Depth of field · Micro Four Thirds

400 mm f/4 depth of field on Micro Four Thirds

Exactly how much is sharp with a 400 mm lens at f/4 on a Micro Four Thirds camera, from 88.0 cm to 100 m.

2.7 km
Hyperfocal distance
1.3 km
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
800 mm f/8.0
Full-frame equivalent
3°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

400 mm at f/4 on Micro Four Thirds (17.3×13 mm), circle of confusion 15 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%385.36%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.50 m1.50 m0.1 cm50% / 50%210.19%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)2.00 m2.00 m0.2 cm50% / 50%144.51%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)3.00 m3.00 m0.6 cm50% / 50%88.93%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.99 m4.01 m1.1 cm50% / 50%64.23%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.99 m5.01 m1.7 cm50% / 50%50.26%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)6.98 m7.02 m3.5 cm50% / 50%35.03%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)9.96 m10.0 m7.2 cm50% / 50%24.08%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)14.9 m15.1 m16.4 cm50% / 50%15.84%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)19.9 m20.1 m29.4 cm50% / 50%11.80%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)29.7 m30.3 m66.6 cm49% / 51%7.81%
50.0 m (164 ft)49.1 m50.9 m1.86 m49% / 51%4.66%
100 m (328 ft)96.4 m104 m7.48 m48% / 52%2.32%

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/2.80.4 cm3.8 km
f/40.6 cm2.7 km
f/5.60.8 cm1.9 km
f/81.2 cm1.3 km
f/111.6 cm970 m

Other focal lengths at f/4#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m33.3 m
16 mm3.00 m8.21 m
20 mm3.00 m3.35 m
24 mm3.00 m2.06 m
28 mm3.00 m1.44 m
35 mm3.00 m89.0 cm
40 mm3.00 m67.4 cm
50 mm3.00 m42.7 cm
85 mm3.00 m14.5 cm
105 mm3.00 m9.5 cm
135 mm3.00 m5.7 cm
200 mm10.0 m29.4 cm
300 mm10.0 m12.9 cm
400 mm10.0 m7.2 cm
600 mm10.0 m3.1 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/4, a 400 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 0.6 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 2.7 km and everything from 1.3 km to infinity will be acceptably sharp.

See also the f/4 aperture guide.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the depth of field of a 400mm lens at f/4?

On Micro Four Thirds, focused at 3 m, it is 0.6 cm; at 1 m it is 0.0 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 400mm f/4?

2.7 km (8750 ft) on Micro Four Thirds. Everything from 1.3 km to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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