This photography calculator works out depth of field, hyperfocal distance, and exposure adjustments such as ND-filter stops. It helps photographers control what's sharp in a frame and get exposure right when using filters or changing settings.
Depth of field and hyperfocal distance
Depth of field — the zone that appears acceptably sharp — depends on aperture, focal length, focus distance, and sensor size. A smaller aperture (higher f-number), a wider lens, or a more distant subject all deepen it. The hyperfocal distance is the focus point that maximises depth of field: focus there and everything from half that distance to infinity is sharp, which is the landscape photographer's key trick. The calculator computes both from your camera and lens settings.
Getting this right is the difference between a landscape sharp front to back and one with a soft foreground, or a portrait with the background pleasantly blurred. Because the relationships are not intuitive, a calculator beats guesswork when sharpness across the frame matters.
Exposure and ND filters
Neutral-density filters cut light to allow long exposures or wide apertures in bright conditions, measured in stops. Each stop halves the light, so the shutter speed must double to compensate. The calculator converts a filter's strength into the new exposure time, turning a 1/60 s exposure into the multi-second one needed for smooth water or cloud blur with a strong ND.
A 1/60 s exposure with a 10-stop ND filter fitted.
- Each stop doubles the required time, so 10 stops multiplies by 2¹⁰ = 1024.
- New time = (1/60) × 1024 ≈ 17 seconds.
The 10-stop filter turns a 1/60 s exposure into roughly a 17-second one.
