Field of View Calculator
The horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle of view of a lens on any sensor, and how wide and tall a scene it takes in at a given distance.
Result…
How it's calculated
Angle of view = 2 × atan(d ÷ (2 × f)) (d = sensor width, height or diagonal; f = focal length, both in mm) Scene width at distance D = D × sensor width ÷ f Scene height = D × sensor height ÷ f Sensor diagonal = √(width² + height²)
Works out the angle a lens takes in across the width, the height and the diagonal of the sensor, with the rectilinear-lens formula angle = 2 × atan(d ÷ 2f), and the width and height of the scene the frame covers at the subject distance, D × d ÷ f. Pick a sensor format or enter the width and height of your own sensor: the preset sizes come from the table of sensor formats in Wikipedia's image sensor format article. It also shows the crop factor and the full-frame focal length that gives the same framing. Distances are in metres or feet, with the other unit shown in the working.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Field of View calculator
This field of view calculator shows how much of a scene a lens takes in on your camera. Enter the focal length and pick a sensor format, or type the width and height of your own sensor, and it returns the horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle of view in degrees. Add the distance to your subject and it also gives the width and height of the area the frame covers there, in metres or feet. Photographers use it to choose a lens before a shoot, videographers to check that a set or a stage fits the frame, and drone and security camera users to plan coverage. Each angle comes from the formula 2 × atan(d ÷ 2f), and every step is shown with your numbers, along with the crop factor and the full-frame focal length that gives the same framing.
How to use it
- Choose metric (metres) or imperial (feet) units.
- Enter the “Focal length” marked on the lens.
- Pick your “Sensor format”, or “Enter the sensor size” to type its width and height in millimetres.
- Enter the “Subject distance” from the camera to what you are photographing.
- Read the three angles of view and the width and height of the scene the frame covers.
Worked example
A 24 mm lens on a full-frame 36 × 24 mm sensor, with the subject 5 m away. Horizontal angle = 2 × atan(36 ÷ 48) = 73.74°, vertical angle = 2 × atan(24 ÷ 48) = 53.13°, and diagonal angle = 2 × atan(43.267 ÷ 48) = 84.06°. At 5 m the frame covers 5 × 36 ÷ 24 = 7.5 m across and 5 × 24 ÷ 24 = 5 m high, with a diagonal of 9.01 m.
Updated
Questions people ask
How do I calculate the field of view of a lens?
Divide the sensor width by twice the focal length, take the arctangent and double it: angle = 2 × atan(width ÷ 2f). Use the sensor height or diagonal in place of the width for the vertical or diagonal angle.
What is the formula for the area a camera covers at a distance?
Scene width = distance × sensor width ÷ focal length, and the same with the sensor height for the scene height. A 50 mm lens on a 36 mm wide sensor covers 7.2 m across at 10 m, or 21.6 ft at 30 ft.
Is field of view the same as angle of view?
People use the two terms for the same thing, an angle in degrees. Some writers keep field of view for the size of the scene covered at a distance; this calculator gives both.
Why does the same lens look more zoomed in on a smaller sensor?
The focal length doesn't change, but a smaller sensor records only the middle of the image, so the angle of view is narrower. The crop factor calculator gives the full-frame focal length with the same framing.
Which sensor sizes does the calculator use?
The presets are the widths and heights in the table of formats in Wikipedia's image sensor format article. Real sensors of one format can differ by a few tenths of a millimetre, so enter your camera's exact size for the closest answer.
When is the field of view result not exact?
The formula is for an ordinary rectilinear lens focused at infinity. Focusing close narrows the angle, fisheye lenses follow a different projection, and video modes that crop the sensor take in less. The depth of field calculator shows how much of that scene will be sharp.