About Modern DOF Calculator

Modern DOF Calculator is a free depth of field calculator with a set of guides that explain the numbers. Enter your camera, lens, aperture and distance, and it shows the near and far limits of sharpness, the hyperfocal distance and a visual diagram. The guides cover 26 topics, from the basics of depth of field to focus stacking, astrophotography and video, and the hyperfocal chart gives a printable reference.

Who makes it

The site is made and maintained by Ivan Corax, who also builds two other free photography tools: Sports Photo Settings, for camera settings by sport, and Subject Distance Calculator, for working out how far away a subject was. Ivan is on Instagram as @ivancorax.

How the numbers are worked out

The calculator uses the standard thin-lens depth of field formulas with the conventional circle of confusion, the sensor diagonal divided by 1500, which is 0.029 mm on full frame. The guides use the same standard, and the calculator is tested against the worked examples in the guides so that the two agree. When a guide uses a different standard, for example a pixel-level one, it says so.

The results are calculations, not measurements, and they depend on the sharpness standard you choose. Treat them as starting points and check a test frame, especially in close-up work. Optical figures and camera specifications are taken from published sources, and a figure that turns out to be wrong is corrected, with the date on the guide updated when that happens.

Cost

Everything here is free. There are no ads, no accounts and no sign-up. If the site has saved you time, you can leave an optional tip through Ko-fi.

Corrections and feedback

If you find a mistake or have a question about a number, the contact page explains how to send it. The privacy policy is on the privacy page.