A consequence of the depth of field phenomenon is that when an image requires objects both near and far to be sharp, it is possible to set the point of focus midway. This is a technique often employed when shooting landscapes, as one example.

Since depth of field varies by focal length of the lens and aperture, the point at which the lens should be focussed to get everything sharp will vary. Some cameras have a control to work this out automatically, but normally the lens will have to be set to manual focus to prevent the focus automatically switching to the point selected by the autofocus system.

When most lenses were primes, it was usual to have markings indicating depth of field, which facilitated setting focus to the required hyperfocal distance. Since this becomes more difficult to show with a modern zoom lens with variable focal lengths, the tables below show the hyperfocal settings for a variety of focal lengths and apertures. All values are in feet.

Hyperfocal Distance for Crop Sensors:

Hyperfocal Distance for Full Frame Sensors and 35mm Film: