43.1 m
Hyperfocal distance
21.5 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
85 mm f/5.6
Full-frame equivalent
29°
Diagonal angle of view
Depth of field by subject distance#
85 mm at f/5.6 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) | 29.9 cm | 30.2 cm | 0.3 cm | 50% / 50% | 16.67% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 49.5 cm | 50.5 cm | 1.0 cm | 50% / 50% | 8.64% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 73.9 cm | 76.2 cm | 2.3 cm | 49% / 51% | 5.39% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 97.9 cm | 1.02 m | 4.3 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.92% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.45 m | 1.55 m | 9.9 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.53% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.91 m | 2.09 m | 17.8 cm | 48% / 52% | 1.87% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.81 m | 3.22 m | 40.9 cm | 47% / 53% | 1.23% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.67 m | 4.40 m | 73.4 cm | 45% / 55% | 0.92% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.49 m | 5.65 m | 1.16 m | 44% / 56% | 0.73% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 6.03 m | 8.34 m | 2.31 m | 42% / 58% | 0.52% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 8.13 m | 13.0 m | 4.87 m | 38% / 62% | 0.36% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 11.1 m | 23.0 m | 11.8 m | 33% / 67% | 0.24% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 13.7 m | 37.2 m | 23.6 m | 27% / 73% | 0.18% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 17.7 m | 98.6 m | 80.9 m | 15% / 85% | 0.12% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 23.1 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.07% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 30.1 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.04% |
Try other settings#
Near limit—
Far limit—
Depth of field—
Hyperfocal distance—
In front / behind—
85 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#
Other focal lengths at f/5.6#
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/5.6, a 85 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 40.9 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 43.1 m and everything from 21.5 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 85mm lens at f/5.6?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 40.9 cm; at 1 m it is 4.3 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 85mm f/5.6?
43.1 m (141 ft) on full frame. Everything from 21.5 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources