50mm f/8 depth of field
On a full-frame camera, a 50 mm lens at f/8 focused at 3 m (9.84 ft) is sharp from 2.34 m to 4.19 m (1.85 m deep). Hyperfocal distance: 10.5 m (34.3 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/8 on full frame focused at 3.00 m, everything from 2.34 m to 4.19 m is acceptably sharp: 1.85 m of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 66 cm (36%)
- Behind subject
- 1.19 m (64%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 10.5 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.030 mm
Groups, products and cityscapes
Stopped down to f/8, a 50 mm lens is sharp corner to corner and has enough depth for group photos and product shots: at 3 m, almost 2 m of depth is in focus.
The hyperfocal distance is about 10.5 m, so for cityscapes and distant landscapes focus beyond that and everything from about 5 m out is sharp.
50mm f/8 depth of field table (full frame)
| Focus distance | Near limit | Far limit | Depth of field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 m3.28 ft | 92 cm3.01 ft | 1.10 m3.61 ft | 18 cm7.2 in |
| 1.50 m4.92 ft | 1.32 m4.32 ft | 1.74 m5.72 ft | 43 cm1.40 ft |
| 2.00 m6.56 ft | 1.68 m5.53 ft | 2.46 m8.07 ft | 78 cm2.55 ft |
| 3.00 m9.84 ft | 2.34 m7.67 ft | 4.19 m13.7 ft | 1.85 m6.06 ft |
| 5.00 m16.4 ft | 3.39 m11.1 ft | 9.53 m31.3 ft | 6.14 m20.1 ft |
| 10.0 m32.8 ft | 5.11 m16.8 ft | 223 m732 ft | 218 m716 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 | 50 mm | 2.34 m | 4.19 m | 1.85 m |
| APS-C (1.5×) | 77 mm | 2.52 m | 3.70 m | 1.17 m |
| Canon APS-C (1.6×) | 81 mm | 2.54 m | 3.66 m | 1.11 m |
| Micro Four Thirds | 100 mm | 2.63 m | 3.49 m | 87 cm |
| 1-inch | 137 mm | 2.72 m | 3.35 m | 63 cm |
| Medium format (44×33) | 40 mm | 2.21 m | 4.68 m | 2.47 m |
Hyperfocal distance at other apertures
| Aperture | Full frame | APS-C (1.5×) | Micro Four Thirds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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/8 lens have?
On full frame, focused at 3 m, the sharp zone runs from 2.34 m to 4.19 m (1.85 m deep). At 1.5 m it is 43 cm. Depth of field grows roughly with the square of the distance.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 50mm lens at f/8?
10.5 m (34.3 ft) on full frame (c = 0.030 mm) and 15.7 m (51.4 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/8 on an APS-C camera?
With the same lens at the same distance, APS-C gives slightly less depth of field (1.17 m at 3 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/1.4Low light and shallow focus
- 50 mm f/1.8The "nifty fifty"
Learn how aperture, distance and focal length interact in depth of field explained.