Camera Sensor Field of View Calculator

Method, example, and limits

Formula: FOV = 2 arctan(sensor dimension ÷ (2 × focal length)); diagonal FOV uses √(sensor width² + sensor height²).

Inputs and units: Sensor active width and height and focal length must share a physical unit. Each output is an angle in degrees.

Worked example: For a 36 × 24 mm sensor and 50 mm focal length, horizontal FOV ≈ 39.598°, vertical ≈ 26.991°, and diagonal ≈ 46.794°.

Assumptions: Uses ideal rectilinear projection and the stated focal length. Sensor dimensions refer to the active image area; no crop, focus breathing, distortion, or lens projection correction is applied.

Limits: Actual coverage can differ due to lens distortion, focus distance, sensor crop, and manufacturer rounding. This geometric estimate does not identify a lens or guarantee a framing result.