Stop your lenses down to small
apertures and capture images
that are sharply focussed from
front to back
Maximise
depth of field
Achieving extensive depth of field requires
the use of small lens apertures, but the more
you stop down, the more image quality can be
affected due to diffraction.
The solution is to use a technique known
as hyperfocal focussing, which allows you
to maximise depth of field for any aperture/
focal length combination by focussing the
lens on a specific distance – the hyperfocal
distance. That distance can be calculated
using a simple formula – you can even buyapps for smartphones that do it for you – but
to save you time and hassle, we’ve included
hyperfocal distance charts here for full-frame
DSLRs, and 1.5x and 1.6x crop sensors.
To use the chart, find the focal length you’re
using along the top, the aperture (f-number)
you want to use down the side, then read
across to find the hyperfocal distance. All you
do then is focus your lens on that distance,
and depth of field will extend from half the
hyperfocal distance to infinity.Hyperfocal focussing isn’t really doable
when you use telephoto lenses, as the
hyperfocal distances are great and estimating
them is almost impossible. However, with
wide-angle lenses this technique is very useful,
because the hyperfocal distances are shorter
and you can achieve extensive depth of field
without having to stop your lens right down
to f16 or f22 – which helps to optimise image
quality and also avoid the shutter speed from
being too slow.- For full-frame/35mm SLRs
7
“The solution is
to use hyperfocal
focussing, which
allows you to
maximise depth
of field for any
aperture/focal
length combination”
Techniques
Stopyourlensesdowntosmall
aperturesandcaptureimages
thataresharplyfocussedfrom
fronttoback
Maximise
depth of field
Achievingextensivedepthoffieldrequires
theuseofsmalllensapertures,butthemore
youstopdown,themoreimagequalitycanbe
affectedduetodiffraction.
Thesolutionistouseatechniqueknown
ashyperfocalfocussing,whichallowsyou
tomaximisedepthoffieldforanyaperture/
focallengthcombinationbyfocussingthe
lensonaspecificdistance–thehyperfocal
distance.Thatdistancecanbecalculated
usingasimpleformula–youcanevenbuy
apps for smartphones that do it for you – but
to save you time and hassle, we’ve included
hyperfocal distance charts here for full-frame
DSLRs, and 1.5x and 1.6x crop sensors.
To use the chart, find the focal length you’re
using along the top, the aperture (f-number)
you want to use down the side, then read
across to find the hyperfocal distance. All you
do then is focus your lens on that distance,
and depth of field will extend from half the
hyperfocal distance to infinity.Hyperfocal focussing isn’t really doable
when you use telephoto lenses, as the
hyperfocal distances are great and estimating
them is almost impossible. However, with
wide-angle lenses this technique is very useful,
because the hyperfocal distances are shorter
and you can achieve extensive depth of field
without having to stop your lens right down
to f16 or f22 – which helps to optimise image
quality and also avoid the shutter speed from
being too slow.- For full-frame/35mm SLRs
7
“The solution is
to use hyperfocal
focussing, which
allows you to
maximise depth
of field for any
aperture/focal
length combination”
Techniques