Photography
Hyperfocal Distance Calculator
Enter focal length, aperture and circle of confusion to see hyperfocal distance.
What is hyperfocal distance?
Hyperfocal distance is the nearest focus distance where depth of field still reaches infinity for a given lens, aperture and circle of confusion. Focus there and acceptable sharpness typically runs from about half that distance to infinity — a classic landscape technique for keeping foreground and distant detail usable in one frame. Enter focal length in millimetres, the f-number you will shoot at, and a circle of confusion (often around 0.02–0.03 mm for full-frame viewing assumptions, smaller for stricter criteria or larger prints). The calculator uses H ≈ f² / (N × c) + f and reports H in metres plus a rough near-sharp estimate of H/2. It does not replace live view focus peaking or diffraction awareness at very small apertures. Pair with the crop factor tool if you are translating focal lengths between sensor sizes.
Worked example
A 24 mm lens at f/8 with c = 0.02 mm gives H ≈ (24²)/(8×0.02)+24 ≈ 3.624 m. Focus near 3.6 m; near sharpness is roughly 1.8 m to infinity.
Limits and assumptions
Geometric thin-lens model only. Diffraction, focus shift, and subject distance marking accuracy are not included.
Frequently asked questions
What circle of confusion should I use?
Common starting points are about 0.02–0.03 mm for full-frame viewing. Stricter CoC values push hyperfocal farther out.
Does crop sensor change the formula?
Use the actual focal length on the lens. CoC is often scaled for sensor/print expectations — that is a separate choice from crop factor FoV.
Why focus at H not infinity?
Focusing at infinity wastes near depth of field. Hyperfocal aims to use the far end of the DoF cone more efficiently.
Is H/2 exact?
It is a useful rule of thumb from the same model — treat it as approximate in the field.