Calculate field of view (FOV).
Calculate the field of view precisely for any focal length and sensor size – including diagonal, horizontal and vertical values as well as crop factor and 35 mm equivalent.
Helpful for buying lenses, planning locations and understanding why 35 mm on full frame looks different from 35 mm on APS-C.
- ◆All sensors
- ◆FOV in degrees
- ◆Crop factor
- ◆35 mm equivalent
Angle of View Calculator
Calculate the angle of view (field of view) for different focal lengths and sensor sizes. The calculator determines the diagonal, horizontal and vertical angle of view.
Enter the actual focal length, not the full-frame equivalent
Focal length: Use the actual focal length of the lens, not the 35mm equivalent. For an 18-55mm lens on APS-C, enter 18-55mm.
Sensor size: Choose your camera format from the presets or enter the exact sensor dimensions manually. The values can be found in the camera specifications.
Angle of view: The diagonal angle of view is the most common value. Horizontal and vertical are important for special applications such as panoramas.
Angle of view = 2 × arctan(sensor dimension / (2 × focal length))
The angle of view is calculated separately for each dimension (width, height, diagonal). The formula is based on the trigonometric fundamentals of optics.
Landscape photography: Wide angle (>60°) for sweeping scenes, normal focal lengths for a natural perspective.
Portrait photography: Short telephoto focal lengths (20°–40°) avoid distortion and create pleasant compression.
Architectural photography: Ultra-wide (>84°) for interiors, but watch for distortion at the edges of the frame.
What field of view tells you.
Field of view (FOV) describes the angular range a lens can capture. It's measured in degrees and largely determines image character and use case.
Three directions at once.
We distinguish between diagonal (across the sensor diagonal), horizontal (across the sensor width) and vertical field of view (across the sensor height).
Diagonal field of view is the most common value – the other two help with concrete composition.
Focal length and sensor size.
Longer focal lengths yield smaller fields of view (tele effect), shorter focal lengths larger fields of view (wide angle effect).
Sensor size also has a significant impact: smaller sensors "cut out" a smaller area from the lens's image circle, which results in a tighter field of view.
The formula behind field of view.
The field of view follows a simple trigonometric relationship. The result is converted from radians to degrees (× 180 / π).
Answers to common questions.
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Solid photography knowledge.
Calculators give you the number. On the blog and in 1:1 coaching I turn theory into results you can see in your images.