Sony α7R II Diffraction Limit
With a 720 nm infrared filter, the Sony α7R II stays free of visible diffraction up to ƒ/5, and diffraction starts to soften images at ƒ/9. Unconverted (hot mirror), it is diffraction-free up to ƒ/7.1 and soft from ƒ/12.7. These limits come from its 4.5 μm pixel pitch: longer infrared wavelengths make a larger Airy disk, so diffraction appears at wider apertures than in visible light.
Open the Sony α7R II in the calculator
Sony α7R II specifications
- Pixel pitch: 4.5 μm
- Megapixels: 42.4
- Pixels: 7974 × 5316
- Sensor: Full Frame, 35.9 × 24.0 mm
Buy the Sony α7R II: KEH Adorama B&H
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/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| Hot mirror or UV/IR cut | ƒ/7.1 | ƒ/9 | ƒ/12.7 |
| 470 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 550 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 590 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 665 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 720 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 780 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 830 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 930 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| 1000 nm high-pass | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| IR Chrome | ƒ/5 | ƒ/6.3 | ƒ/9 |
| UV Bandpass | ƒ/12.7 | ƒ/16 | ƒ/22 |
Diffraction ratio at each ƒ-stop
The Airy disk diameter divided by the 4.5 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 | 0.27 | 0.3 | 0.36 | 0.42 | 0.45 | 0.5 | 0.55 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.71 | 0.76 |
| ƒ/2 | 0.38 | 0.43 | 0.51 | 0.6 | 0.64 | 0.72 | 0.78 | 0.85 | 0.9 | 1.01 | 1.08 |
| ƒ/2.8 | 0.53 | 0.61 | 0.71 | 0.84 | 0.9 | 1.01 | 1.09 | 1.18 | 1.26 | 1.41 | 1.52 |
| ƒ/4 | 0.76 | 0.87 | 1.02 | 1.19 | 1.28 | 1.44 | 1.56 | 1.69 | 1.8 | 2.02 | 2.17 |
| ƒ/5.6 | 1.06 | 1.21 | 1.43 | 1.67 | 1.79 | 2.02 | 2.19 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.82 | 3.04 |
| ƒ/8 | 1.52 | 1.74 | 2.04 | 2.39 | 2.56 | 2.88 | 3.12 | 3.38 | 3.6 | 4.03 | 4.34 |
| ƒ/11 | 2.09 | 2.39 | 2.8 | 3.28 | 3.52 | 3.97 | 4.29 | 4.65 | 4.95 | 5.55 | 5.96 |
| ƒ/16 | 3.04 | 3.47 | 4.08 | 4.77 | 5.12 | 5.77 | 6.25 | 6.77 | 7.2 | 8.07 | 8.68 |
| ƒ/22 | 4.18 | 4.77 | 5.61 | 6.56 | 7.04 | 7.93 | 8.59 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 11.09 | 11.93 |
| ƒ/32 | 6.07 | 6.94 | 8.16 | 9.54 | 10.24 | 11.54 | 12.49 | 13.53 | 14.4 | 16.14 | 17.35 |
| 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 Sony α7R II. The same pixel pitch gives the same diffraction limits.
- Sony α7R III (4.52 μm)
- Leica M10-R (4.58 μm)
- Canon EOS R5 (4.40 μm)
- Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R II (4.40 μm)
- Canon EOS R5 C (4.39 μm)
- Canon EOS R5 Mark II (4.39 μm)
Pixel pitch comes from the camera database. Send a correction if anything here is wrong.