Food Photography Setup Calculator

Lighting and styling equipment from shot type.

Focal length (mm)

Aperture (f/)

Focus distance (cm)

Sensor width (mm)

Megapixels

Print width (inches)

Tab to move between fields

Depth of field (cm)

1.5

Print DPI

500

Near focus limit (cm)79.2

Far focus limit (cm)80.8

Field of view width (cm)33.9

Print quality (1-4)4

Max print width @ 300 DPI (in)20

Suggested shutter (sec)0.02

Print QualityExcellent

How to Use This Calculator

Select the food category (plated dish, beverage, baked goods, etc.).
Set the shooting style: overhead flat-lay, 45 degree angle, or hero shot.
Enter the available light source type (natural window, softbox, LED panel).
Review the Recommended Camera Settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) for the setup.
Use the Depth of Field output to decide whether a wider or narrower aperture suits your composition.

How the result changes with Focal length (mm)

Depth of field (cm): Total DOF — how much of the dish is sharp.
Near focus limit (cm): Closest point in acceptable focus.
Far focus limit (cm): Farthest point in acceptable focus.
Field of view width (cm): Horizontal width of the scene captured.
Print DPI: Resolution when printed at specified width.
Print quality (1-4): 1=Low, 2=Acceptable, 3=Good, 4=Excellent.
Max print width @ 300 DPI (in): Maximum print width at professional 300 DPI.
Suggested shutter (sec): Shutter speed at ISO 100 for typical studio EV 10.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Focal length (mm) = 85, Aperture (f/) = 4, Focus distance (cm) = 80, Sensor width (mm) = 36 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Depth of field
Depth of field = Math
1.5 = 1.5
Calculate Print DPI
Print DPI = sensorPxWidth / printWidthIn
500 = 500
Calculate Near focus limit
79.2 = 79.2
Calculate Far focus limit
Far focus limit = Math
80.8 = 80.8