Depth of field by subject distance#
50 mm at f/5.6 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 distance | Near limit | Far limit | Total DoF | Front / behind | Background blur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.0 cm (0.98 ft) | 29.7 cm | 30.3 cm | 0.7 cm | 49% / 51% | 7.60% |
| 50.0 cm (1.64 ft) | 49.0 cm | 51.0 cm | 2.0 cm | 49% / 51% | 4.22% |
| 75.0 cm (2.46 ft) | 72.7 cm | 77.4 cm | 4.7 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.71% |
| 1.00 m (3.28 ft) | 95.9 cm | 1.04 m | 8.5 cm | 48% / 52% | 2.00% |
| 1.50 m (4.92 ft) | 1.41 m | 1.60 m | 19.6 cm | 47% / 53% | 1.31% |
| 2.00 m (6.56 ft) | 1.84 m | 2.19 m | 35.2 cm | 46% / 54% | 0.97% |
| 3.00 m (9.84 ft) | 2.65 m | 3.46 m | 80.7 cm | 43% / 57% | 0.64% |
| 4.00 m (13.1 ft) | 3.40 m | 4.86 m | 1.46 m | 41% / 59% | 0.48% |
| 5.00 m (16.4 ft) | 4.09 m | 6.42 m | 2.33 m | 39% / 61% | 0.38% |
| 7.00 m (23.0 ft) | 5.34 m | 10.2 m | 4.83 m | 34% / 66% | 0.27% |
| 10.0 m (32.8 ft) | 6.92 m | 18.0 m | 11.1 m | 28% / 72% | 0.19% |
| 15.0 m (49.2 ft) | 8.98 m | 45.4 m | 36.4 m | 17% / 83% | 0.13% |
| 20.0 m (65.6 ft) | 10.6 m | 188 m | 178 m | 5% / 95% | 0.10% |
| 30.0 m (98.4 ft) | 12.8 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.06% |
| 50.0 m (164 ft) | 15.4 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.04% |
| 100 m (328 ft) | 18.3 m | ∞ | ∞ | — | 0.02% |
Try other settings#
50 mm at other apertures (subject at 3 m)#
Other focal lengths at f/5.6#
| Focal length | Subject at | Total DoF |
|---|---|---|
| 14 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 16 mm | 3.00 m | ∞ |
| 20 mm | 3.00 m | 16.5 m |
| 24 mm | 3.00 m | 5.22 m |
| 28 mm | 3.00 m | 3.11 m |
| 35 mm | 3.00 m | 1.76 m |
| 40 mm | 3.00 m | 1.30 m |
| 50 mm | 3.00 m | 80.7 cm |
| 85 mm | 3.00 m | 27.2 cm |
| 105 mm | 3.00 m | 17.7 cm |
| 135 mm | 3.00 m | 10.6 cm |
| 200 mm | 10.0 m | 54.9 cm |
| 300 mm | 10.0 m | 24.1 cm |
| 400 mm | 10.0 m | 13.4 cm |
| 600 mm | 10.0 m | 5.8 cm |
Same lens settings on other formats#
When to use it#
At f/5.6, a 50 mm lens on APS-C is a natural choice for general photography. Focused at 3 m you get 80.7 cm of sharp zone; for maximum front-to-back sharpness focus at 22.4 m and everything from 11.2 m to infinity will be acceptably sharp.
See also the f/5.6 aperture guide.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the depth of field of a 50mm lens at f/5.6?
On APS-C, focused at 3 m, it is 80.7 cm; at 1 m it is 8.5 cm.
What is the hyperfocal distance for 50mm f/5.6?
22.4 m (73.4 ft) on APS-C. Everything from 11.2 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources