Lighting & rendering · Beginner

Active camera

The one camera a scene renders through, out of all the cameras in it

What is the active camera?

The active camera is the one camera a scene renders through. A scene can hold many cameras, but only the active one sets the framing of a still or animation. In Blender, select a camera and press Ctrl+Numpad 0 to make it active, or pick it in the scene properties.

Think of it like this

It is like a film set with several cameras on tripods: only the one with its red light on is recording.

Where it fits in a 3D project

Create
Surface
Rig
Animate
Render
Export

Render: Lighting the scene and turning it into images or video.

How the active camera works

01Add cameras anywhere in the scene and aim each one.
02Mark one as the active camera for the scene.
03Numpad 0 shows its view, with a frame marking the edges of the render.
04Rendering uses that view, at the resolution set in the output properties.

Active camera vs viewport view

Property	Active camera	Viewport view
What it is	A camera object in the scene	Your working eye while editing
Used for the render	Yes	No
Can be animated	Yes, like any object	No
Lens settings	Its own focal length and depth of field	A separate viewport lens in the sidebar

Move around freely in the viewport view while you build, and set up the active camera for anything you plan to render or share.

Where the active camera is used

Framing the final shot of a still or animation
Cutting between angles within one animated scene
Keeping a fixed, repeatable view for turntables and previews

Beginner tip

To aim a camera by eye, press Numpad 0, open the sidebar’s View tab and turn on Camera to View. Orbiting and panning now move the camera itself. Turn it off once the shot is set.

Active camera in Morphic

In Morphic for Blender, the Video tab can capture what the active camera sees and use it as the first frame of a generated video. The clip is placed in your scene on a plane, with the video as its texture.

See Morphic for Blender

Active camera FAQ

How do I set the active camera in Blender?

Select the camera and press Ctrl+Numpad 0 over the viewport, which makes it active and shows its view. You can also choose it in the Camera field of the scene properties tab.

How do I look through the camera in Blender?

Press Numpad 0 to see through the active camera. The darker area outside the frame is what the render leaves out. Press Numpad 0 again, or orbit the view, to leave camera view.

How do I switch cameras during an animation?

Bind cameras to timeline markers. Add a marker on the frame where the cut happens, select the camera to use from there, and run the bind camera command from the timeline’s Marker menu. The active camera changes at each marker.

Why does my render show the wrong view?

Rendering always uses the active camera, not the angle you see in the viewport. Press Numpad 0 to check what it sees, then move it or make the right camera active. With no camera in the scene, Blender cannot render at all.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Browse all 3D terms