Canon EOS 5D Mark II Diffraction Limit
With a 720 nm infrared filter, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II stays free of visible diffraction up to ƒ/7.1, and diffraction starts to soften images at ƒ/12.7. Unconverted (hot mirror), it is diffraction-free up to ƒ/10.1 and soft from ƒ/18. These limits come from its 6.41 μm pixel pitch: longer infrared wavelengths make a larger Airy disk, so diffraction appears at wider apertures than in visible light.
Open the Canon EOS 5D Mark II in the calculator
Canon EOS 5D Mark II specifications
- Pixel pitch: 6.41 μm
- Megapixels: 21.0
- Pixels: 5616 × 3744
- Sensor: Full Frame, 36.0 × 24.0 mm
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Sharpest ƒ-stop by filter
Safe is the narrowest aperture with a diffraction ratio of 3 or lower at every wavelength the filter passes. Caution allows up to 3.75. Avoid is the first aperture where any wavelength reaches 4.5. All three are calculated to the one-third stop. See which wavelengths each filter passes.
| Filter | Safe | Caution | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full spectrum | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| Hot mirror or UV/IR cut | ƒ/10.1 | ƒ/12.7 | ƒ/18 |
| 470 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 550 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 590 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 665 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 720 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 780 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 830 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 930 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 1000 nm high-pass | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| IR Chrome | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| UV Bandpass | ƒ/18 | ƒ/22 | ƒ/32 |
Diffraction ratio at each ƒ-stop
The Airy disk diameter divided by the 6.41 μm pixel pitch, for every wavelength from ultraviolet to infrared. A filter only passes some of these wavelengths; the table above applies each filter’s set. How the ratio is calculated.
| ƒ-stop | 350 nm | 400 nm | 470 nm | 550 nm | 590 nm | 665 nm | 720 nm | 780 nm | 830 nm | 930 nm | 1000 nm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ƒ/1.4 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.5 | 0.53 |
| ƒ/2 | 0.27 | 0.3 | 0.36 | 0.42 | 0.45 | 0.51 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.71 | 0.76 |
| ƒ/2.8 | 0.37 | 0.43 | 0.5 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.71 | 0.77 | 0.83 | 0.88 | 0.99 | 1.07 |
| ƒ/4 | 0.53 | 0.61 | 0.72 | 0.84 | 0.9 | 1.01 | 1.1 | 1.19 | 1.26 | 1.42 | 1.52 |
| ƒ/5.6 | 0.75 | 0.85 | 1 | 1.17 | 1.26 | 1.42 | 1.53 | 1.66 | 1.77 | 1.98 | 2.13 |
| ƒ/8 | 1.07 | 1.22 | 1.43 | 1.67 | 1.8 | 2.03 | 2.19 | 2.38 | 2.53 | 2.83 | 3.05 |
| ƒ/11 | 1.47 | 1.67 | 1.97 | 2.3 | 2.47 | 2.78 | 3.01 | 3.27 | 3.48 | 3.89 | 4.19 |
| ƒ/16 | 2.13 | 2.44 | 2.86 | 3.35 | 3.59 | 4.05 | 4.39 | 4.75 | 5.06 | 5.66 | 6.09 |
| ƒ/22 | 2.93 | 3.35 | 3.94 | 4.61 | 4.94 | 5.57 | 6.03 | 6.53 | 6.95 | 7.79 | 8.37 |
| ƒ/32 | 4.26 | 4.87 | 5.73 | 6.7 | 7.19 | 8.1 | 8.77 | 9.5 | 10.11 | 11.33 | 12.18 |
| No visible diffraction (less than 3) | |
| Visible diffraction may slightly impact image sharpness (3 to 4.5) | |
| Visible diffraction will impact image sharpness (4.5 or greater) |
Cameras with similar pixel pitch
Other Full Frame cameras within 0.2 μm of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The same pixel pitch gives the same diffraction limits.
- Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III (6.41 μm)
- Nikon D5 (6.45 μm)
- Canon EOS 6D (6.54 μm)
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III (6.25 μm)
- Canon EOS R6 (6.58 μm)
Pixel pitch comes from the camera database. Send a correction if anything here is wrong.