20.9 m
Hyperfocal distance
10.4 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
50 mm f/4.0
Full-frame equivalent
47°
Diagonal angle of view
Depth of field by subject distance#
50 mm at f/4 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 distance | Near limit | Far limit | Total DoF | Front / behind | Background blur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.0 cm (0.98 ft) | 29.6 cm | 30.4 cm | 0.7 cm | 49% / 51% | 6.94% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 48.9 cm | 51.1 cm | 2.2 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.86% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 72.6 cm | 77.6 cm | 5.0 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.48% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 95.6 cm | 1.05 m | 9.1 cm | 48% / 52% | 1.83% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.40 m | 1.61 m | 21.0 cm | 47% / 53% | 1.20% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.83 m | 2.21 m | 37.8 cm | 45% / 55% | 0.89% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.63 m | 3.49 m | 86.7 cm | 43% / 57% | 0.59% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.36 m | 4.94 m | 1.57 m | 41% / 59% | 0.44% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.04 m | 6.56 m | 2.52 m | 38% / 62% | 0.35% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 5.25 m | 10.5 m | 5.26 m | 33% / 67% | 0.25% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 6.77 m | 19.1 m | 12.4 m | 26% / 74% | 0.17% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 8.73 m | 53.1 m | 44.4 m | 14% / 86% | 0.12% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 10.2 m | 472 m | 461 m | 2% / 98% | 0.09% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 12.3 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.06% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 14.7 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.03% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 17.2 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.02% |
Try other settings#
Near limit—
Far limit—
Depth of field—
Hyperfocal distance—
In front / behind—
50 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#
Other focal lengths at f/4#
| Focal length | Subject at | Total DoF |
|---|---|---|
| 14 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 16 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 20 mm | 3.00 m | 26.7 m |
| 24 mm | 3.00 m | 6.04 m |
| 28 mm | 3.00 m | 3.44 m |
| 35 mm | 3.00 m | 1.90 m |
| 40 mm | 3.00 m | 1.40 m |
| 50 mm | 3.00 m | 86.7 cm |
| 85 mm | 3.00 m | 29.1 cm |
| 105 mm | 3.00 m | 18.9 cm |
| 135 mm | 3.00 m | 11.3 cm |
| 200 mm | 10.0 m | 58.9 cm |
| 300 mm | 10.0 m | 25.9 cm |
| 400 mm | 10.0 m | 14.4 cm |
| 600 mm | 10.0 m | 6.3 cm |
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/4, a 50 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 86.7 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 20.9 m and everything from 10.4 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.
See also the f/4 aperture guide.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the depth of field of a 50mm lens at f/4?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 86.7 cm; at 1 m it is 9.1 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 50mm f/4?
20.9 m (68.5 ft) on full frame. Everything from 10.4 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources