By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Depth of field is the range of distances that looks acceptably sharp around your focus point. It grows with smaller apertures, wider lenses and farther focus distances, which is why a phone camera keeps almost everything sharp.
Near and far sharp limits for a focus distance.
H = f² / (N c) + f D_near = H s / (H + s − f) D_far = H s / (H − s + f)
H is the hyperfocal distance, s the focus distance, f the focal length, N the f-number and c the circle of confusion. All lengths must share a unit.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| H | Hyperfocal distance. |
| s | Distance at which the lens is focused. |
| D_near, D_far | Near and far limits of acceptable sharpness. |
With H = 10.47 m, the near limit is 2.34 m and the far limit 4.18 m. Focusing closer than about 5.2 m gives a finite far limit; beyond that it reaches infinity.
Continue with the Diffraction Grating Calculator, Double Slit Interference Calculator, or the Field of View Calculator — or browse more optics and light tools and all physics calculators.
A smaller aperture narrows the cone of light reaching the sensor, so the blur circle grows more slowly with defocus. The trade-off is less light and more diffraction.
Results are computed from the standard equations of classical mechanics. Unit conversions use the SI definitions published by NIST. Air resistance is ignored unless the calculator names a drag model.
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Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026