Optics Calculators

Understanding optical principles helps photographers make better technical decisions in the field. The hyperfocal distance is the focus distance that maximises depth of field for a given focal length and aperture, placing everything from half that distance to infinity in acceptable focus.

The hyperfocal cheat sheet generator produces a printable reference table of hyperfocal distances across your most-used apertures and focal lengths. Having this information to hand in the field means sharper landscape images without guesswork.

The circle of confusion (CoC) is the key parameter underlying depth of field calculations. It defines the maximum acceptable blur spot size for a given sensor format. Smaller sensors require smaller CoC values, which is why crop-sensor cameras appear to have greater depth of field at equivalent field-of-view settings.