Depth of field · APS-C

28 mm f/5.6 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 28 mm lens at f/5.6 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

7.03 m
Hyperfocal distance
3.51 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
43 mm f/8.6
Full-frame equivalent
53°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

28 mm at f/5.6 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)28.9 cm31.2 cm2.3 cm48% / 52%2.19%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)46.8 cm53.6 cm6.8 cm47% / 53%1.26%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)68.0 cm83.6 cm15.6 cm45% / 55%0.83%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)87.8 cm1.16 m28.3 cm43% / 57%0.61%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.24 m1.90 m66.0 cm39% / 61%0.40%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.56 m2.78 m1.22 m36% / 64%0.30%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.11 m5.21 m3.11 m29% / 71%0.20%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)2.55 m9.25 m6.70 m22% / 78%0.15%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)2.92 m17.3 m14.3 m14% / 86%0.12%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)3.51 m1.7 km1.7 km0% / 100%0.09%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)4.12 m∞∞—0.06%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)4.78 m∞∞—0.04%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)5.19 m∞∞—0.03%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)5.68 m∞∞—0.02%
50.0 m (164 ft)6.14 m∞∞—0.01%
100 m (328 ft)6.54 m∞∞—0.01%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.464.4 cm28.0 m
f/1.883.4 cm21.8 m
f/293.1 cm19.6 m
f/2.81.33 m14.0 m
f/42.00 m9.83 m
f/5.63.11 m7.03 m
f/85.76 m4.93 m
f/1116.4 m3.59 m
f/16∞2.48 m

Other focal lengths at f/5.6#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m16.5 m
24 mm3.00 m5.22 m
28 mm3.00 m3.11 m
35 mm3.00 m1.76 m
40 mm3.00 m1.30 m
50 mm3.00 m80.7 cm
85 mm3.00 m27.2 cm
105 mm3.00 m17.7 cm
135 mm3.00 m10.6 cm
200 mm10.0 m54.9 cm
300 mm10.0 m24.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m13.4 cm
600 mm10.0 m5.8 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/5.6, a 28 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 3.11 m of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 7.03 m and everything from 3.51 m 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 28mm lens at f/5.6?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 3.11 m; at 1 m it is 28.3 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 28mm f/5.6?

7.03 m (23.1 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 3.51 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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