Photography & Imaging

Intermediate

Angle of View

Field of view from sensor size and focal length.

Formula

\alpha = 2\arctan\!\left(\frac{d}{2f}\right)

Variables

αAngle of view

dSensor dimension (mm)

fFocal length (mm)

Example

d=36 mm, f=50 mm: α = 2 arctan(0.36) ≈ 39.6°

Did You Know?

A 50 mm lens on full-frame roughly matches the human eye's natural angle of view — hence 'nifty fifty'.

photography field of view lens

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More in Photography & Imaging

F-Number

Aperture f-number is focal length divided by aperture diameter.

Exposure Value (EV)

Combines aperture and shutter speed into one exposure figure.

Depth of Field (approx.)

Range of distances that appear acceptably sharp.

Hyperfocal Distance

Focus distance that keeps everything from H/2 to infinity sharp.

Lens Magnification

Image magnification from focal length and subject distance.

Equivalent Focal Length

Focal length on a crop sensor expressed in full-frame terms.