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Universal Depth Of Field Tables

The universal depth of field tables permit you to figure out your depth of field for virtually any lens at any distance, from three feet to 400 feet. Although most lenses have depth-of-field scales marked on the mounts, they are not really precise enough.

To use this table, first determine the hyperfocal distance for the lens you are using from Table 1 (the green Table). The hyperfocal distance is the zone of sharpness when your lens is set for infinity (). It extends from infinity towards your camera. the shorter the focal length and the smaller your lens aperture (f/number), the greater the hyperfocal distance. This is indicated by the zone of sharpness moving closer to your camera.

Then take the nearest value of the hyperfocal distance and check the depth of field using Table 2 (the red Table) to find your zone of sharpness at the distance setting of your lens.

For example, if you are using a standard 50 mm (2-inch) lens on your 35 mm camera and the f/stop is 11, your hyperfocal distance is 15¼ (feet). On the depth of field chart, the nearest value is 15. If your camera is focused for 10 feet, your depth of field will extend from 6-0 (6 feet 0 inches) to 30 feet. If your camera is focused for 20 feet, your depth of field will extend from 8-7 (8 feet 7 inches) to infinity ().

To convert measurements from feet and/or inches to metres, just multiply the amount of feet by 0.3048 and inches by 0.0254. So 8 feet 7 inches are (8 * 0.3048)+(7 * 0.0254) = 2.616 metres.

Table 1: Approximate Hyperfocal Distances (Feet and Inches)
Focal Length of Lens
Hyperfocal Distance at Aperture f
in
mm
1.5
2
2.2
2.8
3.5
4
4.5
5.6
6.3
8
9
11
12.5
16
18
22
25
32
1 25.0

55½

42 38 30 24 21 18½ 15 13¼ 10½ 9-3 7-7 6-8 5-3 4-7 3-9 3-4 2-7
37.5 83½ 62½ 57 44½ 36 31 28 22 20 15½ 14 11½ 10 7-9 7-0 5-9 5-0 3-10
2 50.0 111 83½ 76 59½ 47½ 42 37 30 26½ 21 18½ 15¼ 13¼ 10½ 9-3 7-7 6-8 5-3
62.5 139 104 95 74½ 59½ 52 46½ 37 33 26 23 19 16¾ 13 11¾ 9-6 8-5 6-6
3 75.0 167 125 113 89½ 71½ 62½ 55½ 44½ 40 31 28 23 20 15½ 13¼ 11½ 10 7-9
90.0 195 146 133 104 83½ 73 65 52 46 36½ 32½ 26½ 23 18¼ 16¼ 13¼ 11¾ 9-2
4 100.0 222 167 151 119 95 83½ 74 59½ 53 41½ 37 30½ 27 21 18½ 15¼ 13¼ 10½
112.0 250 187 170 134 107 94 83½ 67 59½ 47 42 34 30 23½ 21 17 15 11½
5 125.0 278 208 189 149 119 104 92½ 74½ 66 52½ 46 38 33½ 26 23 19 16¾ 13
137.0 - 230 208 164 131 114 102 82 73 57½ 51 41½ 37 29 25½ 21 18½ 14¼
6 160.0 - 250 227 179 143 125 111 89 79 62½ 55½ 45½ 40 31 28 23 20 15¾
7 175.0 - 290 265 208 167 146 130 104 92½ 73 65 53 46½ 36½ 32½ 26½ 23 18¼
8 200.0 - 333 305 238 190 167 148 119 106 83 74 61 53½ 41½ 37 30½ 27 21
10 250.0 - - 380 298 238 208 185 149 132 104 92 76 67 52 46½ 38 33½ 26
12 300.0 - - 455 357 285 250 222 179 159 125 111 91 80 62½ 55½ 45½ 40 31
Standard of sharpness: circle of confusion = 1/1000 of the focal length. For a circle of confusion 1/1500 of the focal length or for a 1½ x long focus or telephoto lens used with the same camera multiply the hyperfocal distance by 1½; for 1/2000 of the focal length or a 2 x long focus or telephoto lens multiply by 2 and so on.

 

