Camera Field of View Calculator
Choose the active sensor area
Select a common format or enter the active sensor dimensions.
Use the active recording area if your camera mode crops the sensor.
Enter the lens focal length
Use the actual focal length marked on the lens, not its full-frame equivalent.
For a zoom lens, enter the focal length currently selected.
Set the scene distance
Measure perpendicular to the subject or scene plane.
Distance changes physical coverage, not the angle of view.
Camera field of view
Review the angular view and physical scene coverage for this setup.
Angle of view
Scene coverage
Active sensor:
Aspect ratio:
Actual framing can differ with fisheye projection, distortion, focus breathing, macro focus, stabilisation, or an active sensor crop.
Estimate the ideal coverage of a rectilinear camera lens before you choose a shooting position or buy a lens. Select a common sensor format or enter its active width and height, then add the lens focal length and distance to the subject plane. The calculator returns horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle of view in degrees, plus the real-world width, height and diagonal covered at that distance. Use it for photography and cinematography composition, CCTV placement, green-screen sizing, or machine-vision inspection planning.
How to calculate camera field of view
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1
Choose the active sensor area
Select a sensor preset or enter the active width and height in millimetres. Use the cropped recording area if the camera mode does not read the full sensor.
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2
Enter lens and distance
Add the actual focal length marked on the lens and the perpendicular distance from the camera to the scene plane. Choose metres or feet for coverage.
-
3
Read angle and coverage
Compare horizontal, vertical and diagonal angles, then use the scene width and height to check whether the subject, set or inspection area fits.
Rectilinear angle-of-view formulas
For an ideal rectilinear lens, calculate each angle from the matching active sensor dimension. If sensor width is w, height is h, diagonal is d = √(w² + h²), and focal length is f, then:
horizontal angle = 2 × atan(w / (2f))
vertical angle = 2 × atan(h / (2f))
diagonal angle = 2 × atan(d / (2f))
Convert the result from radians to degrees. Angle of view depends on the lens and active sensor area, not subject distance. Distance only changes physical scene coverage. At a perpendicular distance D, coverage along any axis is 2 × D × tan(angle / 2), which reduces to D × sensor dimension / f in this ideal model.
Worked example: full frame, 50 mm, 3 m
A 36 × 24 mm sensor has a 43.27 mm diagonal. With a 50 mm lens, the horizontal angle is 39.60°, the vertical angle is 26.99°, and the diagonal angle is 46.79°. At a scene plane 3 m away, the frame covers 2.16 m horizontally, 1.44 m vertically and about 2.60 m diagonally.
| Input or result | Example value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Active sensor | 36 × 24 mm | Determines how much of the lens image is recorded |
| Focal length | 50 mm | Longer focal lengths narrow the view |
| Distance | 3 m | Scales physical coverage, not the angle |
| Horizontal angle | 39.60° | Most useful for checking room or subject width |
| Scene coverage | 2.16 × 1.44 m | Physical frame size at the chosen plane |
Where calculated FOV differs from a real lens
- The formulas assume a rectilinear lens. Fisheye lenses use a different projection and need a projection-specific model.
- Barrel or pincushion distortion changes the view near the frame edges.
- Internal focusing and focus breathing can change effective focal length, especially at close focus.
- At macro distances, nominal focal length and a simple thin-lens model can differ materially from measured framing.
- Video modes, stabilisation and in-camera corrections may crop the active sensor area. Use the actual recorded width and height when available.
Treat the result as planning geometry, then verify critical CCTV, machine-vision or production setups with the real camera and lens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Angle of view is the angular span in degrees produced by a lens and sensor combination. Scene coverage is the physical width and height captured at a specified distance. People often call both FOV, so this calculator reports the angular and physical results separately.
Each uses a different sensor dimension. On a 36 × 24 mm sensor, the 43.27 mm diagonal is longer than the width or height, so its angle is largest. Always compare values measured on the same axis.
No. With the same active sensor area and focal length, the angle stays constant. Moving farther away increases the real-world area inside that angle; moving closer reduces coverage and changes perspective because the camera position changed.
Yes, for initial rectilinear coverage planning. Enter the active sensor dimensions, lens focal length and working distance. For a final installation, also verify distortion, focus limits, required pixel density, mounting angle and the manufacturer’s measured lens specifications.
Not exactly. Fisheye projection is not rectilinear, and close-focus or macro operation can change effective focal length and magnification. Use measured lens data or a projection-specific calculator for those cases.
No image, video or camera feed is requested or uploaded. The calculator only uses the numeric sensor, focal-length and distance values you enter to produce the geometry results.
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