Blu-ray Screenshot Thread (Large Files)

[ricwhite]

Originally Posted by buki1091

Could you please tell me how did you take those photos? I'm trying to post my photos in here but when my camera take the photo it just doesn't look like this. Other thing, How do i post the photos?

Sorry if my English is not very good.

I'm really no expert on photography. But I learned a few things about taking screenshots.

1) Best if your room is absolutely dark (especially if you're using a projector).

2) Never use a flash

3) Use a low ISO (sensitivity) I use 80. This produces finer grained images.

4) A tripod is an absolute must. Using a low ISO requires more light and the camera cannot move at all.

5) Pause the movie at a good scene and then tweak it some by forwarding a frame at a time until the subject is as sharp as can be.

6) Once I have a good frame, I use the timer on my camera and then auto focus and snap. Using the timer eliminates any chance of moving the camera while pressing the button.

7) Be patient. Sometimes it'll take 4-5 seconds to process the image -- especially if it's a dark scene. I make sure not to touch the camera or do anything to interfere with the image on screen until it's done processing.

8) Take a LOT of screenshots. I average 35 on a typical movie. Half of those will be junk. Some will be only okay. About 5-10 will be good and I select those to post.

I upload the selected images to a web hosting server that I pay a monthy fee to use. I get 150 gb of bandwidth per month. Then I link those on the website where I want them displayed.

Even with my careful approach to taking screenshots, I am generally not that pleased with the results. I would estimate that my photographs reflect about 80-85% accuracy. They are not as good as the actual image on screen. They tend to bloom the whites and to dull the shadow detail horridly. I can't get that balance right and it drives me crazy. If I up the exposure to help with shadow detail, then the white REALLY bloom. If I lower the exposure to tame the whites, then the shadow detail just turns completely black.

Also, the colors are not exactly right. Whites tend to be a little yellower than they should. Reds are not quite as vibrant as on screen. Grays tend to be a little blue. On the positive, blacks are a little more black. But I think I'm limited because I'm only using a cheap $250 digital camera.

I could take each image and manipulate them in Photoshop to try to adjust for the weaknesses, but I choose not to do that. I display exactly what my camera shoots -- even though it's not totally accurate.

Although my screenshots are only about 80-85% accurate, its as good as I can do with my current camera. I pick and choose a lot and only post the images that turn out okay. Some are actually quite stunning. But just know that NONE of the images I post are as good as the actual image on my screen.

[ricwhite]

Originally Posted by JasonR

Ric,

Doesn't Blade Runner look awesome?!?! I watched There Will Be Blood, but didn't take pics as it was my first viewing. I will post some tomorrow hopefully.

Jason

I was really quite impressed with Blade Runner -- especially considering the age of the movie. I hate to admit this, but I had never seen Blade Runner before. That was my first viewing.

It was a hard movie to photograph, however. My camera does a lot better in brighter environments. Blade Runner is mostly dark with a lot of rain. Many of the images on screen were quite stunning with a lot of subtle shadow details, but my camera just doesn't do well.

For example, one of my photographs had Ford walking into a dark building with beautifully highlighted textured pillars while in the background was a brightly lit movie theater marquee with a white background and red lettering which reflected off the rain soaked streets. It looked stunning on screen, but my shot of it was very disappointing. Here is the result:



The pillars that were so stunning, are dull and dark. The theater in the background is over-exposed. The whites are blooming out of control. The colors are wrong -- too blue. The red lettering on the marquee doesn't even show up. The reflections on the wet road are awful. I wish I could've photographed the image as it actually looked on my screen.

So, it was a good movie, but a hard one to photograph. Some movies are really easy -- such as Narnia, for example (as long as I keep the whites under control). But dark movies drive me crazy.

[jd13]

Thanks Ricwhite!

[Entertainment72]

Originally Posted by ricwhite

Even with my careful approach to taking screenshots, I am generally not that pleased with the results. I would estimate that my photographs reflect about 80-85% accuracy. They are not as good as the actual image on screen. They tend to bloom the whites and to dull the shadow detail horridly. I can't get that balance right and it drives me crazy. If I up the exposure to help with shadow detail, then the white REALLY bloom. If I lower the exposure to tame the whites, then the shadow detail just turns completely black.

I totally agree with this statement.. camera screenshots really do not do blu-ray justice.

[M]

I need a way of taking screenshots on my PS3.

If somebody can help me, I'll post up regular screenshots.

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by M

I need a way of taking screenshots on my PS3.

If somebody can help me, I'll post up regular screenshots.

Camera I think is your only option.

[theprophecy247]

gotta watch blade runer again it was a ok movie for me but i was sleepy whne i watched it

[kx11]

Metal Gear Solid 4 : PS3 game






i hope it's allowed to post VG shots

[ricwhite]

I'm an avid video game player, so I love screenshots. However, it's probably better to post in the Blu-ray game forum instead of the Blu-ray movie forum. That MGS4 screenshot looks good though.

[kx11]

thnx , maby we should make a thread like this in the VG section

[M]

Originally Posted by JasonR

Camera I think is your only option.

I was hoping for some alternative, such as a keyboard which allowed you to PrintScreen during games/movies or something along those lines.

[iownu]

I'm confused as to why everyone is taking screen shots with cameras? What's the point in posting?

