Focal Length Field Of View

ˈfoʊkəl lɛŋkθ fild ʌv vju
noun
Term: Focal Length Field Of View
Description: Focal length and field of view are related to your camera's lens and image sensor, and how they work together to create the framing of your image. Every lens has a focal length, or if it is a zoom lens (not a prime lens) it has a range of focal lengths. This focal length is part of how the angle of view, or "field of view" is determined, because it affects what the lens itself "sees". (Such as, is it a wide-angle focal length, or is it a telephoto focal length?) However, focal length must also be combined with the camera's image sensor size in order to know the final field of view for that camera and lens together. A larger sensor captures a larger portion of any lens that is attached, but a smaller sensor would capture a smaller portion of that same lens. This difference does not actually change the focal length of the lens, however, it does change the effective field of view.


For more information and examples of how focal length, field of view, and sensor size affect an image, see Focal Length Definition and, Full Frame VS Crop