Front-to-back sharpness is a landscape staple. There are two ways to get it.
Hyperfocal focusing
Focus at the hyperfocal distance and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp:
H = f² ÷ (N × c) + f
On full frame (c = 0.030 mm), a 16 mm lens at f/11 has H ≈ 0.8 m: sharp from 0.4 m to infinity. A 35 mm lens at f/11 has H ≈ 3.7 m. See the hyperfocal charts for every focal length and sensor.
Hyperfocal focusing works well when the nearest foreground is beyond half the hyperfocal distance and you're not printing very large. On high-resolution sensors, use a stricter circle of confusion (0.020 mm) or focus slightly past H.
Diffraction: why not just f/22?
Stopping down increases depth of field but diffraction softens the entire image. On full frame, softness becomes visible past about f/11–f/16; on APS-C past f/8–f/11; on Micro Four Thirds past f/5.6–f/8. Small sensors reach the limit sooner.
Focus stacking
When the foreground is very close (a flower 30 cm from a wide lens) or you need maximum sharpness:
- Tripod, manual exposure, aperture at the lens's sharpest (often f/8).
- Focus on the nearest element and shoot.
- Move focus a little farther and shoot again; overlap the sharp zones.
- Finish with a frame focused at infinity (or the far subject).
- Blend in Photoshop (Auto-Blend Layers), Helicon Focus or Zerene Stacker.
Many cameras have focus bracketing that automates steps 2–4.
Pitfalls
- Moving subjects (wind in grass, water) create ghosts — mask them from one frame.
- Focus breathing changes framing slightly between frames; stacking software corrects this.
- Exposure changes during sunrise can make frames mismatch — work quickly.
Which to choose
Use hyperfocal focusing for speed, changing light and moderate foregrounds; use focus stacking for close foregrounds, macro-landscapes and large prints. The depth of field calculator tells you whether one frame will do.
About 1 min read · Updated 2026-10-20