Depth of field · APS-C

50 mm f/5.6 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 50 mm lens at f/5.6 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

22.4 m
Hyperfocal distance
11.2 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
77 mm f/8.6
Full-frame equivalent
32°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

50 mm at f/5.6 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 cm0.7 cm49% / 51%7.60%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.0 cm51.0 cm2.0 cm49% / 51%4.22%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)72.7 cm77.4 cm4.7 cm48% / 52%2.71%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)95.9 cm1.04 m8.5 cm48% / 52%2.00%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.41 m1.60 m19.6 cm47% / 53%1.31%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.84 m2.19 m35.2 cm46% / 54%0.97%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.65 m3.46 m80.7 cm43% / 57%0.64%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.40 m4.86 m1.46 m41% / 59%0.48%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.09 m6.42 m2.33 m39% / 61%0.38%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.34 m10.2 m4.83 m34% / 66%0.27%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)6.92 m18.0 m11.1 m28% / 72%0.19%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)8.98 m45.4 m36.4 m17% / 83%0.13%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)10.6 m188 m178 m5% / 95%0.10%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)12.8 m∞∞—0.06%
50.0 m (164 ft)15.4 m∞∞—0.04%
100 m (328 ft)18.3 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)#

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.217.0 cm104 m
f/1.419.8 cm89.3 m
f/1.825.5 cm69.5 m
f/228.4 cm62.5 m
f/2.839.8 cm44.7 m
f/457.1 cm31.3 m
f/5.680.7 cm22.4 m
f/81.17 m15.7 m
f/111.67 m11.4 m
f/162.64 m7.86 m

Other focal lengths at f/5.6#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m16.5 m
24 mm3.00 m5.22 m
28 mm3.00 m3.11 m
35 mm3.00 m1.76 m
40 mm3.00 m1.30 m
50 mm3.00 m80.7 cm
85 mm3.00 m27.2 cm
105 mm3.00 m17.7 cm
135 mm3.00 m10.6 cm
200 mm10.0 m54.9 cm
300 mm10.0 m24.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m13.4 cm
600 mm10.0 m5.8 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/5.6, a 50 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 80.7 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 22.4 m and everything from 11.2 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 50mm lens at f/5.6?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 80.7 cm; at 1 m it is 8.5 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 50mm f/5.6?

22.4 m (73.4 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 11.2 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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