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Photography Calculators

Depth of Field Calculator

Near and far focus limits, total depth of field and the hyperfocal distance for any lens.

Enter values

Results update as you type.

Result

Depth of field

0.601 m

Focusing at the hyperfocal distance puts everything from half that distance to infinity acceptably sharp.

Near focus limit
2.729 m
Far focus limit
3.33 m
Hyperfocal distance
29.812 m
In front of the subject
0.271 m
Behind the subject
0.33 m
Circle of confusion
0.03 mm

About the Depth of Field Calculator

Depth of field is the zone that looks acceptably sharp either side of the focus point. It depends on aperture, focal length, subject distance and the sensor size, through the circle of confusion. Wide apertures and long lenses shrink it; small sensors and wide lenses stretch it.

Also known as: dof calculator, focus distance calculator, aperture depth of field, bokeh calculator, sharpness zone.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter sensor, focal length, aperture (f-number), subject distance.
  2. The result updates instantly as you type — press Calculate (or Enter) at any time.
  3. Review the breakdown shown under the main result.
  4. Use Copy result or Share to save the answer or send a link with your inputs.

Formula

H = f²/(N·c) + f · near = d(H−f)/(H+d−2f) · far = d(H−f)/(H−d)

Worked example

Using the values pre-filled in the calculator above:

  • Sensor: Full frame (CoC 0.030)
  • Focal length = 50 mm
  • Aperture (f-number) = 2.8
  • Subject distance = 3 m

the calculator returns:

  • Depth of field: 0.601 m
  • Near focus limit: 2.729 m
  • Far focus limit: 3.33 m
  • Hyperfocal distance: 29.812 m

Frequently asked questions

How do I get more background blur?

Open the aperture, use a longer lens, move closer to the subject, or move the subject further from the background.

What is the circle of confusion?

The largest blur spot that still looks like a point at normal viewing size. It scales with sensor size, which is why small sensors have deeper apparent depth of field.