Calling all CRT users (especially those with C= monitors)

[dreadnought]

I was wondering if any of you could help out with my CRT photo collecting project? It's a general preservation drive, partially for fun, partially becaue future generations might not have a chance to witness the cathode ray glory, and also it might help out various emulator/shader writers too.

All you'd need to do is take a few reasonably decent photos, even with just a phone camera, and then upload/send them to me somehow. By "reasonably decent" I mean well-framed and with visible pixels/scanlines, because I already have most of the pics you can find on the net. This can be admittedly a bit tricky, but with a steady hand in a darkened room you should be fine, even if you get moire or some weird colours, which is sometimes unavoidable (there are also some photo-taking tips on my site).


Unfortunately I missed out when Commodore monitors were still affordable and now I'm limited to consumer sets. So, all CRTs count, the older the better (more authentic), but dedicated monitors are preferred. If you have any other interesting microcomputers or consoles, those are most welcome too.

The v0.1 was a very early release, but there are already some Amiga shots.

[Photon]

Good initiative I'll see if I can find time to take some photos matching what your eyes experience.

I would recommend to take the photo from the intended viewing distance; very close-up shots tend to yield very unrealistic CRT shaders.

If you're taking photos with a phone camera, look around for camera apps that offer more options than the built-in one. Especially exposure / shutter speed to more closely match the eye. Correct setting may yield enormous glow so that you must compromise.

[fxgogo]

This is a great idea. Would it make sense to have a series of images that can be used to display on these CRT's. That would then allow us to get a sense of differences and similarities across the different displays. Maybe even a setup suggestion for taking the photos. There are a lot of moving cogs that will affects how these photos of CRTs will look.

[freehand]

My first test commodore 1084.

Size reduction kills it.

A little off topic but: The Pawn on the 1084 CRT looks beautiful but on a LCD it just looks garbage in comparison.

The above is just using a camera and is nicer in winuae for sure but no match for a CRT.

[Jope]

Should USA games be photographed in NTSC mode? ;-) Just thinking about the PAL King of Chicago shots there.

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by Photon

I would recommend to take the photo from the intended viewing distance; very close-up shots tend to yield very unrealistic CRT shaders.

Well, this is for preservation so I'd like to get a sample of everything. In the latest release I have mostly concentrated on full-screen shots, now I'd like to add some close ups too. But you're welcome to snap any way you like - any phpto is welcome, though admittedly I have quite a few of "distance" shots you can find on the web already, so mostly looking for a bit more precise stuff.

Originally Posted by fxgogo

This is a great idea. Would it make sense to have a series of images that can be used to display on these CRT's.

Sure, that would be nice, but it's not easy to get people to shoot anything at all, nevermind some particular stuff So for now it's free for all, but if you have any ideas you can post that too. Actually, is there a TV "test card" for Amiga out there somewhere?

Originally Posted by freehand

Size reduction kills it.

Yep, so that's why it'd be better if you could gather a few and upload somewhere in original sizes, even few RAWs if your camera can take this format too. It's a great shot - hope you can produce some more. If possible, please do one or more with visible monitor bezel as well, so we can gauge the borders.

Originally Posted by Jope

Should USA games be photographed in NTSC mode? ;-) Just thinking about the PAL King of Chicago shots there.

Ideally I'd like to include both, PAL and NTSC, and yeah, native resolution would be great too. for the latest release I only did some in PAL (though my TV can handle NTSC too).


King of Chicago yields some amazing shots, even in PAL
1 2 3




For those who think composite is absolutely abysmal, here's a little comparison

[dreadnought]

I am slowly preparing a long overdue update to the v0.1 of this project. It's quite big, since I have acquired quite a few different machines and TVs/monitors since then - but one big Commodore-shaped hole remains.

I did actually get my hands on a Commodore 1085S-D2 but for various reasons managed to only take photos of it working in the Composite mode.

So here's a hopeful bump to this thread - if you own a C= monitor with RGB source attached, and are willing to take a few photos to preserve this look for future generations (see 1st post), please give me a shout via PM or post here.

[Karlos]

Some years ago, I attached my old 19" CRT to my PC to test out gaming on it. I have to say, it looked amazing. Modern flat panels are awesome, but there's something to be said for CRT. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it just looks way more natural...

[kremiso]

1084s-d2 and rgb was my Amiga setup back then

i still have the monitor but it is unworking from a while now
i remember a couple of years ago i tried unsuccessfully to find a technician able to repair it in my zone

[Reynolds]

I have a 1085S, if it matters. I think this is a nice idea.

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by Reynolds

I have a 1085S, if it matters. I think this is a nice idea.

Thank you, that would be great. Do you have a "normal" camera or smartphone only?