Key numbers
- Mount / system: Canon RF-S (APS-C)
- Sensor: APS-C, 23.5 × 15.6mm
- Focal length: 55–210mm (about 153mm full-frame equivalent, 1.53× crop)
- Aperture: f/5–7.1 to f/32
- DoF at 3 m, 100mm, f/5.6: 2.91–3.09 m (≈ 18 cm deep)
- Hyperfocal distance (100mm, f/8): 66.6 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.
55 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/5 | 32.2 m | 0.97–1.03 | 1.89–2.13 | 2.75–3.30 | 4.33–5.91 | 7.64–14.5 |
| f/5.6 | 28.8 m | 0.97–1.03 | 1.87–2.14 | 2.72–3.34 | 4.27–6.04 | 7.43–15.3 |
| f/8 | 20.2 m | 0.96–1.05 | 1.82–2.21 | 2.62–3.51 | 4.02–6.62 | 6.70–19.7 |
| f/11 | 14.7 m | 0.94–1.07 | 1.77–2.31 | 2.50–3.75 | 3.74–7.54 | 5.96–31.0 |
| f/16 | 10.1 m | 0.91–1.10 | 1.68–2.48 | 2.32–4.23 | 3.36–9.79 | 5.04–616 |
| f/22 | 7.37 m | 0.89–1.15 | 1.58–2.72 | 2.14–5.00 | 2.99–15.2 | 4.26–∞ |
| f/32 | 5.08 m | 0.84–1.23 | 1.45–3.24 | 1.90–7.13 | 2.53–185 | 3.38–∞ |
100 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/5.6 | 95.1 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.96–2.04 | 2.91–3.09 | 4.75–5.27 | 9.06–11.2 |
| f/8 | 66.6 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.94–2.06 | 2.87–3.14 | 4.66–5.40 | 8.71–11.7 |
| f/11 | 48.4 m | 0.98–1.02 | 1.92–2.08 | 2.83–3.19 | 4.54–5.56 | 8.30–12.6 |
| f/16 | 33.3 m | 0.97–1.03 | 1.89–2.12 | 2.76–3.29 | 4.36–5.86 | 7.71–14.2 |
| f/22 | 24.3 m | 0.96–1.04 | 1.85–2.17 | 2.68–3.41 | 4.16–6.26 | 7.10–16.9 |
| f/32 | 16.7 m | 0.95–1.06 | 1.80–2.26 | 2.56–3.63 | 3.87–7.07 | 6.28–24.5 |
210 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/7.1 | 331 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.97–3.03 | 4.93–5.07 | 9.71–10.3 |
| f/8 | 293 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.99–2.01 | 2.97–3.03 | 4.92–5.08 | 9.68–10.3 |
| f/11 | 213 m | 1.00–1.00 | 1.98–2.02 | 2.96–3.04 | 4.89–5.11 | 9.56–10.5 |
| f/16 | 147 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.98–2.02 | 2.94–3.06 | 4.84–5.17 | 9.37–10.7 |
| f/22 | 107 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.97–2.03 | 2.92–3.08 | 4.79–5.23 | 9.16–11.0 |
| f/32 | 73.5 m | 0.99–1.01 | 1.95–2.05 | 2.89–3.12 | 4.69–5.35 | 8.82–11.5 |
FAQ
What is the depth of field of the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM at f/5.6 and 3 m?
At 100mm, f/5.6 and focus at 3 m, acceptable sharpness runs from 2.91 to 3.09 m — about 18 cm in total.
What is the hyperfocal distance of the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM?
At 100mm and f/8 on a APS-C sensor the hyperfocal distance is about 66.6 m. Focus there and everything from 33.3 m to infinity is sharp.
How do I get more background blur with the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM?
Open the aperture to f/5.6, 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.