Depth of field · APS-C

20 mm f/1.4 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 20 mm lens at f/1.4 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

14.3 m
Hyperfocal distance
7.15 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
31 mm f/2.1
Full-frame equivalent
70°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

20 mm at f/1.4 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 distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)29.4 cm30.6 cm1.2 cm49% / 51%4.34%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)48.4 cm51.7 cm3.4 cm48% / 52%2.53%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)71.4 cm79.0 cm7.7 cm47% / 53%1.67%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)93.6 cm1.07 m13.8 cm47% / 53%1.24%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.36 m1.67 m31.4 cm45% / 55%0.82%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.76 m2.32 m56.5 cm43% / 57%0.61%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.48 m3.79 m1.31 m40% / 60%0.41%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.13 m5.54 m2.42 m36% / 64%0.31%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)3.71 m7.68 m3.97 m33% / 67%0.24%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)4.70 m13.7 m8.99 m26% / 74%0.17%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)5.89 m33.2 m27.3 m15% / 85%0.12%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)7.32 m∞∞—0.08%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)8.34 m∞∞—0.06%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)9.68 m∞∞—0.04%
50.0 m (164 ft)11.1 m∞∞—0.02%
100 m (328 ft)12.5 m∞∞—0.01%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.41.31 m14.3 m
f/1.81.73 m11.1 m
f/21.96 m10.0 m
f/2.83.03 m7.16 m
f/45.55 m5.02 m
f/5.616.5 m3.59 m
f/8∞2.52 m
f/11∞1.84 m
f/16∞1.27 m

Other focal lengths at f/1.4#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
16 mm3.00 m2.19 m
20 mm3.00 m1.31 m
24 mm3.00 m88.7 cm
28 mm3.00 m64.4 cm
35 mm3.00 m40.9 cm
40 mm3.00 m31.2 cm
50 mm3.00 m19.8 cm
85 mm3.00 m6.8 cm
105 mm3.00 m4.4 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

20 mm f/1.4 on Full frame20 mm f/1.4 on Micro Four Thirds

When to use it#

At f/1.4, a 20 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 1.31 m of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 14.3 m and everything from 7.15 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/1.4 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 20mm lens at f/1.4?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 1.31 m; at 1 m it is 13.8 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 20mm f/1.4?

14.3 m (46.9 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 7.15 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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