What is field of view in photography?

Field of view is the angular extent of the scene captured by a lens and sensor combination, measured in degrees. A wider FOV means more of the scene is included in the frame.

How does sensor size affect field of view?

A smaller sensor crops the image circle projected by the lens, resulting in a narrower FOV for the same focal length. This is described by the crop factor — an APS-C sensor (1.5×) gives the same FOV as a focal length 1.5× longer on full-frame.

What formula is used?

FOV = 2 × arctan(sensor_dimension / (2 × focal_length)). Horizontal FOV uses sensor width, vertical FOV uses sensor height, and diagonal FOV uses the sensor diagonal.

Why do Canon and Nikon APS-C have different crop factors?

Canon APS-C sensors measure roughly 22.3 × 14.9 mm (1.6× crop), while Nikon, Sony, and most other brands use approximately 23.5 × 15.6 mm (1.5× crop). The physical sensor dimensions differ between manufacturers.

Does this work for video crop modes?

Yes — enter the active sensor area used during video recording as a custom sensor size. Many cameras crop their sensor in 4K mode, so use the cropped dimensions for an accurate FOV.

Field of View Calculator for Photography

Name: Field of View Calculator for Photography
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Calculate horizontal, vertical, and diagonal field of view in degrees for any focal length and sensor size.

Lens & Sensor Settings

Focal Length (mm)

Sensor Format

Enter a focal length and sensor size, then click Calculate.

Summary

Calculate horizontal, vertical, and diagonal field of view in degrees for any focal length and sensor size.

How it works

Enter your lens focal length in millimeters.
Select a sensor size preset (full-frame, APS-C Canon, APS-C Nikon/Sony, Micro Four Thirds, 1-inch, or custom).
For a custom sensor, type the width and height in millimeters.
The calculator instantly shows horizontal, vertical, and diagonal FOV in degrees.
The equivalent full-frame focal length (accounting for crop factor) is displayed below the results.

Use cases

Choose the right focal length before buying a new lens.
Plan a shoot and predict how much of a scene a lens will capture.
Compare how the same focal length behaves on different sensor formats.
Understand crop-factor impact when switching camera systems.
Calculate FOV for astrophotography to frame a specific sky region.
Pre-visualize real-estate or architecture shots for wide-angle coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu