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Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US4303314A optical prescription (4 elements in 4 groups) with a 35.7 mm entrance pupil and 1 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US4303314A · 4 elements in 4 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 35.7 mm (at f/2.8) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 86% at f/2.8 · -0.2 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 20° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 4.01 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 104.2 mm (+4.2%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 39 cm (3.82 m – 4.21 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E produce?
Wide open at f/2.8, the Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E has a 35.7 mm entrance pupil (100 mm ÷ 2.8) and 86% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.2 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 4.01 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 39 cm (3.82 m to 4.21 m) with a 20° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US4303314A, tracing the focusing group at 4.01 m gives an effective framing focal length of 104.2 mm (+4.2% vs. the nominal 100 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon 100mm f/2.8 Series E?
The patent prescription (US4303314A) specifies 4 lens elements in 4 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon 105mm f/1.4 FX
- Nikon 105mm f/1.8 AI-s
- Nikon AF Micro 105mm f/2.8D
- Nikon AF-S Micro 105mm f/2.8G VR
- Nikon Nikkor SW 90mm f/4.5
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS
- Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS
- Canon RF 100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM
- Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
- Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S
- Leica ELMAR 135mm f/4
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.