Intro
Working out depth of field in your head isn’t always easy. Change your focal length, move a little closer to your subject or open up the aperture, and everything changes.
This interactive calculator lets you see exactly what’s happening before you press the shutter. Adjust your camera, focal length, aperture and subject distance to instantly see your near focus, far focus, total depth of field and hyperfocal distance.
Depth of Field Visualiser
Pick a camera profile, then adjust focal length, subject distance, and aperture.
Near focus limit
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Far focus limit
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Total DOF
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Hyperfocal distance
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What these values mean
CoC (Circle of Confusion): The blur spot size still considered acceptably sharp for the selected sensor. Smaller CoC means stricter sharpness and usually shallower reported DOF.
Hyperfocal distance: Focus here and everything from about half that distance to infinity appears acceptably sharp for the selected focal length and aperture.
Why I built this
Having found myself annoyed when I’m doing portraits with a super shallow DoF and it’s just a tad on the shallow side, wishing I had a visual way to see exactly what I needed to get the extra 2 or 3 cm of depth. This tool has done it for me.
Hopefully you will find it just as helpful. Brilliant being able to see that longer lens in the same setting will give you that tiny depth, or take a shorter lens and being able to move closer. This will help your real-world photography right away.
What This Calculator Does
Whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, wildlife or events, depth of field affects how your final image looks.
Use the calculator to:
- Calculate near and far focus limits instantly
- See your total depth of field update live
- View hyperfocal distance for landscape photography
- Compare different apertures and focal lengths
- Experiment with different camera sensor sizes
- Understand how changing one setting affects the others
Everything updates as you move the sliders, making it much easier to understand than reading numbers from a traditional calculator.
How to Use It
Using the calculator only takes a few seconds.
- Choose your camera or sensor profile.
- Enter your focal length.
- Set the distance to your subject.
- Choose your aperture.
- Read the near focus, far focus, total depth of field and hyperfocal distance.
Quick tip
Start with the composition you want. Set your focal length and subject distance first, then adjust the aperture until you’ve got enough of the scene in focus.
Why Depth of Field Matters
Depth of field is simply the area of a photograph that appears acceptably sharp.
A shallow depth of field can isolate a portrait from a busy background, while a deep depth of field helps keep everything sharp from foreground to horizon in landscape photography.
The amount of depth of field depends on several factors working together:
- Aperture
- Focal length
- Subject distance
- Sensor size
This visualiser lets you see how those settings interact without needing to memorise formulas.
Features
Camera Profiles
Choose from camera presets or sensor formats. The calculator automatically uses the appropriate Circle of Confusion values for realistic results.
Wide Input Range
Suitable for almost everything from ultra-wide landscapes through to long telephoto wildlife photography.
- 8 mm to 1200 mm focal length
- 0.1 m to 500 m subject distance
- f/0.95 to f/64
Easy-to-Read Results
Distances are displayed in metres or centimetres where appropriate, making the numbers easier to understand at a glance.
Hyperfocal Support
The calculator automatically handles infinity focus and always displays the hyperfocal distance for your chosen settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Circle of Confusion (CoC)?
Circle of Confusion is the amount of blur that’s still considered acceptably sharp for a particular sensor size. It’s one of the values used when calculating depth of field.
What is Hyperfocal Distance?
Hyperfocal distance is the point where you can focus to maximise the amount of the scene that’s sharp. Focus there, and everything from roughly halfway to that distance through to infinity will appear in focus.
Why does focal length affect depth of field?
Longer focal lengths generally produce a shallower depth of field, especially when photographing subjects at similar distances.
Why does moving closer change everything?
The closer you focus, the shallower your depth of field becomes. Even small movements towards your subject can have a noticeable effect, particularly with fast lenses.
Who Is This Tool For?
This calculator is useful for photographers of all experience levels, including:
- Portrait photographers
- Landscape photographers
- Wildlife photographers
- Sports photographers
- Wedding and event photographers
- Videographers
- Photography students and beginners wanting to understand depth of field
Plan Your Shot Before You Shoot
Depth of field doesn’t need to be guesswork.
Spend a few seconds experimenting with the settings and you’ll have a much better idea of what your final image will look like before you even raise the camera.