Field of View Comparison Tool

The field of view (FOV) is the actual picture size (height and width) produced by a specific lens. If the field of view is not suitable for your security application, you may consider using a different lens (wide angle, telephoto, etc) to increase or decrease it.

Camera lenses can be divided into two basic types: fixed focal and vari-focal (sometimes known as zoom). A fixed focal lens has a constant focal length, while the vari-focal lens can change its focal length. Focal length is simply the distance from the optical center of the lens to a focal point near the back of the lens. This distance is written on the lens and expressed in millimeters (mm).

Fixed focal length lenses are available in various wide, medium, and narrow fields of view. A lens with a “normal” focal length produces a picture that approximates the field of view of the human eye. A wide-angle lens has a short focal length, while a telephoto lens has a long focal length.

When you select a fixed lens for a particular view, bear in mind that if you want to change the field of view, you must change the lens.

When both wide scenes and close-up scenes are needed, a vari-focal lens is best. A zoom lens is an assembly of lens elements that move the change the focal length from a wide angle to a telephoto while maintaining focus on the camera’s imager. This permits you to change the field of view between narrow, medium, and wide angles.

How to Use this Tool

Use this comparison tool to see how different lens sizes affect the field of view (FOV) of your security camera. Try out the different environments to find one that most closely matches your security application.

Note: A 4 mm lens provides the widest field of view and a 60 mm (telephoto) lens provides the narrowest FOV.