Any tips on taking screenshots?

[awildgoose]

So my cousin has been over (not anymore though) and we took heaps of screenshots from our 2 people LAN. It has got me into taking screenshots of anything; humor, good shots, breathtaking view etc. So I was wondering if anyone has any tips?

Also, is there a good program I can use? It's just that printscreen seems to take away the quality (or is it just that I am pasting into MS Paint?).
Or is there a program that records my gameplay (I heard, read whatever that fraps only does a couple of seconds?) and then I can stop/pause the movie and take a screenshot.

Thanks in advanced.

P.S. I have seen a lot of you guys screenshots around the official thread and contests and some of them are just amazing! Especially Kornowski, ducis and Nevakonaza.

Sorry other guys who post a lot of screenshots but I have noticed these ones stand out most.

 

[g4m3rof1337]

Fraps.

 

[awildgoose]

Fraps.

But I swear someone told me that only takes movies for about 30 seconds or so.

 

[tremmor]

Snagit is a very good one. i use often enough. all movement on screen or pictures any size ya want. save as any type format. only problem it is not free.

 

[bm23]

But I swear someone told me that only takes movies for about 30 seconds or so.

yes, the free version does that. the paid version has no limit

 

[Aastii]

download xfire, that lets you take screenshots and recor videos and talk to people while gaming. It is like steam without the shop, pretty poipular so you probably have heard of it/already have it.

It doesn't knock the FPS down that much either, i regularly record COD4 and don't see much of an FPS reduction, still at 40-60+ when recording, compare that to the 70-80 usual

 

[Dystopia]

But I swear someone told me that only takes movies for about 30 seconds or so.

only the free version. Taksi is SUPPOSED to be good, but for some reason, when it records, I only see black on the player? And it will crash your system (did mine at least).

 

[awildgoose]

download xfire, that lets you take screenshots and recor videos and talk to people while gaming. It is like steam without the shop, pretty poipular so you probably have heard of it/already have it.

It doesn't knock the FPS down that much either, i regularly record COD4 and don't see much of an FPS reduction, still at 40-60+ when recording, compare that to the 70-80 usual

Well, I didn't read your sig so I don't know what your computer is like, but I have a E7300, 9600GT Nvidia, 2G of RAM @ 800mHz and I want to be recording Crysis and Rainbow Six Vegas 2. In Crysis I run it at High or in Warhead Mainstream if I'm going into a firefight but normally Gamer @ 1280X1024. So on Crysis I get about 25-30 FPS and on Warhead on Mainstream I get 60 fps and gamer I get 20.
So how much effect will xfire have on it?

Also I don't really want to pay for things over the internet, it's just not my thing. Also I'm 14 so I don't have a credit/debit card.

 

[Aastii]

Well, I didn't read your sig so I don't know what your computer is like, but I have a E7300, 9600GT Nvidia, 2G of RAM @ 800mHz and I want to be recording Crysis and Rainbow Six Vegas 2. In Crysis I run it at High or in Warhead Mainstream if I'm going into a firefight but normally Gamer @ 1280X1024. So on Crysis I get about 25-30 FPS and on Warhead on Mainstream I get 60 fps and gamer I get 20.
So how much effect will xfire have on it?

Also I don't really want to pay for things over the internet, it's just not my thing. Also I'm 14 so I don't have a credit/debit card.

Your system is the EXACT same as mine, only you have the 45 nm 2.66GHz with 1066 FSB, i have the 65 nm with 1333 FSB and i have more memory, lots more, 8GB, atm i only have 2 in though. Oh, and you have a 9600GT and i have an 8600GT, but they are the same thing, just different names

It is still recording crysis, CoD4 and all valve games fine, not sure what the fps is but i have noticed 0 difference from watching

 

[Shane]

I use the full version of Fraps...works well

However i have no clue what you have to do to put the vids on youtube,I think you have to convert them?

 

[DirtyD86]

I use the full version of Fraps...works well

However i have no clue what you have to do to put the vids on youtube,I think you have to convert them?

windows movie maker works well. it's simple and easy to use, and majorly reduces the file size.

i also use fraps. it is a simple program that can be customized to a reasonable level.

 

[Calibretto]

I just use F12 (the default screenshot bind for most games).

 

[awildgoose]

I got the full version of fraps. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started recording Rainbow Six Vegas 2, about 10 frames, so I didn't try it for crysis. Plus I recorded for about 1min and it was just over 3 gigs so I'll probably scratch the idea of filming and taking stills for now.

Also, the 9600GT from what I have read is better then the 8600GT.
Plus I have OC'ed my CPU to 3.0Ghz and my PCI-E slot to 125Mhz and the actual card itself up a bit.

 

[G25r8cer]

windows movie maker works well. it's simple and easy to use, and majorly reduces the file size.

i also use fraps. it is a simple program that can be customized to a reasonable level.

Agreed I use Fraps and Windows Movie Maker also

 

[lovely?]

Your system is the EXACT same as mine, only you have the 45 nm 2.66GHz with 1066 FSB, i have the 65 nm with 1333 FSB and i have more memory, lots more, 8GB, atm i only have 2 in though. Oh, and you have a 9600GT and i have an 8600GT, but they are the same thing, just different names

It is still recording crysis, CoD4 and all valve games fine, not sure what the fps is but i have noticed 0 difference from watching

the 8800gt and the 9800gt are copies, yes, but the 8600gt and the 9600gt are not. in truth, the 9600 destroys one 8600, but since yours are in SLI, i dont know which setup is more powerful.

 

[Candy]

I got the full version of fraps. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started recording Rainbow Six Vegas 2, about 10 frames, so I didn't try it for crysis. Plus I recorded for about 1min and it was just over 3 gigs so I'll probably scratch the idea of filming and taking stills for now.

Also, the 9600GT from what I have read is better then the 8600GT.
Plus I have OC'ed my CPU to 3.0Ghz and my PCI-E slot to 125Mhz and the actual card itself up a bit.

Don't worry about the size mate, cos once you put them into Movie Maker and create a video, the final product is much smaller. One video I made using Fraps and Movie Maker, the final video was 1min 40sec and only 24mb. Then you can just delete the huge Fraps video files so your HDD doesn't fill up too quickly.

 

[Kornowski]

Dude, I'd turn your PCI-e frequency down. I wouldn't have it any higher than 100Mhz!

 

[Shane]

Dude, I'd turn your PCI-e frequency down. I wouldn't have it any higher than 100Mhz!

Apparently in some cases upping the PCI-e frequency increases performance on some cards i read is this true?

You wouldnt see me doing it though.

 

[awildgoose]

Dude, I'd turn your PCI-e frequency down. I wouldn't have it any higher than 100Mhz!

I've read that 125 is the limit, plus I have decent cooling, and the motherboard isn't that great anyway so I can buy another one.

Apparently in some cases upping the PCI-e frequency increases performance on some cards i read is this true?

You wouldnt see me doing it though.

Yes it increases the performance, people think it won't do much, but hell yes it increases.

 

[Kornowski]

Well, I fried my old 7900 by raising it a little, I think it was only 10Mhz or something, so you'd never catch me doing it again.

Plus, you'd see way more of a performance increase from just OC'ing the card. There's a slight chance that upping the frequency of the bus will help, but chances are it won't be anything noticeable and you could damage your card. Your call though.