Field of View Calculator

Pick your sensor and focal length — get the horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle of view, plus the real scene width and height at any distance you choose.

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Your camera & lens

Sensor
Units
Horizontal field of view
0°
0vertical
0diagonal
0scene width
0alto · height
Quick combos

What lens do I need?

To frame a subject of a given width at a distance, with the current sensor.

Focal needed: — mm

How field of view is calculated

The angle of view depends on the sensor size and the focal length:

Angle=2 × arctan( sensor dimension ÷ (2 × focal) )

We apply that formula to the sensor's width, height and diagonal to give all three angles. Shorter focal length means wider; a bigger sensor too. And from the subject distance we compute the real scene width and height that fit the frame — handy for planning shots.

Example: the field of view of a 50 mm on full frame

A 50 mm on full frame (36 × 24 mm sensor):

  • Horizontal = 2 × arctan(36 ÷ 100) ≈ 39.6°.
  • Vertical ≈ 27°; diagonal ≈ 46.8°.
  • At 10 m, the scene covers ≈ 7.2 × 4.8 m.

The same 50 mm on APS-C (1.5×) narrows to ~27° horizontal: it frames like a mild telephoto.

Field of view FAQ

What is field of view?
It is the angle of scene your lens covers, in degrees. It depends on focal length and sensor size: shorter focal length and bigger sensor mean a wider angle.
How is the angle of view calculated?
With the formula 2 × arctan(sensor dimension ÷ (2 × focal length)). It is computed separately for horizontal, vertical and diagonal using each sensor dimension.
How much does my frame cover at a given distance?
Scene width = distance × (sensor width ÷ focal). The calculator gives the real width and height in metres at the distance you set.
Why does the same lens "see" differently on APS-C?
Because the smaller sensor crops the edges, narrowing the angle of view. A 50 mm gives ~40° on full frame but ~27° on APS-C 1.5×.
Which focal length for a portrait or a landscape?
Portrait: 85-135 mm (narrow angle, flattering compression). Landscape and architecture: 14-35 mm (wide angle). Try the combos in the tool.