50mm f/1.4 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 50 mm lens at f/1.4 focused at 2 m (6.56 ft) is sharp from 1.94 m to 2.07 m (13 cm deep). Hyperfocal distance: 59.6 m (195 ft).
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Leave empty to use the standard value for the sensor. Halve it for pixel-level sharpness.
With a 50 mm lens at f/1.4 on full frame focused at 2.00 m, everything from 1.94 m to 2.07 m is acceptably sharp: 13 cm of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 6.3 cm (48%)
- Behind subject
- 6.8 cm (52%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 59.6 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
Low light and shallow focus
A 50 mm f/1.4 isolates a subject dramatically: at 1 m the sharp zone is barely 3 cm, thinner than a face is deep. At 2 m it is about 13 cm.
For portraits wide open, focus on the nearest eye and keep the face parallel to the sensor; stop down to f/2–f/2.8 for two people at different distances.
50mm f/1.4 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 cm1.64 ft | 50 cm1.63 ft | 50 cm1.65 ft | 7.6 mm0.30 in |
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 98 cm3.23 ft | 1.02 m3.33 ft | 3.2 cm1.3 in |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.46 m4.80 ft | 1.54 m5.04 ft | 7.3 cm2.9 in |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.94 m6.35 ft | 2.07 m6.78 ft | 13 cm5.2 in |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 2.86 m9.38 ft | 3.16 m10.4 ft | 30 cm11.7 in |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 4.62 m15.1 ft | 5.45 m17.9 ft | 84 cm2.75 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 | 50 mm | 1.94 m | 2.07 m | 13 cm |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 77 mm | 1.96 m | 2.04 m | 8.7 cm |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 81 mm | 1.96 m | 2.04 m | 8.3 cm |
| Micro Four Thirds | 100 mm | 1.97 m | 2.03 m | 6.6 cm |
| 1-inch | 137 mm | 1.98 m | 2.02 m | 4.8 cm |
| Medium format (44×33) | 40 mm | 1.92 m | 2.09 m | 17 cm |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/1.4 | 59.6 m | 89.3 m | 119 m |
| f/2 | 41.7 m | 62.5 m | 83.4 m |
| f/2.8 | 29.8 m | 44.7 m | 59.6 m |
| f/4 | 20.9 m | 31.3 m | 41.7 m |
| f/5.6 | 14.9 m | 22.4 m | 29.8 m |
| f/8 | 10.5 m | 15.7 m | 20.9 m |
| f/11 | 7.63 m | 11.4 m | 15.2 m |
| f/16 | 5.26 m | 7.86 m | 10.5 m |
FAQ
How much depth of field does a 50mm f/1.4 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 2 m, the sharp zone runs from 1.94 m to 2.07 m (13 cm deep). At 1 m it is 3.2 cm. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 50mm lens at f/1.4?
59.6 m (195 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 89.3 m (293 ft) on APS-C. Focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Is depth of field different with 50mm f/1.4 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (8.7 cm at 2 m) because of its smaller circle of confusion — but it frames like a 77 mm lens. To match the full-frame framing you would step back, which increases depth of field.
Related lenses
- 35 mm f/1.8Everyday and environmental portraits
- 35 mm f/8"f/8 and be there"
- 50 mm f/1.8The "nifty fifty"
- 50 mm f/8Groups, products and cityscapes
Learn how aperture, distance and focal length interact in depth of field explained.