{"success":true,"version":"v1","request":{"tool":"get_calculator_schema","calculator_id":"hyperfocal-distance"},"result":{"entity_type":"calculator","id":"hyperfocal-distance","calculator_id":"hyperfocal-distance","canonical_url":"https://tttkmbb.com/photography/hyperfocal-distance","name":"Hyperfocal Distance Calculator","title":"Hyperfocal Distance Calculator – Focus Distance for Maximum Depth of Field","category":"photography","category_name":"Photography & Optics","tool_name":"calculate_hyperfocal_distance","featured_mcp_tool":false,"description":"Computes the hyperfocal distance H = f²/(N·c) + f for a focal length, f-number and sensor circle of confusion, the near limit obtained when focusing at H, and a table of H for the common apertures f/2.8–f/16.","use_when":"You want landscape or street settings that keep everything from a near distance to infinity acceptably sharp, or need a focus-distance table for a lens.","do_not_use_when":"You need the sharp zone around an arbitrary focus distance (use depth-of-field), or you want the framing of the lens (use field-of-view).","inputs":[{"name":"focal_length_mm","label":"Focal length","type":"number","unit":"mm","required":true,"min":1,"max":5000,"description":"Actual (not equivalent) focal length of the lens in millimetres.","example":24},{"name":"aperture_f","label":"Aperture (f-number)","type":"number","required":true,"min":0.5,"max":128,"description":"Lens f-number, e.g. 2.8 for f/2.8.","example":8},{"name":"sensor","label":"Sensor format","type":"enum","required":false,"default":"full_frame","values":[{"value":"full_frame","label":"Full frame (36 × 24 mm)","aliases":["ff","35mm","full-frame"]},{"value":"aps_c","label":"APS-C (23.5 × 15.6 mm; Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax)","aliases":["apsc","aps-c","crop"]},{"value":"aps_c_canon","label":"APS-C Canon (22.3 × 14.9 mm)","aliases":["canon_aps_c","canon"]},{"value":"micro_four_thirds","label":"Micro Four Thirds (17.3 × 13 mm)","aliases":["mft","m43","four_thirds"]},{"value":"one_inch","label":"1-inch type (13.2 × 8.8 mm)","aliases":["1_inch","1-inch","type_1"]},{"value":"medium_format_44x33","label":"Medium format 44 × 33 (43.8 × 32.9 mm)","aliases":["medium_format","gfx","44x33"]},{"value":"smartphone_1_over_2_3","label":"Smartphone 1/2.3-inch (6.17 × 4.55 mm)","aliases":["smartphone","phone","1/2.3"]}],"description":"Sensor format; selects the circle of confusion used in the formula.","example":"full_frame"},{"name":"coc_mm","label":"Circle of confusion (override)","type":"number","unit":"mm","required":false,"max":1,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Optional acceptable circle-of-confusion diameter; overrides the preset value (full frame 0.030, APS-C 0.020, Micro Four Thirds 0.015, 1-inch 0.011 mm).","example":0.03}],"outputs":[{"name":"hyperfocal_m","label":"Hyperfocal distance","type":"number","unit":"m","decimals":3,"description":"Focus here for sharpness from H/2 to infinity."},{"name":"hyperfocal_ft","label":"Hyperfocal distance (ft)","type":"number","unit":"ft","decimals":2,"description":"Hyperfocal distance in feet (1 ft = 0.3048 m)."},{"name":"near_limit_when_focused_at_hyperfocal_m","label":"Near limit when focused at H","type":"number","unit":"m","decimals":3,"description":"H / 2: closest acceptably sharp distance when focusing at the hyperfocal distance."},{"name":"coc_used_mm","label":"Circle of confusion used","type":"number","unit":"mm","decimals":3,"description":"Circle of confusion diameter applied (preset or override)."},{"name":"table","label":"Hyperfocal distance by aperture","type":"object","unit":"m","decimals":2,"description":"Hyperfocal distance in metres for f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/16 with the same focal length and sensor."