Smartphone Apps for Photography: Depth of Field Calculator

Have you ever taken a portrait, or a close-up of a flower or insect and wished that either more of it had been in focus, or the exact reverse, that less had been in focus?

I sure have. When shooting wildlife, such as birds, I normally want the entire bird in focus, but sometimes I don't close down my aperture quite enough to ensure that that my depth of field enables me to accomplish that.

In order to know what will be in and out of focus, you'll need to know what your “depth of field” is.

Older SLR or DSLR lenses, often had “depth of field” scales on the lenses to help photographers, but today, more often than not, those scales are missing, even on “top of the line” lenses.

Of course, you can calculate it yourself, but it's not that easy, and it takes time. The Depth of Field Calculator app let's you quickly see what your depth of field will be, and graphically shows it on your smartphone screen. Plus it will show you what your “hyperfocal distance” is.

Unfortunately, at this time, the Depth of Field Calculator app is only available for the iPhone, not on Android based phones. The app costs $0.99 in the iTunes Store.

To calculate your depth of field, first save your camera for your first and future calculations. Then all you have to do is put in your focus distance and aperture f/setting, then check the chart.

I'm always on the lookout for new photography apps for my iPhone and for Android apps too. If you have a good one to suggest, contact me. If I like it after testing, I'll give you credit for your suggestion in my Blog article about it. Thanks.