Like a poster said above, if it's not a real capture i.e. from a PC what's the point? Basically all you're doing is posting some arbitrary photo of a picture of a movie and talking about it.

Hey come taste my chocolate ice cream. Well it's not chocolate, it's oil flavored, but you get the idea because it's sorta brown.

These are not screenshots in 2008. These are 1970's screenshots.


.

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by iownu

I'm confused as to why everyone is taking screen shots with cameras? What's the point in posting?

Like a poster said above, if it's not a real capture i.e. from a PC what's the point? Basically all you're doing is posting some arbitrary photo of a picture of a movie and talking about it.

Hey come taste my chocolate ice cream. Well it's not chocolate, it's oil flavored, but you get the idea because it's sorta brown.

These are not screenshots in 2008. These are 1970's screenshots.


.

Well, not everyone has Blu-Ray drives on their computers and we would like to show the image off of the display to give other people an idea of PQ. What's your point in posting? Will you go start a thread now so I can crap all over it?



Much more intriguing....

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...129#post945129

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=52376

[iownu]

Yeah so what's the point in posting. Exactly. And I wasn't talking about being an intriguing thread. Guess you got defensive. I was talking about being appropriate, fitting or logical to the title.

I guess the problem isn't the post content it's the thread title.

Should be "screenshots of your favorite scenes" or something.

Using a title that reads, "Blu-ray Screenshot Thread (Large Files)" definitely gives the impression to expect real BR screen shots and that's why there are large files.

After all, this is a BR forum, not a analog viewing of a projector forum.

[JasonR]

Here is one for you...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=778604

Oh, wait same title and content. That one's not for you either...

I have no idea how giving warning that some of the files are large and might take a while to load is misleading.

[Brain Sturgeon]

Ric beat me to the punch, but here are some screenshots of Blade Runner: The Final Cut

Projection system: Marantz 11s2 in iris 1 - economy lamp / Panamorph UH440 anamorphic lens / 120" 2.40:1 SMX / Panasonic DMP-BD10

Camera: Canon 1D Mark IIN / 24-105 f/4 L IS / Tripod / ISO 400 / Lens @ f/4 Aperture Priority. Images shot in RAW; cropping and adjustments done in Aperture 2.1 on a MacBook Pro. What you see is pretty close to the real thing.

To reiterate what Ric mentioned, this transfer is just stunning. With the majority of the film set at night and/or in rain, This is probably one of the sternest tests of a projector's (or LCD/Plasma/DLP TV's) ability to correctly render blacks and low level detail. Just a beautifully photographed movie. The image, storyline, and the soundtrack (particularly the haunting score by Vangelis) are just mesmerizing.

On to the 'caps....

Here's my attempt to capture that same stunning image Ric posted:



Auto settings on cameras do tend to overexpose dark images-- I did a little manual shutter adjustment on the camera, and then dropped down the exposure level in RAW adjustments to get it a little closer to the projected image.

Here are the rest that I made. Hope you enjoy them.

[PootieThang]

Nice Brain Sturgeon! Those look great

[ricwhite]

Those look great, Brain Sturgeon. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your contributions.

Regarding that first image of Ford walking across from the movie theater . . . The rendering of the background -- the movie theater -- is perfect. However, the shadow detail on the pillars and on Ford is too dark and lacking. When I was actually watched that scene on the screen, I was able to see good shadow detail on the pillars and on Ford without the movie theater background blooming. When I take the photograph, however, it blooms the background. If I adjust the exposure it darkens the detail. With my camera, there's no way to win. Yours looks a lot better than mine, though.

[ricwhite]

Originally Posted by iownu

I'm confused as to why everyone is taking screen shots with cameras? What's the point in posting?

Like a poster said above, if it's not a real capture i.e. from a PC what's the point? Basically all you're doing is posting some arbitrary photo of a picture of a movie and talking about it.

Hey come taste my chocolate ice cream. Well it's not chocolate, it's oil flavored, but you get the idea because it's sorta brown.

These are not screenshots in 2008. These are 1970's screenshots.


.

Hi, iowna

The term "screenshot" has come to mean either a "shot" of a screen from a camera OR a "capture" of a screen from a computer drive. I guess it would be more specific to call a Screen"shot" a photograph and a Screen"cap" a computer image capture. But to be less confusing, we call either one a "screenshot".

Taking a photo of a display device is actually preferred by people who want to see how movies look in "real world" home theater environments. Most people do not watch Blu-ray movies on a computer monitor. They watch on a display device. Some like to see how images look on a large screen. Some people are in the market for a new display device and like to see how various ones perform.

Taking a computer image capture is preferred by people who want the purest image possible. It is a direct capture from the software. It eliminates any artifacts that can be introduced from displays, lighting, or cameras (which can be significant). But even they can be manipulated a LOT by the monitor you view those on.

Both photographs of displays and computer image captures have a place here. Both are welcome. If you don't like to view photographs of movies, then look at the computer image captures. In the first post of this thread, I provided links to most of the movies posted here and I included whether the images are from a computer image capture or otherwise. So, you can pick and choose what you want to view.

Regards,

[ryoohki]

Very nice brain! You sure know you're DSLR, RAW is the best for those kind of shot! And you have some Killer setup. Isn't a Panamorph lens worth like 4000$