50mm Depth of Field Table
Near limit – far limit (and total depth of field) for a 50mm lens at every common aperture and focus distance. Compute your exact values with the depth of field calculator.
Full Frame (CoC 0.0288 mm)
| Focus distance | f/1.2 | f/1.4 | f/1.8 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 m | 50 cm – 50 cm (6 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (7 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (9 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (10 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (15 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (21 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (29 mm) | 48 cm – 52 cm (41 mm) |
| 1 m | 99 cm – 1.01 m (26 mm) | 98 cm – 1.02 m (31 mm) | 98 cm – 1.02 m (39 mm) | 98 cm – 1.02 m (44 mm) | 97 cm – 1.03 m (61 mm) | 96 cm – 1.05 m (88 mm) | 94 cm – 1.07 m (12 cm) | 92 cm – 1.10 m (18 cm) |
| 2 m | 1.95 m – 2.06 m (11 cm) | 1.94 m – 2.06 m (13 cm) | 1.92 m – 2.08 m (16 cm) | 1.91 m – 2.09 m (18 cm) | 1.88 m – 2.13 m (25 cm) | 1.84 m – 2.20 m (36 cm) | 1.78 m – 2.29 m (51 cm) | 1.70 m – 2.44 m (74 cm) |
| 3 m | 2.88 m – 3.13 m (25 cm) | 2.86 m – 3.15 m (29 cm) | 2.83 m – 3.20 m (37 cm) | 2.81 m – 3.22 m (41 cm) | 2.74 m – 3.32 m (58 cm) | 2.64 m – 3.47 m (83 cm) | 2.52 m – 3.70 m (1.18 m) | 2.36 m – 4.12 m (1.76 m) |
| 5 m | 4.68 m – 5.37 m (69 cm) | 4.63 m – 5.43 m (80 cm) | 4.53 m – 5.57 m (1.04 m) | 4.49 m – 5.64 m (1.16 m) | 4.31 m – 5.95 m (1.64 m) | 4.07 m – 6.48 m (2.40 m) | 3.79 m – 7.34 m (3.55 m) | 3.44 m – 9.17 m (5.73 m) |
| 10 m | 8.79 m – 12 m (2.81 m) | 8.62 m – 12 m (3.30 m) | 8.29 m – 13 m (4.31 m) | 8.13 m – 13 m (4.84 m) | 7.57 m – 15 m (7.16 m) | 6.86 m – 18 m (12 m) | 6.09 m – 28 m (22 m) | 5.22 m – 117 m (111 m) |
APS-C (Sony/Nikon/Fuji) (CoC 0.0188 mm)
| Focus distance | f/1.2 | f/1.4 | f/1.8 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 m | 50 cm – 50 cm (4 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (5 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (6 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (7 mm) | 50 cm – 50 cm (9 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (14 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (19 mm) | 49 cm – 51 cm (27 mm) |
| 1 m | 99 cm – 1.01 m (17 mm) | 99 cm – 1.01 m (20 mm) | 99 cm – 1.01 m (26 mm) | 99 cm – 1.01 m (29 mm) | 98 cm – 1.02 m (40 mm) | 97 cm – 1.03 m (57 mm) | 96 cm – 1.04 m (80 mm) | 95 cm – 1.06 m (11 cm) |
| 2 m | 1.97 m – 2.04 m (70 mm) | 1.96 m – 2.04 m (82 mm) | 1.95 m – 2.05 m (11 cm) | 1.94 m – 2.06 m (12 cm) | 1.92 m – 2.09 m (16 cm) | 1.89 m – 2.12 m (24 cm) | 1.85 m – 2.18 m (33 cm) | 1.79 m – 2.26 m (47 cm) |
| 3 m | 2.92 m – 3.08 m (16 cm) | 2.91 m – 3.10 m (19 cm) | 2.88 m – 3.12 m (24 cm) | 2.87 m – 3.14 m (27 cm) | 2.82 m – 3.20 m (37 cm) | 2.76 m – 3.29 m (54 cm) | 2.67 m – 3.42 m (76 cm) | 2.55 m – 3.65 m (1.10 m) |
| 5 m | 4.79 m – 5.23 m (45 cm) | 4.75 m – 5.27 m (52 cm) | 4.69 m – 5.36 m (67 cm) | 4.65 m – 5.40 m (75 cm) | 4.53 m – 5.58 m (1.05 m) | 4.35 m – 5.87 m (1.52 m) | 4.14 m – 6.31 m (2.17 m) | 3.86 m – 7.11 m (3.26 m) |
| 10 m | 9.18 m – 11 m (1.81 m) | 9.05 m – 11 m (2.12 m) | 8.81 m – 12 m (2.74 m) | 8.70 m – 12 m (3.06 m) | 8.27 m – 13 m (4.38 m) | 7.70 m – 14 m (6.56 m) | 7.05 m – 17 m (10 m) | 6.26 m – 25 m (19 m) |
How to read this table
Rows are focus distances, columns are apertures. Each cell shows near limit – far limit (total depth of field in brackets). Focus at the distance, and everything between near and far is acceptably sharp at the standard circle of confusion (sensor diagonal ÷ 1500).
Two patterns to notice: closing the aperture pushes the far limit out faster than the near limit moves (⅓ in front, ⅔ behind), and moving your focus distance further away multiplies the depth of field roughly with the square of distance.
Related tools & guides
Depth of Field Calculator
Your exact near/far limits for any camera, lens, and distance.
Open →Hyperfocal Distance Chart
Pre-computed hyperfocal values for every common format.
Read →Circle of Confusion Explained
Which CoC standard these tables use, and when to override it.
Read →FAQ
Are these tables exact for my lens?
They use the standard formula H = f²/(N·c) + f with CoC = sensor diagonal ÷ 1500, which matches the classic published tables (dofmaster-style values). Real-world results vary slightly with lens breathing, focus accuracy, and your viewing standard — treat them as planning numbers, not promises.
Why is the depth of field different on APS-C?
Two reasons: the smaller sensor needs a shorter lens for the same framing (which we account for by using the same focal length — so on APS-C you're effectively seeing a tighter crop), and its circle of confusion is smaller, which shortens the near/far spread. For same-framing comparisons, mentally multiply the APS-C aperture by 1.5.