Depth of Field Calculator
Calculate depth of field for any lens settings
Lens Settings
f/
Camera Sensor
Sensor Size:
36 x 24 mm
Crop Factor:
1x
35mm Equivalent Focal Length:
50mm
Tips for Shallow DOF (Bokeh)
- 1Use a wide aperture (small f-number like f/1.4 or f/2.8)
- 2Use a longer focal length (85mm or longer)
- 3Get closer to your subject
- 4Increase distance between subject and background
- 5Use a full frame camera for larger sensor
Tips for Deep DOF (Landscapes)
- 1Use a narrow aperture (f/8 to f/16)
- 2Use a shorter focal length (wide-angle lens)
- 3Focus at the hyperfocal distance for maximum sharpness
- 4Stand further from your subject
- 5Avoid apertures beyond f/16 to prevent diffraction softening
About Depth of Field
Depth of Field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. Understanding DOF is essential for creative photography.
Key Terms:
- Hyperfocal Distance: The focus distance that gives maximum DOF. When focused here, everything from half this distance to infinity will be sharp.
- Circle of Confusion (CoC): The largest blur spot that still appears as a point. Determined by sensor size and viewing conditions.
- Bokeh: The aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas, often seen as smooth circular highlights.
Factors Affecting DOF:
- Aperture: Wider apertures (f/1.4) = shallower DOF, narrower apertures (f/16) = deeper DOF
- Focal Length: Longer lenses appear to have shallower DOF at the same framing
- Focus Distance: Closer subjects have shallower DOF
- Sensor Size: Larger sensors require wider apertures for same framing, resulting in shallower DOF