What focal length do I need to capture a 12-foot-wide scene from 3 feet away?
Asked 3/25/2015
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I’m trying to photograph a scene that is 12 feet wide while standing about 3 feet from it. I’m new to field of view calculations and want to know what focal length would be required on different camera types, such as a GoPro, APS-C DSLR, or full-frame DSLR. Are my estimates of roughly 1.5mm for a GoPro and about 5mm for a DSLR correct?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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Another option that would work for some purposes (i.e. a single still image) is to stitch multiple pictures together. Since you mention a GoPro, I'm guessing this might not be what you have in mind, but it's one possible solution to the question as stated, so it should probably be included...
Originally by user37649. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37649
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
To fit a 12-foot-wide scene from 3 feet away, you need an extremely wide horizontal angle of view: about 127°.
That translates roughly to:
- full-frame DSLR: about 9mm
- APS-C / 1.5x crop DSLR: about 6mm
- very small-sensor action cameras: around the ultra-wide range you estimated
So a DSLR would not typically need 5mm unless the sensor is much smaller than full frame; for common DSLRs, 6mm (APS-C) or 9mm (full frame) is a better estimate.
This is ultra-wide territory, and in practice you may need a fisheye lens, which can provide very large angles of view, often up to 180° diagonally. Keep in mind that lenses this wide can introduce strong distortion.
If your subject is static and a single-frame solution isn’t required, another option is to shoot multiple overlapping images and stitch them together into a panorama.
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