Depth of field · APS-C

16 mm f/8 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 16 mm lens at f/8 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

1.62 m
Hyperfocal distance
80.8 cm
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
25 mm f/12.3
Full-frame equivalent
83°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

16 mm at f/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)25.5 cm36.5 cm11.0 cm41% / 59%0.48%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)38.4 cm71.7 cm33.3 cm35% / 65%0.28%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)51.4 cm1.39 m87.2 cm27% / 73%0.19%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)61.9 cm2.60 m1.98 m19% / 81%0.14%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)77.8 cm20.7 m19.9 m4% / 96%0.09%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)89.3 cm∞∞—0.07%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)1.05 m∞∞—0.05%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)1.15 m∞∞—0.03%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)1.22 m∞∞—0.03%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)1.30 m∞∞—0.02%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)1.38 m∞∞—0.01%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)1.45 m∞∞—0.01%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)1.48 m∞∞—0.01%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)1.52 m∞∞—0.00%
50.0 m (164 ft)1.55 m∞∞—0.00%
100 m (328 ft)1.58 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/1.42.19 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/8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m15.7 m
28 mm3.00 m5.76 m
35 mm3.00 m2.73 m
40 mm3.00 m1.95 m
50 mm3.00 m1.17 m
85 mm3.00 m38.9 cm
105 mm3.00 m25.3 cm
135 mm3.00 m15.1 cm
200 mm10.0 m78.5 cm
300 mm10.0 m34.5 cm
400 mm10.0 m19.2 cm
600 mm10.0 m8.4 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/8, a 16 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for landscapes and architecture where front-to-back sharpness matters. Focused at 3 m you get everything to infinity; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 1.62 m and everything from 80.8 cm to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 16mm lens at f/8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is infinite (beyond the hyperfocal distance); at 1 m it is 1.98 m.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 16mm f/8?

1.62 m (5.30 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 80.8 cm to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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