Depth of field · APS-C

35 mm f/2.8 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 35 mm lens at f/2.8 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

21.9 m
Hyperfocal distance
11.0 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
54 mm f/4.3
Full-frame equivalent
44°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

35 mm at f/2.8 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)29.6 cm30.4 cm0.7 cm49% / 51%7.03%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)49.0 cm51.1 cm2.1 cm49% / 51%4.00%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)72.6 cm77.5 cm4.9 cm48% / 52%2.60%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)95.8 cm1.05 m8.8 cm48% / 52%1.93%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.41 m1.61 m20.2 cm47% / 53%1.27%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.84 m2.20 m36.2 cm46% / 54%0.95%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.64 m3.47 m82.8 cm43% / 57%0.63%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.39 m4.89 m1.50 m41% / 59%0.47%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.08 m6.47 m2.39 m39% / 61%0.37%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.31 m10.3 m4.96 m34% / 66%0.27%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)6.87 m18.4 m11.5 m27% / 73%0.19%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)8.91 m47.5 m38.6 m16% / 84%0.12%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)10.5 m229 m219 m4% / 96%0.09%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)12.7 m∞∞—0.06%
50.0 m (164 ft)15.2 m∞∞—0.04%
100 m (328 ft)18.0 m∞∞—0.02%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.235.0 cm51.1 m
f/1.440.9 cm43.8 m
f/1.852.7 cm34.1 m
f/258.6 cm30.7 m
f/2.882.8 cm21.9 m
f/41.21 m15.3 m
f/5.61.76 m11.0 m
f/82.73 m7.69 m
f/114.46 m5.60 m
f/1611.6 m3.86 m

Other focal lengths at f/2.8#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m18.8 m
16 mm3.00 m6.82 m
20 mm3.00 m3.03 m
24 mm3.00 m1.89 m
28 mm3.00 m1.33 m
35 mm3.00 m82.8 cm
40 mm3.00 m62.8 cm
50 mm3.00 m39.8 cm
85 mm3.00 m13.6 cm
105 mm3.00 m8.8 cm
135 mm3.00 m5.3 cm
200 mm10.0 m27.4 cm
300 mm10.0 m12.1 cm
400 mm10.0 m6.7 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/2.8, a 35 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for environmental portraits, street and low light. Focused at 3 m you get 82.8 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 21.9 m and everything from 11.0 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/2.8 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 35mm lens at f/2.8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 82.8 cm; at 1 m it is 8.8 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 35mm f/2.8?

21.9 m (71.9 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 11.0 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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