Depth of Field & Hyperfocal Calculator
How to Read This Result
Near limit and far limit are the two edges of what this shot will render as acceptably sharp. If the far limit above reads as infinity, your focus distance is at or beyond the hyperfocal point for this focal length and aperture — pull focus any closer and watch the far limit drop out of infinity into a finite number.
That range isn't a mathematically perfect single plane, since no lens produces one — it's everything a normal-sized print or screen view will read as sharp. Move outside either edge and blur increases gradually with distance from your actual focus point, not as a hard cutoff.
Why the Result Changes With Sensor Format
Switch the sensor format above and both limits move — that's the circle of confusion changing beneath the calculation, tied directly to your sensor's physical size. Reading the result correctly across formats takes care: a smaller circle of confusion is a stricter threshold that on its own narrows depth of field at an identical real focal length, and the familiar "smaller sensors are more forgiving" only holds once you also account for the shorter real focal length a smaller sensor needs to match a full-frame shot's framing. Why sensor size changes depth of field walks through exactly why the two effects pull in opposite directions and which one wins.
The Formula
Hyperfocal distance H = f² / (N × c) + f, where f is focal length, N is the f-number, and c is the circle of confusion — all in the same unit (this calculator works internally in millimeters). Near and far limits are then computed from H, the subject distance s, and f using the standard thin-lens depth-of-field equations, which correctly account for the small but real effect of focal length itself on the near and far limits, not just the simplified H×s/(H±s) approximation that ignores it.
Circle of confusion itself is a convention rather than a fixed physical constant — this calculator uses the diagonal/1500 rule of thumb, stated explicitly on every sensor reference page, because different sources use slightly different divisors (1442 and 1730 are both also common) and the resulting hyperfocal number shifts slightly depending on which one you pick.
Want the full explanation behind this calculator? Read the guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always focus at the hyperfocal distance for landscapes?
It gives the maximum possible depth of field for your focal length and aperture, which is why it's the default landscape advice, but it isn't automatically correct for every scene — if your nearest important subject is much closer than the hyperfocal near limit, you'll need a smaller aperture, a wider focal length, or to accept a shallower zone of sharpness starting closer to the camera.
Why is my near limit sometimes very close to my subject distance?
At small apertures and wide focal lengths, depth of field can extend so far in both directions that the near limit sits much closer to the camera than you'd expect — this is normal and is exactly the effect a wide-angle landscape lens at f/11 or f/16 is being used for.
What happens if my subject distance is less than my focal length?
The calculator can't return a valid result — physically, you can't focus a lens closer than its own focal length in the simple thin-lens model this tool uses, and most real lenses have a minimum focus distance well beyond that anyway. Check your lens's actual minimum focus distance if you're working close to it.