By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Focus at the hyperfocal distance and everything from half that distance to infinity appears acceptably sharp. It is the standard trick for landscape photography, where you want the foreground and the horizon in focus at once.
Focus distance that maximises depth of field.
H = f² / (N c) + f
H is hyperfocal distance, f the focal length, N the f-number and c the circle of confusion. All lengths must be in the same unit.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| H | Hyperfocal distance from the lens. |
| f | Focal length of the lens. |
| N | f-number of the aperture. |
| c | Circle of confusion, the sharpness criterion. |
H = 50² / (8 × 0.03) + 50 = 10,467 mm, about 10.5 m. Focusing there keeps objects from roughly 5.2 m to infinity acceptably sharp.
Continue with the Illuminance Calculator, Law of Reflection Calculator, or the Combined Lens Power Calculator — or browse more optics and light tools and all physics calculators.
The depth of field extends from H/2 to infinity when focused at H. The near half is the useful part; beyond H everything is already sharp.
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