Best Overall
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II
Sony shooters who want the best all-round 85mm for portraits.
$1,699 - $1,899
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Depth of field · hyperfocal distance
Depth of Field Calculator
Enter sensor, focal length, aperture, and focus distance. Get the near and far limits of acceptable sharpness, the total depth of field, and the hyperfocal distance, with a visual depth bar so the numbers make sense.
Depth of field
How much of the scene is acceptably sharp.
Set the sensor, lens, aperture, and focus distance. The calculator returns the near and far limits of acceptable sharpness, and the hyperfocal distance that puts everything from half that distance to infinity in focus.
Near limit
2.73 m
9.0 ft
Far limit
3.33 m
10.9 ft
Total depth of field
60 cm
2.0 ft
Hyperfocal distance
29.8 m
97.8 ft
Depth bar
The tinted band is the acceptably sharp zone. The dot is your focus point. Everything outside the band goes progressively soft.
camera4.05 m
near 2.73 mfocus 3.00 mfar 3.33 m
Sharp zone split
45% in front · 55% behind
27 cm in front of the subject, 33 cm behind it. The one-third front, two-thirds behind rule is only an approximation; it shifts with distance.
Hyperfocal note
Focus at 29.8 m for sharpness from 14.9 m to infinity
At 50 mm and f/2.8 on full frame, focusing at the hyperfocal distance is the deepest landscape setting this combination can give.
Full frame · 50 mm · f/2.8 · focus 3.00 m · CoC 0.030 mm
Next move
Use the sharp zone before you buy another lens
Depth of field is partly math and partly taste. These next steps help you decide whether the answer is a setting change, a focus change, or a different lens.
LearnUnderstanding depth of fieldRead the plain-language version of what focal length, aperture, and distance are doing.OpenFocusHyperfocal distanceUse the calculator result in landscapes and interiors where near-to-far sharpness matters.OpenBuying pathFind lenses for your workIf the numbers point to a different lens, narrow the catalog by lens type, budget, and shooting goal.Open
Gear path
Lenses for controlling the sharp zone
If the calculator says your current lens cannot give the look you want, compare fast portrait glass and close-focus options before replacing the whole camera.
9.2
Best Value
Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM
Canon RF shooters who want a versatile portrait lens on a budget.
$549 - $649
Skip if: Slower than f/1.4 primes
Product links may earn a commission at no cost to you. Use the calculator first, buy only if the gear solves the actual problem.
How to read it
Step 1
Pick your sensor and lens
Choose the sensor format and set the actual focal length of the lens, not the full-frame equivalent.
Step 2
Set aperture and focus distance
Pick the f-number from the standard third-stop scale and set the distance to your subject in meters.
Step 3
Read the limits
The near and far limits bracket the acceptably sharp zone. The hyperfocal distance is the focus point that keeps everything from half that distance to infinity sharp.
Frequently asked questions
What circle of confusion does this calculator use?
The standard values: 0.030 mm for full frame, 0.020 mm for APS-C (1.5x), 0.019 mm for Canon APS-C (1.6x), and 0.015 mm for Micro Four Thirds. These come from the common sensor-diagonal divided by 1500 convention and match what most lens makers and DoF tables assume.
Why does the far limit say Infinity?
Your focus distance is at or beyond the hyperfocal distance for that lens, aperture, and sensor. Past that point the equations put the far limit at infinity: everything behind the subject stays acceptably sharp.
Is depth of field a hard boundary?
No. Sharpness falls off gradually on both sides of the focus plane. The near and far limits mark where blur exceeds the circle of confusion, a threshold tied to a normal print size and viewing distance. Pixel-peeping a high-resolution file at 100 percent will show softness inside the limits.
Does sensor size itself change depth of field?
Not directly. The equations only use focal length, aperture, focus distance, and the circle of confusion. Smaller sensors get deeper depth of field in practice because you use a shorter focal length for the same framing, and the smaller sensor also uses a smaller circle of confusion.