Depth of field · Micro Four Thirds

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

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/5.6 on a Micro Four Thirds camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

19.1 m
Hyperfocal distance
9.54 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
80 mm f/11.2
Full-frame equivalent
30°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 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
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)29.6 cm30.4 cm0.8 cm49% / 51%6.35%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)48.8 cm51.2 cm2.4 cm49% / 51%3.59%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)72.3 cm77.9 cm5.6 cm48% / 52%2.33%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)95.2 cm1.05 m10.1 cm47% / 53%1.72%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.39 m1.62 m23.1 cm46% / 54%1.13%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.81 m2.23 m41.6 cm45% / 55%0.84%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.60 m3.55 m95.5 cm42% / 58%0.56%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.31 m5.05 m1.74 m40% / 60%0.42%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)3.97 m6.76 m2.79 m37% / 63%0.33%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.13 m11.0 m5.90 m32% / 68%0.24%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)6.57 m21.0 m14.4 m24% / 76%0.17%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)8.40 m69.9 m61.5 m11% / 89%0.11%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)9.77 m∞∞—0.08%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)11.7 m∞∞—0.06%
50.0 m (164 ft)13.8 m∞∞—0.03%
100 m (328 ft)16.0 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/1.220.0 cm88.9 m
f/1.423.3 cm76.2 m
f/1.830.0 cm59.3 m
f/233.4 cm53.4 m
f/2.846.9 cm38.1 m
f/467.4 cm26.7 m
f/5.695.5 cm19.1 m
f/81.40 m13.4 m
f/112.02 m9.74 m
f/163.32 m6.71 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 40 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 95.5 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 19.1 m and everything from 9.54 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 40mm lens at f/5.6?

On Micro Four Thirds, focused at 3 m, it is 95.5 cm; at 1 m it is 10.1 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/5.6?

19.1 m (62.6 ft) on Micro Four Thirds. Everything from 9.54 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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