Depth of field · APS-C

40 mm f/16 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/16 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

5.04 m
Hyperfocal distance
2.52 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
61 mm f/24.5
Full-frame equivalent
39°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 mm at f/16 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
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)28.5 cm31.6 cm3.1 cm47% / 53%1.64%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)45.8 cm55.1 cm9.3 cm45% / 55%0.93%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)65.7 cm87.4 cm21.7 cm43% / 57%0.60%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)83.9 cm1.24 m39.9 cm40% / 60%0.44%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.16 m2.12 m95.8 cm35% / 65%0.29%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.44 m3.29 m1.85 m30% / 70%0.22%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)1.88 m7.35 m5.47 m20% / 80%0.14%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)2.23 m19.2 m17.0 m10% / 90%0.11%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)2.51 m625 m622 m0% / 100%0.09%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)2.93 m∞∞—0.06%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)3.34 m∞∞—0.04%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)3.76 m∞∞—0.03%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)4.01 m∞∞—0.02%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)4.29 m∞∞—0.01%
50.0 m (164 ft)4.55 m∞∞—0.01%
100 m (328 ft)4.76 m∞∞—0.00%

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/1.226.7 cm66.7 m
f/1.431.2 cm57.2 m
f/1.840.1 cm44.5 m
f/244.6 cm40.0 m
f/2.862.8 cm28.6 m
f/490.8 cm20.0 m
f/5.61.30 m14.3 m
f/81.95 m10.0 m
f/112.93 m7.31 m
f/165.47 m5.04 m

Other focal lengths at f/16#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m∞
28 mm3.00 m∞
35 mm3.00 m11.6 m
40 mm3.00 m5.47 m
50 mm3.00 m2.64 m
85 mm3.00 m78.8 cm
105 mm3.00 m50.8 cm
135 mm3.00 m30.3 cm
200 mm10.0 m1.58 m

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/16, a 40 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 5.47 m of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 5.04 m and everything from 2.52 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/16 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 40mm lens at f/16?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 5.47 m; at 1 m it is 39.9 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/16?

5.04 m (16.5 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 2.52 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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