Depth of field · Full frame

300 mm f/4 depth of field on full frame

Exactly how much is sharp with a 300 mm lens at f/4 on a full-frame camera, from 66.0 cm to 100 m.

750 m
Hyperfocal distance
375 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
300 mm f/4.0
Full-frame equivalent
8°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

300 mm at f/4 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
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)75.0 cm75.0 cm0.1 cm50% / 50%138.89%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)99.9 cm1.00 m0.2 cm50% / 50%89.29%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.5 cm50% / 50%52.08%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.9 cm50% / 50%36.76%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.99 m3.01 m2.2 cm50% / 50%23.15%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.98 m4.02 m3.9 cm50% / 50%16.89%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.97 m5.03 m6.3 cm50% / 50%13.30%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.94 m7.06 m12.5 cm50% / 50%9.33%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.87 m10.1 m25.9 cm49% / 51%6.44%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.7 m15.3 m58.8 cm49% / 51%4.25%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.5 m20.5 m1.05 m49% / 51%3.17%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)28.9 m31.2 m2.38 m48% / 52%2.10%
50.0 m (164 ft)46.9 m53.5 m6.66 m47% / 53%1.26%
100 m (328 ft)88.3 m115 m27.1 m43% / 57%0.63%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/2.81.5 cm1.1 km
f/42.2 cm750 m
f/5.63.0 cm536 m
f/84.3 cm375 m
f/115.9 cm273 m

Other focal lengths at f/4#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m∞
20 mm3.00 m26.7 m
24 mm3.00 m6.04 m
28 mm3.00 m3.44 m
35 mm3.00 m1.90 m
40 mm3.00 m1.40 m
50 mm3.00 m86.7 cm
85 mm3.00 m29.1 cm
105 mm3.00 m18.9 cm
135 mm3.00 m11.3 cm
200 mm10.0 m58.9 cm
300 mm10.0 m25.9 cm
400 mm10.0 m14.4 cm
600 mm10.0 m6.3 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/4, a 300 mm lens on full frame is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 2.2 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 750 m and everything from 375 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/4 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 300mm lens at f/4?

On full frame, focused at 3 m, it is 2.2 cm; at 1 m it is 0.2 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 300mm f/4?

750 m (2462 ft) on full frame. Everything from 375 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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