Hyperfocal Distance Calculator

The far limit of depth of field reaches infinity precisely as the near limit reaches H/2 — it's the unique focus distance where the DoF zone is anchored at infinity while extending closest. Focus nearer and the mountains blur; focus farther and you donate foreground sharpness for far-limit margin you may actually want. The formula: H = f²/(N·c) + f, the same H inside every depth-of-field equation.

You estimate — and fortunately the formula is forgiving in the right direction: focusing slightly BEYOND H costs little (infinity gets sharper, near limit recedes modestly), while focusing short of H blurs infinity fast. Practical methods: focus on an object you judge to be at or past H; use the camera's distance scale or focus-peaking on a mid-ground feature; or magnify live view on the horizon and verify. Many landscape shooters skip the puzzle: focus a third into the scene at f/8–f/11 approximates hyperfocal for wide lenses.

Because 'acceptably sharp' at the far limit means rendering at the circle-of-confusion threshold — fine for an 8×10, visibly soft for a 40-inch print or a 100% screen crop of distant ridgelines. Merklinger's classic objection: the subject that matters in most landscapes IS the distant detail, so focus at infinity and let the foreground take the compromise. The modern synthesis this tool encodes: when foreground matters, focus at ~2×H (sharp infinity, still-generous near zone); when it doesn't, focus on the subject.

The standard c values (0.030 mm full-frame) assume print-viewing conventions, not pixel dimensions — a 24-MP and 61-MP full-frame share the same 'H' by convention. But examined at 100% on screen, the 61-MP file resolves blur the convention ignores: its effective c is nearer 0.015 mm, doubling H. If your output is large prints or pixel-level sharpness, halve the c (double the H) mentally — or simply use the 2×H output, which absorbs most of the discrepancy automatically.