field of view (FOV)

Extent of the area of the specimen plane that can be observed through a microscope. The field of view is calculated by dividing the field number by the magnification of the objective lens. When the observational field is circular, the field of view is expressed as the diameter; when the observational field is rectangular, it is expressed as the length of the diagonal, in millimeters.

Synonyms: object field, microscope field-of-view

See also: field number, eyepiece field number, objective lens field number