Select a Specific Topic or Scroll Down to View Definition of Hyperfocal Distance Knowing the hyperfocal distance is beneficial for many photographic situations. To provide this information, Explore Photography has developed a Hyperfocal Distance Chart. The Hyperfocal Distance Chart lists the hyperfocal distance for each combination of lens focal length and aperture setting. The lens focal lengths listed are: 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 80mm, 90mm, 105mm, and 120mm. Hyperfocal distances for lenses with shorter or longer focal lengths are generally too extreme for the information to be very beneficial. The aperture settings listed are: f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, and f/32. There are two sides to the chart. One side displays distances in feet and inches (for example: 3' 10"), the other side displays distances in meters (for example: 1.18 meters). This information is presented in a clear, easy-to-read format. Each card is laminated to increase its durability and is conveniently sized. The Hyperfocal Distance Chart measures approximately 4" x 5.75" (10 cm x 15 cm). For those of you technically inclined and/or curious, the Circle of Confusion used to determine the level of acceptable focus is 0.03 millimeters (mm). This is a commonly used level of measurement that is considered sufficient for prints up to at least 8" x 10" (approximately 20 x 25 centimeters (cm)), and provides a benchmark for higher standards if necessary. Also, precise aperture settings were used in the calculations (example: f/11.31), not the commonly used rounded settings (example: f/11). The format of the Hyperfocal Distance Chart, with examples, is shown below. Of course, the actual chart contains distances for all combinations.
As you can see, the hyperfocal distance for a 35mm lens set to the f/11 aperture is 11' 10" (or 3.61 meters). When the focus is set to the hyperfocal distance, all objects from one half that distance (5' 11" (or 1.8 meters)) through infinity will be in focus. If you need a shorter hyperfocal distance, you must use either a smaller aperture or a wider angle lens. In the examples above, note how using a different aperture setting or lens focal length affects the hyperfocal distance. To order your card(s), please refer to the Explore Photography Ordering Instructions. Definition of Hyperfocal Distance As mentioned in the Depth-of-Field Charts section, when taking a photograph, only one thin plane of your subject matter will be in perfect focus. The further away an object is from this plane, the less sharp it will be. However, since this loss of sharpness is relatively gradual, there is a distance range in front of and behind the focus plane that will still appear sharp, or in focus. This area is referred to as the depth-of-field range. Objects inside this range are considered to be in acceptable focus. Objects outside of this range are not considered to be in acceptable focus and will therefore not appear sharp in the photograph. The hyperfocal distance is meaningful in two ways. One is that when the focus distance on the lens is set to infinity, all objects from the hyperfocal distance through infinity will be in focus. Second, when the focus distance on the lens is set to the hyperfocal distance, all objects from one half that distance through infinity will be in acceptable focus. For example, if the hyperfocal distance is 20 feet, and the lens is focused at 20 feet, objects from 10 feet through infinity will appear sharp. If the focus is set beyond the hyperfocal distance, objects at infinity will still be in focus, but the minimum distance for the depth-of-field range will increase, or move further from the lens. If the focus is set to less than the hyperfocal distance, the minimum distance for the depth-of-field range will decrease, or move closer to the lens, but the maximum limit for the depth-of-field range will also decrease, so distant objects near infinity would no longer appear in focus. Therefore, the hyperfocal distance is the optimal distance to set the focus when maximizing depth-of-field. Setting the focus distance to infinity usually reduces the depth-of-field unnecessarily. As also mentioned in the Depth-of-Field Charts section, acceptable focus is not a definitive unit of measurement. To understand why, one needs to know that when taking a photograph, many small beams of light pass through the lens. When reaching the film, each of these beams may be thought of as a circle. The smaller this circle is when it reaches the film plane, the more focused the light is considered to be. This circle is often referred to as the Circle of Confusion. At a certain point, this circle is small enough to be considered in acceptable focus. One commonly used level of measurement defines that a level of acceptable focus occurs with a Circle of Confusion diameter of 0.03 millimeters (mm). This is normally considered sufficient for prints up to 8" x 10" (approximately 20 x 25 centimeters (cm)). However, if you have exceedingly high expectations or if you wish to make extra large prints then you may have a slightly higher standard. If so, the common level of measurement still provides a benchmark to work with. Hyperfocal distance is influenced by two things:
Determining the hyperfocal distance for each combination of these two factors is difficult. In the distant past, when single focal length lenses and manual cameras were common, most lenses had scale markings on them that one could use to determine the hyperfocal distance. These have disappeared from most single focal length lenses today. In addition, it is impossible to include these scale markings on zoom lenses due to their variable focal length.
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