35mm f/8 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 35 mm lens at f/8 focused at 3 m (9.84 ft) is sharp from 1.90 m to 7.16 m (5.26 m deep). Hyperfocal distance: 5.14 m (16.9 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/8 on full frame focused at 3.00 m, everything from 1.90 m to 7.16 m is acceptably sharp: 5.26 m of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 1.10 m (21%)
- Behind subject
- 4.16 m (79%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 5.14 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
"f/8 and be there"
The old press photographers’ advice — "f/8 and be there" — still works with a 35 mm lens. Focused at 3 m, everything from about 1.9 m to 7.2 m is sharp, and the hyperfocal distance is about 5 m.
In bright light, set Auto ISO with a minimum shutter speed of 1/250 s and concentrate on the moment rather than the focus.
35mm f/8 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 84 cm2.76 ft | 1.23 m4.05 ft | 39 cm1.29 ft |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.17 m3.82 ft | 2.10 m6.90 ft | 94 cm3.08 ft |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.44 m4.74 ft | 3.25 m10.7 ft | 1.81 m5.93 ft |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 1.90 m6.23 ft | 7.16 m23.5 ft | 5.26 m17.3 ft |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 2.53 m8.32 ft | 183 m602 ft | 181 m593 ft |
| 7.50 m24.6 ft | 3.05 m9.99 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 | 35 mm | 1.90 m | 7.16 m | 5.26 m |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 54 mm | 2.16 m | 4.90 m | 2.73 m |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 56 mm | 2.19 m | 4.75 m | 2.55 m |
| Micro Four Thirds | 70 mm | 2.32 m | 4.23 m | 1.90 m |
| 1-inch | 96 mm | 2.47 m | 3.81 m | 1.34 m |
| Medium format (44×33) | 28 mm | 1.73 m | 11.4 m | 9.63 m |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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/8 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, the sharp zone runs from 1.90 m to 7.16 m (5.26 m deep). At 1.5 m it is 94 cm. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 35mm lens at f/8?
5.14 m (16.9 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 7.69 m (25.2 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/8 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (2.73 m at 3 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/1.8Everyday and environmental portraits
- 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.