Depth of Field Calculator - Near & Far Focus Limits and Hyperfocal Distance
Depth of Field Calculator
How much of your photo will be sharp
Near and Far Limits
See where sharpness starts and ends, and how it splits in front of and behind your subject.
Hyperfocal Distance
Focus here for landscapes and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Sensor Presets
Full frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, 1-inch and medium format, or your own circle of confusion.
Private
Calculated in your browser.
What Controls Depth of Field
Depth of field is the range of distances that looks acceptably sharp. It gets shallower with a wider aperture (smaller f-number), a longer focal length and a closer subject, and deeper the other way round. The hyperfocal distance is H = f2/(N·c) + f; focusing there makes everything from H/2 to infinity sharp. Example: a 50 mm lens at f/2.8 focused at 3 m on full frame is sharp from about 2.73 m to 3.33 m, a depth of 0.60 m.
"Acceptably sharp" depends on the circle of confusion, the largest blur spot that still looks like a point at normal print size and viewing distance. The presets use common values derived from each sensor's diagonal. If you crop heavily or view large prints up close, use a smaller value, which gives a shallower and more demanding result. At very close (macro) distances these formulas become approximate.
Key Takeaways
- Aperture matters most: Stopping down from f/2.8 to f/8 roughly triples the depth of field.
- More behind than in front: Usually more of the sharp zone lies behind the subject.
- Landscape trick: Focus at the hyperfocal distance to keep the horizon sharp.