Depth of field · APS-C

300 mm f/2.8 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 300 mm lens at f/2.8 on an APS-C camera, from 66.0 cm to 100 m.

1.6 km

Hyperfocal distance

804 m

Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)

460 mm f/4.3

Full-frame equivalent

5°

Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

300 mm at f/2.8 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 distance	Near limit	Far limit	Total DoF	Front / behind	Background blur
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)	75.0 cm	75.0 cm	0.0 cm	50% / 50%	303.95%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)	100.0 cm	1.00 m	0.1 cm	50% / 50%	195.40%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)	1.50 m	1.50 m	0.2 cm	50% / 50%	113.98%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)	2.00 m	2.00 m	0.4 cm	50% / 50%	80.46%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)	2.99 m	3.01 m	1.0 cm	50% / 50%	50.66%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)	3.99 m	4.01 m	1.8 cm	50% / 50%	36.97%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)	4.99 m	5.01 m	2.9 cm	50% / 50%	29.10%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)	6.97 m	7.03 m	5.8 cm	50% / 50%	20.41%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)	9.94 m	10.1 m	12.1 cm	50% / 50%	14.10%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)	14.9 m	15.1 m	27.4 cm	50% / 50%	9.30%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)	19.8 m	20.2 m	49.0 cm	49% / 51%	6.94%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)	29.5 m	30.6 m	1.11 m	49% / 51%	4.61%
50.0 m (164 ft)	48.5 m	51.6 m	3.10 m	48% / 52%	2.75%
100 m (328 ft)	94.2 m	107 m	12.5 m	47% / 53%	1.37%

Try other settings#

Sensor / format Focal length mm Aperture f/ Subject distance m

Near limit—

Far limit—

Depth of field—

Hyperfocal distance—

In front / behind—

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

Aperture	Total DoF	Hyperfocal
f/2.8	1.0 cm	1.6 km
f/4	1.4 cm	1.1 km
f/5.6	2.0 cm	804 m
f/8	2.9 cm	563 m
f/11	4.0 cm	409 m

Other focal lengths at f/2.8#

Focal length	Subject at	Total DoF
14 mm	3.00 m	18.8 m
16 mm	3.00 m	6.82 m
20 mm	3.00 m	3.03 m
24 mm	3.00 m	1.89 m
28 mm	3.00 m	1.33 m
35 mm	3.00 m	82.8 cm
40 mm	3.00 m	62.8 cm
50 mm	3.00 m	39.8 cm
85 mm	3.00 m	13.6 cm
105 mm	3.00 m	8.8 cm
135 mm	3.00 m	5.3 cm
200 mm	10.0 m	27.4 cm
300 mm	10.0 m	12.1 cm
400 mm	10.0 m	6.7 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

300 mm f/2.8 on Full frame 300 mm f/2.8 on Micro Four Thirds

When to use it#

At f/2.8, a 300 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for portraits and subject isolation. Focused at 3 m you get 1.0 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 1.6 km and everything from 804 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 300mm lens at f/2.8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 1.0 cm; at 1 m it is 0.1 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 300mm f/2.8?

1.6 km (5274 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 804 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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