diff --git a/iohub/fov.py b/iohub/fov.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d91a21f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/iohub/fov.py
@@ -0,0 +1,225 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+from pathlib import Path
+from types import TracebackType
+from typing import Any, Iterable, Optional, Type, Union
+
+import numpy as np
+from numpy.typing import ArrayLike
+
+_AXES_PREFIX = ["T", "C", "Z", "Y", "X"]
+
+
+class BaseFOV(ABC):
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def root(self) -> Path:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def axes_names(self) -> list[str]:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def channel_names(self) -> list[str]:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    def channel_index(self, key: str) -> int:
+        """Return index of given channel."""
+        return self.channels.index(key)
+
+    def _missing_axes(self) -> list[int]:
+        """Return sorted indices of missing axes."""
+        if len(self.axes_names) == 5:
+            return []
+
+        elif len(self.axes_names) > 5:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"{self.__name__} does not support more than 5 axes. "
+                f"Found {len(self.axes_names)}"
+            )
+
+        axes = set(ax[:1].upper() for ax in self.axes_names)
+
+        missing = []
+        for i, ax in enumerate(_AXES_PREFIX):
+            if ax not in axes:
+                missing.append(i)
+
+        return missing
+
+    def _pad_missing_axes(
+        self,
+        seq: Union[list[Any], tuple[Any]],
+        value: Any,
+    ) -> Union[list[Any], tuple[Any]]:
+        """Pads ``seq`` with ``value`` in the missing axes positions."""
+
+        if isinstance(seq, tuple):
+            is_tuple = True
+            seq = list(seq)
+        else:
+            is_tuple = False
+
+        for i in self._missing_axes():
+            seq.insert(i, value)
+
+        if is_tuple:
+            seq = tuple(seq)
+
+        if len(seq) != len(_AXES_PREFIX):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"Failed to pad raw axes {self.axes_names} to {_AXES_PREFIX}"
+            )
+
+        return seq
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def shape(self) -> tuple[int, int, int, int, int]:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __getitem__(
+        self,
+        key: Union[int, slice, tuple[Union[int, slice], ...]],
+    ) -> ArrayLike:
+        """
+        Returned object must support the ``__array__`` interface,
+        so that ``np.asarray(...)`` will work.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @property
+    def ndim(self) -> int:
+        return 5
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def dtype(self) -> np.dtype:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def zyx_scale(self) -> tuple[float, float, float]:
+        """Helper function for FOV spatial scale (micrometer)."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def t_scale(self) -> float:
+        """Helper function for FOV time scale (seconds)."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: BaseFOV) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(other, BaseFOV):
+            return False
+        return self.root.absolute() == other.root.absolute()
+
+
+class BaseFOVMapping(Mapping):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __enter__(self) -> BaseFOVMapping:
+        """Open the underlying file and return self."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __exit__(
+        self,
+        exc_type: Optional[Type[BaseException]],
+        exc_val: Optional[BaseException],
+        exc_tb: Optional[TracebackType],
+    ) -> bool:
+        """Close the files."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __contains__(self, position_key: str) -> bool:
+        """Check if a position is present in the collection."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __getitem__(self, position_key: str) -> BaseFOV:
+        """FOV key position to FOV object."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterable[tuple[str, BaseFOV]]:
+        """Iterates over pairs of keys and FOVs."""
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
+
+class FOVDict(BaseFOVMapping):
+    """
+    Basic implementation of a mapping of strings to BaseFOVs.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        data_dict: Optional[dict[str, BaseFOV]] = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> None:
+        super().__init__()
+        self._data = {}
+
+        if data_dict is not None:
+            for key, fov in data_dict.items():
+                self._safe_insert(key, fov)
+
+        for key, fov in kwargs.items():
+            self._safe_insert(key, fov)
+
+    def _safe_insert(self, key: str, value: BaseFOV) -> None:
+        """Checks if types are correct and key is unique."""
+        if not isinstance(key, str):
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"{self.__class__.__name__} key must be str. "
+                f"Found {key} with type {type(key)}"
+            )
+
+        if not isinstance(value, BaseFOV):
+            raise TypeError(
+                f"{self.__class__.__name__} value must subclass BaseFOV. "
+                f"Found {key} with value type {type(value)}"
+            )
+
+        if key in self:
+            raise KeyError(f"{key} already exists.")
+
+        self._data[key] = value
+
+    def __contains__(self, position_key: str) -> bool:
+        """Checks if position_key already exists."""
+        return position_key in self._data
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        return len(self._data)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, position_key: str) -> BaseFOV:
+        """FOV key position to FOV object."""
+        return self._data[position_key]
+
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterable[tuple[str, BaseFOV]]:
+        """Iterates over pairs of keys and FOVs."""
+        return self._data.items()
+
+    def __enter__(self) -> FOVDict:
+        """Open the underlying file and return self."""
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(
+        self,
+        exc_type: Optional[Type[BaseException]],
+        exc_val: Optional[BaseException],
+        exc_tb: Optional[TracebackType],
+    ) -> bool:
+        """Close the files."""
+        return False
diff --git a/tests/fov/test_fov.py b/tests/fov/test_fov.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57e19140
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fov/test_fov.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+import pytest
+
+from iohub.fov import BaseFOV, FOVDict
+
+
+class FOV(BaseFOV):
+    def __init__(self, axes: list[str]) -> None:
+        super().__init__()
+        self._axes = axes
+
+    @property
+    def root(self) -> Path:
+        return Path()
+
+    @property
+    def axes_names(self) -> list[str]:
+        return self._axes
+
+    @property
+    def channel_names(self) -> list[str]:
+        return []
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key: Any) -> Any:
+        pass
+
+    @property
+    def dtype(self) -> Any:
+        pass
+
+    @property
+    def shape(self) -> Any:
+        pass
+
+    @property
+    def zyx_scale(self) -> tuple[float, float, float]:
+        return (1.0,) * 3
+
+    @property
+    def t_scale(self) -> float:
+        raise 1.0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "axes,missing",
+    [
+        (["T", "C", "Z", "Y", "X"], []),
+        (["time", "z", "y", "x"], [1]),
+        (["channels", "Y", "X"], [0, 2]),
+    ],
+)
+def test_missing_axes(axes: list[str], missing: list[int]) -> None:
+    fov = FOV(axes)
+    assert fov._missing_axes() == missing
+
+    shape = (10,) * len(axes)
+    padded_shape = fov._pad_missing_axes(shape, 1)
+    assert len(padded_shape) == 5
+
+    for i, s in enumerate(padded_shape):
+        if i in missing:
+            assert s == 1
+        else:
+            assert s == 10
+
+
+def test_fov_dict() -> None:
+
+    good_collection = FOVDict(
+        {
+            "488": FOV(["y", "x"]),
+            "561": FOV(["y", "x"]),
+        },
+        mask=FOV(["c", "x", "y"]),
+    )
+
+    assert len(good_collection) == 3
+    assert "488" in good_collection
+    assert good_collection["mask"] is not None
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        del good_collection["561"]
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        good_collection["segmentation"] = FOV(["x", "y"])
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        FOVDict({488: FOV(["y", "x"])})
+
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        FOVDict(mask=[1, 2, 3])