How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?

August 19, 2022

Latest company news about How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?

How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?

Sometimes, when customers buy camera modules from us, they don't know what kinds of lens they need to use. There are lots of theory, articles or even calculators teaching people how to choose the correct lens, but after finishing reading, people are still confused, or maybe more confused.

latest company news about How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?  0

In fact, what lens you need is largely dependent on where you want to install your cameras/camera modules. Do you want to install it in your room, your office, your cars, your big factory, your open backyard, your street, or your building? These different places with different observation distance use very different lens, so how to choose the suitable one among hundreds of different lens?

 

There are many factors to think about when choosing your lens, like focal length, aperture, lens mount, format, FOV, lens construction and optical length, etc, but in this article, I am going to emphasize on ONE factor, the most important factor when choosing lens: The Focal Length

latest company news about How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?  1

 

 

The focal length of the lens is the distance between the lens and the image sensor when the subject is in focus, usually stated in millimeters (e.g., 3.6 mm, 12 mm, or 50 mm). In the case of zoom lenses, both the minimum and maximum focal lengths are stated, for example 2.8mm–12 mm.

 

The Focal Length is measured in mm. As a guide:

 

a short focal length (e.g. 2.8mm) = a wide angle of view=short observation distance

a long focal length (e.g. 16mm) = a narrow angle of view=long observation distance

 

The shorter the focal length, the greater the extent of the scene captured by the lens. On the other hand, the longer the focal length, the smaller the extent captured by the lens. If the same subject is photographed from the same distance, its apparent size will decrease as the focal length gets shorter and increase as the focal length gets longer.

latest company news about How to choose the correct lens for your camera & camera modules?  2

 

See above photo, if you install the camera/camera module in your small bedroom/office room, the 2.8mm focal length is enough; if you want to put in your backyard, which is much bigger, then you need to use 4mm or 6mm focal length; If you use it in your street or in your factory, you might need 8mm or 12mm focal length, etc