Hyperfocal Distance USA - Photography Terms & Glossary

Glossary Of Photography Terms [1]

Hyperfocal Distance Hyperfocal distance is the closest distance at which a camera lens can be focused while keeping objects at infinity acceptably sharp, given a specific aperture setting and focal length. In other words, it is the point of focus that maximizes the depth of field, ensuring that objects from a certain distance to infinity appear sharp in the final image. Hyperfocal distance is influenced by the focal length of the lens, the aperture setting, and the circle of confusion, which is the maximum allowable blur circle size that still appears acceptably sharp to the human eye.

Photographers often use hyperfocal distance focusing techniques in landscape photography and other genres where maximizing depth of field is critical to ensuring sharpness throughout the scene. Calculating hyperfocal distance allows photographers to achieve sharp focus from the foreground to the distant background, resulting in images with greater apparent sharpness and clarity.