Camera Field of View Calculator

Field of view (FOV) in photography refers to the extent of the scene that is visible through your camera lens. It is determined primarily by the focal length of your lens and the size of your camera's sensor. A wider field of view allows you to capture more of the scene, while a narrower field of view captures a smaller portion with greater magnification. Field of view can be measured either as an angle (in degrees) or as physical dimensions at a specific distance (e.g., how wide and tall an area is captured at 10 meters).

Focal length is inversely proportional to field of view: as focal length increases, field of view decreases. For example, on a full-frame camera, a 24mm lens provides a wide field of view (approximately 84° horizontally), allowing you to capture large scenes like landscapes. In contrast, a 200mm telephoto lens offers a narrow field of view (about 12° horizontally), magnifying distant subjects but capturing less of the overall scene. This relationship makes focal length selection one of the most critical creative decisions in photography.

The same lens produces different fields of view on different cameras because of varying sensor sizes. Smaller sensors (like APS-C or Micro Four Thirds) use only the center portion of the image projected by the lens, effectively "cropping" the field of view compared to what would be captured by a full-frame sensor. This is why a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera has a moderate field of view, but that same 50mm lens on an APS-C camera (with a 1.5× crop factor) has a narrower field of view equivalent to what you'd get from a 75mm lens on full-frame.

Though often used interchangeably, there is a subtle distinction between angle of view and field of view. Angle of view refers specifically to the angular extent of the scene visible through the lens, measured in degrees. Field of view can refer to either this angle or the physical dimensions of the area captured at a specific distance. For example, a 50mm lens on full-frame has an angle of view of about 46° horizontally, which translates to a field of view of about 8.8 meters wide at a distance of 10 meters.

To approximate the field of view without a calculator, you can use this simple formula for the width of the scene at a given distance:

Width ≈ (Sensor Width × Distance) ÷ Focal Length

For a full-frame camera (36mm sensor width) with a 50mm lens at 10 meters:
Width ≈ (36mm × 10,000mm) ÷ 50mm = 7,200mm = 7.2 meters

This approximation works well for normal to telephoto lenses but becomes less accurate for wide-angle lenses where distortion is a factor.

Field of view is fundamental to composition as it determines what elements can be included in your frame and how they're arranged. A wider field of view allows you to include more context and environmental elements, emphasizing the relationship between subjects and their surroundings. A narrower field of view isolates subjects against simplified backgrounds, emphasizing specific details. Understanding how different focal lengths affect your field of view helps you make intentional choices about what to include or exclude from your compositions, how to create depth, and how to guide the viewer's eye through the image.

On a full-frame camera, a focal length of approximately 43-50mm most closely matches the perspective and field of view of human vision (specifically, the central field of our vision where details are perceived most clearly). This is why 50mm lenses are often called "normal" or "standard" lenses. However, human vision is much more complex than any camera lens—we have peripheral vision spanning about 180° horizontally, but with varying acuity, and our brain processes what we see differently than a camera does. For cameras with smaller sensors, the equivalent "normal" focal length would be proportionally shorter—about 35mm for APS-C or 25mm for Micro Four Thirds.

Field of view is crucial in video and filmmaking for several reasons:

1. Storytelling: Different fields of view create different emotional responses and visual relationships between subjects
2. Continuity: Consistent field of view helps maintain spatial continuity between shots
3. Practical planning: Knowing your field of view helps determine camera placement, especially in confined spaces
4. Technical considerations: Field of view affects depth of field, apparent motion, and perspective distortion

Filmmakers often have preferred focal lengths for specific types of shots—wide establishing shots might use 24-35mm lenses, while dialogue scenes often use 50-85mm lenses to create natural-looking perspective while keeping the camera at a comfortable distance from actors.