Android Version of FoV and DoF Calculator released
A little over a month ago I released my new web-based Field of View and Depth of Field Calculator application, that is hosted on my website here:
I had a blog post at the time that announced it, and explained why it is unique compared to other similar tools.
It was important to me, that the web-based version be released first, so that anyone with a desktop, laptop, tablet or cell phone with an internet connection could use it immediately without having to download an app.
However, once it was out there, the next priority was to get out the Android and iPhone versions of the app.
The goal being to create apps that were 100% self contained and didn't require any network resources.
Thus a photographer in the middle of no-where with his phone and no cell phone reception of any kind (let alone a decent 4G connection) could still use this app for calculating Field of View, Depth of Field, Hyperfocal Distance, etc...
Deciding which platform to develop first, between Android and iOS is something nearly every company and developer struggles with. (except the ones with independent development teams that can develop both simultaneously)
If you are developing an application purely as a money making venture to sell the application itself, iOS is the way to go. Even though Android has over an 85% market share, iPhone users tend to have more money and be more willing to purchase applications rather than settle for free apps.
However, if you are developing a free application and the purpose is to get it into as many hands as possible as quickly as possible, then that 85% market share for Android is impossible to ignore.
Thus I am announcing now that the Android version is out and available for download in the Google Play store: Google Play FoV and DoF Application.
I actually released the first version last week as sort of a public beta. With recommendations from some of the first users to graciously download and test it and offer recommendations we are now on version 4.
Here is a screenshot that shows what you first see when you open the app:
There are drop-downs for selecting your Camera, Focal Length, Aperture (f/stop), and Unit Measurements (Feet, Meters, Inches, Centimeters), and a text box that accepts only numeric input for specifying your Distance from subject.
For cameras, every DSLR made by Nikon or Canon either one is listed, and all calculations go by the actual sensor size of that specific camera instead of using an average sensor size of a generic full frame (36mm X 24mm) or Nikon DX (24mm X 16mm) size for the calculations that most other apps use.
The various other formats I didn't get as specific as far as brand and model as they would be too numerous to list. For instance there have been hundreds of just 4" X 5" Large Format film holders made over the years none of which were exactly 4" X 5" in terms of imageable area, but my calculations are based on the average imageable area for most 4" X 5" film holders.
I will be adding more cameras in the future, such as Fuji, Sony, etc...
If you simply enter a Camera, and a Focal length, and then hit calculate it will get the Field of View information for you, but obviously the Depth of Field can't be calculated without an Aperture and Focus Distance.
Here are a couple of screen shots that represent an Angle of View only calculation:
Notice since I picked a Full Frame camera the Crop Factor is "1" and the approximate Full Frame Equivalent Focal length is the same as the actual Focal Length.
Also, notice the Angle of View and Depth of Field information are on two separate tabs. You can get to either screen by either swiping back and forth, or by clicking on the tab name at the top.
Lastly, notice the warning on the bottom of the Depth of Field screen that tells you that you didn't enter an Aperture or Distance.
Now if we simply select an Aperture and enter a Focus Distance, and hit calculate again, it fills out the information in the Depth of Field Tab:
Lastly, if we use a camera other than a Full Frame DSLR or 35mm Camera, it will give us the Approximate Full Frame equivalent focal length of that lens, along with the actual crop factor to be used with that camera.
(Note that people often use 1.5X for Nikon DX or 1.6X for Canon APS-C and 1.3X for Canon APS-H, but for a greater degree of precision which can affect the actual focal length, the exact crop factors rarely come out to exactly 1.5, 1.6 or 1.3.)
For those of you that are iPhone users, that application is still a few weeks away from being ready for release, but it is a high priority.
As always, any comments are appreciated, and feel free to visit my main site:
