Canon APS-C (1.6×) depth of field & hyperfocal charts
Canon’s APS-C sensors are slightly smaller (about 22.3 × 14.9 mm) than other brands’, giving a crop factor of 1.6× on the EOS R7, R10, R50, R100 and EF-S DSLRs. It uses a 0.019 mm circle of confusion for depth of field.
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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/2.8 on Canon APS-C focused at 3.00 m, everything from 2.66 m to 3.44 m is acceptably sharp: 79 cm of depth of field.
- In front of subject
- 34 cm (44%)
- Behind subject
- 44 cm (56%)
- Hyperfocal distance
- 23.1 m
- Circle of confusion
- 0.019 mm
About the Canon APS-C format
A 50 mm lens on a Canon crop body frames like an 80 mm lens on full frame — a natural portrait length, which is why the "nifty fifty" is such a popular first upgrade for RF-S and EF-S shooters. The 24 mm pancake frames like 38 mm, a versatile everyday view.
The circle of confusion is 0.019 mm. Depth of field is very slightly deeper than on 1.5× APS-C at the same framing, but the difference (about 5%) is invisible in practice.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Sensor size | 22.3 × 14.9 mm |
| Diagonal | 26.8 mm |
| Crop factor | 1.61× |
| Circle of confusion | 0.019 mm |
| Area vs full frame | 38% |
| Typical cameras | Canon EOS R7, R10, R50, R100 and EF-S DSLRs |
Hyperfocal distance chart
Focus at the distance shown and everything from half of it to infinity is acceptably sharp (c = 0.019 mm).
| Focal length | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 1.89 m6.20 ft | 1.33 m4.35 ft | 95 cm3.12 ft | 67 cm2.19 ft | 49 cm1.60 ft | 34 cm1.11 ft |
| 11 mm | 2.29 m7.50 ft | 1.60 m5.26 ft | 1.15 m3.77 ft | 81 cm2.65 ft | 59 cm1.94 ft | 41 cm1.34 ft |
| 15 mm | 4.24 m13.9 ft | 2.98 m9.76 ft | 2.13 m6.99 ft | 1.50 m4.91 ft | 1.09 m3.58 ft | 76 cm2.48 ft |
| 18 mm | 6.11 m20.0 ft | 4.28 m14.0 ft | 3.06 m10.0 ft | 2.15 m7.05 ft | 1.57 m5.15 ft | 1.08 m3.56 ft |
| 24 mm | 10.9 m35.6 ft | 7.60 m24.9 ft | 5.44 m17.8 ft | 3.81 m12.5 ft | 2.78 m9.12 ft | 1.92 m6.30 ft |
| 35 mm | 23.1 m75.7 ft | 16.2 m53.0 ft | 11.5 m37.9 ft | 8.09 m26.6 ft | 5.90 m19.3 ft | 4.06 m13.3 ft |
| 50 mm | 47.0 m154 ft | 32.9 m108 ft | 23.5 m77.3 ft | 16.5 m54.1 ft | 12.0 m39.4 ft | 8.27 m27.1 ft |
| 85 mm | 136 m446 ft | 95.2 m312 ft | 68.0 m223 ft | 47.6 m156 ft | 34.7 m114 ft | 23.9 m78.3 ft |
Equivalent focal length and aperture
Multiply by 1.61 to compare with full frame. The aperture equivalent describes depth of field and total light; exposure settings do not change.
| Lens on this sensor | Full-frame focal length | f/2.8 looks like | f/4 looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 16 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 11 mm | 18 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 15 mm | 24 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 18 mm | 29 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 24 mm | 39 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 35 mm | 56 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 50 mm | 81 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
| 85 mm | 137 mm | f/4.5 | f/6.4 |
Night sky: 500 rule and NPF rule
Longest exposure before stars trail at f/2.8 with 24 MP (pixel pitch 3.72 µm). Calculate for your own camera with the 500 rule & NPF calculator.
| Focal length | 500 rule | 300 rule | NPF rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mm | 31 s | 19 s | 21 s |
| 11 mm | 28 s | 17 s | 19 s |
| 15 mm | 21 s | 12 s | 14 s |
| 18 mm | 17 s | 10 s | 12 s |
| 24 mm | 13 s | 7.8 s | 8.7 s |
| 35 mm | 8.9 s | 5.3 s | 6 s |
| 50 mm | 6.2 s | 3.7 s | 4.2 s |
| 85 mm | 3.7 s | 2.2 s | 2.5 s |
FAQ
What is the crop factor of a Canon APS-C sensor?
1.61×. The 22.3 × 14.9 mm sensor has a 26.8 mm diagonal, compared with 43.3 mm for full frame, so a 35 mm lens frames like 56 mm on full frame.
What circle of confusion should I use for Canon APS-C?
0.019 mm, the sensor diagonal divided by 1443 — the same convention as lens depth of field scales and DOFMaster. Use about half (0.009 mm) if you view images at 100% or print very large.
What is the hyperfocal distance of a 11 mm lens on Canon APS-C?
81 cm (2.65 ft) at f/8. Focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
How long can I expose the night sky on Canon APS-C?
With a 11 mm lens at f/2.8 and 24 MP (pixel pitch 3.7 µm), about 19 s by the NPF rule, or 28 s by the 500 rule.
Cameras with this sensor size
Exact crop factors and lens equivalents from each camera’s published sensor size: