Near focus
2.17 m
Closest distance that should appear acceptably sharp.
Free camera tool
Depth of Field Calculator
Visualize background blur, subject isolation, hyperfocal distance, aperture choices, sensor size, focal length, and focus tolerance in a modern GearAtlas calculator.
Modes
4
Sensor formats
8
Blur preview
Live
Visual blur simulator
Depth of field, drawn for real-world decisions
Tune focal length, aperture, subject distance, background distance, sensor size, and circle of confusion to understand what will look sharp, what will blur, and why.
Portrait blurDreamy background
2.17 m to 2.24 mBlur strength
100
out of 100
Focus map
Near, far, and hyperfocal
Near2.17 m
Subjectfocus plane
Far2.24 m
Hyperfocal133.9 m
In landscape work, focus around the hyperfocal distance and the near acceptable sharpness point begins around 66.9 m, extending toward infinity.
Far focus
2.24 m
Farthest distance that should remain within depth of field.
Total depth
7 cm
The practical sharp zone around your focus distance.
Background blur
Dreamy
47.8x the selected sharpness threshold.
Hyperfocal
133.9 m
Focus here and acceptable sharpness begins around half this distance.
What this setup will look like
With a 85mm lens at f/1.8 focused around 2.20 m, acceptable sharpness runs from 2.17 m to 2.24 m.
On Full Frame, this frames like roughly 85mm on full frame. For a similar depth-of-field look after matching framing, f/1.8 behaves roughly like f/1.8 on full frame.
Your background is at 9.00 m. The estimated blur circle is 1.434mm on the sensor, which reads as dreamy separation.
Advanced details
Circle of confusion
0.030mm
Aperture diameter
47.2mm
Magnification estimate
0.040x
Mode
Portrait blur
Crop factor
x1.00
Hyperfocal near point
66.9 m
Depth of field is calculated from focal length, f-number, circle of confusion, and focus distance. Real lenses may vary slightly because focus breathing, pupil magnification, internal focusing, and manufacturer rounding are not modeled here.
Shooting modes
Start from a real creative scenario
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OpenLens examples
Popular lenses to research for subject separation
Depth of field math narrows the field. Real buying decisions also depend on autofocus, rendering, stabilization, weight, close focus, mount compatibility, and resale value.
Nikon
Fairly priced
Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
Possibly the sharpest 70-200 made
4.9(430)84% resale
$3,308.55
0.0% 30d
Sony
Good time to buy
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
The benchmark pro standard zoom
4.8(1,200)84% resale
$2,931.80
-2.0% 30d
Sony
Fairly priced
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II OSS
The lightest pro telephoto zoom
4.8(760)85% resale
$3,568.85
0.0% 30d
Sony
Fairly priced
Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
Compact, fast, flawless fifty
4.8(510)80% resale
$1,657.70
0.0% 30d
Sony
In high demand
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II
Portrait king, now far lighter
4.8(220)84% resale
$2,294.75
0.0% 30d
Sigma
Fairly priced
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
Lightweight pro portrait prime
4.8(410)74% resale
$1,527.55
0.0% 30d
Depth of field FAQ
Background blur and focus depth explained without old calculator clutter
These answers keep the math practical. Use the calculator for planning, then validate with real lenses, focus behavior, and your final delivery format.
What is depth of field?
Depth of field is the distance range that appears acceptably sharp in front of and behind the focus point. It changes with aperture, focal length, subject distance, sensor format, and sharpness assumptions.
How do I get more background blur?
Use a wider aperture, longer focal length, closer subject distance, larger sensor, and more distance between the subject and background. Lens rendering also affects how blur looks.
What is hyperfocal distance?
Hyperfocal distance is the focus distance that gives the deepest acceptable sharpness toward infinity for a chosen focal length, aperture, and circle of confusion.
What is circle of confusion?
Circle of confusion is the blur diameter that is still treated as acceptably sharp. Smaller values are stricter and produce narrower calculated depth of field.
Does sensor size change depth of field?
For the same lens, aperture, and position, sensor size changes framing. For the same final framing, larger sensors usually need longer focal lengths or closer distance, which creates shallower depth of field.
Continue from Depth of Field
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