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Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US5640277A optical prescription (9 elements in 8 groups) with a 60.7 mm entrance pupil and 0.85 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US5640277A · 9 elements in 8 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 60.7 mm (at f/1.4) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 74% at f/1.4 (≥86% from f/2) · -0.5 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 24° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 3.41 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 83.6 mm (-1.6%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 20 cm (3.31 m – 3.51 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.85 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF produce?
Wide open at f/1.4, the Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF has a 60.7 mm entrance pupil (85 mm ÷ 1.4) and 74% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.5 EV corner falloff, reaching ≥86% roundness from f/2). In an upper-body portrait at 3.41 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 20 cm (3.31 m to 3.51 m) with a 24° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US5640277A, tracing the focusing group at 3.41 m gives an effective framing focal length of 83.6 mm (-1.6% vs. the nominal 85 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Nikon AF 85mm f/1.4D IF?
The patent prescription (US5640277A) specifies 9 lens elements in 8 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-s
- Nikon 85mm f/1.4 G FX
- Nikon AF 85mm f/1.8D
- Nikon 85mm f/2.8 PC-E FX
- Nikon 85mm f/3.5 VR DX
- Nikon Nikkor SW 90mm f/4.5
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II
- Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
- Pentax HD PENTAX-D FA ★ 85mm F1.4 ED SDM AW
- Nikon 105mm f/1.8 AI-s
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.