What is hyperfocal distance?

The hyperfocal distance is the closest focus point at which a lens keeps everything from half that distance to infinity acceptably sharp. Focus there and you get the maximum possible depth of field for your chosen focal length and aperture combination — making it the standard technique for landscapes, architecture, and street photography.

What is the exact formula used?

The calculator uses the exact form H = f squared divided by (N times c) plus f, where f is focal length in mm, N is the f-number, and c is the circle of confusion in mm. The simpler approximation H = f squared / (N times c) is accurate only when H is much larger than f; this tool always adds the trailing f term for correctness. The near limit when focused at H is exactly H divided by 2 (derived from the standard near-limit formula Dn = H·d/(H+d) evaluated at d = H).

What is the circle of confusion and how do I choose it?

The circle of confusion (CoC) is the diameter of the largest blur spot that still appears sharp at a normal print or display size. It depends on sensor size and print/viewing conditions. Standard values are 0.030 mm for full-frame 35 mm, 0.019–0.020 mm for APS-C Nikon/Sony, 0.019 mm for APS-C Canon, 0.015 mm for Micro Four Thirds, 0.011 mm for 1-inch sensors, and 0.050 mm for medium-format 645. Use the preset list or type your own value.

Why does a wider focal length produce a shorter hyperfocal distance?

Hyperfocal distance scales with the square of the focal length divided by the f-number and CoC. A 24 mm lens has a focal-length-squared of 576 mm squared, while a 50 mm lens has 2500 mm squared — more than four times larger. This means wide-angle lenses reach the hyperfocal point much closer to the camera, which is why ultra-wide lenses at small apertures can appear acceptably sharp from less than a metre to infinity.

What does the near-limit figure mean in practice?

When you focus your lens at the hyperfocal distance, the near limit is the closest subject distance that will still appear acceptably sharp. The far limit is infinity. Everything between the near limit and infinity is within the depth of field. For a 50 mm full-frame lens at f/11, the hyperfocal distance is about 7.6 m and the near limit is about 3.8 m — so subjects closer than 3.8 m will look soft even though infinity is sharp.

Can I use this to reverse-engineer a lens or aperture setting?

Yes. Use the Solve for dropdown to switch the unknown. To find what aperture you need to push the hyperfocal distance to a specific value (e.g. you want everything sharp from 5 m to infinity), enter 5 m as H, your focal length and CoC, and the calculator solves N = f squared divided by (c times (H minus f)). Similarly you can solve for focal length or CoC from a target hyperfocal distance.

Is any data uploaded or stored?

No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is ever sent to a server. There are no cookies, no analytics on your inputs, and no account required.

Hyperfocal Distance Calculator

The hyperfocal distance is the single most useful number in landscape photography: focus your lens there and you achieve the deepest possible sharpness — everything from roughly half that distance all the way out to infinity falls within the acceptable circle of confusion. This calculator solves the full formula for any of the four variables, and shows a complete depth-of-field table so you can see exactly how sharpness evolves at every focus distance.

The physics behind the formula

When a camera focuses at a finite distance, the image of every other distance forms a blur disc on the sensor rather than a perfect point. Sharpness is a matter of degree: a blur disc smaller than the circle of confusion (CoC) threshold looks sharp in the final print. The CoC threshold depends on sensor size and the intended output size; manufacturers conventionally use the sensor diagonal divided by 1500, giving approximately 0.030 mm for full-frame, 0.019–0.020 mm for APS-C and 0.015 mm for Micro Four Thirds.

The exact hyperfocal formula is:

H = f² / (N · c) + f

where f is focal length in mm, N is the f-number and c is the CoC in mm. The trailing + f term is often dropped in simplified tables but matters for longer focal lengths. When the lens is focused at H, the near limit of acceptable sharpness is:

Dn = H / 2

The near limit when focused exactly at H is always H/2 (from the standard DoF formula Dn = H · d / (H + d) evaluated at focus distance d = H). The far limit is infinity by definition. This calculator always applies the exact forms.

Worked example

50 mm lens on full-frame (c = 0.030 mm) at f/11:

f² = 50² = 2500 mm²
N · c = 11 × 0.030 = 0.330 mm
f² / (N·c) = 2500 / 0.330 = 7,576 mm
H = 7,576 + 50 = 7,626 mm = 7.63 m
Near limit = H / 2 = 7,626 / 2 = 3,813 mm = 3.81 m

So focus the 50 mm at 7.63 m and everything from 3.81 m to infinity is acceptably sharp. Compare: at f/8 the hyperfocal stretches to 10.5 m; at f/16 it shortens to 5.24 m.

Focal length	f-number	Sensor	Hyperfocal	Near limit
24 mm	f/8	Full-frame	2.43 m	1.22 m
35 mm	f/8	Full-frame	5.15 m	2.57 m
50 mm	f/11	Full-frame	7.63 m	3.81 m
24 mm	f/8	APS-C	3.79 m	1.89 m
12 mm	f/8	MFT	1.21 m	0.60 m

Solve-for-any-variable mode

Switch the Solve for dropdown to rearrange the formula for any of the four variables:

Focal length: given a target H, aperture and CoC, solves the quadratic f² + N·c·f − N·c·H = 0
Aperture: given H, f and c, returns N = f² / (c · (H − f))
Circle of confusion: given H, f and N, returns c = f² / (N · (H − f))

This is useful for shot planning — for example, if you want everything sharp from 3 m to infinity with a 35 mm lens on full-frame, enter H = 6 m (twice the near limit), f = 35, c = 0.030 and solve for the required aperture.

All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no data ever leaves your device.