Depth of field · Full frame

85 mm f/8 depth of field on full frame

Exactly how much is sharp with a 85 mm lens at f/8 on a full-frame camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

30.2 m
Hyperfocal distance
15.1 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
85 mm f/8.0
Full-frame equivalent
29°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

85 mm at f/8 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 distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)29.8 cm30.2 cm0.4 cm50% / 50%11.67%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.3 cm50.7 cm1.4 cm49% / 51%6.05%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)73.4 cm76.7 cm3.3 cm49% / 51%3.77%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)97.1 cm1.03 m6.1 cm48% / 52%2.74%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.43 m1.57 m14.1 cm48% / 52%1.77%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.88 m2.14 m25.5 cm47% / 53%1.31%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.74 m3.32 m58.6 cm45% / 55%0.86%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.54 m4.60 m1.06 m43% / 57%0.64%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.30 m5.98 m1.68 m42% / 58%0.51%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.69 m9.09 m3.39 m39% / 61%0.36%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)7.52 m14.9 m7.39 m34% / 66%0.25%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)10.0 m29.7 m19.7 m25% / 75%0.17%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)12.0 m59.1 m47.1 m17% / 83%0.13%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)15.0 m4.8 km4.8 km0% / 100%0.08%
50.0 m (164 ft)18.8 m∞∞—0.05%
100 m (328 ft)23.2 m∞∞—0.03%

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/1.28.7 cm201 m
f/1.410.2 cm172 m
f/1.813.1 cm134 m
f/214.5 cm121 m
f/2.820.4 cm86.1 m
f/429.1 cm60.3 m
f/5.640.9 cm43.1 m
f/858.6 cm30.2 m
f/1181.3 cm22.0 m
f/161.21 m15.1 m

Other focal lengths at f/8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m∞
28 mm3.00 m31.7 m
35 mm3.00 m5.26 m
40 mm3.00 m3.32 m
50 mm3.00 m1.85 m
85 mm3.00 m58.6 cm
105 mm3.00 m38.0 cm
135 mm3.00 m22.7 cm
200 mm10.0 m1.18 m
300 mm10.0 m51.8 cm
400 mm10.0 m28.8 cm
600 mm10.0 m12.5 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/8, a 85 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for landscapes and architecture where front-to-back sharpness matters. Focused at 3 m you get 58.6 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 30.2 m and everything from 15.1 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 85mm lens at f/8?

On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 58.6 cm; at 1 m it is 6.1 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 85mm f/8?

30.2 m (99.0 ft) on full frame. Everything from 15.1 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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