Depth of field · APS-C

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

Exactly how much is sharp with a 400 mm lens at f/2.8 on an APS-C camera, from 88.0 cm to 100 m.

2.9 km
Hyperfocal distance
1.4 km
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
614 mm f/4.3
Full-frame equivalent
4°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

400 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
1.00 m (3.28 ft)100.0 cm1.00 m0.0 cm50% / 50%405.27%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.1 cm50% / 50%221.06%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.2 cm50% / 50%151.98%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)3.00 m3.00 m0.5 cm50% / 50%93.52%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.99 m4.01 m1.0 cm50% / 50%67.54%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.99 m5.01 m1.6 cm50% / 50%52.86%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.98 m7.02 m3.2 cm50% / 50%36.84%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.97 m10.0 m6.7 cm50% / 50%25.33%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.9 m15.1 m15.3 cm50% / 50%16.65%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.9 m20.1 m27.4 cm50% / 50%12.41%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)29.7 m30.3 m62.2 cm49% / 51%8.21%
50.0 m (164 ft)49.1 m50.9 m1.74 m49% / 51%4.90%
100 m (328 ft)96.6 m104 m6.98 m48% / 52%2.44%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/2.80.5 cm2.9 km
f/40.8 cm2.0 km
f/5.61.1 cm1.4 km
f/81.6 cm1.0 km
f/112.1 cm728 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 400 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for portraits and subject isolation. Focused at 3 m you get 0.5 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 2.9 km and everything from 1.4 km 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 400mm lens at f/2.8?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 0.5 cm; at 1 m it is 0.0 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 400mm f/2.8?

2.9 km (9375 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 1.4 km to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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