Camera FOV Calculator
Calculate camera Field of View (FOV) angles and ground coverage at different altitudes. Essential for flight planning and understanding image footprints.
Camera Selection
Camera Specifications
Actual focal length, not 35mm equivalent
Footprint Altitude
Height above ground for footprint calculation
Common Focal Lengths
Understanding Field of View
Field of View (FOV) describes the angular extent of the observable world that a camera can capture. It's determined by the sensor size and focal length of the lens.
FOV Formula
FOV = 2 × arctan(Sensor Dimension / (2 × Focal Length))
Key Concepts
- Horizontal FOV: The angle of view from left to right edge of the image
- Vertical FOV: The angle of view from top to bottom edge
- Diagonal FOV: Corner-to-corner angle, the widest measurement
- Crop Factor: Ratio of full-frame sensor diagonal to your sensor's diagonal
FOV and Drone Mapping
Understanding FOV is essential for flight planning. A wider FOV means:
- Larger ground coverage per image
- Fewer images needed for the same area
- But potentially more distortion at edges
- Higher GSD (lower resolution) at same altitude
Field of View Formula
FOV = 2 × arctan(Sensor Dimension / (2 × Focal Length))
Where:
- FOV = Field of view angle in degrees
- Sensor Dimension = Width for HFOV, height for VFOV (mm)
- Focal Length = Lens focal length in millimeters
Example:
For DJI Phantom 4 Pro: HFOV = 2 × arctan(13.2 / (2 × 8.8)) = 73.7°
Frequently Asked Questions About Camera FOV
FOV = 2 × arctan(sensor dimension / (2 × focal length)). For horizontal FOV, use sensor width. For vertical FOV, use sensor height. Our calculator computes horizontal, vertical, and diagonal FOV plus ground coverage at your specified flight altitude.
For photogrammetry, 70-85° horizontal FOV is optimal. Wider FOV covers more ground but with more distortion at edges. Narrower FOV requires more flight lines but produces sharper images. Most mapping drones like DJI Phantom 4 RTK have ~84° HFOV.
Wider FOV means larger ground footprint, so you need wider line spacing for the same overlap percentage. However, wider FOV also means more edge distortion. Our FOV calculator shows footprint dimensions to help you plan overlap settings.
They're the same calculation - FOV depends on both sensor size AND focal length working together. A larger sensor with same focal length gives wider FOV. A longer focal length with same sensor gives narrower FOV. Always consider both specifications.