Camera Fov Calculator

Camera Field of View (FOV) Calculator

Use this calculator to determine your camera's horizontal, vertical, and diagonal field of view, as well as the actual scene width and height at a given distance, based on your lens's focal length and your camera's sensor dimensions.

function calculateFov() { var focalLength = parseFloat(document.getElementById('focalLength').value); var sensorWidth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sensorWidth').value); var sensorHeight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sensorHeight').value); var distanceToSubject = parseFloat(document.getElementById('distanceToSubject').value); if (isNaN(focalLength) || focalLength <= 0 || isNaN(sensorWidth) || sensorWidth <= 0 || isNaN(sensorHeight) || sensorHeight <= 0 || isNaN(distanceToSubject) || distanceToSubject <= 0) { document.getElementById('horizontalFovResult').textContent = 'Invalid Input'; document.getElementById('verticalFovResult').textContent = 'Invalid Input'; document.getElementById('diagonalFovResult').textContent = 'Invalid Input'; document.getElementById('sceneWidthResult').textContent = 'Invalid Input'; document.getElementById('sceneHeightResult').textContent = 'Invalid Input'; return; } // Convert sensor dimensions and focal length to the same unit (mm) // FOV = 2 * arctan( (Sensor Dimension / 2) / Focal Length ) // Horizontal FOV var horizontalFovRad = 2 * Math.atan((sensorWidth / 2) / focalLength); var horizontalFovDeg = horizontalFovRad * (180 / Math.PI); // Vertical FOV var verticalFovRad = 2 * Math.atan((sensorHeight / 2) / focalLength); var verticalFovDeg = verticalFovRad * (180 / Math.PI); // Diagonal FOV var diagonalSensor = Math.sqrt(Math.pow(sensorWidth, 2) + Math.pow(sensorHeight, 2)); var diagonalFovRad = 2 * Math.atan((diagonalSensor / 2) / focalLength); var diagonalFovDeg = diagonalFovRad * (180 / Math.PI); // Scene Width and Height at Distance // Scene Dimension = 2 * Distance * tan(FOV_radians / 2) var sceneWidth = 2 * distanceToSubject * Math.tan(horizontalFovRad / 2); var sceneHeight = 2 * distanceToSubject * Math.tan(verticalFovRad / 2); document.getElementById('horizontalFovResult').textContent = horizontalFovDeg.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('verticalFovResult').textContent = verticalFovDeg.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('diagonalFovResult').textContent = diagonalFovDeg.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('sceneWidthResult').textContent = sceneWidth.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('sceneHeightResult').textContent = sceneHeight.toFixed(2); } // Calculate on page load with default values document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', calculateFov);

Understanding Camera Field of View (FOV)

The Field of View (FOV) of a camera refers to the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment through the camera lens. It's a crucial concept in photography, videography, surveillance, drone mapping, and virtual reality, as it dictates how much of a scene will be captured in your image or video.

What Influences FOV?

Two primary factors determine a camera's field of view:

1. Focal Length of the Lens: This is the most significant factor. A shorter focal length (e.g., 24mm wide-angle lens) results in a wider FOV, capturing more of the scene. A longer focal length (e.g., 200mm telephoto lens) results in a narrower FOV, magnifying distant subjects but showing less of the overall scene.
2. Sensor Size: The physical dimensions of your camera's image sensor (e.g., full-frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds) also play a critical role. A larger sensor, when paired with the same focal length lens, will capture a wider field of view than a smaller sensor. This is why a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera appears wider than a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera (which effectively crops the image, narrowing the FOV).

Why is FOV Important?

• Composition: Understanding FOV helps photographers compose shots effectively, deciding how much of the background or foreground to include.
• Lens Selection: It guides the choice of lens for specific situations – wide-angle for landscapes or interiors, telephoto for wildlife or sports.
• Surveillance & Security: For security cameras, FOV determines the area that can be monitored by a single camera.
• Drone Mapping & Photogrammetry: In aerial photography, precise FOV calculations are essential for planning flight paths and ensuring complete coverage of an area.
• Virtual Reality & Gaming: FOV is a key setting in VR headsets and video games, impacting immersion and user experience.

How the Calculator Works

Our Camera FOV Calculator uses a trigonometric formula to determine the field of view. It takes into account:

• Focal Length (mm): The optical length of your lens.
• Sensor Width (mm): The horizontal dimension of your camera's image sensor.
• Sensor Height (mm): The vertical dimension of your camera's image sensor.
• Distance to Subject (m): An optional input to calculate the actual width and height of the scene captured at a specific distance from the camera.

The calculator then provides you with the Horizontal, Vertical, and Diagonal FOV in degrees, along with the real-world scene dimensions at your specified distance.

Realistic Examples:

Example 1: Full-Frame Camera with a Standard Lens

• Focal Length: 50 mm
• Sensor Width: 36 mm (standard full-frame)
• Sensor Height: 24 mm (standard full-frame)
• Distance to Subject: 10 meters
• Results:
  • Horizontal FOV: ~39.60 degrees
  • Vertical FOV: ~27.00 degrees
  • Diagonal FOV: ~46.80 degrees
  • Scene Width at 10m: ~7.10 meters
  • Scene Height at 10m: ~4.87 meters

Example 2: APS-C Camera with a Wide-Angle Lens

• Focal Length: 24 mm
• Sensor Width: 23.6 mm (typical APS-C)
• Sensor Height: 15.7 mm (typical APS-C)
• Distance to Subject: 5 meters
• Results:
  • Horizontal FOV: ~52.00 degrees
  • Vertical FOV: ~35.60 degrees
  • Diagonal FOV: ~60.00 degrees
  • Scene Width at 5m: ~4.90 meters
  • Scene Height at 5m: ~3.25 meters

By using this calculator, you can gain a deeper understanding of how different lenses and sensor sizes impact your camera's perspective and the amount of a scene you can capture.