Hyperfocal Distance Calculator
Find the hyperfocal distance for your lens and aperture, plus the near limit when you focus there, for landscapes that stay sharp from foreground to horizon.
Focus your lens at the hyperfocal distance and everything from the near limit (half that distance) all the way to infinity comes out acceptably sharp — the classic landscape trick.
How it works
The hyperfocal distance is the closest point you can focus on while keeping everything out to infinity acceptably sharp. Focus there and you squeeze the maximum possible depth of field out of your lens and aperture.
The formula is the focal length squared, divided by the aperture times the circle of confusion, plus the focal length. Shorter lenses and smaller apertures pull the hyperfocal distance in closer, which is why wide-angle landscape lenses are so forgiving.
Once you focus at that distance, the sharp zone starts at exactly half of it. That near limit is the second number here, so you know how close your foreground can be and still look crisp.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I actually focus for a landscape?
Set focus at the hyperfocal distance the tool gives you. Everything from half that distance out to the horizon will be sharp, which usually covers foreground rocks through to distant mountains.
Why is the near limit exactly half?
It falls out of the optics: when you focus at the hyperfocal distance, the geometry places the closest sharp point at precisely half that distance, every time.
Should I stop down as far as possible?
Smaller apertures pull the hyperfocal distance closer, but past roughly f/11 to f/16 diffraction starts softening the whole image, so there's a sweet spot rather than smaller is always better.