Depth of field · Full frame

40 mm f/1.8 depth of field on full frame

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/1.8 on a full-frame camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

29.7 m
Hyperfocal distance
14.8 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
40 mm f/1.8
Full-frame equivalent
57°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 mm at f/1.8 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
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)29.7 cm30.3 cm0.5 cm50% / 50%9.50%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.2 cm50.8 cm1.6 cm49% / 51%5.37%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)73.2 cm76.8 cm3.6 cm49% / 51%3.48%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)96.9 cm1.03 m6.5 cm48% / 52%2.57%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.43 m1.58 m14.8 cm48% / 52%1.69%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.88 m2.14 m26.6 cm47% / 53%1.26%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.73 m3.33 m60.5 cm45% / 55%0.83%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.53 m4.62 m1.09 m43% / 57%0.62%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.28 m6.01 m1.72 m42% / 58%0.50%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.67 m9.15 m3.48 m38% / 62%0.35%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)7.48 m15.1 m7.58 m33% / 67%0.25%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)9.97 m30.3 m20.3 m25% / 75%0.17%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)11.9 m61.3 m49.3 m16% / 84%0.12%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)14.9 m∞∞—0.08%
50.0 m (164 ft)18.6 m∞∞—0.05%
100 m (328 ft)22.9 m∞∞—0.02%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.240.1 cm44.5 m
f/1.446.9 cm38.1 m
f/1.860.5 cm29.7 m
f/267.4 cm26.7 m
f/2.895.5 cm19.1 m
f/41.40 m13.4 m
f/5.62.06 m9.56 m
f/83.32 m6.71 m
f/115.84 m4.89 m
f/1625.2 m3.37 m

Other focal lengths at f/1.8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m15.3 m
16 mm3.00 m6.25 m
20 mm3.00 m2.88 m
24 mm3.00 m1.82 m
28 mm3.00 m1.28 m
35 mm3.00 m79.8 cm
40 mm3.00 m60.5 cm
50 mm3.00 m38.4 cm
85 mm3.00 m13.1 cm
105 mm3.00 m8.5 cm
135 mm3.00 m5.1 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/1.8, a 40 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 60.5 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 29.7 m and everything from 14.8 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/1.8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 40mm lens at f/1.8?

On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 60.5 cm; at 1 m it is 6.5 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/1.8?

29.7 m (97.3 ft) on full frame. Everything from 14.8 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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