Broadcast-specific throughout: the database, the accuracy model, and the workflow tools. Knowing roughly what a lens will cover and knowing for certain are different things on an unfamiliar location under time pressure. PocketOP confirms what experienced operators already know.
01
Both ends of the lens, at once
Two brackets on screen at the same time: the widest shot the lens can produce and the tightest. One glance tells you whether a camera position covers the space or falls short, without toggling between focal lengths. For broadcast lenses you can switch the overlay between 16:9 and 4:3 to match your target format.
02
Preview the framing, live
The field-of-view brackets show what a lens will cover. The live zoom preview goes further and frames the live picture to match the field of view a chosen broadcast, cine, or PTZ lens gives from where you're standing. It steps to the sharpest iPhone lens automatically, so the framing stays clean through the iPhone's own range; at the long end, where a lens reaches beyond that, the picture softens and the app flags it on screen. Switch between the bracket outline and the live framing to read a position either way.
03
Broadcast glass, cine zooms, and PTZ in one place
176 broadcast lenses from Canon, Fujinon, Angénieux, Zeiss, and Nikon. 624 cine zoom and cine-servo lenses across Super 35, Full Frame, and Large Format. All sourced from manufacturer spec sheets, HD through 8K.
04
PTZ cameras treated as their own category
PTZ rigs have fixed optics and manufacturer-published HFOV values specific to each model. PocketOP stores those values directly, preserving the precision that focal-length calculations lose.
05
The database updates without an App Store submission
New lenses go live automatically, and the app picks them up when it opens. Request a lens from inside the app and it can appear in the database within days, no app update needed.
06
Add your own glass as a custom lens
When a lens is not in the database, your own glass or a specific setup, add it as a custom lens. Custom lenses sit grouped by mount in a Custom tab and work in the field-of-view and framing tools exactly like any database entry. Build one from scratch, or start from a database lens by copying its specs (a Pro feature) and pasting them into the Custom tab, then adjust from there.
07
Open any lens or camera for the full spec sheet
Every lens and camera has a full detail sheet, opened from the info button in the picker: the complete specifications, the per-field notes, and links to the manufacturer. Copy the spec to share it wherever you need it, the same reference depth that runs this site, in your hand on set.
08
Fine-tune the overlay against real equipment
The built-in guided calibration lets operators walk through a step-by-step parallax-compensation adjustment per lens, with a ±25% range and live overlay feedback.
09
Always current, always complete
One yearly subscription keeps the full lens and PTZ database unlocked and continuously updated. New cameras and lenses land as manufacturers release them.
10
Screenshots that speak for themselves
Every capture keeps the framing brackets on a clean image and sets the lens name and its wide-and-tele framing out in a panel beside it. Send it to a DP, paste it into a location report, or attach it to a production email. The recipient reads the data without needing the app.
11
Build a lens list on location, share it before you leave
Create named scout lists, then rename, duplicate, sort, star, and delete them as your plan develops. When you're ready, send the complete list by email to a saved recipient in one tap. Or export the list as a CSV file, ready to import into production and rental management software.
12
Frame Dimensions: know the physical size of your shot
Set a distance and PocketOP shows the exact width, height, and diagonal of your frame in metres. Know whether your backdrop fits the stage, or how much of a stadium your lens covers from a given position.
