A lens chart helps estimate coverage, but the final view depends on the camera, lens and installation. Shield’s original chart was an approximate reference for a specific sensor-size context, not a universal specification. [1]
Define the detail before the angle
Decide whether the camera must show a broad overview or a smaller area with more detail. Record the intended mounting distance and the width of the target area before choosing a lens.
Check the exact combination
The same focal length can produce different coverage on different sensor sizes. Use the current camera datasheet and verify the image at the planned position. Wide-angle distortion and the scene edges also deserve attention.
Keep the legacy chart available
The original table is retained below as an archival reference, including its original values. It is not recalculated or certified for current products. Confirm the exact model and test the resulting view before finalizing an installation.
Original archival chart
| Lens Focal Length | Camera’s Viewing Angle | Distance between video camera and video subject area | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ (1.5m) away | 10′ (3.0m) away | 15′ (4.6m) away | 25′ (7.6m) away | 50′ (15.2m) away | 100′ (30.5m) away | ||||||||||
| mm | Horiz.º | Vert.º | Diag.º | H area | V area | H area | V area | H area | V area | H area | V area | H area | V area | H area | V area |
| 1.78 | 136º | 102º | 170º | 24.8′ | 18.6′ | 49.6′ | 37.2′ | 74.4′ | 55.8′ | 124.0′ | 93.0′ | 248′ | 186′ | 496′ | 372′ |
| (7.6m) | (5.7m) | (15.1m) | (11.3m) | (22.7m) | (17.0m) | (37.8m) | (28.4m) | (75.6m) | (56.7m) | (151.2m) | (113.4m) | ||||
| 2.10 | 128º | 96º | 160º | 20.5′ | 15.4′ | 41.0′ | 30.8′ | 61.5′ | 46.2′ | 102.5′ | 77.0′ | 205′ | 154′ | 410′ | 308′ |
| (6.2m) | (4.7m) | (12.5m) | (9.4m) | (18.8m) | (14.1m) | (31.3m) | (23.5m) | (62.5m) | (47m) | (125m) | (93.9m) | ||||
| 2.45 | 120º | 90º | 150º | 17.3′ | 13.0′ | 34.6′ | 26.0′ | 51.9′ | 39.0′ | 86.5′ | 65.0′ | 173′ | 130′ | 346′ | 260′ |
| (5.3m) | (4m) | (10.5m) | (7.9m) | (15.8m) | (11.9m) | (26.4m) | (19.8m) | (52.7m) | (39.6m) | (105.5m) | (79.3m) | ||||
| 2.80 | 109º | 82º | 136º | 14.0′ | 10.5′ | 28.0′ | 21.0′ | 42.0′ | 31.5′ | 70.0′ | 52.5′ | 140′ | 105′ | 280′ | 210′ |
| (4.3m) | (3.2m) | (8.5m) | (6.4m) | (12.8) | (9.6m) | (21.3m) | (16m) | (42.7m) | (32m) | (85.4m) | (64m) | ||||
| 2.97 | 104º | 78º | 130º | 12.3′ | 9.6′ | 24.6′ | 19.2′ | 36.9′ | 28.8′ | 61.5′ | 48.0′ | 123′ | 96′ | 246′ | 192′ |
| (3.8m) | (2.9m) | (7.5m) | (5.9m) | (11.3m) | (8.8m) | (18.8m) | (14.6m) | (37.5m) | (29.3m) | (75m) | (58.5m) | ||||
