FOV and target size: why wider angles make objects look smaller
At the same image dimensions, a central target at 120° horizontal FOV is about 58% as tall as at 90°. The target stays the same size and distance.
A wider FOV has to fit more of the world into the same image. That reduces the projected size of an object near the center, even though the object has not moved. This is why changing an FOV setting can make a distant target harder to pick out visually. The reduction follows the camera’s focal length, not a simple ratio between the degree values.
By TechCompare · Updated
Field of view preview
The center target is fixed at 20 m (66 ft). Only the horizontal camera angle changes.
- Horizontal
- 90°
- Vertical
- 59°
- Horizontal
- 120°
- Vertical
- 89°
Drag either scene to look around. Camera movement is synced. Arrow keys work when focused, and Home resets the view.
Use projected height for the comparison
Treat the center target’s height in View A as your reference. The percentage below the full tool reports View B’s projected height relative to it. A value of 58% means the image is about 42% shorter, not 58% shorter. It also does not describe the target’s screen area. For an object centered on the optical axis in this model, width and height share the same scale factor, while area changes by the square of that factor.
Keep the image size and target position consistent
The scale ratio assumes identical image dimensions, aspect ratio, and camera direction. Comparing a large screenshot to a small screenshot adds a separate display scaling change. At a fixed camera direction, the ratio also applies to other fully visible objects. A partly clipped target can show a different visible height because the frame cuts it off. Reset both cameras to face the center target for an easy reference, and compare the same object rather than two targets at different distances.
Camera references: horizontal and vertical conversion and view size at a distance. The worked examples use the visualizer’s own camera math.
How this is calculated
The projection uses f = image width ÷ (2 × tan(h / 2)). A small centered target at fixed depth has an image height proportional to f. Its View B to View A height ratio is therefore tan(hA / 2) ÷ tan(hB / 2). At 90° and 120°, that is approximately 0.58. At 90° and 110°, it is about 0.70. The calculation describes central image size rather than a distance change or a measure of game difficulty.
Verdict
Compare targets by projected height at the same image size and camera direction. Use the center reference for the cleanest result, and keep coverage as a separate benefit of the wider angle. The tool can quantify the geometric change, but only an in-game test can tell you whether the smaller image is a useful tradeoff for your task.
More FOV scenarios
Frequently asked questions
Is a 120° target 75% as tall as a 90° target?
Does lower FOV move me closer to the target?
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