Depth of Field Calculator

Calculate depth of field for perfect focus in your photography. Get precise measurements for near focus, far focus, and hyperfocal distance for any camera and lens combination.

📷 Camera Sensor

Full Frame
APS-C
Micro 4/3
1"

🔍 Lens Settings

Focal Length 50mm
Aperture (f-stop) f/2.8
Subject Distance 3m

📊 Focus Visualization

📷

📈 Calculation Results

Total DOF
1.2
meters
Near Focus
2.4
meters
Far Focus
3.6
meters
Hyperfocal
15.2
meters

What is Depth of Field?

Depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Understanding DOF is crucial for photographers to control which parts of their image are in focus and create artistic effects like bokeh or ensure everything is sharp in landscape photography.

How Does the DOF Calculator Work?

Our calculator uses the standard optical formulas to determine depth of field based on your camera sensor size, lens focal length, aperture setting, and subject distance. It calculates the circle of confusion based on your sensor size and provides accurate measurements for near focus limit, far focus limit, total depth of field, and hyperfocal distance.

Understanding Circle of Confusion

Circle of confusion (CoC) is the largest blur spot that is still perceived as a point by the human eye. Different sensor sizes have different CoC values: Full Frame (0.030mm), APS-C (0.019mm), Micro 4/3 (0.015mm), and 1" sensors (0.011mm). This value is crucial for accurate DOF calculations.

What is Hyperfocal Distance?

Hyperfocal distance is the closest distance at which a lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp. When you focus at the hyperfocal distance, everything from half that distance to infinity will be in acceptable focus. This technique is especially useful for landscape photography.

Tips for Using Depth of Field

For portraits, use a wider aperture (smaller f-number) to create a shallow DOF and blur the background. For landscapes, use a smaller aperture (larger f-number) to keep more of the scene in focus. Remember that DOF also depends on focal length and distance to subject - longer lenses and closer subjects result in shallower DOF.

When to Use This Calculator?

Use this calculator when planning critical focus for important shots, calculating hyperfocal distance for landscape photography, determining the best aperture for group photos, understanding lens capabilities at different settings, or teaching/learning about depth of field principles in photography education.