Depth of field by subject distance#
135 mm at f/5.6 on APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm), circle of confusion 20 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% | 83.93% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 49.9 cm | 50.1 cm | 0.2 cm | 50% / 50% | 37.94% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 74.7 cm | 75.3 cm | 0.6 cm | 50% / 50% | 22.52% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 99.5 cm | 1.01 m | 1.1 cm | 50% / 50% | 16.01% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.49 m | 1.51 m | 2.5 cm | 50% / 50% | 10.15% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.98 m | 2.02 m | 4.6 cm | 49% / 51% | 7.43% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.95 m | 3.05 m | 10.6 cm | 49% / 51% | 4.83% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.91 m | 4.10 m | 19.0 cm | 49% / 51% | 3.58% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.85 m | 5.15 m | 29.9 cm | 49% / 51% | 2.85% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 6.72 m | 7.31 m | 59.2 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.02% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 9.43 m | 10.6 m | 1.22 m | 47% / 53% | 1.40% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 13.7 m | 16.5 m | 2.76 m | 45% / 55% | 0.93% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 17.8 m | 22.8 m | 4.96 m | 44% / 56% | 0.70% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 25.3 m | 36.7 m | 11.4 m | 41% / 59% | 0.46% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 38.3 m | 72.1 m | 33.8 m | 35% / 65% | 0.28% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 62.0 m | 259 m | 197 m | 19% / 81% | 0.14% |
Try other settings#
135 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#
Other focal lengths at f/5.6#
| Focal length | Subject at | Total DoF |
|---|---|---|
| 14 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 16 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 20 mm | 3.00 m | 16.5 m |
| 24 mm | 3.00 m | 5.22 m |
| 28 mm | 3.00 m | 3.11 m |
| 35 mm | 3.00 m | 1.76 m |
| 40 mm | 3.00 m | 1.30 m |
| 50 mm | 3.00 m | 80.7 cm |
| 85 mm | 3.00 m | 27.2 cm |
| 105 mm | 3.00 m | 17.7 cm |
| 135 mm | 3.00 m | 10.6 cm |
| 200 mm | 10.0 m | 54.9 cm |
| 300 mm | 10.0 m | 24.1 cm |
| 400 mm | 10.0 m | 13.4 cm |
| 600 mm | 10.0 m | 5.8 cm |
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/5.6, a 135 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 10.6 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 163 m and everything from 81.4 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 135mm lens at f/5.6?
On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 10.6 cm; at 1 m it is 1.1 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 135mm f/5.6?
163 m (534 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 81.4 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources