28mm f/5.6 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 28 mm lens at f/5.6 focused at 3 m (9.84 ft) is sharp from 1.83 m to 8.26 m (6.43 m deep). Hyperfocal distance: 4.69 m (15.4 ft).
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Leave empty to use the standard value for the sensor. Halve it for pixel-level sharpness.
With a 28 mm lens at f/5.6 on full frame focused at 3.00 m, everything from 1.83 m to 8.26 m is acceptably sharp: 6.43 m of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 1.17 m (18%)
- Behind subject
- 5.26 m (82%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 4.69 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
Zone focusing for street photography
Twenty-eight millimetres is the classic street focal length, and f/5.6 is fast enough for handheld shutter speeds in shade. Pre-focus at 3 m and the sharp zone runs from under 2 m to about 8 m — the distance at which most street moments happen.
Set the lens to manual focus at that distance and you never wait for autofocus: just raise the camera and shoot.
28mm f/5.6 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 83 cm2.72 ft | 1.26 m4.14 ft | 44 cm1.43 ft |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.14 m3.74 ft | 2.19 m7.19 ft | 1.05 m3.45 ft |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.41 m4.61 ft | 3.46 m11.4 ft | 2.06 m6.75 ft |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 1.83 m6.01 ft | 8.26 m27.1 ft | 6.43 m21.1 ft |
| 4.00 m13.1 ft | 2.16 m7.09 ft | 26.9 m88.2 ft | 24.7 m81.1 ft |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 2.42 m7.94 ft | ∞ | ∞ |
The same lens on other sensors (focused at 3 m)
Same lens, same distance — smaller sensors frame tighter and use a smaller circle of confusion.
| Sensor | Frames like | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 28 mm | 1.83 m | 8.26 m | 6.43 m |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 43 mm | 2.11 m | 5.21 m | 3.11 m |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 45 mm | 2.14 m | 5.03 m | 2.89 m |
| Micro Four Thirds | 56 mm | 2.28 m | 4.40 m | 2.13 m |
| 1-inch | 76 mm | 2.43 m | 3.91 m | 1.48 m |
| Medium format (44×33) | 22 mm | 1.66 m | 15.5 m | 13.9 m |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/5.6 | 4.69 m | 7.03 m | 9.36 m |
| f/8 | 3.29 m | 4.93 m | 6.56 m |
| f/11 | 2.40 m | 3.59 m | 4.78 m |
| f/16 | 1.66 m | 2.48 m | 3.29 m |
FAQ
How much depth of field does a 28mm f/5.6 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, the sharp zone runs from 1.83 m to 8.26 m (6.43 m deep). At 1.5 m it is 1.05 m. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 28mm lens at f/5.6?
4.69 m (15.4 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 7.03 m (23.1 ft) on APS-C. Focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Is depth of field different with 28mm f/5.6 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (3.11 m at 3 m) because of its smaller circle of confusion — but it frames like a 43 mm lens. To match the full-frame framing you would step back, which increases depth of field.
Related lenses
- 20 mm f/1.8Fast wide prime for night skies
- 24 mm f/1.4Astro and environmental portraits
- 24 mm f/8Travel and landscape
- 35 mm f/1.8Everyday and environmental portraits
- 35 mm f/8"f/8 and be there"
Learn how aperture, distance and focal length interact in depth of field explained.