}],"input_schema":{"type":"object","properties":{"focal_length_mm":{"description":"Actual (not equivalent) focal length of the lens in millimetres. Unit: mm.","type":"number","minimum":1,"maximum":5000,"examples":[24],"x-unit":"mm"},"aperture_f":{"description":"Lens f-number, e.g. 2.8 for f/2.8.","type":"number","minimum":0.5,"maximum":128,"examples":[8]},"sensor":{"description":"Sensor format; selects the circle of confusion used in the formula.","type":"string","enum":["full_frame","aps_c","aps_c_canon","micro_four_thirds","one_inch","medium_format_44x33","smartphone_1_over_2_3"],"default":"full_frame","examples":["full_frame"]},"coc_mm":{"description":"Optional acceptable circle-of-confusion diameter; overrides the preset value (full frame 0.030, APS-C 0.020, Micro Four Thirds 0.015, 1-inch 0.011 mm). Unit: mm.","type":"number","maximum":1,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[0.03],"x-unit":"mm"}},"additionalProperties":false,"required":["focal_length_mm","aperture_f"]},"output_schema":{"type":"object","properties":{"hyperfocal_m":{"description":"Focus here for sharpness from H/2 to infinity. Unit: m.","type":"number","x-unit":"m"},"hyperfocal_ft":{"description":"Hyperfocal distance in feet (1 ft = 0.3048 m). Unit: ft.","type":"number","x-unit":"ft"},"near_limit_when_focused_at_hyperfocal_m":{"description":"H / 2: closest acceptably sharp distance when focusing at the hyperfocal distance. Unit: m.","type":"number","x-unit":"m"},"coc_used_mm":{"description":"Circle of confusion diameter applied (preset or override). Unit: mm.","type":"number","x-unit":"mm"},"table":{"description":"Hyperfocal distance in metres for f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/16 with the same focal length and sensor. Unit: m.","type":"object","x-unit":"m"}}},"formula":"H = f² / (N·c) + f (f = focal_length_mm, N = aperture_f, c = coc_mm; result in mm ÷ 1000); near limit = H / 2","method":"Uses the exact definition with the '+ f' term; the common approximation H ≈ f²/(N·c) differs by one focal length. Presets use the diagonal/1500 circle of confusion convention.","sources":[{"name":"Wikipedia – Hyperfocal distance","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocal_distance","type":"reference","retrieved_at":"2026-09-24"},{"name":"Wikipedia – Circle of confusion","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_confusion","type":"reference","retrieved_at":"2026-09-24"},{"name":"Cambridge in Colour – Hyperfocal distance","url":"https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/hyperfocal-distance.htm","type":"reference","retrieved_at":"2026-09-24"}],"freshness":{"type":"static","max_age_seconds":null,"note":"Deterministic formula with fixed constants; results never go stale. Inputs supplied by the caller determine the output."},"examples":[{"name":"24 mm, f/8, full frame","inputs":{"focal_length_mm":24,"aperture_f":8,"sensor":"full_frame"},"expected":{"hyperfocal_m":2.424,"hyperfocal_ft":7.95,"near_limit_when_focused_at_hyperfocal_m":1.212,"coc_used_mm":0.03},"url":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/hyperfocal-distance?focal_length_mm=24&aperture_f=8&sensor=full_frame"},{"name":"35 mm, f/11, APS-C","inputs":{"focal_length_mm":35,"aperture_f":11,"sensor":"aps_c"},"expected":{"hyperfocal_m":5.603,"near_limit_when_focused_at_hyperfocal_m":2.802,"coc_used_mm":0.02},"url":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/hyperfocal-distance?focal_length_mm=35&aperture_f=11&sensor=aps_c"}],"faq":[{"q":"Should I focus exactly at the hyperfocal distance?","a":"Focusing slightly beyond H keeps infinity comfortably sharp at the cost of a little near-side depth; focusing short of H makes infinity soft. Lens distance scales are coarse, so err towards the far side."},{"q":"Does the crop factor change the hyperfocal distance?","a":"Only through the circle of confusion: for the same actual focal length and f-number, an APS-C sensor (c = 0.020 mm) has a hyperfocal distance about 1.5× longer than full frame (c = 0.030 mm)."}],"tags":["hyperfocal distance","landscape focus","focus to infinity","depth of field","circle of confusion"],"related":[{"calculator_id":"depth-of-field","reason":"Near and far limits for any focus distance, not only the hyperfocal one."},{"calculator_id":"crop-factor","reason":"Sensor diagonal and crop factor behind the circle of confusion presets."}],"links":{"html":"https://tttkmbb.com/photography/hyperfocal-distance","markdown":"https://tttkmbb.com/photography/hyperfocal-distance.md","json":"https://tttkmbb.com/photography/hyperfocal-distance.json","api":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/hyperfocal-distance","schema":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculators/hyperfocal-distance","openapi":"https://tttkmbb.com/openapi.json","mcp":"https://tttkmbb.com/mcp"},"version":"v1","updated_at":"2026-09-24"},"timestamp":"2026-09-24T03:44:39Z"}