Table 2: Approximate Depths of Field (Feet and Inches)
Hyperfocal
Distance
(Feet)
Depth of field at a Distance Setting of
2 ft. (0.6 m)
3 ft. (0.9 m)
4 ft. (1.2 m)
5 ft (1.5 m)
6 ft. (1.8 m)
8 ft (2.4 m)
10 ft. (3 m)
12 ft. (3.6 m)
1-2½ to 6-0 1-6 to 1-8½ to 1-10½ to 2-0 to 2-2¼ to 2-3½ to 2-5 to
1-4 to 4-0 1-8½ to 12 2-0 to 2-2 3/4 to 2-5 to 2-8 to 2-10 to 3-0 to
1-6 to 3-0 2-0 to 9-0 2-5 to 12 2-9 to 30 3-0 to 3-5 to 3-9 to 4-0 to
1-7¼ to 3-8 2-2¼ to 4-10 2-8 to 8-0 3-1 to 13¼ 3-5 to 24 4-0 to 4-5 to 4-9 to
12 
1-8½ to 2-4¾ 2-5 to 4-0 3-0 to 6-0 3-6 to 8-6 4-0 to 12 4-10 to 24 5-5 to 60 6-0 to
15 
1-9 to 2-3½ 2-6 to 3-9 3-2 to 5-5 3-9 to 7-6 4-3½ to 10 5-3 to 17¼ 6-0 to 30 6-8 to 60
20 
1-9¾ to 2-2½ 2-7 to 3-6½ 3-4 to 5-0 4-0 to 6-8 4-7½ to 9-4 5-9 to 13½ 6-8 to 20 7-6 to 30
25 
1-10¼ to 2-2 2-8 to 3-5 3-5½ to 4-9 4-2 to 6-3 4-10 to 7-11 6-1 to 11¾ 7-2 to 16¾ 8-1 to 23
40 
1-11 to 2-1¼ 2-9½ to 3-3 3-7½ to 4-5½ 4-5½ to 5-9 5-2 to 7-1 6-8 to 10 8-0 to 13¼ 9-3 to 17¼
50 
1-11¼ to 2-1 2-10 to 3-2½ 3-8½ to 4-4 4-6½ to 5-6 5-4 to 6-10 6-11 to 9-6 8-4 to 12½ 9-8 to 15¾
75 
1-11½ to 2-0¾ 2-10½ to 3-1½ 3-9½ to 4-3 4-8 to 5-4 5-7 to 6-6 7-3 to 8-11 8-10 to 11½ 10¼ to14¼
100 
1-11½ to 2-0½ 2-11 to 3-1 3-10 to 4-2 4-9 to 5-3 5-8 to 6-5 7-5 to 8-8 9-1 to 11½ 10 ¾ to 13½
150 
1-11¾ to 2-0½ 2-11 to 3-1 3-11 to 4-1½ 4-10 to 5-2 4-9 to 6-3 7-7 to 8-6 9-4 to 10¾ 11 to 13
200 
1-11¾ to 2-0¼ 2-11½ to 3-0½ 3-11 to 4-1 4-10½ to 5-2 5-10 to 6-2 7-8 to 8-4 9-6 to 10½ 11¼ to 12¾
300 
2-0 to 2-0 2-11½ to 3-0½ 3-11½ to 4-0½ 4-11 to 5-1 5-10 to 6-2 7-9 to 8-3 9-8 to 10½ 11½ to 12½
400 
2-0 to 2-0 3-0 to 3-0½ 3-11½ to 4-0½ 4-11 to 5-1 5-11 to 6-1 7-10 to 8-2 9-9 to 10¼ 11 ¾ to 12¼

Hyperfocal
Distance
(Feet)
Depth of field at a Distance Setting of
15 ft. (4.5 m)
20 ft. (6 m)
25 ft. (7.5 m)
50 ft. (15 m)
100 ft. (30 m)
200 ft. (60 m)
2-6 to 2-7 to 2-8½ to 2-9½ to 2-11 to 2-11½ to 3-0 to
 3-2 to 3-4 to 3-5½ to 3-8½ to 3-10 to 3-11 to 4-0 to
4-3½ to 4-7½ to 4-10 to 5-4 to 5-8 to 5-10 to 6-0 to
5-3 to 5-8½ to 6-1 to 6-11 to 7-5 to 7-8 to 8-0 to
12 
6-8 to 7-6 to 8-1 to 9-8 to 10¾ to 11¼ to 12 to
15 
7-6 to 8-7 to 9-4 to 11½ to 13 to 14 to 15 to
20 
8-7 to 60 10 to 11¼ to 14¼ to 16¾ to 18¼ to 20 to
  25 
9-4 to 37½ 11 to 100 12½ to 16¾ to 20 to 21¼ to 25 to
40 
11 to 24 13¼ to 40 15½ to 67 22½ to 28½ to 33½ to 40 to
50 
11½ to 21½ 14¼ to 33½ 16¾ to 50 25 to 33½ to 40 to 50 to
75 
12½ to 18¾ 15¾ to 27 18¾ to 37½ 30 to 150 43 to 54½ to 75 to
100 
13 to 17¼ 16¾ to 25 20 to 33½ 33½ to 10 50 to 67 to 100 to
  150 
13¾ to 16¾ 17¾ to 23 21½ to 30 37½ to 75 60 to 300 86 to 150 to
200 
14 to 16¼ 18¼ to 22 22½ to 28½ 40 to 67 67 to 200 100 to 200 to
300 
14¼ to 15¾ 18¾ to 21½ 23 to 27 43 to 60 75 to 150 120 to 600 300 to
400 
14½ to 15½ 19 to 21 23½ to 26½ 44½ to 57 80 to 133 133 to 400 400 to



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Last modified on May 4, 2005


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