Depth of field by subject distance#
85 mm at f/2.8 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 distance | Near limit | Far limit | Total DoF | Front / behind | Background blur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.0 cm (0.98 ft) | 30.0 cm | 30.0 cm | 0.1 cm | 50% / 50% | 69.37% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 49.9 cm | 50.1 cm | 0.2 cm | 50% / 50% | 35.94% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 74.7 cm | 75.3 cm | 0.6 cm | 50% / 50% | 22.43% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 99.5 cm | 1.01 m | 1.1 cm | 50% / 50% | 16.30% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.49 m | 1.51 m | 2.5 cm | 50% / 50% | 10.54% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.98 m | 2.02 m | 4.5 cm | 49% / 51% | 7.79% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.95 m | 3.05 m | 10.2 cm | 49% / 51% | 5.12% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.91 m | 4.09 m | 18.2 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.81% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.86 m | 5.15 m | 28.6 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.03% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 6.73 m | 7.29 m | 56.4 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.16% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 9.46 m | 10.6 m | 1.16 m | 47% / 53% | 1.50% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 13.8 m | 16.4 m | 2.62 m | 46% / 54% | 1.00% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 17.9 m | 22.6 m | 4.69 m | 44% / 56% | 0.75% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 25.6 m | 36.3 m | 10.8 m | 41% / 59% | 0.50% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 38.8 m | 70.4 m | 31.7 m | 35% / 65% | 0.30% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 63.3 m | 239 m | 175 m | 21% / 79% | 0.15% |
Try other settings#
85 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#
Other focal lengths at f/2.8#
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/2.8, a 85 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds is a natural choice for portraits and subject isolation. Focused at 3 m you get 10.2 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 172 m and everything from 86.1 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 85mm lens at f/2.8?
On Micro Four Thirds, focused at 3 m, it is 10.2 cm; at 1 m it is 1.1 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 85mm f/2.8?
172 m (565 ft) on Micro Four Thirds. Everything from 86.1 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources