Tech Tools / Calculator
IMAG Camera Placement
Size a lens and camera position from sensor dimensions, subject framing and the available zoom range.
Planning aid only. Far-field thin-lens approximation; focus breathing, distortion, stabilization crop and teleconverters are excluded. Verify the active recording crop. Verify equipment specifications and on-site conditions before the show.
Setup
Results
How to use this tool
Enter the actual active sensor dimensions, including recording crop, and the minimum width and height that must fit in frame. The limiting dimension determines the lens or minimum distance.
Far-field rectilinear approximation: framing width = distance × sensor width / focal length, with sensor and focal length in the same units. Required focal length is the smaller of the horizontal and vertical limits; distance is the larger requirement. A “zoom multiple” here is required focal length divided by the entered lens wide end, not a universal camera zoom setting.
A camera placed 20 m away with a 24.89 mm sensor width and a 3 m frame-width limit needs at most 165.93 mm horizontally. Check the height limit too.
FAQ
Why are there two framing dimensions?
The camera aspect ratio may differ from the requested subject rectangle. Both dimensions must fit, so one usually has extra space.
Does focal length include crop factor?
Enter actual lens focal length and actual active sensor size. Do not also multiply by an equivalent-focal-length crop factor.
Does this provide rigging or platform coordinates?
No. It provides optical-axis distance and lens geometry. Check sightline, camera height, audience obstruction, stability and access separately.
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