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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    Hi Everyone
    I have been banging my head on a wall :mad2: trying to figure out how to take pictures of LCD monitors. I am trying to build a training simulation on the BlackBerry and would like to take pictures of an active screen. The problem I’m having is that I keep getting vertical lines on the screen in all my photos. Some one please HELP!

  2. #2
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    Re: Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    Can't you import screen shots? Like import them from the pc after you take a screen shot

  3. #3
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    The problem is interference patterns where the spacing of the pixels in the camera is not exactly the spacing of the dots on the screen.

    For still images, I use CapSnapper form Cerious software http://www.capsnapper.com/
    I have tried various tools that are meant to grab real live animated screen displays but not one has worked for me.
    PAul

    Scroll down to the Sports Forum and post your sports pictures !

  4. #4
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Multiple Exposures

    I've done lots of product photography that includes LCD screens. All of our digital camera pro reviews have LCD screen photos. For best results, you have to work on a tripod and make multiple exposures for layering in Photoshop. I shoot one exposure for the product and another for the LCD display. They have different exposures and white balance. I layer those images in Photoshop and use a layer mask merge the product body and LCD display.

    The lines you're having problems with are from shooting faster than the LCD display's refresh rate. This is another reason to work on a tripod. Try shooting at 1/15th of a second or slower. If the first shutter speed doesn't work, keep slowing it down until you eliminate the lines.

    The samples here are from our Sony Alpha A350 digital SLR pro review. There's some moire from the pixel pattern on the LCD. We also added an adjustment layer for the LCD in the final composite. But you can see the LCD display looks pretty clean. We could have probably gotten it to look even better, if we put more time into it.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Taking Pictures of  LCD Screens-sony_lcd_smpl1.jpg   Taking Pictures of  LCD Screens-sony_lcd_smpl3.jpg   Taking Pictures of  LCD Screens-sony_lcd_smpl2.jpg  
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  5. #5
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    Still looks like there's a pattern, John.
    Not Moire, more of a plaid pattern over the image.
    How do you get rid of that?
    PAul

    Scroll down to the Sports Forum and post your sports pictures !

  6. #6
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
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    Re: Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    Quote Originally Posted by SmartWombat
    Still looks like there's a pattern, John.
    Not Moire, more of a plaid pattern over the image.
    How do you get rid of that?
    You're saying that's not moire? Looks like moire to me.
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

  7. #7
    Senior Member freygr's Avatar
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    Re: Taking Pictures of LCD Screens

    I have to agree, I do see moire.
    with the little screens you have to have the shutter open for an integer of the scan rate, the longer the shutter is open the more scans the less problem of an under/over exposure line appearing in the photo.
    GRF

    Panorama Madness:

    Nikon D800, 50mm F1.4D AF, 16-35mm, 28-200mm & 70-300mm

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