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Nikon 28mm f/2.0 — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US3736049A optical prescription (9 elements in 8 groups) with a 14.0 mm entrance pupil and 0.25 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US3736049A · 9 elements in 8 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 14.0 mm (at f/2) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 62% at f/2 (≥86% from f/4) · -1.1 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) | 27.7 mm (-1.2%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 30 cm (1.02 m – 1.31 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.25 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon 28mm f/2.0 produce?
Wide open at f/2, the Nikon 28mm f/2.0 has a 14.0 mm entrance pupil (28 mm ÷ 2) and 62% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-1.1 EV corner falloff, reaching ≥86% roundness from f/4). In an upper-body portrait at 1.15 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 30 cm (1.02 m to 1.31 m) with a 66° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon 28mm f/2.0 show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US3736049A, tracing the focusing group at 1.15 m gives an effective framing focal length of 27.7 mm (-1.2% 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 28mm f/2.0?
The patent prescription (US3736049A) specifies 9 lens elements in 8 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon 28mm f/1.4E FX
- Nikon AF 28mm f/1.4D
- 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
- Sony FE 28mm F2
- Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH.
- Canon 28mm f/1.8 USM
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8
- Nikon 40mm f/2.8 Macro DX
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.