CRT rescanning involves pointing a camera at a CRT display to capture the analog character of the screen — scan lines, phosphor glow, color bleeding, and screen curvature.

Camera Selection

The camera matters enormously. Manual focus and manual exposure are essential. Cameras with global shutter avoid the rolling-shutter banding that CMOS sensors produce when filming CRTs.

Lens Selection

Macro or close-up capable lenses let you fill the frame with the CRT surface. Vintage lenses add their own optical character — flares, aberrations, and softness that complement the CRT aesthetic.

Synchronization

CRTs refresh at specific frequencies (typically 60Hz NTSC or 50Hz PAL). Your camera’s frame rate and shutter speed must be synchronized to avoid visible refresh bands scrolling through the image. This usually means shooting at 30fps with a 1/60s shutter (NTSC) or 25fps with 1/50s (PAL).