Depth of Field Calculator

Calculate near focus, far focus, total DOF and hyperfocal distance. Choose settings, then press Calculate.

Settings

Camera / sensor

Focal length (mm)

Aperture (f-number)

Focus distance

Unit

Circle of confusion = sensor diagonal ÷ 1500. Press Calculate to update results.

Results

Near focus

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Far focus

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Total DOF

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Hyperfocal

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Circle of confusion

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Focus zone (schematic)

CameraNearSubjectFar

What is depth of field?

Depth of field (DOF) is the range of distances that appear acceptably sharp. Only one plane is in perfect focus; DOF describes how far in front of and behind that plane detail still looks sharp for a chosen circle of confusion.

How this calculator works

We compute hyperfocal distance H, then near and far limits for your focus distance s:

H = f² / (N × c) + f

Near = (H × s) / (H + (s − f)) Far = (H × s) / (H − (s − f)) (∞ if s ≥ H)

Where f = focal length, N = f-number, c = circle of confusion, s = focus distance.

What affects DOF?

Aperture — smaller apertures increase DOF.
Focal length — longer lenses decrease DOF at similar framing.
Focus distance — closer focus decreases DOF.
Sensor size — smaller sensors often yield deeper DOF for the same field of view.

Example

Full-frame, 50 mm, f/2.8, focused at 3 m: near focus around 2.7 m, far around 3.4 m, total DOF about 0.7 m (exact values depend on CoC).

FAQ

Why is far focus infinity?

When you focus at or beyond hyperfocal distance, the far limit reaches infinity by definition.

Is circle of confusion fixed?

No. We use diagonal/1500 as a common standard. Stricter CoC shrinks reported DOF.