Lens comparison tool: see what any focal length frames on your camera

Free online lens comparison tool. Pick your camera and the focal lengths or zoom you're deciding between: the frames show what each lens captures from the same spot, and the table shows how much it covers and how far to stand. Use one of our sample photos or your own; your photo never leaves your browser.

Focal length	Full-frame equivalent	Horizontal angle	Vertical angle	Diagonal angle
24 mm	24 mm	73.7°	53.1°	84.1°
35 mm	35 mm	54.4°	37.8°	63.4°
50 mm	50 mm	39.6°	27.0°	46.8°
85 mm	85 mm	23.9°	16.1°	28.6°

To see any focal length live instead of over a photo, Prospekt (Lens Simulator: Prospekt on the App Store) turns your iPhone into a viewfinder for your camera body: pick the body and a lens from 14 to 300 mm, point the phone, and the screen frames what that lens would. iPhone app, $3.99 once, no subscription.

The same framing on different sensors

To frame like a full-frame lens on a smaller or bigger sensor, divide by the crop factor. The table shows the focal length you need on each format.

Full-frame look	APS-C 1.5x	Canon APS-C 1.6x	Micro Four Thirds 2x	44 x 33 medium format 0.79x
24 mm	16 mm	15 mm	12 mm	30 mm
35 mm	23 mm	22 mm	18 mm	44 mm
50 mm	33 mm	31 mm	25 mm	63 mm
85 mm	57 mm	53 mm	42 mm	108 mm
135 mm	90 mm	84 mm	68 mm	171 mm

What each focal length covers at a distance

On a full-frame camera held horizontally, each lens captures a scene this wide and this tall. On a smaller sensor, use the focal length with the same full-frame look from the table above. 1 m is about 3.3 ft.

Focal length	At 1 m	At 2 m	At 3 m	At 5 m	At 10 m
24 mm	1.5 × 1.0 m	3.0 × 2.0 m	4.5 × 3.0 m	7.5 × 5.0 m	15.0 × 10.0 m
35 mm	1.0 × 0.7 m	2.1 × 1.4 m	3.1 × 2.1 m	5.1 × 3.4 m	10.3 × 6.9 m
50 mm	0.7 × 0.5 m	1.4 × 1.0 m	2.2 × 1.4 m	3.6 × 2.4 m	7.2 × 4.8 m
85 mm	0.4 × 0.3 m	0.8 × 0.6 m	1.3 × 0.8 m	2.1 × 1.4 m	4.2 × 2.8 m
135 mm	0.3 × 0.2 m	0.5 × 0.4 m	0.8 × 0.5 m	1.3 × 0.9 m	2.7 × 1.8 m

How far to stand for a portrait

On a full-frame camera held vertically, with the subject filling 90% of the frame height. Full body means a 1.8 m person, head and shoulders about 0.5 m.

35 mm: about 1.9 m (6.4 ft) for a full-body portrait, 0.5 m (1.8 ft) for head and shoulders.
50 mm: about 2.8 m (9.1 ft) for a full-body portrait, 0.8 m (2.5 ft) for head and shoulders.
85 mm: about 4.7 m (15 ft) for a full-body portrait, 1.3 m (4.3 ft) for head and shoulders.
135 mm: about 7.5 m (25 ft) for a full-body portrait, 2.1 m (6.8 ft) for head and shoulders.

Full-body distance by sensor size

How far to stand so a 1.8 m person fills 90% of the frame height, with the camera held vertically.

Focal length	Full frame 1x	APS-C 1.5x	Canon APS-C 1.6x	Micro Four Thirds 2x
35 mm	1.9 m (6.4 ft)	2.9 m (9.6 ft)	3.1 m (10 ft)	4.0 m (13 ft)
50 mm	2.8 m (9.1 ft)	4.2 m (14 ft)	4.4 m (15 ft)	5.8 m (19 ft)
85 mm	4.7 m (15 ft)	7.1 m (23 ft)	7.6 m (25 ft)	9.8 m (32 ft)
135 mm	7.5 m (25 ft)	11.2 m (37 ft)	12.0 m (39 ft)	15.6 m (51 ft)

How the frames are calculated

A lens frames like its focal length times the crop factor on full frame. That number is the full-frame equivalent.
The angle of view is 2 x arctan(sensor size / (2 x focal length)), for the width, the height or the diagonal of the sensor.
Frames are drawn on a flat (rectilinear) projection, which is how all normal lenses draw. Fisheye lenses are different.
Micro Four Thirds and 44 x 33 medium format sensors are 4:3, so their frames are taller than the 3:2 frames of full frame and APS-C.
Coverage at a distance is the distance x sensor size / focal length. It assumes the lens is focused far away. Close up, most lenses frame a little tighter.

Questions

How do I compare two lenses without buying them?

Pick your camera above and tap both focal lengths. The frames show what each one captures from the same spot. To see it on a real scene, Prospekt does the same live through your iPhone.

Is 35 mm or 50 mm better for everyday photos?

35 mm shows more of the scene and suits streets, travel and small rooms. 50 mm is tighter and suits portraits and details. Compare both frames on your camera above and pick the one closer to how you see.

Does the tool work on a phone?

Yes. It runs in any modern browser, and your own photos are processed on your device.

How far away do I stand for a full-body portrait?

On a full-frame camera held vertically, about 1.9 m (6.4 ft) with a 35 mm lens, 2.8 m (9.1 ft) with 50 mm, 4.7 m (15 ft) with 85 mm and 7.5 m (25 ft) with 135 mm. That fits a 1.8 m person in 90% of the frame height. Every camera page lists these distances for that body.

How far do I stand for a full-body portrait with an 85 mm lens on APS-C?

About 7.1 m (23 ft) on a 1.5x APS-C camera such as Sony, Fujifilm or Nikon, and 7.6 m (25 ft) on Canon APS-C (1.6x), with the camera held vertically and a 1.8 m person filling 90% of the frame height. Held horizontally, about 10.6 m (35 ft) on 1.5x. With a 50 mm lens on 1.5x APS-C, about 4.2 m (14 ft).

Lens comparison: see what each focal length frames on your camera