Camera Field-of-View Coverage Calculator

Works out the ground coverage width, footprint area and blind spot of a security camera from its lens angle, mount height and coverage distance. It runs entirely in your browser and shows the working, so you can check every step against your own figures.

How the camera field-of-view coverage calculator works

The lens angle spreads the view into a widening wedge. The coverage width at your target distance is twice the distance times the tangent of half the angle, and the triangular footprint is half the distance times that width. The mount height sets a blind spot directly below the camera, which the tool also works out.

What you enter

Enter the lens angle, mount height and coverage distance; the calculator returns the coverage width, footprint area and blind spot. Every field is editable, and the result recalculates the moment you change a value.

Reading the result

A wide lens covers more width but sees less detail far off; a narrow lens reaches further with more pixels on target. Match the coverage footprint to the area you need, and mind the blind spot beneath the camera.

Safe by design

This tool plans coverage, storage and cable length. It never specifies conductor gauge or PoE circuit sizing — the electrical side is a qualified installer’s responsibility.

Assumptions and limits

This maps the horizontal footprint to a chosen distance. Usable identification range is far shorter than detection range — it depends on the sensor’s pixels-per-metre. It also assumes a clear line of sight; walls, foliage and light levels all cut real coverage.

Using it with the rest of BuildMetricLab

This calculator is one step in planning the job. Pair it with the related tools in this category and across BuildMetricLab to go from a single figure to a full costed plan — a sizing figure feeds a cost estimate, a cost estimate feeds a project budget, and each result carries straight into the next tool. Every BuildMetricLab tool runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, nothing sent to a server, and the formula is shown on the page so the maths can be audited.