Depth of field · Micro Four Thirds

400 mm f/5.6 depth of field on Micro Four Thirds

Exactly how much is sharp with a 400 mm lens at f/5.6 on a Micro Four Thirds camera, from 88.0 cm to 100 m.

1.9 km
Hyperfocal distance
953 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
800 mm f/11.2
Full-frame equivalent
3°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

400 mm at f/5.6 on Micro Four Thirds (17.3×13 mm), circle of confusion 15 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)100.0 cm1.00 m0.1 cm50% / 50%275.25%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.2 cm50% / 50%150.14%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.3 cm50% / 50%103.22%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)3.00 m3.00 m0.8 cm50% / 50%63.52%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.99 m4.01 m1.5 cm50% / 50%45.88%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.99 m5.01 m2.4 cm50% / 50%35.90%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.98 m7.02 m4.9 cm50% / 50%25.02%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.95 m10.1 m10.1 cm50% / 50%17.20%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.9 m15.1 m23.0 cm50% / 50%11.31%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.8 m20.2 m41.2 cm49% / 51%8.43%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)29.5 m30.5 m93.3 cm49% / 51%5.58%
50.0 m (164 ft)48.7 m51.3 m2.61 m49% / 51%3.33%
100 m (328 ft)95.0 m106 m10.5 m47% / 53%1.66%

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/2.80.4 cm3.8 km
f/40.6 cm2.7 km
f/5.60.8 cm1.9 km
f/81.2 cm1.3 km
f/111.6 cm970 m

Other focal lengths at f/5.6#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m142 m
20 mm3.00 m6.17 m
24 mm3.00 m3.21 m
28 mm3.00 m2.13 m
35 mm3.00 m1.27 m
40 mm3.00 m95.5 cm
50 mm3.00 m60.1 cm
85 mm3.00 m20.4 cm
105 mm3.00 m13.2 cm
135 mm3.00 m7.9 cm
200 mm10.0 m41.2 cm
300 mm10.0 m18.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m10.1 cm
600 mm10.0 m4.4 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/5.6, a 400 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 0.8 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 1.9 km and everything from 953 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 400mm lens at f/5.6?

On Micro Four Thirds, focused at 3 m, it is 0.8 cm; at 1 m it is 0.1 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 400mm f/5.6?

1.9 km (6251 ft) on Micro Four Thirds. Everything from 953 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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