Any photography/video experts here?

[pooroldspike 129]

Hi, when I point my digital camera (Kodak Z915) at the monitor screen to video some AA2 game action, (or at the TV screen to capture some soccer action) why does the finished video keep blurring in and out of focus every few seconds as if it's struggling to stay locked onto the screen?

Unfortunately the focus is automatic so I can't manually overide it and lock it.

Normal real-life vids of people and scenery are fine, it's only monitors and TV's that the auto-focus doesn't like.

[Mr. Charles 22]

Use fraps to record stuff:

www.fraps.com

or xfire (if it works)

[dale0404 5]

There are also other video capturing software out there that you can use but generally fraps is the easiest thing to use, it does have some sound issues with on board sound sometimes but if you set it up right usually there is not any problems.

[jblackrupert 14]

Theres also hardware solutions (PCI cards) thats what Bohemia uses for the official videos.

No worries about FRAPS slowing things down.

[mrcash2009 0]

Theres also hardware solutions (PCI cards) thats what Bohemia uses for the official videos.

Any links?

[DaveP 66]

The blurring is your cameras autofocus goin nutty; just use Fraps or gamecam

Any links?

Cheapest solution I know would be a blackmagic intensity pro and a free copy of flash media encoder; this would require a gfx card with hdmi and a second computer though

[pooroldspike 129]

Yes i might buy FRAPS for vids, i already use the free version for screenshots but I think vids are beyond it.

Alternatively I could buy a camera with manual focus.

PS- just for scientific interests sake, WHY does my cameras auto-focus keep blurring when pointing at monitors and TV's?

Maybe the warm screens interfere with the IR focussing sensor?

[DaveP 66]

Yes i might buy FRAPS for vids, i already use the free version for screenshots but I think vids are beyond it.

Alternatively I could buy a camera with manual focus.

PS- just for scientific interests sake, WHY does my cameras auto-focus keep blurring when pointing at monitors and TV's?

Maybe the warm screens interfere with the IR focussing sensor?

Because it's trying to ascertain depth in a 2D object which shows pictures that look like they have depth

[walker 0]

Hi PoorOldSpike

FRAPS and Microsoft Movie Maker (Standard with Microsoft XP Pro) does 90% of what is needed as long as your computer is reasonably modern.

Alternately if you have an S-Video out or second HDMI on your graphics card and an S Video or video and stereo in or an HDMI slot on your camera you can use a hardware solution to record direct to your camera.

Or if you have two computers you could buy a video transfer tool and do it the semi professional way.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/uk/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/Studio+MovieBox+HD.htm

That is the option I have it also allows me to transfer too and from computers, cameras or DVD.

Kind Regards walker

Edited January 21, 2011 by walker

[pooroldspike 129]

Thanks guys i'll bear your replies in mind but luckily it's not really a big problem and I can just about live with it because I only very rarely want to shoot vids straight from the screen.

Incidentally, the auto-focus also gets confused if I'm shooting pics through window-glass because it seems to think I want to take a pic of a window pane instead of the Chinook helicopter that's passing low overhead, so it focusses on the glass, making the Chinook hopelessly blurred.

PS- In fact I'd never have bought this cam in the first place (110 Brit pounds/ 176 US dollars) if I'd know its dumb auto-focus couldn't be disabled to go manual!

Edited January 21, 2011 by PoorOldSpike

[MissionCreep 12]

Yes i might buy FRAPS for vids, i already use the free version for screenshots but I think vids are beyond it.

Free FRAPS does up to 30 second clips. The full version is only like $50 US. If your time is money, you will make it back in spades with a $50 investment in FRAPS.

[DaveP 66]

Thanks guys i'll bear your replies in mind but luckily it's not really a big problem and I can just about live with it because I only very rarely want to shoot vids straight from the screen.

Incidentally, the auto-focus also gets confused if I'm shooting pics through window-glass because it seems to think I want to take a pic of a window pane instead of the Chinook helicopter that's passing low overhead, so it focusses on the glass, making the Chinook hopelessly blurred.

PS- In fact I'd never have bought this cam in the first place (110 Brit pounds/ 176 US dollars) if I'd know its dumb auto-focus couldn't be disabled to go manual!

You want the camera to be focussing on the glass, the monitor. It is a flat plane, the same distance from the camera regardless of what it's showing. The autofocus of your camera sees the game and thinks that the 3D world has depth and tries to focus further out. The image is always the same distance from the camera, regardless of what it's showing. It focusses beyond the monitor and goes blurry. It freaks out, adjusts back to wide focus and ends up getting focus on the monitor again. Rinse repeat.

[walker 0]

Hi all

As I said check whether the camera has S Video in or HDMI in or Video in slots. And see if your video card has the corresponding out puts. Then you can by pass the optics.

Kind Regards walker

[pooroldspike 129]

Thanks but it sounds a bit too techy for me, I'm just a grunt wargamer (sniffle)