Mastering Depth of Field

An interactive guide to calculating hyperfocal distance for maximum sharpness in your photography.

Aperture vs. Hyperfocal Distance

This chart illustrates how stopping down your aperture (choosing a higher f-number) dramatically decreases the hyperfocal distance for your selected focal length of 35mm.

What is Hyperfocal Distance?

In photography, the hyperfocal distance is the closest focusing distance at which a lens can be set to keep objects from a certain point (called the near limit) to infinity in acceptably sharp focus. When you focus on the hyperfocal point, your depth of field—the zone of sharpness—will extend from half of that distance all the way to infinity. This technique is invaluable for landscape, architectural, and street photographers who want to achieve maximum sharpness throughout an entire scene.