Fov Calculator

Field of View (FOV) Calculator

Results:

Enter values and click "Calculate FOV" to see the results.

function calculateFOV() { var sensorWidth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sensorWidth').value); var sensorHeight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sensorHeight').value); var focalLength = parseFloat(document.getElementById('focalLength').value); var viewingDistance = parseFloat(document.getElementById('viewingDistance').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result'); if (isNaN(sensorWidth) || sensorWidth <= 0 || isNaN(sensorHeight) || sensorHeight <= 0 || isNaN(focalLength) || focalLength <= 0 || isNaN(viewingDistance) || viewingDistance <= 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid positive numbers for all fields."; return; } // Calculate Horizontal Angular FOV var horizontalFOVRad = 2 * Math.atan(sensorWidth / (2 * focalLength)); var horizontalFOVAngle = horizontalFOVRad * (180 / Math.PI); // Calculate Vertical Angular FOV var verticalFOVRad = 2 * Math.atan(sensorHeight / (2 * focalLength)); var verticalFOVAngle = verticalFOVRad * (180 / Math.PI); // Calculate Horizontal Linear FOV at Viewing Distance var horizontalFOVLinear = 2 * viewingDistance * Math.tan(horizontalFOVRad / 2); // Calculate Vertical Linear FOV at Viewing Distance var verticalFOVLinear = 2 * viewingDistance * Math.tan(verticalFOVRad / 2); resultDiv.innerHTML = ` Horizontal Field of View (Angle): ${horizontalFOVAngle.toFixed(2)} degrees Vertical Field of View (Angle): ${verticalFOVAngle.toFixed(2)} degrees Horizontal Field of View (Linear at ${viewingDistance}m): ${horizontalFOVLinear.toFixed(2)} meters Vertical Field of View (Linear at ${viewingDistance}m): ${verticalFOVLinear.toFixed(2)} meters `; } .calculator-container { background-color: #f9f9f9; border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; max-width: 600px; margin: 20px auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; } .calculator-container h2 { text-align: center; color: #333; margin-bottom: 20px; } .calculator-inputs .form-group { margin-bottom: 15px; } .calculator-inputs label { display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #555; font-weight: bold; } .calculator-inputs input[type="number"] { width: calc(100% – 22px); padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; box-sizing: border-box; } .calculator-inputs button { width: 100%; padding: 12px 20px; background-color: #007bff; color: white; border: none; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 16px; cursor: pointer; transition: background-color 0.3s ease; } .calculator-inputs button:hover { background-color: #0056b3; } .calculator-results { margin-top: 25px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #eee; } .calculator-results h3 { color: #333; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: center; } .calculator-results p { background-color: #e9ecef; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #333; word-wrap: break-word; }

Understanding Field of View (FOV) in Photography and Beyond

Field of View (FOV) is a fundamental concept in optics, photography, videography, gaming, and surveillance. It refers to the extent of the observable world that is captured by a camera, lens, or sensor at any given moment. Essentially, it defines how much of a scene can be seen through a particular optical system.

What Influences Field of View?

Two primary factors determine the Field of View:

  1. Focal Length of the Lens: This is the most significant factor. A shorter focal length (e.g., 14mm wide-angle lens) results in a wider FOV, allowing you to capture more of the scene. Conversely, a longer focal length (e.g., 200mm telephoto lens) produces a narrower FOV, magnifying distant subjects but showing less of the surrounding environment.
  2. Sensor Size (or Film Size): The physical dimensions of your camera's sensor (e.g., full-frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds) also play a crucial role. A larger sensor, when paired with the same focal length lens, will capture a wider FOV than a smaller sensor. This is why a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera provides a wider view than the same 50mm lens on an APS-C camera (which effectively crops the image, making it appear as if a longer focal length was used).

Angular FOV vs. Linear FOV

FOV can be expressed in two main ways:

  • Angular Field of View: This is measured in degrees and represents the angle from the lens's perspective that the scene spans. It tells you how "wide" or "narrow" the lens's view is in terms of angle. For example, a 90-degree horizontal FOV means the lens captures a 90-degree arc of the scene horizontally.
  • Linear Field of View: This is measured in units of distance (e.g., meters, feet) and represents the actual width or height of the scene captured at a specific distance from the camera. For instance, if your linear FOV is 10 meters at a 50-meter viewing distance, it means your camera captures a 10-meter wide segment of the world 50 meters away. Linear FOV is particularly useful for planning shots, surveillance, or determining coverage areas.

How to Use the FOV Calculator

Our Field of View Calculator helps you determine both the angular and linear FOV based on your camera's sensor dimensions, lens focal length, and your desired viewing distance. Here's how to use it:

  1. Sensor Width (mm): Enter the horizontal dimension of your camera's sensor in millimeters. Common values include 36mm for full-frame, around 23.5mm for APS-C (Nikon/Sony), or 22.2mm for APS-C (Canon).
  2. Sensor Height (mm): Enter the vertical dimension of your camera's sensor in millimeters. Common values include 24mm for full-frame, around 15.6mm for APS-C (Nikon/Sony), or 14.8mm for APS-C (Canon).
  3. Focal Length (mm): Input the focal length of the lens you are using, in millimeters. This is usually printed on the lens itself (e.g., 50mm, 85mm, 24-70mm).
  4. Viewing Distance (meters): Specify the distance from your camera to the subject or the point in the scene where you want to measure the linear FOV, in meters.
  5. Click "Calculate FOV" to see the results, including horizontal and vertical angular FOV in degrees, and horizontal and vertical linear FOV in meters at your specified viewing distance.

Practical Applications

  • Photography & Videography: Plan your shots more effectively, understand how different lenses will frame a scene, and predict the coverage for specific subjects or events.
  • Gaming: Adjust in-game FOV settings for a more immersive or competitive experience, matching your monitor size and viewing distance.
  • Surveillance Systems: Determine the optimal camera placement and lens choice to cover a specific area, ensuring no blind spots.
  • Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR): Design experiences with appropriate FOV to minimize motion sickness and maximize immersion.

Example Calculation:

Let's say you have a full-frame camera (Sensor Width: 36mm, Sensor Height: 24mm) and you're using a 50mm lens. You want to know what you'll capture at a distance of 10 meters.

  • Sensor Width: 36 mm
  • Sensor Height: 24 mm
  • Focal Length: 50 mm
  • Viewing Distance: 10 meters

Using the calculator, you would find:

  • Horizontal Field of View (Angle): Approximately 39.42 degrees
  • Vertical Field of View (Angle): Approximately 26.93 degrees
  • Horizontal Field of View (Linear at 10m): Approximately 7.16 meters
  • Vertical Field of View (Linear at 10m): Approximately 4.80 meters

This means at 10 meters, your 50mm lens on a full-frame camera will capture a scene roughly 7.16 meters wide and 4.80 meters high.

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