Select your camera and focal length to see hyperfocal distances across all standard apertures — with near focus limits, sweet spot highlighting, and a print-ready layout.
Inputs
Full Frame · 24 mm · CoC 0.030 mm · Units: m
Full Frame · 24 mm
CoC 0.030 mm
| Aperture | Hyperfocal | Near Limit (H/2) | Far Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/1.4 | 13.7 m | 6.87 m | ∞ |
| f/2 | 9.62 m | 4.81 m | ∞ |
| f/2.8 | 6.88 m | 3.44 m | ∞ |
| f/4 | 4.82 m | 2.41 m | ∞ |
| f/5.6 | 3.45 m | 1.73 m | ∞ |
| f/8 | 2.42 m | 1.21 m | ∞ |
| f/11 | 1.77 m | 0.88 m | ∞ |
| f/16 | 1.22 m | 0.61 m | ∞ |
| f/22 | 0.90 m | 0.45 m | ∞ |
H = f² / (N × c) + f · Near = H / 2 · Far = ∞ when focused at H
Hyperfocal distance is the focus point that gives you the deepest possible depth of field for a given lens and aperture combination. When you focus exactly at the hyperfocal distance, depth of field extends from half that distance all the way to infinity — so you get both a sharp foreground and a sharp horizon simultaneously without focus stacking.
The formula is H = f² / (N × c) + f, where f is focal length, N is the f-number, and c is the circle of confusion for your sensor. A wider aperture (larger N) or longer focal length increases the hyperfocal distance. Wide-angle lenses make hyperfocal shooting practical — a 16 mm lens has a much shorter hyperfocal distance than a 50 mm lens at the same aperture.
In practice: For a full-frame camera at 24 mm and f/8, the hyperfocal distance is roughly 6.4 m. Focus there, and everything from 3.2 m to infinity appears acceptably sharp — a typical landscape shooting scenario covered with a single exposure.
The circle of confusion (CoC) is the largest blur spot that still looks acceptably sharp at a standard viewing size and distance. Different sensors use different CoC values because larger sensors capture more area and are typically printed or viewed at larger sizes.
| Sensor | Crop Factor | CoC (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Medium Format (Fuji GFX) | 0.79× | 0.043 |
| Full Frame (35mm) | 1.0× | 0.030 |
| APS-C (Nikon / Sony / Fuji) | 1.5× | 0.020 |
| APS-C (Canon) | 1.6× | 0.018 |
| Micro Four Thirds | 2.0× | 0.015 |
| 1-inch | 2.7× | 0.011 |
Use manual focus or focus-and-reframe. Autofocus usually hunts for the nearest object or the centre of the frame. Manually set focus to the hyperfocal distance using the distance scale on your lens barrel, or focus on an object at that distance and reframe.
Start at f/8 or f/11. The sweet-spot apertures deliver sharp depth of field without diffraction softening the overall image. Stop down further only if your near limit needs to be closer than f/11 allows.
Wide lenses work best. The wider the focal length, the shorter the hyperfocal distance — and the closer your near limit. A 16 mm lens at f/8 on full frame has a near limit around 1 m, making it trivial to get a sharp foreground rock and a distant mountain in the same frame.
Print and laminate the table for your lens kit. Hit the Print / Save button above to get a clean, black-and-white version. A wallet card for your most-used focal lengths saves you reaching for your phone mid-shoot.
Hyperfocal distance is the closest point you can focus at while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp. When focused here, depth of field extends from half the hyperfocal distance to infinity — the maximum depth of field achievable at that aperture and focal length.
Smaller sensors use a smaller circle of confusion (CoC) value. Because CoC appears in the denominator of the hyperfocal formula, a smaller CoC actually produces a longer hyperfocal distance for the same physical focal length and aperture. However, smaller sensors are typically paired with shorter focal lengths to achieve the same field of view — and that shorter focal length is what brings the hyperfocal distance closer. The "more depth of field" reputation of crop sensors comes from using shorter lenses, not from the CoC change directly.
Not always. If your nearest subject is closer than the near limit (H/2), the foreground will be out of focus even at hyperfocal distance. In that case you may need to focus stack — take one shot focused on the foreground and another focused at infinity, then blend in post. Use the Depth of Field Calculator to check exact near and far limits before committing.
Most lenses perform at their sharpest between f/8 and f/11. Below f/8, optical aberrations (coma, vignetting) can reduce corner sharpness. Above f/11, diffraction starts softening the entire frame noticeably — particularly on high-megapixel cameras. The green rows highlight f/8 and f/11 as the best starting point for landscape shooting in most conditions.
The hyperfocal table shows one specific scenario: what if you want the maximum depth of field? The Depth of Field Calculator is the right tool when you have a specific subject at a specific distance and want to know exactly what is and isn't sharp. Use both together: the hyperfocal table to pre-plan your focus point, and the DoF calculator to fine-tune for a particular shot.
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