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OWL CTO presentsPhotography Tools

Depth of Field + Motion

DOF & Motion Blur Calculator

Depth of Field

4.7mSubject5.3m

Total DOF

0.57m

Near Limit

4.73m

Far Limit

5.30m

Hyperfocal

86.1m

💡 Tip: Focus at 86.1m (hyperfocal) to get everything from 43.0m to infinity in focus.

DOF Settings

85mm
14mm600mm
f/2.8
5m
0.5m100m

Motion Blur

181 px blur

Blur Amount

181px

Shutter

1/40

Speed

150 mph

Mode

Panning

Abstract streaks - artistic blur

Motion Settings

Track racing

20m

Track the subject with camera

🏎️ Motorsports Panning Guide

Safe Start

1/250

Sharp subject, slight background blur. Good for beginners.

Sweet Spot

1/125

Nice motion blur in wheels, streaky background.

Pro Level

1/60 - 1/40

Dramatic streaks, spinning wheels. Your sweet spot!

Extreme

1/30 - 1/15

Abstract speed art. Very challenging, high reward.

🎯 Panning Technique

  • • Pre-focus on the track where subject will pass
  • • Start tracking before the shot
  • • Smooth hip rotation, not just arms
  • • Follow through after the shutter

📷 Camera Settings

  • • Use Shutter Priority (Tv/S) mode
  • • Continuous AF with tracking
  • • High burst rate (10+ fps)
  • • VR/IS set to "Active" or panning mode

⚡ Success Rate

  • • 1/250: ~80% keepers
  • • 1/125: ~50% keepers
  • • 1/60: ~20% keepers
  • • 1/30: ~5% keepers (worth it!)

How It Works

📐 Depth of Field

DOF depends on focal length, aperture, subject distance, and sensor size. Wider apertures (f/1.4) = shallower DOF. Longer lenses = shallower DOF.

🎬 Motion Blur Math

Blur = (subject speed × shutter time) / distance × sensor coverage. Panning tracks ~85% of the motion, reducing subject blur.

🔄 Circle of Confusion

The CoC defines "acceptable sharpness" based on sensor size. Smaller sensors have stricter requirements for perceived sharpness.