Depth of field · APS-C

40 mm f/2 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/2 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

40.0 m
Hyperfocal distance
20.0 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
61 mm f/3.1
Full-frame equivalent
39°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 mm at f/2 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)29.8 cm30.2 cm0.4 cm50% / 50%13.09%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.4 cm50.6 cm1.2 cm49% / 51%7.40%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)73.7 cm76.4 cm2.7 cm49% / 51%4.79%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)97.7 cm1.02 m4.8 cm49% / 51%3.55%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.45 m1.56 m11.0 cm48% / 52%2.33%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.91 m2.10 m19.6 cm48% / 52%1.74%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.79 m3.24 m44.6 cm46% / 54%1.15%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.64 m4.44 m80.0 cm45% / 55%0.86%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.45 m5.71 m1.26 m44% / 56%0.69%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.96 m8.47 m2.51 m41% / 59%0.49%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)8.01 m13.3 m5.31 m38% / 62%0.34%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)10.9 m24.0 m13.0 m31% / 69%0.23%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)13.3 m39.9 m26.6 m25% / 75%0.17%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)17.2 m120 m102 m13% / 87%0.11%
50.0 m (164 ft)22.2 m∞∞—0.07%
100 m (328 ft)28.6 m∞∞—0.03%

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#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m5.82 m
16 mm3.00 m3.57 m
20 mm3.00 m1.96 m
24 mm3.00 m1.30 m
28 mm3.00 m93.1 cm
35 mm3.00 m58.6 cm
40 mm3.00 m44.6 cm
50 mm3.00 m28.4 cm
85 mm3.00 m9.7 cm
105 mm3.00 m6.3 cm
135 mm3.00 m3.8 cm
200 mm10.0 m19.6 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/2, a 40 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 44.6 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 40.0 m and everything from 20.0 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/2 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 40mm lens at f/2?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 44.6 cm; at 1 m it is 4.8 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/2?

40.0 m (131 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 20.0 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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