| 3.60 | 74º | 56º | 92º | 7.5′ | 5.7′ | 15.0′ | 11.4′ | 22.5′ | 17.1′ | 37.5′ | 28.5′ | 75′ | 57′ | 150′ | 114′ |
| (2.3m) | (1.7m) | (4.6m) | (3.5m) | (6.9m) | (5.2m) | (11.4m) | (8.7m) | (22.9m) | (17.4m) | (45.7m) | (34.8m) | ||||
| 3.70 | 72º | 54º | 90º | 7.3′ | 5.5′ | 14.6′ | 11.0′ | 21.9′ | 16.5′ | 36.5′ | 27.5′ | 73′ | 55′ | 146′ | 110′ |
| (2.2m) | (1.7m) | (4.5m) | (3.4m) | (6.7m) | (5m) | (11.1m) | (8.4m) | (22.3m) | (16.8m) | (44.5m) | (33.5m) | ||||
| 4.0 | 67º | 50º | 83º | 6.6′ | 5.0′ | 13.2′ | 10.0′ | 19.8′ | 15.0′ | 33.0′ | 25.0′ | 66′ | 50′ | 132′ | 100′ |
| (2m) | (1.5m) | (4m) | (3m) | (6m) | (4.6m) | (10.1m) | (7.6m) | (20.1m) | (15.2m) | (40.2m) | (30.5m) | ||||
| 4.30 | 63º | 47º | 78º | 6.1′ | 4.6′ | 12.2′ | 9.2′ | 18.3′ | 13.8′ | 30.5′ | 23.0′ | 61′ | 46′ | 122′ | 92′ |
| (1.9m) | (1.4m) | (3.7m) | (2.8m) | (5.6m) | (4.2m) | (9.3m) | (7m) | (18.6m) | (14m) | (37.2m) | (28m) | ||||
| 5.0 | 50º | 38º | 64º | 4.7′ | 3.5′ | 9.4′ | 7.0′ | 14.1′ | 10.5′ | 23.5′ | 17.5′ | 47′ | 35′ | 94′ | 70′ |
| (1.4m) | (1.1m) | (2.9m) | (2.1m) | (4.3m) | (3.2m) | (7.2m) | (5.3m) | (14.3m) | (10.7m) | (28.7m) | (21.3m) | ||||
| 6.0 | 42º | 32º | 53º | 3.8′ | 2.9′ | 7.6′ | 5.8′ | 11.4′ | 8.7′ | 19.0′ | 14.5′ | 38′ | 29′ | 76′ | 58′ |
| (1.2m) | (0.9m) | (2.3m) | (1.8m) | (3.5m) | (2.7m) | (5.8m) | (4.4m) | (11.6m) | (8.8m) | (23.2m) | (17.7m) | ||||
| 8.0 | 32º | 24º | 40º | 2.9′ | 2.2′ | 5.8′ | 4.4′ | 8.7′ | 6.6′ | 14.5′ | 11.0′ | 29′ | 22′ | 58′ | 44′ |
| (0.9m) | (0.7m) | (1.8m) | (1.3m) | (2.7m) | (2m) | (4.4m) | (3.4m) | (8.8m) | (6.7m) | (17.7m) | (13.4m) | ||||
| 12.0 | 22º | 16º | 28º | 1.9′ | 1.5′ | 3.8′ | 2.8′ | 5.7′ | 4.5′ | 9.5′ | 7.5′ | 19′ | 15′ | 38′ | 28′ |
| (0.6m) | (0.5m) | (1.2m) | (0.9m) | (1.7m) | (1.4m) | (2.9m) | (2.3m) | (5.8m) | (4.6m) | (11.6m) | (8.5m) | ||||
| 16.0 | 16º | 12º | 21º | 1.4′ | 1.1′ | 2.8′ | 2.2′ | 4.2′ | 3.3′ | 7.0′ | 5.5′ | 14′ | 11′ | 28′ | 22′ |
| (0.4m) | (0.3m) | (0.9m) | (0.7m) | (1.3m) | (1m) | (2.1m) | (1.7m) | (4.3m) | (3.4m) | (8.5m) | (6.7m) | ||||
| 25.0 | 11º | 8.4º | 14º | 1.0′ | 0.7′ | 2.0′ | 1.4′ | 3.0′ | 2.1′ | 5.0′ | 3.5′ | 10.0′ | 7.0′ | 20.0′ | 14.0′ |
| (0.3m) | (0.2m) | (0.6m) | (0.4m) | (0.9m) | (0.6m) | (1.5m) | (1.1m) | (3m) | (2.1m) | (6.1m) | (4.3m) | ||||
| 50.0 | 5.5º | 4.2º | 7º | 0.4′ | 0.3′ | 0.8′ | 0.6′ | 1.2′ | 0.9′ | 2.0′ | 1.5′ | 4.0′ | 3.0′ | 8.0′ | 6.0′ |
| (0.1m) | (0.1m) | (0.2m) | (0.2m) | (0.4m) | (0.3m) | (0.6m) | (0.5m) | (1.2m) | (0.9m) | (2.4m) | (1.8m) | ||||
Sources and resources
[1] Shield Technology — Lens Field of View Chart (2017-11-06). Historical article; revised for clarity and to distinguish legacy information from current guidance.