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Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E FX — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published JP2008-151949A optical prescription (15 elements in 10 groups, 3 aspherical) with a 6.9 mm entrance pupil and 0.21 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | JP2008-151949A · 15 elements in 10 groups (3 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 6.9 mm (at f/3.5) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 65% at f/3.5 · -1.0 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 74° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 0.99 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 23.9 mm (-0.2%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 56 cm (78 cm – 1.34 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.21 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E FX produce?
Wide open at f/3.5, the Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E FX has a 6.9 mm entrance pupil (24 mm ÷ 3.5) and 65% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-1.0 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 0.99 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 56 cm (78 cm to 1.34 m) with a 74° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E FX show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent JP2008-151949A, tracing the focusing group at 0.99 m gives an effective framing focal length of 23.9 mm (-0.2% vs. the nominal 24 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E FX?
The patent prescription (JP2008-151949A) specifies 15 lens elements in 10 groups with 3 aspherical surfaces. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon 24mm f/1.4G FX
- Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.8G ED
- Nikon 24mm f/2.0 AI-s
- Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AI-s
- Nikon Nikkor-O 2.1cm f/4
- Nikon 28mm f/1.4E FX
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G
- Canon 24mm f/2.8 IS
- Canon FD 24mm f/2.8 S.S.C.
- Leica ELMARIT-M 24mm f/2.8 ASPH
- Nikon 20mm f/2.8 AI-s
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.