Field of view calculator
Pick a camera, its recording mode and a focal length. You get the horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle the lens covers on that mode, plus the full frame equivalent.
Mode size 27.99 mm × 15.75 mm · read from a published figure
With JavaScript off this shows an ARRI ALEXA 35 in 4.6K 16:9 at 32mm. Turn it on to pick any camera, recording mode and lens.
At 5.00 m (16.4 ft) the frame is 4.37 m (14.3 ft) wide and 2.46 m (8.1 ft) tall.
How we work it out
The angle is 2 × arctan(width ÷ (2 × focal length)), where width is the size of the recording mode you shoot, not the whole sensor. A 4K crop sees less than open gate on the same lens, and this number tells you how much less.
angle = 2 × atan(size ÷ (2 × focal))
Vertical uses the mode's height and diagonal uses its diagonal. An anamorphic squeeze widens the width it sees: a 2x lens on a 20 mm wide mode covers what a spherical lens would on 40 mm. The full frame look is the focal length that gives the same diagonal angle on a 36 × 24 mm frame.
Mode sizes come from the Cutvey Viewfinder gear list, counted November 2, 2026. Each mode says whether its size was read from a published figure or worked out from the pixel size or the format. Lens distortion and focus breathing change the real frame a little, so treat this as the planning number.
ARRI ALEXA 35 at 32mm
| Mode | Size | Horizontal | Vertical | Size from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6K 3:2 Open Gate | 27.99 mm × 19.22 mm | 47.2° | 33.4° | Published |
| 4.6K 16:9 | 27.99 mm × 15.75 mm | 47.2° | 27.7° | Published |
| 4K 16:9 | 24.88 mm × 14 mm | 42.5° | 24.7° | Published |
| 4K 2:1 | 24.88 mm × 12.44 mm | 42.5° | 22.0° | Published |
| 3.8K 16:9 | 23.33 mm × 13.12 mm | 40.0° | 23.2° | Published |
| 3.3K 6:5 | 20.22 mm × 16.95 mm | 35.1° | 29.7° | Published |
| 3K 1:1 | 18.66 mm × 18.66 mm | 32.5° | 32.5° | Published |
| 2.7K 8:9 | 16.66 mm × 18.75 mm | 29.2° | 32.7° | Published |
| 2K 16:9 S16 | 12.44 mm × 7 mm | 22.0° | 12.5° | Published |
Horizontal angle at a glance
Degrees across the frame, from the formats in the gear list. Pin it to the call sheet.
| Format (width × height) | 18mm | 24mm | 35mm | 50mm | 85mm | 135mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame 3:2 (36 × 24 mm) | 90.0° | 73.7° | 54.4° | 39.6° | 23.9° | 15.2° |
| ALEXA 35 4.6K 16:9 (27.99 × 15.75 mm) | 75.7° | 60.5° | 43.6° | 31.3° | 18.7° | 11.8° |
| Super 35 16:9 (24.89 × 14 mm) | 69.3° | 54.8° | 39.1° | 28.0° | 16.7° | 10.5° |
| 1-inch 3:2 (13.2 × 8.8 mm) | 40.3° | 30.8° | 21.4° | 15.0° | 8.9° | 5.6° |
| Super 16 (12.52 × 7.41 mm) | 38.4° | 29.2° | 20.3° | 14.3° | 8.4° | 5.3° |
A worked example
The director likes the width of a 50mm on an ARRI ALEXA Mini LF in 4.5K LF 3:2 open gate, 36.7 mm wide: 40.3° across. The second unit shoots an ALEXA 35 in 4K 16:9, 24.88 mm wide. A 50mm there covers only 27.9°, so it reads as a much tighter lens. A 35mm on the ALEXA 35 covers 39.1°, within about a degree of the Mini LF's 50mm, and at 3 m both frames are about 2.1 to 2.2 m wide. Put 35mm in the second unit's kit, or find the exact match in the crop factor calculator.
Questions
Why does my camera's spec sheet give a different angle?
A spec sheet usually quotes the whole sensor, and most recording modes read only part of it. Pick the mode you will record and the angle is for that frame.
Is the angle exact?
It is as accurate as the mode size behind it. Each mode says whether the maker published its size or it was worked out from the pixel size, and lens distortion and focus breathing move the real frame a little.
Can I share a setup with my crew?
Yes. The address bar holds the camera, mode, lens, squeeze, units and distance, so Copy link sends the same frame. Nothing you type is sent or stored anywhere.
The same math, through your phone
Cutvey Viewfinder puts this frame over your iPhone or iPad's live picture, for every lens in the kit at once. $19.99, once.
How the app does it