Depth of field · APS-C

40 mm f/2.8 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/2.8 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

28.6 m
Hyperfocal distance
14.3 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
61 mm f/4.3
Full-frame equivalent
39°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 mm at f/2.8 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 distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)29.7 cm30.3 cm0.5 cm50% / 50%9.35%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.2 cm50.8 cm1.6 cm49% / 51%5.29%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)73.2 cm76.9 cm3.7 cm49% / 51%3.42%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)96.7 cm1.03 m6.7 cm48% / 52%2.53%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.43 m1.58 m15.4 cm47% / 53%1.67%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.87 m2.15 m27.6 cm47% / 53%1.24%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.72 m3.35 m62.8 cm45% / 55%0.82%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.51 m4.64 m1.13 m43% / 57%0.61%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.26 m6.05 m1.79 m41% / 59%0.49%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.63 m9.25 m3.63 m38% / 62%0.35%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)7.42 m15.4 m7.94 m33% / 67%0.24%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)9.85 m31.5 m21.6 m24% / 76%0.16%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)11.8 m66.4 m54.6 m15% / 85%0.12%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)14.6 m∞∞—0.08%
50.0 m (164 ft)18.2 m∞∞—0.05%
100 m (328 ft)22.2 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/1.226.7 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/2.8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m18.8 m
16 mm3.00 m6.82 m
20 mm3.00 m3.03 m
24 mm3.00 m1.89 m
28 mm3.00 m1.33 m
35 mm3.00 m82.8 cm
40 mm3.00 m62.8 cm
50 mm3.00 m39.8 cm
85 mm3.00 m13.6 cm
105 mm3.00 m8.8 cm
135 mm3.00 m5.3 cm
200 mm10.0 m27.4 cm
300 mm10.0 m12.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m6.7 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/2.8, a 40 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 62.8 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 28.6 m and everything from 14.3 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/2.8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 40mm lens at f/2.8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 62.8 cm; at 1 m it is 6.7 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/2.8?

28.6 m (93.9 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 14.3 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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