What is Field-of-View (FOV)?
FOV stands for Field-of-View and it is the width of the image as seen through optics. This is often quoted as “width at distance” or in degrees. For example, 300ft@1000yrds would mean when the optics are focused at an object 1000 yards away, the width of the entire image as seen through the optics is 300 feet wide. If the number is given in degrees, it is either the angular FOV or the apparent FOV. For comparison purposes, multiply the angular FOV by 52.5 to get the standard FOV (e.g. 6 degrees X 52.5 = 315 [feet @ 1000 yards]). If the number given is larger than 15, it is probably the apparent FOV which can be divided by the magnification to get the angular FOV then multiplied by 52.5 to get the standard FOV. The wider the field of view, the easier it is to find and track objects (especially ones that are moving). This number is usually inversely proportional to magnification meaning that higher magnifications equal small FOVs.
