Optics calculator
Depth of field calculator
How much of the scene is sharp, in front of and behind your subject. Choose your camera and lens, or enter any focal length.
Acceptably sharp from
1.724 m to 11.562 m
Canon EOS R50 · 18 mm · f/4.5 · 3 m
- Total depth
- 9.838 m
- In front of the subject
- 1.276 m
- Behind the subject
- 8.562 m
- Hyperfocal distance
- 4.045 m
Every aperture at this distance, with its hyperfocal distance
| Aperture | Near | Far | Depth | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f/4.5 | 1.724 m | 11.562 m | 9.838 m | 4.045 m |
| f/5 | 1.646 m | 16.93 m | 15.285 m | 3.642 m |
| f/5.6 | 1.561 m | 38.236 m | 36.675 m | 3.254 m |
| f/6.3 | 1.473 m | Infinity | Infinity | 2.894 m |
| f/7.1 | 1.384 m | Infinity | Infinity | 2.57 m |
| f/8 | 1.295 m | Infinity | Infinity | 2.283 m |
| f/9 | 1.209 m | Infinity | Infinity | 2.031 m |
| f/10 | 1.134 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.83 m |
| f/11 | 1.068 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.665 m |
| f/13 | 0.956 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.412 m |
| f/14 | 0.908 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.312 m |
| f/16 | 0.826 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.151 m |
| f/18 | 0.757 m | Infinity | Infinity | 1.025 m |
| f/20 | 0.699 m | Infinity | Infinity | 0.924 m |
| f/22 | 0.649 m | Infinity | Infinity | 0.842 m |
Circle of confusion: 0.018 mm (sensor diagonal / 1500).
How the numbers are worked out
These are geometric estimates from the thin-lens model, not a sharpness test. They leave out focus breathing, distortion and close-up magnification; distance is measured from the sensor.
Depth of field depends on the circle of confusion: the blur diameter on the sensor you accept as sharp. Equivalent focal length compares framing with full frame; equivalent aperture compares depth of field at the same framing and distance, and never changes exposure.
Where the inputs come from
Sensor sizes and crop factors are each camera maker's. Focal ranges, the widest apertures at the ends of a zoom and closest focus distances are each lens maker's, checked 2026-10-09. A zoom's widest aperture between its ends is not published, so it is not checked there.
Questions
What is the hyperfocal distance?
Focus at the hyperfocal distance and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp. It shortens as you stop down or use a wider lens; the table under the result lists it for every aperture.
Does a smaller sensor give more depth of field?
At the same framing and the same f-number, yes: an APS-C camera needs a shorter lens for the same view, and a shorter lens gives more depth of field. The equivalent aperture on the crop-factor page puts a number on it.
Why does my result differ from another calculator?
Mostly the circle of confusion: the blur you accept as sharp. We use the sensor diagonal divided by 1500 by default; some calculators use 1000 or a fixed 0.02 mm. Change it under Sharpness convention.
Is depth of field the same in front of and behind the subject?
No. More of the sharp zone lies behind the subject than in front, and the share behind grows as you focus farther away.