35mm f/1.8 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 35 mm lens at f/1.8 focused at 2 m (6.56 ft) is sharp from 1.84 m to 2.19 m (35 cm deep). Hyperfocal distance: 22.7 m (74.5 ft).
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Leave empty to use the standard value for the sensor. Halve it for pixel-level sharpness.
With a 35 mm lens at f/1.8 on full frame focused at 2.00 m, everything from 1.84 m to 2.19 m is acceptably sharp: 35 cm of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 16 cm (46%)
- Behind subject
- 19 cm (54%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 22.7 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
Everyday and environmental portraits
A 35 mm f/1.8 prime is the most versatile lens many photographers own. Wide open at 2 m, about 35 cm of depth is sharp: enough for a half-body portrait while the background falls gently out of focus.
Step back to 5 m for a full-length shot and the sharp zone grows to more than two metres.
35mm f/1.8 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 cm1.64 ft | 49 cm1.61 ft | 51 cm1.67 ft | 2.1 cm0.81 in |
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 96 cm3.15 ft | 1.04 m3.43 ft | 8.5 cm3.4 in |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.41 m4.62 ft | 1.60 m5.26 ft | 19 cm7.7 in |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.84 m6.04 ft | 2.19 m7.18 ft | 35 cm1.15 ft |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 2.65 m8.70 ft | 3.45 m11.3 ft | 80 cm2.62 ft |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 4.10 m13.5 ft | 6.40 m21.0 ft | 2.30 m7.54 ft |
The same lens on other sensors (focused at 2 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 | 35 mm | 1.84 m | 2.19 m | 35 cm |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 54 mm | 1.89 m | 2.12 m | 23 cm |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 56 mm | 1.90 m | 2.12 m | 22 cm |
| Micro Four Thirds | 70 mm | 1.92 m | 2.09 m | 17 cm |
| 1-inch | 96 mm | 1.94 m | 2.07 m | 13 cm |
| Medium format (44×33) | 28 mm | 1.80 m | 2.25 m | 44 cm |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2 | 20.5 m | 30.7 m | 40.9 m |
| f/2.8 | 14.6 m | 21.9 m | 29.2 m |
| f/4 | 10.2 m | 15.3 m | 20.5 m |
| f/5.6 | 7.33 m | 11.0 m | 14.6 m |
| f/8 | 5.14 m | 7.69 m | 10.2 m |
| f/11 | 3.75 m | 5.60 m | 7.46 m |
| f/16 | 2.59 m | 3.86 m | 5.14 m |
FAQ
How much depth of field does a 35mm f/1.8 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 2 m, the sharp zone runs from 1.84 m to 2.19 m (35 cm deep). At 1 m it is 8.5 cm. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 35mm lens at f/1.8?
22.7 m (74.5 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 34.1 m (112 ft) on APS-C. Focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Is depth of field different with 35mm f/1.8 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (23 cm at 2 m) because of its smaller circle of confusion — but it frames like a 54 mm lens. To match the full-frame framing you would step back, which increases depth of field.
Related lenses
- 24 mm f/1.4Astro and environmental portraits
- 24 mm f/8Travel and landscape
- 28 mm f/5.6Zone focusing for street photography
- 35 mm f/8"f/8 and be there"
- 50 mm f/1.4Low light and shallow focus
- 50 mm f/1.8The "nifty fifty"
Learn how aperture, distance and focal length interact in depth of field explained.