Nikon DSLR DOF and Hyperfocal Distance Calculator
Depth-of-field is how much of a photograph is in acceptable sharp focus from in front of the focus point to behind it.
Hyperfocal distance is the distance at which you should focus to produce the greatest depth of field.
Simple method of approximating Hyperfocal distance
This works for all Nikon DSLR's except for D3,D3x, D3s and D700
Hyperfocal distance approximately equal to :- fcm* fcm * 5/F
where fcm is
the focal length of the lens in centimetres and F is the aperture
value.
Example 1: For a focal length of 100mm and a aperture value of f/8,
Hyperfocal distance is approximately 10*10*5/8= 62.5.
Actual value is 62.6 - pretty close.
Example 2: For a focal length of 50mm and a aperture value
of f/4,
Hyperfocal distance is approximately 5*5*5/4= 31.25.
Actual value is 31.3 - pretty close.
For D3,D3x, D3s and D700 it's a little more complicated:
Hyperfocal distance approximately equal to :- fcm* fcm * 10/3F
Important Hyperfocal Fact
When your camera is focussed at the Hyperfocal distance, the nearest point in focus is at half that distance. This is the maximum depth of field you can get.
For example: Using a D300 with a 50mm focal length lens with aperture F/5.6, the hyperfocal distance is 22.147m. This means if you focus on a point at 22.147m then everything will be in focus between 11.07m and infinity. If you change the aperture to F/11 then the hyperfocal distance is 11.1m. This means if you focus on a point at 11.1m then everything will be in focus between 5.55m and infinity.
Practical method of finding Hyperfocal Distance in the field
For a particular focal length/aperture combination, focus at infinity and take a shot. Look carefully at the result and ascertain the nearest point in acceptable focus. This is the hyperfocal distance. Now focus on that point and you will get the maximum depth of field for that focal length/aperture combination.