Field of View Calculator

Reading the diagrams

Enter up to four focal lengths from 6 to 1200 mm, or choose common focal lengths from the dropdowns. The starting comparison is 16, 24, 35 and 85 mm. Every lens uses the same full-frame sensor and camera position.

Choose None in any dropdown to leave that lens out of the diagrams and table. You can compare one, two, three or four lenses.

Use Copy link to these settings to share your comparison. Opening the link restores your focal lengths, including custom values and None selections.

The nested rectangles show relative coverage on the same flat subject plane. Shorter focal lengths capture more of the scene; longer focal lengths capture a smaller area. Your widest selected view fills the diagram, with the others scaled relative to it. Changing the widest focal length rescales the whole diagram. Colours and numbers connect each input to its frame, viewing angle and table row.

The top-view diagram overlays the horizontal viewing angles from one camera position. Horizontal and vertical angles describe coverage across the frame and from top to bottom. The diagonal angle runs between opposite corners. Changing focal length while staying in the same position changes framing; it does not change perspective.

Sensor and assumptions

The calculator uses a 36 × 24 mm full-frame sensor, in landscape orientation, as described in Nikon’s sensor-format guide. Actual active sensor dimensions, video crops and image stabilization crops can change the view.

Results are geometric estimates for rectilinear lenses focused at infinity. Fisheye lenses use a different projection, even when their focal length appears in the dropdown. Lens distortion, focus breathing and close focusing can change actual coverage. Selecting a focal length does not imply that a suitable lens exists.

How the calculation works

Angle of view = 2 × atan(sensor dimension / (2 × focal length))

The calculation uses sensor width (36 mm), height (24 mm) or diagonal (approximately 43.27 mm) for each angle and converts radians to degrees. As Nikon explains, shorter focal lengths capture wider angles and longer focal lengths narrower angles.

At the same subject distance, frame width and height are inversely proportional to focal length. For example, a 16 mm lens covers twice the width and height of a 32 mm lens on the same sensor. The rectangles use this relationship, preserving the full-frame 3:2 aspect ratio.