Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator
Fill in the values and the answer updates as you type.
How the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator works
GSD (cm/px) = altitude × sensor width × 100 ÷ (focal length × image width). Lower is sharper. The footprint is the GSD multiplied by the image size in pixels. Mapping surveys also need front and side overlap, often 70–80%, so the number of photos is larger than the plain area divided by the footprint. Use the real focal length from the camera specs, not the 35 mm equivalent. Example: At 100 m with the default 1-inch sensor, each pixel covers 2.74 cm, and one photo covers about 150 × 100 m.
Inputs and results
The Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator takes 5 inputs and gives 4 results.
What you enter
- Flight altitude (m) — starts at 100.
- Focal length (mm) — starts at 8.8.
- Sensor width (mm) — starts at 13.2.
- Image width (px) — starts at 5472.
- Image height (px) — starts at 3648.
What you get
- Ground sampling distance (cm/px)
- Footprint width (m)
- Footprint height (m)
- Area covered per photo (ha)
Example: Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator with the starting values
With flight altitude 100 m, focal length 8.8 mm, sensor width 13.2 mm, image width 5472 px and image height 3648 px, the calculator returns:
| Ground sampling distance (cm/px) | 2.74 |
|---|---|
| Footprint width (m) | 150 |
| Footprint height (m) | 100 |
| Area covered per photo (ha) | 1.5 |
Change any value above and the results update straight away.
Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator FAQ
How do I use the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator?
Enter flight altitude, focal length, sensor width and image width in the fields, then read ground sampling distance (cm/px), footprint width (m), footprint height (m) and area covered per photo (ha) in the result panel. The answer updates as you type, and you can press Calculate or Enter to refresh it. Use “Copy link” to share your exact numbers with someone else.
What does the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator calculate?
Ground resolution and image footprint for drone mapping. It returns ground sampling distance (cm/px), footprint width (m), footprint height (m) and area covered per photo (ha) from the 5 values you provide.
What values does the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator start with?
It opens with flight altitude 100 m, focal length 8.8 mm, sensor width 13.2 mm and image width 5472 px so you can see a working result straight away. Replace them with your own numbers, or press Reset to return to these starting values.
Is the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to or stored on our servers. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Can I rely on the Drone Ground Sampling Distance Calculator for important decisions?
Treat the result as a well-rounded estimate. Real situations often have details a general calculator cannot know, so confirm important decisions with a qualified professional. See the Disclaimer for more.