Field of view (FOV) is the angle of the scene a camera can capture, measured in degrees. A wider FOV shows more of the room from the same spot; a narrower FOV shows less but makes people look larger. For conference cameras, FOV decides whether everyone at the table, including people sitting close to the camera, ends up in the picture.
Horizontal, vertical and diagonal FOV
Manufacturers quote FOV differently, which makes comparison tricky.
| Measurement | What it describes | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Diagonal (DFOV) | Corner to corner | The largest number; common on spec sheets |
| Horizontal (HFOV) | Left to right | The one that matters most for seating coverage |
| Vertical (VFOV) | Top to bottom | Matters for standing presenters and tall ceilings |
A camera listed as 120 degrees diagonal covers noticeably less than 120 degrees horizontally. When comparing two cameras, compare the same measurement.
FOV vs room size
Wide lenses matter most in small rooms, where the front seats are close to the display and a narrow camera cuts them off.
| Room | Typical FOV | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Focus / huddle (2-5 people) | 120-150 degrees or more | Seats are close to the camera |
| Small to medium (6-10) | 90-120 degrees | Balance of coverage and face size |
| Large / boardroom (10+) | Narrower lens plus optical zoom, or multiple cameras | People at the far end need to be large enough to see |
| Wide rooms | 180-degree panoramic | Seating spreads across the width |
See wide-angle conference cameras and conference room camera placement.
Wider isn't always better
- Very wide lenses can distort people at the edges of the image. Good cameras correct this in software.
- In a long room, a wide lens makes far-end people tiny. Optical zoom or auto-framing on a high-resolution sensor solves that.
- A wide view shows more of the room, including clutter and doorways.
How auto-framing changes the picture
Most current bars combine a wide lens with AI framing: the sensor sees the whole room, and the camera crops in to the people present or to the active speaker. FOV then sets the maximum coverage, while framing decides what the far end actually sees. See ePTZ and intelligent multi-stream framing.
FOV examples from our catalog
| Product | FOV (per our catalog) | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Jabra PanaCast 50 | 180 degrees | Small/medium |
| Yealink MeetingBar A25 | 151 degrees | Focus/huddle |
| Logitech MeetUp 2 | 120 degrees | Huddle/small |
| AVer VB150 | 120 degrees | Huddle/small |
| Logitech Rally Bar 2 | 115 degrees | Medium/large |
| Neat Bar Generation 2 | 113 degrees | Huddle to medium |
Check each product page for whether the figure is diagonal or horizontal.
Compare more in best wide-angle conference cameras and the conference room camera buying guide.
Unsure which FOV your room needs? Send us the room dimensions and we'll check coverage for you.
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