Key numbers
- Mount / system: Nikon Z DX (APS-C)
- Sensor: APS-C, 23.5 × 15.6mm
- Focal length: 16–50mm (about 43mm full-frame equivalent, 1.53× crop)
- Aperture: f/3.5–6.3 to f/22
- DoF at 3 m, 28mm, f/4.5: 2.27–4.41 m (≈ 214 cm deep)
- Hyperfocal distance (28mm, f/8): 5.24 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.
16 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/3.5 | 3.91 m | 0.80–1.34 | 1.33–4.06 | 1.70–12.7 | 2.20–∞ | 2.81–∞ |
| f/4 | 3.42 m | 0.78–1.40 | 1.27–4.76 | 1.60–23.6 | 2.03–∞ | 2.55–∞ |
| f/5.6 | 2.45 m | 0.71–1.67 | 1.10–10.6 | 1.35–∞ | 1.65–∞ | 1.97–∞ |
| f/8 | 1.72 m | 0.64–2.34 | 0.93–∞ | 1.10–∞ | 1.28–∞ | 1.47–∞ |
| f/11 | 1.25 m | 0.56–4.65 | 0.77–∞ | 0.89–∞ | 1.00–∞ | 1.12–∞ |
| f/16 | 0.87 m | 0.47–∞ | 0.61–∞ | 0.68–∞ | 0.74–∞ | 0.80–∞ |
| f/22 | 0.63 m | 0.39–∞ | 0.48–∞ | 0.53–∞ | 0.56–∞ | 0.60–∞ |
28 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/4.5 | 9.29 m | 0.91–1.12 | 1.65–2.54 | 2.27–4.41 | 3.26–10.8 | 4.82–∞ |
| f/5.6 | 7.47 m | 0.88–1.15 | 1.58–2.72 | 2.15–4.98 | 3.00–14.9 | 4.28–∞ |
| f/8 | 5.24 m | 0.84–1.23 | 1.45–3.21 | 1.91–6.93 | 2.57–97.9 | 3.44–∞ |
| f/11 | 3.82 m | 0.80–1.34 | 1.32–4.14 | 1.69–13.5 | 2.17–∞ | 2.77–∞ |
| f/16 | 2.63 m | 0.73–1.58 | 1.14–7.96 | 1.41–∞ | 1.73–∞ | 2.09–∞ |
| f/22 | 1.92 m | 0.66–2.02 | 0.99–∞ | 1.18–∞ | 1.39–∞ | 1.62–∞ |
50 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | 1 m | 2 m | 3 m | 5 m | 10 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/6.3 | 21.2 m | 0.96–1.05 | 1.83–2.20 | 2.63–3.49 | 4.05–6.53 | 6.80–18.9 |
| f/8 | 16.7 m | 0.95–1.06 | 1.79–2.26 | 2.55–3.65 | 3.86–7.11 | 6.26–24.8 |
| f/11 | 12.1 m | 0.93–1.08 | 1.72–2.38 | 2.41–3.96 | 3.55–8.44 | 5.49–55.5 |
| f/16 | 8.36 m | 0.90–1.13 | 1.62–2.61 | 2.22–4.64 | 3.14–12.3 | 4.57–∞ |
| f/22 | 6.09 m | 0.87–1.18 | 1.52–2.94 | 2.02–5.82 | 2.76–26.7 | 3.80–∞ |
FAQ
What is the depth of field of the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR at f/4.5 and 3 m?
At 28mm, f/4.5 and focus at 3 m, acceptable sharpness runs from 2.27 to 4.41 m — about 214 cm in total.
What is the hyperfocal distance of the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR?
At 28mm and f/8 on a APS-C sensor the hyperfocal distance is about 5.24 m. Focus there and everything from 2.62 m to infinity is sharp.
How do I get more background blur with the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR?
Open the aperture to f/4.5, 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.