Posted by David Prichard on October 19, 2010 at 11:24 PM
Looking to buy a digital projector to use with youth workshops in remote communities. Lightweight and travel robust.
Any recommendations?
Posted by Kelly Rowe on October 20, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Call projectorpeople.com and 'splain what you need it for. They'll give you exactly that at the best price around. I use a Canon in my studio for sales presentations, but it may not suite your needs at all. Before you call, be sure that you understand the average throw length you will be projecting (distance from projector to screen). Some projectors are optimized for short throw (6 ft. or so) and others for longer distances. The sweet spot for my Canon is 12.5 ft., so it's suspended from the ceiling 12.5 ft. from the screen.
We did some extensive testing of projectors here a year ago. I am not at liberty to divulge brands, but I have a few general hints that may be useful.
A lot of projectors are touted for "brightness" or other qualities that are more useful for business than for photo reproduction purposes. The main quality you'd want to look for if you're a photographer is "size of gamut" - especially since the color reproduction ability of most projectors is considerably less than what people are getting used to with displays and prints.
Every projector has different preset "modes" that are intended for different viewing environments. These modes have a direct relationship to the size of the color gamut. If you select a "movie" or "theater" mode, you will get the largest gamut and the most saturation out of the projector. Oftentimes, this greater gamut comes at the cost of brightness. Modes like PC or Presentation give a smaller gamut, but are also brighter. So when you are testing projectors, be sure to compare them using this "theater" mode.
In most cases you should stay away from DLP projectors as they will be bright, but at an extreme loss of color gamut. We've liked the Epson projectors since they utilized the 3 LCD technology. DLP projectors will tend to get a rainbow effect when patterns are moving quickly across the screen. (Especially noticeable when something in the room - a hand or arm - is moving in the path of the projection.) This is a result of the DLP technology. We did not see this rainbow flickering with the Epson models we tested.
Once you have the projector mode set to be able to produce the most color, you might also be able to create a profile for it. If you have a ColorMunki, or an i1 Pro with a beamer software module, these will make projector profiles. It is also possible to profile a projector using an ordinary colorimeter. Ideally, this profiling should be done using the same screen you will be projecting on.
Discussion
2 repliesAny recommendations?
A lot of projectors are touted for "brightness" or other qualities that are more useful for business than for photo reproduction purposes. The main quality you'd want to look for if you're a photographer is "size of gamut" - especially since the color reproduction ability of most projectors is considerably less than what people are getting used to with displays and prints.
Every projector has different preset "modes" that are intended for different viewing environments. These modes have a direct relationship to the size of the color gamut. If you select a "movie" or "theater" mode, you will get the largest gamut and the most saturation out of the projector. Oftentimes, this greater gamut comes at the cost of brightness. Modes like PC or Presentation give a smaller gamut, but are also brighter. So when you are testing projectors, be sure to compare them using this "theater" mode.
In most cases you should stay away from DLP projectors as they will be bright, but at an extreme loss of color gamut. We've liked the Epson projectors since they utilized the 3 LCD technology. DLP projectors will tend to get a rainbow effect when patterns are moving quickly across the screen. (Especially noticeable when something in the room - a hand or arm - is moving in the path of the projection.) This is a result of the DLP technology. We did not see this rainbow flickering with the Epson models we tested.
Once you have the projector mode set to be able to produce the most color, you might also be able to create a profile for it. If you have a ColorMunki, or an i1 Pro with a beamer software module, these will make projector profiles. It is also possible to profile a projector using an ordinary colorimeter. Ideally, this profiling should be done using the same screen you will be projecting on.
Patrick Herold
Tech Support
www.chromix.com