Depth of field · Full frame

300 mm f/5.6 depth of field on full frame

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

536 m
Hyperfocal distance
268 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
300 mm f/5.6
Full-frame equivalent
8°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

300 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
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)74.9 cm75.1 cm0.1 cm50% / 50%99.21%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)99.9 cm1.00 m0.3 cm50% / 50%63.78%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.7 cm50% / 50%37.20%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.99 m2.01 m1.3 cm50% / 50%26.26%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.98 m3.02 m3.0 cm50% / 50%16.53%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.97 m4.03 m5.5 cm50% / 50%12.07%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.96 m5.04 m8.8 cm50% / 50%9.50%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.91 m7.09 m17.5 cm49% / 51%6.66%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.82 m10.2 m36.2 cm49% / 51%4.60%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.6 m15.4 m82.4 cm49% / 51%3.04%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.3 m20.8 m1.47 m48% / 52%2.27%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)28.4 m31.8 m3.34 m47% / 53%1.50%
50.0 m (164 ft)45.8 m55.1 m9.36 m45% / 55%0.90%
100 m (328 ft)84.3 m123 m38.6 m41% / 59%0.45%

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/2.81.5 cm1.1 km
f/42.2 cm750 m
f/5.63.0 cm536 m
f/84.3 cm375 m
f/115.9 cm273 m

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 300 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 3.0 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 536 m and everything from 268 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 full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 3.0 cm; at 1 m it is 0.3 cm.

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

536 m (1759 ft) on full frame. Everything from 268 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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