Which statement correctly describes the field of view (FOV)?

• A. FOV is the angle of a single pixel.
• B. FOV is the total angular extent of the scene visible to the camera.
• C. FOV is independent of lens focal length.
• D. FOV is measured only in radians.

Answer: (B)

The field of view is the total angular extent of the scene visible to the camera. It describes how wide the camera can “see” through its lens and sensor combination. This depends on both the lens focal length and the sensor size: a shorter focal length or a larger sensor yields a wider FOV, while a longer focal length or a smaller sensor yields a narrower FOV. It applies to the whole image, not to a single pixel, so it’s about the scene angle rather than pixel-level detail. It can be expressed in degrees or radians, so it isn’t limited to radians. This makes the described statement the correct way to define FOV. In practice, photographers and infrared operators talk about horizontal, vertical, or diagonal FOV, all determined by the same relationship between lens and sensor.