Key numbers
- Mount / system: Micro Four Thirds
- Sensor: Micro Four Thirds, 17.3 × 13mm
- Focal length: 17mm (about 34mm full-frame equivalent, 2.00× crop)
- Aperture: f/1.8 to f/22
- DoF at 3 m, 17mm, f/1.8: 2.37–4.10 m (≈ 173 cm deep)
- Hyperfocal distance (17mm, f/8): 2.52 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.
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/1.8 | 11.1 m | 0.92–1.10 | 1.70–2.43 | 2.37–4.10 | 3.46–9.04 | 5.28–95.8 |
| f/2 | 10.0 m | 0.91–1.11 | 1.67–2.49 | 2.31–4.27 | 3.34–9.93 | 5.01–2000 |
| f/2.8 | 7.17 m | 0.88–1.16 | 1.57–2.76 | 2.12–5.14 | 2.95–16.4 | 4.18–∞ |
| f/4 | 5.03 m | 0.84–1.24 | 1.43–3.30 | 1.88–7.38 | 2.51–597 | 3.35–∞ |
| f/5.6 | 3.59 m | 0.79–1.38 | 1.29–4.46 | 1.64–17.6 | 2.10–∞ | 2.65–∞ |
| f/8 | 2.52 m | 0.72–1.64 | 1.12–9.37 | 1.37–∞ | 1.68–∞ | 2.02–∞ |
| f/11 | 1.84 m | 0.65–2.15 | 0.96–∞ | 1.14–∞ | 1.35–∞ | 1.55–∞ |
| f/16 | 1.27 m | 0.56–4.44 | 0.78–∞ | 0.90–∞ | 1.01–∞ | 1.13–∞ |
| f/22 | 0.93 m | 0.49–∞ | 0.64–∞ | 0.71–∞ | 0.78–∞ | 0.85–∞ |
FAQ
What is the depth of field of the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 at f/1.8 and 3 m?
At 17mm, f/1.8 and focus at 3 m, acceptable sharpness runs from 2.37 to 4.10 m — about 173 cm in total.
What is the hyperfocal distance of the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8?
At 17mm and f/8 on a Micro Four Thirds sensor the hyperfocal distance is about 2.52 m. Focus there and everything from 1.26 m to infinity is sharp.
How do I get more background blur with the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8?
Open the aperture to f/1.8, move closer to your subject and increase the distance between subject and background. You can check the result in the calculator above.