Camera
Lens Compression Visualizer
See how focal length changes perspective and background compression.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Set a focal length, or pick a common lens.
- The subject stays the same size, so the camera distance changes to match.
- Watch the background scale and read the camera distance and compression.
Examples
- A 24mm pushes the background away and stretches space for a wide, open feel.
- A 135mm forces you far back, which pulls the background large and close behind the subject.
- A 50mm gives a natural look close to how the eye reads a scene.
Frequently asked questions
Do long lenses compress the image?
Not optically. Compression comes from the distance a long lens forces you to stand at to keep the subject framed. The same distance on any lens gives the same perspective.
Why hold the subject size constant?
Because that is how lens choice works in practice, you reframe by moving. Keeping the subject the same shows the real trade, which is what happens to the background.
How do I get a compressed look?
Use a longer lens and step back so the subject stays the same size. The further you are, the more the background looms, the telephoto portrait look.
