Depth of field · APS-C

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

Exactly how much is sharp with a 300 mm lens at f/8 on an APS-C camera, from 66.0 cm to 100 m.

563 m

Hyperfocal distance

281 m

Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)

460 mm f/12.3

Full-frame equivalent

5°

Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

300 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 distance	Near limit	Far limit	Total DoF	Front / behind	Background blur
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)	74.9 cm	75.1 cm	0.1 cm	50% / 50%	106.38%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)	99.9 cm	1.00 m	0.2 cm	50% / 50%	68.39%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)	1.50 m	1.50 m	0.6 cm	50% / 50%	39.89%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)	1.99 m	2.01 m	1.2 cm	50% / 50%	28.16%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)	2.99 m	3.01 m	2.9 cm	50% / 50%	17.73%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)	3.97 m	4.03 m	5.3 cm	50% / 50%	12.94%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)	4.96 m	5.04 m	8.4 cm	50% / 50%	10.19%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)	6.92 m	7.08 m	16.7 cm	49% / 51%	7.15%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)	9.83 m	10.2 m	34.5 cm	49% / 51%	4.94%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)	14.6 m	15.4 m	78.5 cm	49% / 51%	3.26%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)	19.3 m	20.7 m	1.40 m	48% / 52%	2.43%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)	28.5 m	31.7 m	3.18 m	47% / 53%	1.61%
50.0 m (164 ft)	45.9 m	54.8 m	8.91 m	46% / 54%	0.96%
100 m (328 ft)	84.9 m	122 m	36.6 m	41% / 59%	0.48%

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/8#

Focal length	Subject at	Total DoF
14 mm	3.00 m	∞
16 mm	3.00 m	∞
20 mm	3.00 m	∞
24 mm	3.00 m	15.7 m
28 mm	3.00 m	5.76 m
35 mm	3.00 m	2.73 m
40 mm	3.00 m	1.95 m
50 mm	3.00 m	1.17 m
85 mm	3.00 m	38.9 cm
105 mm	3.00 m	25.3 cm
135 mm	3.00 m	15.1 cm
200 mm	10.0 m	78.5 cm
300 mm	10.0 m	34.5 cm
400 mm	10.0 m	19.2 cm
600 mm	10.0 m	8.4 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

300 mm f/8 on Full frame 300 mm f/8 on Micro Four Thirds

When to use it#

At f/8, a 300 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 2.9 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 563 m and everything from 281 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 300mm lens at f/8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 2.9 cm; at 1 m it is 0.2 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 300mm f/8?

563 m (1846 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 281 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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