Depth of field · Micro Four Thirds

85 mm f/2.8 depth of field on Micro Four Thirds

Exactly how much is sharp with a 85 mm lens at f/2.8 on a Micro Four Thirds camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

172 m
Hyperfocal distance
86.1 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
170 mm f/5.6
Full-frame equivalent
15°
Diagonal angle of view

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 distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)30.0 cm30.0 cm0.1 cm50% / 50%69.37%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.9 cm50.1 cm0.2 cm50% / 50%35.94%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)74.7 cm75.3 cm0.6 cm50% / 50%22.43%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)99.5 cm1.01 m1.1 cm50% / 50%16.30%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.49 m1.51 m2.5 cm50% / 50%10.54%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.98 m2.02 m4.5 cm49% / 51%7.79%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.95 m3.05 m10.2 cm49% / 51%5.12%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.91 m4.09 m18.2 cm49% / 51%3.81%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.86 m5.15 m28.6 cm49% / 51%3.03%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.73 m7.29 m56.4 cm48% / 52%2.16%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.46 m10.6 m1.16 m47% / 53%1.50%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)13.8 m16.4 m2.62 m46% / 54%1.00%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)17.9 m22.6 m4.69 m44% / 56%0.75%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)25.6 m36.3 m10.8 m41% / 59%0.50%
50.0 m (164 ft)38.8 m70.4 m31.7 m35% / 65%0.30%
100 m (328 ft)63.3 m239 m175 m21% / 79%0.15%

Try other settings#

Near limit—
Far limit—
Depth of field—
Hyperfocal distance—
In front / behind—

85 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.24.4 cm401 m
f/1.45.1 cm344 m
f/1.86.5 cm268 m
f/27.3 cm241 m
f/2.810.2 cm172 m
f/414.5 cm121 m
f/5.620.4 cm86.1 m
f/829.1 cm60.3 m
f/1140.1 cm43.9 m
f/1658.6 cm30.2 m

Other focal lengths at f/2.8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m6.50 m
16 mm3.00 m3.86 m
20 mm3.00 m2.08 m
24 mm3.00 m1.37 m
28 mm3.00 m98.0 cm
35 mm3.00 m61.6 cm
40 mm3.00 m46.9 cm
50 mm3.00 m29.8 cm
85 mm3.00 m10.2 cm
105 mm3.00 m6.6 cm
135 mm3.00 m4.0 cm
200 mm10.0 m20.6 cm
300 mm10.0 m9.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m5.0 cm

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