Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!rsiatl!nanovx!msa3b!kevin
From: kevin@msa3b.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: photo of crt
Keywords: photo, crt
Message-ID: <1255@msa3b.UUCP>
Date: 22 Feb 90 20:33:02 GMT
References: <146@tslwat.UUCP>
Organization: Management Science America, Inc., Atlanta, GA
Lines: 36

louk@tslwat.UUCP (Lou Kates) writes:

>Does anyone have any experience in taking photos of what is on a CRT screen?
>What lighting, if any, should be used, what f stop, what shutter speed?  I
>am using a 35 mm camera.

>Lou Kates, Teleride Sage Limited, ...!watmath!looking!tslwat!louk
>519-725-0277

Years ago, when I was using a TRS-80 Model I (see...I SAID it was years ago),
I played with this just for grins.  I was using black-and-white print film,
and I never made prints (just developed the negatives).

Use a tripod, and FILL the frame (I hope you are using a SLR, otherwise
filling the frame can be tough).  Use a shutter speed no faster than 1/30
of a second to avoid problems with the scan rate on your terminal (these
problems are similar to flash sync).

Be sure to note exactly where the brightness and contrast knobs on your
monitor are set.  It would be meaningless for me to tell you what f-stop and
film speed to use, because I do not know how bright your monitor (and image)
are.  Try a relatively slow film, to reduce granularity (about an ASA 200
or an ASA 64).

Then get a 12 or 24 exposure roll, and shoot some test shots, bracketing
widely (i.e. try each full stop from F-4 through F-22). If you use print
film, don't bother printing this test roll, you just want to examine
the negatives under a magnifying glass, to see what works. (Uhh, hmmm...
you DID note which frames had which settings, didn't you?) Actually,
putting the settings on the screen can be a good reminder.

I found that black-and-white was easier to get right, because a lab will do
really strange stuff to your colors if you use color film.
-- 
Kevin Kleinfelter @ Management Science America, Inc (404) 239-2347
gatech!nanovx!msa3b!kevin