DOFMaster
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Price £1.49/ Available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
DOFMaster is targeted at higher-end photographers looking to calculate depth of field in photographs on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
The app is able to calculate the hyperfocal distance – that is the closest distance a lens can focus on an object while maintaining acceptable sharpness to infinity – based on the type of camera and lens combination being used.
Different sensor sizes and focal lengths will pronounce depth of field in different ways, and for landscape photographers with focus-depth window lenses, this is often an essential tool to ensure accurate manual focus is made for the sharpest and most resolute final shots.
To calculate hyperfocal distance in your head is no mean feat. Break down the mathematical equation into approximate English and hyperfocal distance equals ((focal length squared) divided by (aperture value multiplied by the circle of confusion limit)) plus focal length. Thankfully, there's an app for that!
DOFMaster has a decent enough array of cameras listed in its Format list, although rather than extensively listing each and every camera model, the brands tend to be generalised by sensor size.
Film, DSLRs, Cinematography and Circle of Confusion (by inches or millimetres) are the four main divisions. For compact cameras, the Compact Digital selection is vague given the variance in sensor sizes – although there are 1/2-inch and 2/3-inch sizes available in the 'Cinematography' bracket.
Lens focal lengths range from 3mm to 1200mm, and aperture values from f/1.0-f/64 will encompass all but pinhole photographers, while the Focus box can accept seemingly infinite values by feet, inches, metres or centimetres.
Verdict
DOFMaster may not be able to take on board characteristics of specific lenses, but the criteria it does offer provides a decent overview of what knowledgeable photographers will be looking for.
Specific to high-end photographers, you'll find you get a lot of use from this app if you're one of them.
