Specifications#
Equivalent focal length on different cameras#
Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).
| Camera format | At 20 mm | Equiv. aperture (DoF) |
|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 20 mm · 94° | f/2.8 |
| APS-C | 30 mm · 70° | f/4.2 |
| APS-C (Canon) | 32 mm · 68° | f/4.5 |
| Micro Four Thirds | 40 mm · 57° | f/5.6 |
Depth of field & background blur#
Computed on its native Full frame format (CoC 30 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 20 mm f/2.8 on full frame.
| Focal | Aperture | at 1 m | at 2 m | at 5 m | at 10 m | Hyperfocal | Blur @2 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mm | f/2.8 | 43.0 cm | 2.01 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.78 m | 0.2% |
| 20 mm | f/4 | 64.4 cm | 3.67 m | ∞ | ∞ | 3.35 m | 0.1% |
| 20 mm | f/8 | 1.80 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.69 m | 0.1% |
Handheld & night-sky limits#
NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).
| Body | Min. handheld shutter (longest focal) | 500 rule at 20 mm | NPF at 20 mm, f/2.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1/20 s | 25 s | 14 s |
| APS-C | 1/30 s | 17 s | 11 s |
| APS-C (Canon) | 1/30 s | 16 s | 10 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 1/40 s | 12 s | 10 s |
Compatible cameras#
Bodies in our database with a native Canon EF mount.
- Canon EOS-1D X Mark III 2020
- Canon EOS 6D Mark II 2017
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 2016
- Canon EOS-1D X Mark II 2016
- Canon EOS 5DS 2015
- Canon EOS 5DS R 2015
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 2013
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III 2012
- Canon EOS 6D 2012
- Canon EOS-1D X 2012
- Canon EOS-1D C 2012
- Canon EOS-1D Mark IV 2009
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II 2008
- Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III 2007
- Canon EOS-1D Mark III 2007
- Canon EOS 5D 2005
- Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II 2004
- Kodak DCS Pro SLR/c 2004
- Canon EOS-1D Mark II 2004
- Canon EOS 30V 2004
- Canon EOS-1Ds 2002
- Canon EOS 3000N 2002
- Canon EOS 300V 2002
- Canon EOS-1D 2001
- Canon EOS-1V 2000
- Canon EOS 30 2000
- Canon EOS D2000 1998
- Canon EOS-3 1998
- Canon EOS 500N 1996
- Canon EOS IX 1996
- Canon EOS 50 1995
- Canon EOS-1N 1994
- Canon EOS 500 1993
- Canon EOS 5 1992
- Canon EF-M camera 1991
- Canon EOS 100 1991
- Canon EOS 1000 1990
- Canon EOS-1 1989
- Canon EOS 650 1987
- Canon EOS C300
Adapt it to other systems#
Similar lenses#
- Samyang 20mm f/1.8 ED AS UMC f/1.8
- Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A f/1.4
- Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG f/1.8
- Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm F3.5 SLII Aspherical f/3.5
- Tokina 17mm f/3.5 AT-X 17 AF Pro f/3.5
- Tokina AF 17mm f/3.5 AT-X Pro f/3.5
- Samyang 16mm f/2.0 ED AS UMC CS f/2
- Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM f/2.8
- Samyang 14mm f/2.8 AE ED AS IF UMC f/2.8
- Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 f/2.8
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A f/1.8
- Sigma 14mm f/2.8 EX f/2.8
Frequently asked questions#
Is the Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM full frame?
Yes — it covers the full 36 × 24 mm frame.
What is the Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM equivalent to on APS-C?
On a 1.5× APS-C body it frames like 30 mm, and like 32 mm on Canon APS-C.
What is the Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM good for?
As a ultra-wide prime it suits astrophotography, landscapes and dramatic perspectives.
Sources & licences#
- Lensfun lens database — CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources