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.
Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US20180074300A1 optical prescription (10 elements in 6 groups, 2 aspherical) with a 12.5 mm entrance pupil and 0.13 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US20180074300A1 · 10 elements in 6 groups (2 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 12.5 mm (at f/2.8) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 29% at f/2.8 · -2.1 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 56° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 1.42 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 34.0 mm (-2.8%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 41 cm (1.24 m – 1.66 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.13 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro produce?
Wide open at f/2.8, the Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro has a 12.5 mm entrance pupil (35 mm ÷ 2.8) and 29% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-2.1 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 1.42 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 41 cm (1.24 m to 1.66 m) with a 56° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US20180074300A1, tracing the focusing group at 1.42 m gives an effective framing focal length of 34.0 mm (-2.8% 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 Canon 35mm f/2.8 Macro?
The patent prescription (US20180074300A1) specifies 10 lens elements in 6 groups with 2 aspherical surfaces. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Canon 35mm f/2 IS
- Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM
- Canon 28mm f/1.8 USM
- 24mm vs 35mm focal length comparison
- 28mm vs 35mm focal length comparison
- 35mm vs 40mm focal length comparison
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony Sonnar FE 35mm F2.8 ZA
- Nikon 35mm f/2.8 PC
- Leica SUMMARON 35mm f/2.8
- Canon EF 35mm f/2
- Nikon 24mm f/2.0 AI-s
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.