Depth of field · APS-C

40 mm f/4 depth of field on APS-C

Exactly how much is sharp with a 40 mm lens at f/4 on an APS-C camera, from 30.0 cm to 100 m.

20.0 m
Hyperfocal distance
10.0 m
Sharp from (focused at hyperfocal)
61 mm f/6.1
Full-frame equivalent
39°
Diagonal angle of view

Depth of field by subject distance#

40 mm at f/4 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 cm0.8 cm49% / 51%6.55%
50.0 cm (1.64 ft)48.9 cm51.2 cm2.3 cm49% / 51%3.70%
75.0 cm (2.46 ft)72.4 cm77.8 cm5.3 cm48% / 52%2.40%
1.00 m (3.28 ft)95.4 cm1.05 m9.6 cm48% / 52%1.77%
1.50 m (4.92 ft)1.40 m1.62 m22.0 cm46% / 54%1.17%
2.00 m (6.56 ft)1.82 m2.22 m39.6 cm45% / 55%0.87%
3.00 m (9.84 ft)2.61 m3.52 m90.8 cm43% / 57%0.58%
4.00 m (13.1 ft)3.34 m4.99 m1.65 m40% / 60%0.43%
5.00 m (16.4 ft)4.01 m6.65 m2.64 m38% / 62%0.34%
7.00 m (23.0 ft)5.19 m10.7 m5.54 m33% / 67%0.24%
10.0 m (32.8 ft)6.68 m19.9 m13.2 m25% / 75%0.17%
15.0 m (49.2 ft)8.58 m59.5 m50.9 m13% / 87%0.11%
20.0 m (65.6 ft)10.0 m10.0 km10.0 km0% / 100%0.09%
30.0 m (98.4 ft)12.0 m∞∞—0.06%
50.0 m (164 ft)14.3 m∞∞—0.03%
100 m (328 ft)16.7 m∞∞—0.02%

Try other settings#

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

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

ApertureTotal DoFHyperfocal
f/1.226.7 cm66.7 m
f/1.431.2 cm57.2 m
f/1.840.1 cm44.5 m
f/244.6 cm40.0 m
f/2.862.8 cm28.6 m
f/490.8 cm20.0 m
f/5.61.30 m14.3 m
f/81.95 m10.0 m
f/112.93 m7.31 m
f/165.47 m5.04 m

Other focal lengths at f/4#

Focal lengthSubject atTotal DoF
14 mm3.00 m∞
16 mm3.00 m42.9 m
20 mm3.00 m5.55 m
24 mm3.00 m2.99 m
28 mm3.00 m2.00 m
35 mm3.00 m1.21 m
40 mm3.00 m90.8 cm
50 mm3.00 m57.1 cm
85 mm3.00 m19.4 cm
105 mm3.00 m12.6 cm
135 mm3.00 m7.5 cm
200 mm10.0 m39.2 cm
300 mm10.0 m17.2 cm
400 mm10.0 m9.6 cm
600 mm10.0 m4.2 cm

Same lens settings on other formats#

When to use it#

At f/4, a 40 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 90.8 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 20.0 m and everything from 10.0 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 40mm lens at f/4?

On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 90.8 cm; at 1 m it is 9.6 cm.

What is the hyperfocal distance for 40mm f/4?

20.0 m (65.7 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 10.0 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.

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