Picture Angle?

[jeffrey_aiello_photography]

What is "Picture Angle"?

 

From the Nikon web site.... Picture Angle of a 60mm lens is "39

degrees 40 minutes (35mm format), 26 degrees 30 minutes (Nikon DX

format". I have no clue as to what this means.

 

Somebody, please help!

 

Thanks,

 

jeff

[gary petersen]

I'm not sure but it sounds like they are referring to what we normally call the field of view.

[jimstrutz]

Actually it is the angle of view, which would determine the field of view for a given distance. An angle of view of a 60mm lens on 35mmm film is a 39.65 degree angle when measured from one corner to the opposite corner. Using the same lens on a Nikon DX fomat digital SLR would produce a narrower angle of view since the digital sensor is smaller than the 35mm frame.

[mark u]

I always find the diagonal angle of view to be the least useful one to know. Much better to know the horizontal and vertical angles, which give a better idea of what you can get in the frame. The following lens calculator shows all three angles of view and allows you to put in the focal length, and choose between different formats, including Nikon DX and 35mm among many others. It also shows the dimensions of the area that a lens will capture at a given focus distance (as well as providing depth of field data for different apertures, and handling teleconverters, closeup lenses and extension tubes):

 

http://ca.geocities.com/lokejul/jlcalc.htm

 

There's quite a useful series of shots of the same scene taken with different lenses on a film camera on p.10 of the Sigma lens catalogue:

 

http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/pdfs/Lens%20Brochure.pdf

[jeffrey_aiello_photography]

Thank you so much for the great information.

 

Jeff

[wilsontsoi]

Diagonal angle of view is just that, and is helpful in determining the required focal lengths in various formats (4x5, medium, 35mm full frame, 1.5x crop factor, 2x Olypus four thirds, etc.)