Skip to workspace
PixelOkay
On-device studio
Tools
VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY TOOLS • LENS LAB

Camera Lens Simulator

Compare two lenses, understand crop factors, estimate depth of field, and export each framing. Optical geometry and a transparent, honest reference-image preview.

01◎02COMPARE THE FRAME
QUICK START
03 / LIVE FRAMING PREVIEW

Two lenses. One viewpoint.

Exact relative crop for a rectilinear pinhole model. Photo preview can only show pixels recorded in the reference.

A CAMERA A35 mm · Full frame
A · 35 mm
Reference coverage: 100%
B CAMERA B50 mm · APS-C
B · 50 mm
Reference coverage: 100%
Using an illustrated reference scene
CAMERA A / BASELINE

Lens A

35 mm
3 mm300 mm
Advanced: shift crop inside reference
Depth of field · calculated estimate

Uses subject distance as focus distance; no blur is simulated.

CAMERA B / EXPERIMENT

Lens B

50 mm
3 mm300 mm
Advanced: shift crop inside reference
Depth of field · calculated estimate

Uses subject distance as focus distance; no blur is simulated.

Different sensors and focal lengths can show different framing.
04 / ANGLE OF VIEW

See the geometry

Horizontal angle · To scale

Each fan represents the horizontal angle of view, not perspective distortion or blur. Both cameras are at the same position. The frame-width calculation uses a pinhole approximation at your selected distance.

Ready. No file leaves your browser.
Mathematically grounded

Field of view uses 2 × atan(gate ÷ (2 × focal length)). Frame width uses distance × gate / focal length.

Know the limitations

Changing focal length does not move the camera. Depth of field is a separate mathematical estimate: the preview does not render focus, blur, lens distortion or perspective shift.

Private and portable

Everything runs in the browser. Save settings and export a shareable PNG or spreadsheet-friendly CSV without cloud uploads.

How the simulator works

Choose a camera sensor, focal length and output crop for cameras A and B. The previews show the relative region captured from a single stationary viewpoint.

Photo mode: Upload an image and supply the focal length and sensor used to take it. When the target camera has a wider angle of view, a checkerboard marks unrecorded pixels rather than fabricating scenery.

35mm equivalence: Uses nominal sensor diagonal. Exact horizontal framing uses the aspect-cropped sensor gate, so different aspect ratios can affect horizontal field of view.

Distance: Changes estimated width and height of the scene at that distance, not the photo crop or camera perspective. The optional depth-of-field figures use a conventional thin-lens approximation, with circle of confusion based on sensor diagonal (about 0.03 mm for full frame). These are indicative, not actual lens measurements. No focus blur is rendered. Focus breathing, lens distortion, exposure, and vignetting are not simulated.

Depth of field: Expand the calculator in each lens panel and enter f-number (f/1 through f/32). The subject distance doubles as focus distance. Macro and close-focus optical behavior, optical aberrations, pupil magnification and bokeh are outside this model.

Image exports: Export either camera alone or the side-by-side image. Enable the separate export-guides checkbox to include thirds overlays in PNG files.

Save and share: Project JSON and shareable links include camera settings and your project name, not image bytes. Reattach the original image when reopening. Links place settings in the URL fragment.

Orientation: Custom sensor dimensions are rotated to match landscape or vertical output. A real camera can be moved to match framing, but that changes perspective and cannot be reproduced by cropping one photo.

Copy comparison link

Your camera settings and project name are in this link. An uploaded photo is never included.

Using Camera Lens Simulator

Compare rectilinear field of view and crop geometry for two sensor/lens setups, optionally checking a matching reference photo. Review the calculations separately from non-rendered depth-of-field estimates.

  1. Choose two sensor formats and focal lengths, then set the reference and crop assumptions for the comparison.
  2. Review each camera’s field of view and crop geometry; optionally attach a matching photo and use the missing-pixel checker to inspect coverage.
  3. Compare the A/B or combined view, optionally inspect the calculated depth-of-field estimate, then export PNG, SVG, CSV, JSON or a settings link.

Example: Compare a 24 mm lens on an APS-C sensor with a 35 mm lens on full frame from the same viewpoint, then attach a matching reference photo to check the framing estimate.

Limits and privacy: The simulator uses static rectilinear field-of-view/crop geometry; it does not model camera translation, perspective changes, lens aberrations or rendered bokeh. Depth of field is a non-rendered thin-lens estimate using its documented circle-of-confusion convention. Settings links and JSON include names/settings but omit photos; reattach a matching image before image export.

Frequently asked questions

Will this show perspective changes when I move the camera?

No. The comparison is based on static sensor/lens field-of-view and crop geometry. It does not simulate camera translation or the perspective change caused by moving closer or farther away.

Does the depth-of-field estimate render bokeh?

No. It calculates focus-depth estimates; it does not render blur, lens aberrations or an actual photograph.

Are my reference photos included in a settings link?

No. Settings links and JSON omit the attached photo but can include its name and camera assumptions. Reattach a matching reference before exporting an image.

Related tools