Depth of Field Calculator

Hyperfocal distance equals f squared divided by N times C, plus f. Near limit equals u times H minus f, divided by H plus u minus 2f. Far limit equals u times H minus f, divided by H minus u.

Depth of Field =

2.04 ft

Hyperfocal Distance

97.8 ft

Near Limit

9.08 ft

Far Limit

11.1 ft

Total DoF

2.04 ft
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Worked Examples

Portrait

How thin is the depth of field for an 85mm portrait lens at f/1.8?

Portrait photographers often want a very shallow focus zone for eyes-only sharpness and soft background blur.

  1. Choose a full-frame camera with an 85mm lens.
  2. Set the aperture to f/1.8 and the subject distance to 8 feet.
  3. The calculator finds the hyperfocal distance, near limit, and far limit.
  4. At this combination, the total depth of field is only a few inches.
  5. That is why exact eye focus matters so much in wide-aperture portrait work.

This is the classic portrait setup for isolating a subject from the background with strong bokeh.

Landscape

What happens to DoF with a 24mm lens at f/11?

Wide-angle landscape shooting usually aims for deep focus rather than strong background blur.

  1. Choose a full-frame camera with a 24mm lens.
  2. Set the aperture to f/11 and the subject distance to 15 feet.
  3. The near limit moves much closer to the camera than it does in the portrait example.
  4. The far limit often reaches infinity or very close to it.
  5. This makes wide-angle stopped-down setups effective for foreground-to-background sharpness.

This is the kind of setup where photographers start thinking about hyperfocal distance and depth planning.

Wildlife / Sports

How much depth of field do you get with a 200mm lens at 30 meters?

Long telephoto lenses compress depth of field quickly, especially when the subject is moving.

  1. Choose APS-C format, a 200mm lens, and f/4.
  2. Set the subject distance to 30 meters.
  3. The telephoto focal length keeps the sharp zone relatively narrow even at a long distance.
  4. The calculator shows the near and far limits around the focus point.
  5. This helps photographers judge how much margin they have for tracking motion or small focus misses.

Telephoto depth-of-field estimates are useful for field sports, wildlife, and stage photography where subject distance changes fast.

Hyperfocal Distance

The hyperfocal distance is the closest focus distance that still keeps infinity acceptably sharp. When you focus there, depth of field stretches from about half the hyperfocal distance to infinity.

H = f² / (N × C) + f

Near Limit

The near limit is the closest point that still appears acceptably sharp when you focus at subject distance u. Anything closer than this line starts to fall out of focus.

Dn = u × (H − f) / (H + u − 2f)

Far Limit

The far limit is the farthest point that still appears sharp. Once the focus distance reaches or exceeds the hyperfocal distance, the far limit extends to infinity.

Df = u × (H − f) / (H − u)

How It Works

Depth of field is the zone in front of and behind your focus point that still looks acceptably sharp in a photograph. It depends on four core inputs: focal length, aperture, subject distance, and the circle of confusion tied to sensor format. Wider apertures like f/1.8 reduce the depth-of-field range, longer lenses compress it, and focusing closer to the subject makes it thinner still. Stopping down to smaller apertures such as f/8 or f/11 increases the sharp range, especially with shorter focal lengths and more distant subjects. This calculator combines those factors to estimate hyperfocal distance plus the near and far limits around your chosen focus distance.

Example Problem

You are shooting a portrait with an 85mm lens at f/1.8 on a full-frame camera, focused 8 feet away. What is the depth of field?

  1. Choose the full-frame circle of confusion value used by the calculator.
  2. Enter focal length f = 85 mm, aperture N = 1.8, and subject distance u = 8 ft.
  3. Compute the hyperfocal distance H from the lens focal length, aperture, and circle of confusion.
  4. Use H and the focus distance to calculate the near limit Dn.
  5. Use H and the focus distance to calculate the far limit Df.
  6. Subtract the near limit from the far limit to find the total depth of field around the subject.

This is why wide-aperture portraits often have sharp eyes but quickly blurred ears, hair, and background details.

Key Concepts

The circle of confusion is the acceptable blur diameter used to decide whether a point still looks sharp in the final image. Larger sensors typically use a larger circle of confusion and behave differently from smaller sensors when you match framing. Hyperfocal distance is especially important for landscape photographers, while shallow near/far limits are more relevant for portrait, macro, and wildlife work. Background blur is related to depth of field, but it is not identical: composition, background distance, focal length, and magnification all influence the final look of bokeh.

Applications

  • Planning portraits where only the eyes need to stay critically sharp
  • Choosing a landscape focus distance that keeps foreground and horizon acceptably sharp
  • Estimating whether a moving sports or wildlife subject will stay inside the sharp zone
  • Comparing lenses before a shoot to decide whether a 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm setup fits the scene
  • Checking macro or close-up depth of field before deciding whether focus stacking is needed
  • Learning how sensor size changes depth-of-field behavior when moving between camera systems

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming aperture alone controls depth of field without considering focal length and subject distance
  • Confusing crop factor with depth-of-field behavior when framing changes at the same time
  • Stopping down too far and trading more depth of field for visible diffraction softening
  • Forgetting that telephoto lenses can still have a narrow sharp zone even at long subject distances
  • Treating hyperfocal distance as a magic setting without checking whether the foreground is actually close enough
  • Ignoring unit differences between feet and meters when entering subject distance

Frequently Asked Questions

What is depth of field?

Depth of field is the range in front of and behind your focus point that still appears acceptably sharp in the final image.

What affects depth of field the most?

Aperture, focal length, subject distance, and sensor-format circle of confusion all matter. Wide apertures, long lenses, and close subject distances usually make depth of field shallower.

What is hyperfocal distance?

Hyperfocal distance is the closest focus distance that still keeps infinity sharp. When you focus there, depth of field extends from roughly half that distance out to infinity.

Does a larger sensor give shallower depth of field?

For matched framing and aperture, larger sensors usually produce shallower depth of field because they use a longer focal length or closer camera position to get the same composition.

Why do portrait photographers use wide apertures like f/1.8?

Wide apertures shrink the depth of field, which helps isolate the subject from the background and creates stronger background blur.

Why does my far limit sometimes show infinity?

That happens when your focus distance reaches or exceeds the hyperfocal distance. In that case, everything from the near limit to infinity is acceptably sharp.

Is background blur the same thing as depth of field?

Not exactly. Depth of field describes the sharp zone around the focus plane, while background blur also depends on subject-background separation, focal length, and framing.

Can I use this calculator for APS-C and APS-H cameras?

Yes. The calculator includes different circle-of-confusion values for full-frame, APS-C, and APS-H formats so you can compare common sensor sizes.

Reference: Depth-of-field estimates use focal length, aperture, subject distance, and sensor-format circle of confusion to compute hyperfocal distance plus near and far focus limits.

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