Lens angle of view calculator

[marksw]

Hi there,

I have just got an EOS 300D after using an EOS 5 for years. I found it quite confusing thinking about lenses with the DSLR as I was used to 35mm. Anyway, to cut the story short, I created this to help me:

http://www.sweeting.org/mark/lenses/

I have built in loads of Canon lenses and digital bodies (as well as 35mm film) into the calculator, so you can view the angle of view of any lens, and see how this changes depending on sensor size.

Let me know how you find it and if you have any suggestions.

Cheers,

Mark

[robertwgross]

Mark, it looks like the calculator covers many Canon lenses, and that is good. Too bad it doesn't have a generic focal length capability for non-Canon lenses.

Now everybody will be asking you for a protractor, so they can figure out what they will get from an angle of view.

---Bob Gross---

[marksw]

Cheers Bob. I'd better stock up then ;-)

[zebron]

Mark, I love it. I have actually placed the calculator in my Quick Launch bar to figure this stuff out. With your tool I need only one bookmark.

Cheers,

Z

[robertwgross]

marksw wrote:
Cheers Bob. I'd better stock up then ;-)

Somebody ought to market a photographer's protractor. It would not be any different from an ordinary protractor, except for the name.

Then somebody else will market the digital photographer's protractor. It would not be any different from the one above, except that it says "digital" on it.

---Bob Gross---

[Belmondo]

Good stuff, Mark.

What about the 1.4X and 2X extenders for those of us who are trigonometrically challenged?

Thos.

[marksw]

Thanks for the idea, Tom. I'll see what I can add for the next release.

Cheers,

Mark

[marksw]

Hi,

I've updated the tool now. It includes a list of 'generic' catalogue of lenses and the following camera bodies:

Canon: EOS 1DS, EOS 1D, EOS 10D, EOS 300D
Fujifilm: FinePix S2 Pro
Kodak: DCS 14n
Nikon: 1DX, D2H, D100
Pentax: *ist D
Sigma: Sigma SD9, SD10

http://www.sweeting.org/mark/lenses/

Cheers,

Mark

[iwatkins]

Top work Mark. I love that.

Only one suggestion is to make the lense selection list a bit wider. Some of the Sigma lense names disappear off the side of the list.

Apart from that, top banana :)

Cheers

Ian

[BearSummer]

Hi Mark,

excellent idea, only one question, which angle are you measuring, is it horizontal, vertical or diagonal? After reading the page it isnt clear, I guess its diagonal but would like to know for sure. Having all three would really put the icing on the cake.

Best regards

BearSummer

[iwatkins]

BearSummer,

I don't know where you are looking but when I look at it there *is* a drop down list for the angle, i.e. horizontal, vertical etc.

Cheers

Ian

[marksw]

That's right, thanks Ian. You can select the angle you want: vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The horizontal (in landscape) is the default delected reading direction.

Cheers,

Mark

[rdenney]

marksw wrote:
...
Let me know how you find it and if you have any suggestions.


I found it quite useful. It seems relatively easy to add the various medium formats:

6x4.5: 56x41mm
6x6: 56x56mm
6x7: 56x65mm
6x9 (graflex): 56x76mm
6x9 (others): 56x83mm

You get the idea. The large-format people are probably too few to be worth the trouble. But I frequently adapt my medium-format lenses to my Canon 10D, and adding these would be handy for comparing them to their native application.

Rick "who appreciates a good idea well-executed" Denney

[Tom W]

Great calculator, Mark. I'll add it to my favorites!

[marksw]

Rick,

You say "I frequently adapt my medium-format lenses to my Canon 10D, and adding these would be handy for comparing them to their native application."

Do you mean me adding medium format fims (645, 6x6, 6x7) to the sensor choice, or do you mean something else?

I can add the film formats to the sensor list under the 'generic' catalogue easily enough, but is this what you mean?

I have the following dimensions for medium format film:

645 = 56 x 41.5mm
6x6 = 56 x 56mm
6x7 = 56 x 69.5mm

Can someone verify this please as my 6x7 size is not the same as Rick's....

Cheers,

Mark

[BearSummer]

As homer would say

Doh....

