Depth of Field Calculator

What is depth of field?

Depth of field (DoF) is the range in front of and behind the focus plane that still appears sharp in the image. A shallow depth of field separates the subject from the background – ideal for portraits with creamy bokeh. A large depth of field keeps the entire scene sharp – the goal in landscape and architectural photography.

What affects depth of field?

• Aperture – the wider the aperture (small f-number), the shallower the depth of field.
• Focal length – the longer the focal length, the shallower the depth of field at the same distance.
• Focus distance – the closer the subject, the shallower the depth of field. In macro photography it can be just millimetres.
• Sensor size – larger sensors yield shallower depth of field for the same field of view.

Hyperfocal distance – everything sharp to infinity

Focusing at the hyperfocal distance gives you the maximum depth of field: from half the hyperfocal distance all the way to infinity. This is the key trick for landscape and astrophotography – instead of focusing on the horizon, focus at this distance and gain sharpness in the foreground. Find inspiration for your next shoot at my photo spots in Switzerland.

How is it calculated?

The calculator uses the classic circle of confusion formulas: a point is considered "sharp" as long as its blur circle is smaller than a sensor-dependent threshold – for full frame, typically 0.030 mm. Values are guidelines for standard viewing sizes; with heavy cropping or very large prints, the perceived depth of field is somewhat smaller.