What are ‘Lens Angles’?
The camera’s lens shows us a wedge-shaped segment of the scene. In regular TV/video systems, its horizontal coverage is 1.33 times greater than its vertical; in other words, the screen has 4 by 3 proportions.
How much of the scene appears in the picture will depend on the angles the lens covers. If the lens-covers a horizontal angle of 40°, its corresponding vertical angle will be 30°.
The actual angles will vary with the lens’ focal length (see Glossary). A prime lens’ angles are fixed, according to its design; but zoom lenses have variable focal length, and so can adjust their coverage.
Two conventions are used when planning shots. You can identify the lens either by its ‘focal length’, or by its horizontal ‘lens ...
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