The Importance of Brightness and Accessory Lenses for Digital Projectors

When buying a digital projector, there seems to be a lot of things to consider. Two of the most important factors to think about are the brightness of the projector and its accessory lenses.

The Digital Projector’s overall ANSI Brightness

Brightness is quantified by using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) measure of Lumens. For instance, a 5-watt fluorescent bulb has about 285 lumens. A very bright – projector is for example the Sharp model xr10x or the Epson 8350 projector.

When choosing the brightness of your projector, in general, there are three things you have to look at:

  • Ambient light – will you be able to put your projector in a very dark room … or will there be a little light or a lot of light in the room? If you will be using it in a very dark room, such as your home entertainment room, then you can opt for a projector with rather low lumens settings, such as those with 1,000 to 1,500 lumens. If you will need to put it in a rather bright or lit room, then go for a projector with 1,500 to 3,000 lumens. For a room with more lights, go for a projector with more than 3,000 lumens. Note: remember to keep sunlight away from your projector screen. Sunlight can really ruin your projections.
  • Screen size – the bigger your screen size is, the more brightness you need. This is because as you increase your screen size, you “spread” the light out more. If you need to project a screen not larger than 84 inches or 213 centimeters, then you could get a projector with less than 3,000 lumens. If you need to have a screen size from 84-120 inches or 213-305 centimeters, then you will probably need a 3,000 lumens projector. Get a projector with more lumens if your screen needs to be bigger than 120 inches or 305 centimeters.
  • Subject Matter – The more details you need to have in your presentation, the more light you need. For example, if you just need to project words that are huge and bold, you won’t need as much lumens as you would if you are projecting detailed photos.

If you need to bring your projector around and do not know what the conditions are going to be in the place where you need to project your images, go for a projector with 3,000 lumens to be safe. Bring some accessory lenses as well, to make sure that you have everything covered.

Digital Projector Lenses – short or long throw, or even anamorphic?

When you have purchased your projector, at some point you will realize that your projector is too powerful or too weak for the type of place you need to present. Or sometimes, some movie formats don’t look as well as others through your projector screen. For these occasions, accessory lenses will come in very handy.

Short-throw lens – These are used in cases when you have a very powerful projector but you have to use it in a small room. To prevent your audience and your presenter from getting blinded by your projector, short-throw lenses can be used.

Long-throw lens – These are used if the projector is going to be positioned far from the screen. This type of lens preserves the quality of your images. So, if you have a presentation in a big conference room or if you need to put the projector at the back of the room, this is the accessory for you.

Anamorphic lens – This type of lens is best for movies having a widescreen format. Normally, when you play movies like these, there are black bars at the top and at the bottom of the screen. When you use a anamorphic lens, these bars disappear and you get the impression that you are watching the movie at the cinema.

When you are looking for the right projector and the right lenses, check out the product’s details. If possible, try it out before taking it home so that you get the best one for your specific needs.

Filed under: Digital Projector Insights

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