π Depth of Field Table Generator
Printable DoF tables for your exact camera and lens combination.
Hyperfocal distance at the widest selected aperture
How to Use This Generator
Depth of field tables used to ship in every lens manual; this generator rebuilds them for your exact camera and lens. Enter your focal length, sensor size, an aperture range, and a focus distance range, and you get a full grid of near limits, far limits, and total depth of field, plus the hyperfocal distance. Print it, laminate it, and you never need a DoF app in the field again.
Enter the Focal Length in mm and pick your sensor size, which sets the standard Circle of Confusion: 0.030 mm for full frame, 0.020 for APS-C, 0.015 for Micro Four Thirds.
Set the Aperture From and To values. The generator builds columns for full-stop apertures across that range, so 2.8 to 11 gives you 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, and 11.
Set the Focus From and To distances in meters. The generator builds rows across that range on a roughly logarithmic spread, denser at close distances where depth of field changes fastest.
Read the hyperfocal result at the top, scan the table for your shooting scenario, and hit Print for a clean field reference card.
The Formulas
Everything flows from the hyperfocal distance H, which depends on the square of the focal length divided by the aperture and the circle of confusion. That squaring is why a 200mm lens at f/8 has dramatically shallower depth of field than a 24mm at the same aperture. The near and far limits then follow from where you focus relative to H: focus closer than H and both limits are finite; focus at or beyond H and the far limit runs to infinity.
One subtlety the formulas reveal: depth of field is not symmetric. About one third lies in front of the focus point and two thirds behind it, which is why focusing a third of the way into a scene is such a reliable landscape technique. The table makes this visible: compare the near and far columns at any row and you will see the far side stretching much farther.
Worked Example
35mm lens, full frame (c = 0.030 mm), aperture f/8. Hyperfocal H = 35^2 / (8 x 0.030) + 35 = 1225 / 0.24 + 35 = 5139 mm, about 5.14 m. Focus at 5.14 m and everything from 2.57 m to infinity is acceptably sharp.
Focus the same lens at 2 m instead. Near = 2000 x (5139 - 35) / (5139 + 2000 - 70) = 2000 x 5104 / 7069 = 1444 mm, or 1.44 m. Far = 2000 x 5104 / (5139 - 2000) = 10,208,000 / 3139 = 3252 mm, or 3.25 m. Total depth of field: 1.81 m, with 0.56 m in front and 1.25 m behind the focus point. That 1:2-ish split is the asymmetry in action.
Practical Tips
For landscapes, do not blindly focus at infinity. Focus at the hyperfocal distance (or use the double-the-distance method: focus twice as far as your nearest important foreground) to pull the near limit as close as possible while keeping infinity sharp. The table shows you exactly where that point is for your lens.
For portraits, use the table in reverse: pick the depth of field you want (say 0.5 m to keep both eyes and ears sharp), find your focus distance row, and read across to the aperture that delivers it. This beats guessing and chimping, especially with fast primes where the difference between f/1.8 and f/2.8 is the difference between one eye and two in focus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hyperfocal distance?
The hyperfocal distance is the closest focus distance that keeps everything from half that distance to infinity acceptably sharp. Focus a 24mm f/8 lens at its hyperfocal distance of about 2.4 meters (full frame) and everything from 1.2 meters to infinity is in focus. Landscape photographers use it constantly.
What circle of confusion value should I enter?
Use 0.030 mm for full frame, 0.020 mm for APS-C, and 0.015 mm for Micro Four Thirds. These are the standard values for 8x10 prints viewed at normal distance. If you print large or pixel-peep, use a smaller value for a stricter, more conservative table.
Why does the far limit sometimes say infinity?
When you focus at or beyond the hyperfocal distance, the far limit of acceptable sharpness extends to infinity. That is the whole point of hyperfocal focusing. In the table, any focus distance at or beyond hyperfocal shows infinity as the far limit.
How do I print the table for field use?
Generate the table, then use your browser's print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P). The table uses a clean print-friendly layout with no dark backgrounds. Many photographers laminate a small table for their most-used lens and keep it in the camera bag.
Does diffraction affect these tables?
These tables use geometric optics and do not model diffraction softening. In practice, apertures beyond about f/11 on full frame (f/8 on crop sensors) start losing sharpness to diffraction even as depth of field grows. For the sharpest landscapes, most shooters stay between f/8 and f/11.
Why do wider apertures have shallower depth of field?
A wider aperture (smaller f-number) lets light through a larger opening, so out-of-focus points spread into bigger blur circles sooner as you move from the focus plane. The math shows depth of field shrinking roughly in proportion to the f-number: f/2.8 gives about half the depth of field of f/5.6 at the same focus distance.