Wide angle lens question (not, which one...)

[SniperCJ 0]

OK, heres a question Ive been researching for a while. Seems like such a simple question but the answer eludes me.
Wide angle video lenses are categorized, as we know, by decimal numbers (0.6, 0.45, etc). How can I relate this decimal number to how much more field of view I will get if I put such and such lens on the camera? If I get, at 10', a 4 foot field of view, will I get 40% more field of view with a 0.6? 60% more?
I know that I can multiply the focal length of the camera by the decimal number and get my 'new' focal length with the wide angle, but what does that tell me??
Any clues?
JC

[Deuce 1]

Oh Lordy, If I could do math I'd have gotten a real job and done something with my life. I think B& H has the field of view listed for the lenses.
Good luck.

[quade 4]

It's going to depend on a number of issues like the effective size of the imager. Unfortunately, this isn't always given accurately in the lit that comes with your camera.
If you do a search on-line for field of view calculators, you'll find at least half a dozen, but here is one that will at least get you started.
quade
http://futurecam.com

[airdrew20012001 0]

I don't know.
Drewfus McDoofus

[ltdiver 3]

Then it also depends on what brand of wide angle lens you get as well. Don't know why, but the Sony .6 is about the same field of view as the Kenko .5. Go figure...
ltdiver
____________________________________________
LightDiverCam

[SniperCJ 0]

OK, if (and that's a BIG if..) I understand all this correctly and my calculations are correct, heres what I found (and it sounds correct...)
At about 5 feet my PC-9, which has a 35mm equivalent lens of 42mm, gives me a field of view of about 4.1 ft at about 54 degrees.
The 0.7 lens should widen my field of view to about 6.1 ft and about 73 degrees. It will be 35mm equivalent to about a 29mm lens.
The 0.6 lens should widen my field of view to about 7.1 ft and about 81 degrees. It will be 35mm equivalent to about a 25mm lens.
Hope this is correct and hope it helps someone other than me. This was driving me crazy trying to figure out.
JC

[quade 4]

As mentioned before, not all wide angle lenses are created equal and a 0.6 from one manufacturer may not actually be a 0.6 -- especially if you have to use a step down ring.
If you absolutely have to have an exact field of view, you might want to try out a few different wide angle lenses from different manufacturers.
quade
http://futurecam.com

[SniperCJ 0]

Naaaa, dont have to have the exact FOV. I was looking for the answer and at some point it became a quest to get the answer whether I needed it or not!