Depth of field · Full frame

20 mm f/5.6 depth of field on full frame

Exactly how much is sharp with a 20 mm lens at f/5.6 on a full-frame camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

2.40 m
Hyperfocal distance
1.20 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
20 mm f/5.6
Full-frame equivalent
94°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

20 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 distanceNear limitFar limitTotal DoFFront / behindBackground blur
30.0 cm (0.98 ft)26.8 cm34.0 cm7.2 cm44% / 56%0.71%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)41.6 cm62.6 cm21.0 cm40% / 60%0.41%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)57.4 cm1.08 m50.8 cm35% / 65%0.27%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)70.8 cm1.70 m99.1 cm29% / 71%0.20%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)92.5 cm3.96 m3.04 m19% / 81%0.13%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.09 m11.9 m10.8 m8% / 92%0.10%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)1.33 m∞∞—0.07%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)1.50 m∞∞—0.05%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)1.62 m∞∞—0.04%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)1.78 m∞∞—0.03%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)1.93 m∞∞—0.02%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)2.06 m∞∞—0.01%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)2.13 m∞∞—0.01%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)2.21 m∞∞—0.01%
50.0 m (164 ft)2.27 m∞∞—0.00%
100 m (328 ft)2.33 m∞∞—0.00%

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/1.42.08 m9.54 m
f/1.82.88 m7.43 m
f/23.35 m6.69 m
f/2.86.17 m4.78 m
f/426.7 m3.35 m
f/5.6∞2.40 m
f/8∞1.69 m
f/11∞1.23 m
f/16∞85.3 cm

Other focal lengths at f/5.6#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m∞
24 mm3.00 m21.1 m
28 mm3.00 m6.43 m
35 mm3.00 m2.92 m
40 mm3.00 m2.06 m
50 mm3.00 m1.24 m
85 mm3.00 m40.9 cm
105 mm3.00 m26.5 cm
135 mm3.00 m15.9 cm
200 mm10.0 m82.5 cm
300 mm10.0 m36.2 cm
400 mm10.0 m20.2 cm
600 mm10.0 m8.8 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/5.6, a 20 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get everything to infinity; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 2.40 m and everything from 1.20 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 20mm lens at f/5.6?

On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is infinite (beyond the hyperfocal distance); at 1 m it is 99.1 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 20mm f/5.6?

2.40 m (7.88 ft) on full frame. Everything from 1.20 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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