Depth of field · Full frame

16 mm f/5.6 depth of field on full frame

Exactly how much is sharp with a 16 mm lens at f/5.6 on a full-frame camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

1.54 m
Hyperfocal distance
77.0 cm
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
16 mm f/5.6
Full-frame equivalent
107°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

16 mm at f/5.6 on full frame (36×24 mm), circle of confusion 30 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)25.3 cm36.9 cm11.6 cm41% / 59%0.45%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)37.9 cm73.3 cm35.3 cm34% / 66%0.26%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)50.6 cm1.45 m94.1 cm26% / 74%0.17%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)60.8 cm2.82 m2.22 m18% / 82%0.13%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)76.0 cm57.4 m56.7 m1% / 99%0.09%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)86.9 cm∞∞—0.06%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)1.01 m∞∞—0.04%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)1.11 m∞∞—0.03%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)1.17 m∞∞—0.03%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)1.25 m∞∞—0.02%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)1.32 m∞∞—0.01%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)1.38 m∞∞—0.01%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)1.42 m∞∞—0.01%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)1.45 m∞∞—0.00%
50.0 m (164 ft)1.48 m∞∞—0.00%
100 m (328 ft)1.50 m∞∞—0.00%

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/1.43.86 m6.11 m
f/1.86.25 m4.76 m
f/28.21 m4.28 m
f/2.8142 m3.06 m
f/4∞2.15 m
f/5.6∞1.54 m
f/8∞1.08 m
f/11∞79.2 cm
f/16∞54.9 cm

Other focal lengths at f/5.6#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m21.1 m
28 mm3.00 m6.43 m
35 mm3.00 m2.92 m
40 mm3.00 m2.06 m
50 mm3.00 m1.24 m
85 mm3.00 m40.9 cm
105 mm3.00 m26.5 cm
135 mm3.00 m15.9 cm
200 mm10.0 m82.5 cm
300 mm10.0 m36.2 cm
400 mm10.0 m20.2 cm
600 mm10.0 m8.8 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/5.6, a 16 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get everything to infinity; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 1.54 m and everything from 77.0 cm to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/5.6 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 16mm lens at f/5.6?

On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is infinite (beyond the hyperfocal distance); at 1 m it is 2.22 m.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 16mm f/5.6?

1.54 m (5.05 ft) on full frame. Everything from 77.0 cm to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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