Depth of field · APS-C

16 mm f/1.8 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 16 mm lens at f/1.8 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

7.13 m
Hyperfocal distance
3.56 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
25 mm f/2.8
Full-frame equivalent
83°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

16 mm at f/1.8 on APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm), circle of confusion 20 µm. “Background blur” is the size of an out-of-focus light at infinity as a percentage of frame width.

Focus distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)28.8 cm31.2 cm2.4 cm48% / 52%2.13%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)46.8 cm53.7 cm6.8 cm47% / 53%1.25%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)68.0 cm83.6 cm15.6 cm45% / 55%0.82%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)87.8 cm1.16 m28.2 cm43% / 57%0.62%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.24 m1.90 m65.5 cm40% / 60%0.41%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.56 m2.77 m1.21 m36% / 64%0.31%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.11 m5.17 m3.06 m29% / 71%0.20%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)2.56 m9.10 m6.53 m22% / 78%0.15%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)2.94 m16.7 m13.8 m15% / 85%0.12%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)3.53 m392 m388 m1% / 99%0.09%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)4.16 m∞∞—0.06%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)4.83 m∞∞—0.04%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)5.25 m∞∞—0.03%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)5.75 m∞∞—0.02%
50.0 m (164 ft)6.23 m∞∞—0.01%
100 m (328 ft)6.64 m∞∞—0.01%

Try other settings#

Near limit—
Far limit—
Depth of field—
Hyperfocal distance—
In front / behind—

16 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.42.19 m9.16 m
f/1.83.06 m7.13 m
f/23.57 m6.42 m
f/2.86.82 m4.59 m
f/442.9 m3.22 m
f/5.6∞2.30 m
f/8∞1.62 m
f/11∞1.18 m
f/16∞81.6 cm

Other focal lengths at f/1.8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m4.71 m
16 mm3.00 m3.06 m
20 mm3.00 m1.73 m
24 mm3.00 m1.16 m
28 mm3.00 m83.4 cm
35 mm3.00 m52.7 cm
40 mm3.00 m40.1 cm
50 mm3.00 m25.5 cm
85 mm3.00 m8.7 cm
105 mm3.00 m5.7 cm
135 mm3.00 m3.4 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/1.8, a 16 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 3.06 m of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 7.13 m and everything from 3.56 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/1.8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 16mm lens at f/1.8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 3.06 m; at 1 m it is 28.2 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 16mm f/1.8?

7.13 m (23.4 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 3.56 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources