Video output quality differences in cameras.

[Mr Felix]

Hi again.

I have three cameras:
A Canon 550D, Nikon 800 and a Pentax (something or other).

All have "composite video" outputs via a USB port or otherwise.

Looking at the images on the cameras they are ok but when I view them on e TV, the images on one camera look good/great. Another camera they look horrible.

It was a bit of a concern at first but as I couldn't do much at the time I didn't worry too much.

I got home and looked on the PC and all the images are ok. Or: They bad ones aren't as bad as I thought.

It would seem there is a "problem" with the camera's composite output, or how it displays the picture on the screen.

Yes, it could be the TV as well. Dunno. Haven't tested that side of it yet. Wasn't my TV. Though I may try them on my TV now I am home/back from holidays.

The Pentax one is their waterproof GPS model with MACRO focus down to 1 cm.

[ricktas]

As per your other thread, you are not giving us enough information to go on. Another thing is that AP is mostly a stills photography forum, you might be better finding a video forum and posting these questions.

[Mr Felix]

Granted but I think you missed the meaning of the post.

I take STILL Images and the look ok on the camera.

On the computer they look good.

But from the camera to the TV they look yucky.

Well, that said: From two they are ok, from one they are not that good.


What I could do it - yeah, long way around - is get each camera to display a image on the TV and take a image of that then post all three to show how the images look different from the three cameras.

[ricktas]

This is not something we can answer. You need to look at every aspect of the process and work at each one till you find the cause.

Take the card out the camera and try it in the TV (if your TV can take memory cards)
Try a different composite cable
Try a different TV

We cannot give you the answer, you have to go through a process of elimination and find out for yourself.

[arthurking83]

Going by the info you've given here too .. I'd say your Pentax is an Optio WG-2 GPS model compact.

There are too many factors to make an accurate assessment of your issue.

Your TV could be the issue, or the USB-video cabling or whatever.

For high(er) quality TV viewing of images still on the camera, you would want to use a HD(1920x1080) capable TV and use HDMI cables to connect to it.

All other replies pertaining to the difference in quality between each camera when viewed on YOUR TV will be futile as there are a myriad of factors involved, and most of which you would have no control or input into!

Viewing images on TV is basically a last resort, when you are in a mobile or non controlled environment(eg, at a foreign location without your own gear to work with .. friends house, or hotel room .. etc, etc.

When at home always try to use the PC for reviewing image quality of your images(or video).

[Mr Felix]

Arthur,

Thanks for that.

Ok, I shall elaborate a bit on terms used.

"Horrible" means you can see the picture but it just looks "low res".

The glaciers with their lovely patterns of snow looked like they had been JPG encoded to a low setting, but only in parts.

So where there was little detail, the picture was ok, but where they had lots of detial they went all this "low res" kind of thing.

But the actual image (as seen on the camera's screen and later on the PC) was good.

So I am guessing it is something to do with how the camera actually does the "resizing" it to TV resolution.

[Mr Felix]

Oh and to the windscreen part.

Well, I guess I turn the camera on, point it out the front and half click. It focuses on what it sees.

Flying North with the sun kind of in front of you and above, as clear as the mountains/galciers were, I guess it saw the windscreen and decided that was the item of interest.

[Mr Felix]

Arthur,

Thanks for that.

I am not exactly panicing, but it did strik me as odd.

Yes, I was away from home and simply wanted to look bak on the day's events.

Seeing one camera's images I was happy, but then the other one the pictures - well maybe some if not all - were a bit "dodgy" looking and it just struck me as strange.

Luckily the pictures were ok. Alas the auto focus decided the windscreen was the main item of interest rather than the mountains beyond.

Luckily it was in Landscape mode and it was SUNNY so it used a large F-Stop and so the mountains are only slighhtly burred.

(And before anyone says: it is difficult to fly a plane around/along/in valleys with a point and shoot and take good images. Well at my stage of the learning curve it is.)

[arthurking83]

OK.. sounds a bit strange that the camera focused on the "windscreen" instead of the mountains, in a landscape situation .. but we each shoot in a manner suitable for own own purposes.

Just for a small tidbit of info .. and as much info is vital for a reasonable reply of any worth .. the quality of the out put to a TV can be dependent on where you purchased the camera!

Some cameras are what can be referred to a a form of region locking. That is, they may only be able to output video to a format for a specific region. Not always but possible, and I think Sony has some cameras that act this way(I think.. can't remember).

But if you purchased a camera in the good ol USofA, it's 99% certain that the video output format will be set to NTSC by default, and if your TV is set to PAL only(as opposed to Auto), then the image is going to look terrible.

That's just one aspect of it.

Also things to watch for ... you said you connected via composite USB adapter or something ... is the TV set for Composite video(yellow RCA plug), or is it Component(YPbPr) or something else, and are the cameras set to auto detect, or static output mode .. or whatever ....


You see, there are way too many variables for a simple accurate answer, and all we'll end up doing is to chase our tails asking you questions about connections and cables and device set up!

In the end we'll waste a few days and get nowhere.

Read the manual and set up each device appropriately.

[Mr Felix]

sorry make that "LANDSCAPE".

[ricktas]

If you read the manual, you should be able to set what the camera focuses on, even in video mode