Depth of field · APS-C

400 mm f/11 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 400 mm lens at f/11 on an APS-C camera, from 88.0 cm to 100 m.

728 m
Hyperfocal distance
364 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
614 mm f/16.9
Full-frame equivalent
4°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

400 mm at f/11 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
1.00 m (3.28 ft)99.9 cm1.00 m0.2 cm50% / 50%103.16%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.5 cm50% / 50%56.27%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.9 cm50% / 50%38.68%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.99 m3.01 m2.1 cm50% / 50%23.81%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.98 m4.02 m4.0 cm50% / 50%17.19%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.97 m5.03 m6.3 cm50% / 50%13.46%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.94 m7.06 m12.7 cm50% / 50%9.38%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.87 m10.1 m26.4 cm49% / 51%6.45%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.7 m15.3 m60.2 cm49% / 51%4.24%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.5 m20.6 m1.08 m49% / 51%3.16%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)28.8 m31.3 m2.45 m48% / 52%2.09%
50.0 m (164 ft)46.8 m53.7 m6.85 m47% / 53%1.25%
100 m (328 ft)88.0 m116 m27.9 m43% / 57%0.62%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/2.80.5 cm2.9 km
f/40.8 cm2.0 km
f/5.61.1 cm1.4 km
f/81.6 cm1.0 km
f/112.1 cm728 m

Other focal lengths at f/11#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m∞
28 mm3.00 m16.4 m
35 mm3.00 m4.46 m
40 mm3.00 m2.93 m
50 mm3.00 m1.67 m
85 mm3.00 m53.7 cm
105 mm3.00 m34.8 cm
135 mm3.00 m20.8 cm
200 mm10.0 m1.08 m
300 mm10.0 m47.4 cm
400 mm10.0 m26.4 cm
600 mm10.0 m11.5 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/11, a 400 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 2.1 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 728 m and everything from 364 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/11 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 400mm lens at f/11?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 2.1 cm; at 1 m it is 0.2 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 400mm f/11?

728 m (2387 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 364 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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