Depth of field by subject distance#
85 mm at f/4 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) | 29.9 cm | 30.1 cm | 0.1 cm | 50% / 50% | 48.56% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 49.8 cm | 50.2 cm | 0.3 cm | 50% / 50% | 25.16% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 74.6 cm | 75.4 cm | 0.8 cm | 50% / 50% | 15.70% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 99.2 cm | 1.01 m | 1.5 cm | 50% / 50% | 11.41% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.48 m | 1.52 m | 3.5 cm | 49% / 51% | 7.38% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.97 m | 2.03 m | 6.4 cm | 49% / 51% | 5.45% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.93 m | 3.07 m | 14.5 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.58% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.87 m | 4.13 m | 26.0 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.67% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.80 m | 5.21 m | 40.9 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.12% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 6.62 m | 7.43 m | 80.7 cm | 47% / 53% | 1.51% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 9.24 m | 10.9 m | 1.66 m | 46% / 54% | 1.05% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 13.3 m | 17.1 m | 3.77 m | 44% / 56% | 0.70% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 17.2 m | 24.0 m | 6.80 m | 42% / 58% | 0.52% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 24.0 m | 39.9 m | 15.9 m | 38% / 62% | 0.35% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 35.3 m | 85.4 m | 50.1 m | 29% / 71% | 0.21% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 54.7 m | 587 m | 533 m | 9% / 91% | 0.10% |
Try other settings#
85 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 | 33.3 m |
| 16 mm | 3.00 m | 8.21 m |
| 20 mm | 3.00 m | 3.35 m |
| 24 mm | 3.00 m | 2.06 m |
| 28 mm | 3.00 m | 1.44 m |
| 35 mm | 3.00 m | 89.0 cm |
| 40 mm | 3.00 m | 67.4 cm |
| 50 mm | 3.00 m | 42.7 cm |
| 85 mm | 3.00 m | 14.5 cm |
| 105 mm | 3.00 m | 9.5 cm |
| 135 mm | 3.00 m | 5.7 cm |
| 200 mm | 10.0 m | 29.4 cm |
| 300 mm | 10.0 m | 12.9 cm |
| 400 mm | 10.0 m | 7.2 cm |
| 600 mm | 10.0 m | 3.1 cm |
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/4, a 85 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 14.5 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 121 m and everything from 60.3 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 85mm lens at f/4?
On Micro Four Thirds, focused at 3 m, it is 14.5 cm; at 1 m it is 1.5 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 85mm f/4?
121 m (395 ft) on Micro Four Thirds. Everything from 60.3 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources