Taking photos from a CRT monitor.

Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly


I don't know the refresh rate of the screen, but if it is a NTSC standard
(US) it is best to shoot at 1/15 of a sec for an evenly lit photo. Be sure
to brace yourself because such a slow shutter speed is hard to hand hold the
camera without blur from moving. Be sure to turn off the flash and, if the
monitor is small, you may need to get close. In this case, you need to set
the camera's macro mode for a clear shot. Also be aware of stray reflections
on the screen from lights and such.

If you can't control the camera's shutter speed, it will be difficult to get
"great" shots from a CRT.
John

(Steve) wrote in
ups.com:

Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and
physical distance I should be from the screen to give the best
chance of capturing the images successfully?

Shutter speed must be long enough to guarantee a full frame is
written to the monitor during the time the shutter is open. Without
knowing the frame rate of the monitor, you can just guess; worst case
is probably 60Hz, so a shutter speed of 1/30" would work. Since the
image won't be moving, you don't have to worry about the speed being
too slow. Depending on your lens' maximum aperture, you might be
forced to use an even slower shutter speed.

Aperture is anybody's guess.

Your camera's auto exposure might get it "right", but it might pick
the wrong shutter speed.

Practice framing and focus on any similar sized object you can get
your hands on. Experiment with exposure on your TV set.

At 1/30" and slower shutter speeds, hand-held shots might be a
problem.

--
Bert Hyman | St. Paul, MN |

On 11/2/07 11:49 AM, in article
, "JohnR66"
wrote:

"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly


I don't know the refresh rate of the screen, but if it is a NTSC standard
(US) it is best to shoot at 1/15 of a sec for an evenly lit photo. Be sure
to brace yourself because such a slow shutter speed is hard to hand hold the
camera without blur from moving. Be sure to turn off the flash and, if the
monitor is small, you may need to get close. In this case, you need to set
the camera's macro mode for a clear shot. Also be aware of stray reflections
on the screen from lights and such.

If you can't control the camera's shutter speed, it will be difficult to get
"great" shots from a CRT.
John


Good advice. However, if the OP cannot do so, he might ask the doc to
arrange some way to get the picture/file to him or online in some manner.

Thanks for the quick help, guys.
I had no idea that the refresh rate of the monitor would make a
difference.
I tried asking the Doc to e-mail me the pix and he said he would but
it looks like either he is to busy, didn't know how or just couldn't
be bothered.
I have no clue about the monitor except that it is a 15" model and
looks older than Moses.

"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

Why not use a screen capture program? No need for a camera. SnagIt has a
30 day day trial you can download. from the following link

http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capt...P=KgoogleShome

"Redneck Jim" redneckjimATcableONE.net wrote in message
...

"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

Why not use a screen capture program? No need for a camera. SnagIt has a
30 day day trial you can download. from the following link

http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capt...P=KgoogleShome


OOPs - Didn't see that you would be viewing on the doctors monitor. Ignore
my suggestion, unless he has a capture program on his monitor.

On Nov 2, 12:38 pm, Steve wrote:
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

Ask the x-ray tech or the doctor for a CD and stand there and wait for
it. I just got a bone-scan CD of my kid and it includes viewing
software. If it's on the screen, it's CD-able. Otherwise you're not
going to be happy with the results.

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:40:47 -0600, Redneck Jim wrote:


"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by today's
standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that can only
be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are X-rays of my own
spine and I'll be viewing the doctors monitor.
Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to take 4 or 5
pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and physical
distance I should be from the screen to give the best chance of
capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

Why not use a screen capture program? No need for a camera. SnagIt has a
30 day day trial you can download. from the following link

http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capt...P=KgoogleShome

I take it from his post he won't have access to the machine - only visual
access to the monitor.

Steve added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

Hi guys and guyesses,
I have a Pentax Optio 33L. It's a very modest camera by
today's standards with only 3.2 mega pixies.
The thing is that I want to take some pictures of images that
can only be shown to me on a CRT monitor screen. They are
X-rays of my own spine and I'll be viewing the doctors
monitor. Because of the circumstances, I'll only be able to
take 4 or 5 pictures so trial and error won't cut it.
Can any of you camera buffs suggest the proper settings and
physical distance I should be from the screen to give the best
chance of capturing the images successfully?
Ta muchly

Any distance you can accurately focus at near full-frame will
work. The main problem I have found with shooting off TV is that
if your shutter speed is too high, you'll catch the electron gun
scan lines in mid-screen and get a partial image glitch. I use
about 1/30 second, seems to work well.

Good luck. In my area, my hospital chain has gone to 100% digital
X-rays, and anything else such as CT or MRI and no longer sends
"films". Instead, they burn a CD real-time, hand it to me, and it
has a self-launching viewer that allows whatever capability the
graphics supports, such as pan and zoom, rotate if 3-D, etc.
Works great. I ask for 2 CDs, one for the requesting doc and one
for me. Too bad yours apparently hasn't gone high tech yet.

--
HP, aka Jerry