Key numbers
- Mount / system: Sony E (Full Frame)
- Sensor: Full Frame, 36 × 24mm
- Focal length: 100–400mm
- Aperture: f/4.5–5.6 to f/32
- DoF at 3 m, 200mm, f/4.9: 2.97–3.03 m (≈ 6 cm deep)
- Hyperfocal distance (200mm, f/8): 174 m
Depth of field table
Distances are measured from the sensor plane. Each cell shows the near and far limit of acceptable sharpness in metres (∞ = to infinity). Circle of confusion = sensor diagonal / 1500.
100 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/4.5 | 77.1 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.95–2.05 | 2.89–3.12 | 4.70–5.34 | 8.86–11.5 |
| f/5.6 | 62.0 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.94–2.06 | 2.87–3.15 | 4.63–5.43 | 8.62–11.9 |
| f/8 | 43.4 m | 0.98–1.02 | 1.92–2.09 | 2.81–3.21 | 4.49–5.64 | 8.14–13.0 |
| f/11 | 31.6 m | 0.97–1.03 | 1.89–2.13 | 2.75–3.30 | 4.33–5.92 | 7.62–14.6 |
| f/16 | 21.8 m | 0.96–1.04 | 1.84–2.19 | 2.65–3.46 | 4.08–6.45 | 6.87–18.3 |
| f/22 | 15.9 m | 0.95–1.06 | 1.79–2.27 | 2.54–3.67 | 3.82–7.24 | 6.16–26.6 |
| f/32 | 10.9 m | 0.92–1.09 | 1.70–2.42 | 2.37–4.08 | 3.45–9.06 | 5.25–106 |
200 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/4.9 | 283 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.97–3.03 | 4.92–5.09 | 9.67–10.4 |
| f/5.6 | 248 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.97–3.03 | 4.91–5.10 | 9.62–10.4 |
| f/8 | 174 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.98–2.02 | 2.95–3.05 | 4.87–5.14 | 9.47–10.6 |
| f/11 | 126 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.97–2.03 | 2.93–3.07 | 4.82–5.20 | 9.28–10.8 |
| f/16 | 86.9 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.96–2.04 | 2.91–3.10 | 4.74–5.29 | 8.99–11.3 |
| f/22 | 63.2 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.94–2.06 | 2.87–3.14 | 4.65–5.41 | 8.66–11.8 |
| f/32 | 43.5 m | 0.98–1.02 | 1.92–2.09 | 2.82–3.21 | 4.50–5.62 | 8.16–12.9 |
400 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/5.6 | 991 m | 1.00–1.00 | 2.00–2.00 | 2.99–3.01 | 4.98–5.02 | 9.90–10.1 |
| f/8 | 694 m | 1.00–1.00 | 2.00–2.00 | 2.99–3.01 | 4.97–5.03 | 9.86–10.1 |
| f/11 | 505 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.98–3.02 | 4.95–5.05 | 9.81–10.2 |
| f/16 | 347 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.98–3.02 | 4.93–5.07 | 9.73–10.3 |
| f/22 | 253 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.97–3.03 | 4.91–5.09 | 9.63–10.4 |
| f/32 | 174 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.98–2.02 | 2.96–3.05 | 4.87–5.14 | 9.48–10.6 |
FAQ
What is the depth of field of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS at f/4.9 and 3 m?
At 200mm, f/4.9 and focus at 3 m, acceptable sharpness runs from 2.97 to 3.03 m — about 6 cm in total.
What is the hyperfocal distance of the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS?
At 200mm and f/8 on a Full Frame sensor the hyperfocal distance is about 174 m. Focus there and everything from 86.8 m to infinity is sharp.
How do I get more background blur with the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS?
Open the aperture to f/4.9, move closer to your subject and increase the distance between subject and background, and zoom in to the long end. You can check the result in the calculator above.