group at 1.15 m gives an effective framing focal length of 27.8 mm (-0.5% vs. the nominal 28 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D?
The patent prescription (US5315441A) specifies 11 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
- Nikon 28mm f/1.4E FX
- Nikon 28mm f/2.0
- Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AI-s
- Nikon AF 28mm f/2.8D
- Nikon 28mm f/3.5
- Nikon 24mm f/1.4G FX
Compare with similar portrait lenses
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.