Screenshooting

[eolsen]

How would I get screenshots from my television screen? Is there a way to do it with a digital camera or something else?

[Flack]

Your best bet is to either run your console into your computer if you have a capture card, or take them via emulation. What are you trying to capture pictures from?

A digital picture of a screen won't look very good.

[digitalpress]

I agree with Flack, the best way for common folk like us is to capture via PC, either a TV card, capture card, or emulator.

However, if your means are a camera and a television, I've had pretty good success with the following:

- set your camera to the highest quality picture it can take (speaking in digital camera terms).
- turn all of the lights out in the room, the room should be as dark as possible.
- use a tripod if at all possible.
- don't use a flash.

Give it a whirl, I've taken screen shots for Tips & Tricks with this method and they turn out pretty good.

[RetroYoungen]

I must say I've wondered about this too, but now for a harder question: what about handheld shots? Same sort of method?

[davidbrit2]

Handhelds would probably work the same, assuming your camera's lens can handle it.

I get great results with my Kodak DC 215 digital camera. I take photos in natural lighting, with no tripod, from a 14" SVideo TV - everything Joe would recommend against ;-) - and they look lovely.

[Ed Oscuro]

I must say I've wondered about this too, but now for a harder question: what about handheld shots? Same sort of method?

A fellow who worked for an Italian gaming mag stopped by my forum with some shots of CV: Aria of Sorrow pre-release, and he said they use special hardware to take screen caps of GBA titles...

[digitalpress]

A fellow who worked for an Italian gaming mag stopped by my forum with some shots of CV: Aria of Sorrow pre-release, and he said they use special hardware to take screen caps of GBA titles...

If it's a game you own, download a good Game Boy Advance emulator, find the ROM and take screen pics via the emulator. Guaranteed perfect (assuming the emulator is graphically perfect).

The ones we're having a hard time with are the R-Zone, Game.com, and Microvision handhelds, as there are no quality emulators out there for these, and no way to output them to an external monitor. I'd love to know how to do these - maybe the way davidbrit does 'em?

[Sylentwulf]

For handhelds, make sure you put your digital camera into Macro-mode. I know most cameras don't do this autmatically, and most people forget to.