Depth of field · APS-C

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

Exactly how much is sharp with a 300 mm lens at f/5.6 on an APS-C camera, from 66.0 cm to 100 m.

804 m
Hyperfocal distance
402 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
460 mm f/8.6
Full-frame equivalent
5°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

300 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
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)75.0 cm75.0 cm0.1 cm50% / 50%151.98%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)99.9 cm1.00 m0.2 cm50% / 50%97.70%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.4 cm50% / 50%56.99%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.8 cm50% / 50%40.23%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.99 m3.01 m2.0 cm50% / 50%25.33%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.98 m4.02 m3.7 cm50% / 50%18.48%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.97 m5.03 m5.8 cm50% / 50%14.55%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.94 m7.06 m11.7 cm50% / 50%10.21%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.88 m10.1 m24.1 cm49% / 51%7.05%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.7 m15.3 m54.9 cm49% / 51%4.65%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.5 m20.5 m98.1 cm49% / 51%3.47%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)28.9 m31.2 m2.22 m48% / 52%2.30%
50.0 m (164 ft)47.1 m53.3 m6.21 m47% / 53%1.38%
100 m (328 ft)89.0 m114 m25.2 m44% / 56%0.69%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/2.81.0 cm1.6 km
f/41.4 cm1.1 km
f/5.62.0 cm804 m
f/82.9 cm563 m
f/114.0 cm409 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 300 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 2.0 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 804 m and everything from 402 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 300mm lens at f/5.6?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 2.0 cm; at 1 m it is 0.2 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 300mm f/5.6?

804 m (2637 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 402 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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