Best regards

Bear "can't see the wood for the trees" Summer

[samdring]

robertwgross wrote:
marksw wrote:
Cheers Bob. I'd better stock up then ;-)
Then somebody else will market the digital photographer's protractor. It would not be any different from the one above, except that it says "digital" on it.

---Bob Gross---

Surely it would be cropped!

[marksw]

The 'Protractor D', or for those flush with money: the 'Protractor Ds'.

Mark

[rdenney]

marksw wrote:
Rick,

You say "I frequently adapt my medium-format lenses to my Canon 10D, and adding these would be handy for comparing them to their native application."

Do you mean me adding medium format fims (645, 6x6, 6x7) to the sensor choice, or do you mean something else?

I can add the film formats to the sensor list under the 'generic' catalogue easily enough, but is this what you mean?

I have the following dimensions for medium format film:

645 = 56 x 41.5mm
6x6 = 56 x 56mm
6x7 = 56 x 69.5mm

Can someone verify this please as my 6x7 size is not the same as Rick's....

Cheers,

Mark

I just meant adding those formats to the "sensor" list. I know what a 180mm Sonnar does on 6x6, and were I arithmetically challenged (which isn't so in my case) I might want to know the equivalent focal length for the 10D. I've figured out all the equivalences for myself, but other medium-format photographers buying a digital for the first time might prefer not to have to go through 35mm to make their conversions. All the conversions I see are 35mm-centric, and lots of photographers have to stop and think of which 35mm lens is equivalent to the medium-format lens they like for a given situation.

Based on the diagonal, that 180 is about like a 96 in 35mm, which makes it about like a 60 on a 10D. That's the conversion that I think would be useful.

Regarding the exact formats, they vary all over the place. I have perhaps ten 6x6 cameras, and they range from 56x56 to 59x59. A Hasselblad is reputed to be 55x55. 56x56 should cover most closely enough.

You're right about 6x7. I just measured mine and did a little research, and they all vary from 56x68 to 56x70.

6x9 varies much more widely. The smallest is 56x78 for an old Graflex 2x3 back. Old folders are often as large as 57x87. Current Japanese 6x9 backs are 56x82, but some are 56x83. Sinar's 6x9 view-camera back is 56x88. My MPP back is 56x84. 56x82 should be a good value to use. "6x9" is a misnomer--the original designation was 2-1/4 x 3-1/4.

Rick "who had to refresh his memory" Denney

[marksw]

OK, added some medium format 'sensors' and some typical medium format lenses to the generic catalogue, but I have a question:

The three I added are all 6 by something: 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7. With the 645 format the height is 6, and the width is 4.5 (landscape?). 6x6 is square, so forget this. However, with 6x7 is the width 6 and the height 7? Forgive my ignorance, but I have never used medium format! I know you can usually rotate the backs on these cameras, but I want to have a sensible (and consistent) meaning to the horizontal and vertical measurements/readings.

Cheers,

Mark

[marksw]

By the way, thanks for doing all those measurements Rick :)

[rdenney]

marksw wrote:
OK, added some medium format 'sensors' and some typical medium format lenses to the generic catalogue, but I have a question:

The three I added are all 6 by something: 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7. With the 645 format the height is 6, and the width is 4.5 (landscape?). 6x6 is square, so forget this. However, with 6x7 is the width 6 and the height 7? Forgive my ignorance, but I have never used medium format! I know you can usually rotate the backs on these cameras, but I want to have a sensible (and consistent) meaning to the horizontal and vertical measurements/readings.

Cheers,

Mark

You can assume they are all landscape. Every vertically oriented MF camera I've seen has been a 6x4.5.

Your site looks nice. Thanks for adding the extra stuff.

Rick "appreciative" Denney

[marksw]

You can assume they are all landscape.

OK, all formats are now treated in the landscape orientation.

Cheers,

Mark

[marksw]

Hi everyone,

I have updated the lens calculator so that it displays field of view too (it still displays angle of view). Please let me know if you spot any errors in this new release.

http://www.sweeting.org/mark/lenses/

Cheers,

Mark