Anyone use Handheld Projectors?

[ruinexplorer]

With digital projection technology coming down in price, and up in quality, I am wondering if anyone is looking at incorporating handheld/pico projectors into their designs? While they have extremely limited lumens and low resolution, they aren't the ideal projector for general use, but a creative person may be able to add them to set pieces or props for some very unique applications. I have seen some priced as little as $100 for this holiday season, so they may be an economical effect.

 

[epimetheus]

Could possibly be used as a window effect for a set piece designed to have a window looking outside...

 

[jonslilbro]

Reminds me of this:
You can get them already at sites like DealExtreme for about $285, which I mean the projector's not great, but that fact that we're getting closer to that technology being the standard is awesome to me.

 

[ruinexplorer]

Essentially, yes. I was even thinking about this one from 3M. It runs on battery power and is small enough to hide. I saw it on Tiger Direct for about $160 during the Cyber Monday deals. I think that I've even seen some that have on board media players so that it could even be built into a costume.

 

[Footer]

It would be interesting to use those for dance. You could really do some fun stuff. I would have liked to see what the designers for a show like Rent, who did the actor motivated projector thing, would have done with this technology. I think we will be seeing it pop up here or there. Keep an eye on the modern dance companies.

 

[museav]

Notice how the MPro120 specs do not discuss brightness? Well, the MPro120 (800x600 native resolution and $350 dollars versus 640x480 and $150 for the MPro110) is stated to be 12 lumens in "high brightness" mode. That's not a typo, twelve (12) lumens. So maybe more for projecting a small porthole than a window. And from reviews is seems that color and contrast are also a bit lacking.

Eventually the technology may get there but it could also well be that by the time that any projection technology advances to that point it will be surpassed for many such applications by other technologies like OLED.

 

[SHARYNF]

I have spent some time with these types of units, so here goes my take:

If you watch this link you will see what IMHO is where these could be used

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Video on TED.com

It will be based on Brad"s correct assesment far more personal and "small space usage"

There is a company called Microvision that has an interesting LASER solution, still expensive and low power =to meet the FDA 4.9mw restriction, but the interesting thing about combining the Pico with the Sixth sense is that the laser does not need to be focused somce it is not using a lens system

Microvision: A World of Display and Imaging Opportunities

Anyway as a projection nut there are some interesting possibilities

Sharyn

 

[ruinexplorer]

Certainly there are strong limitations to this media. Even Mitsubishi's (now discontinued) pocket projector only had 25 lumens, but that one wasn't battery operated. I was thinking along the lines of Kyle's suggestion of a more avant garde use of images and lighting. A dance piece that is mainly lit with UV (costumes and any set with UV paint) might allow for these projectors to be seen. It might even be cool to have a perfomer armed with both a pico projector and a tiny fogger for some atmoshperic effects. Possibly a small sci-fi device that is a handheld device that projects on an attached piece of frosted glass. Just thinking about the future of projection.

 

[echnaret]

When I was in New York for a semester, there was a dance piece I helped with where they used one of those hand-held projectors. They hooked it up to an iPod (so the entire thing was wireless), and had one dancer point it at another (first onto her hand, then onto her head). They were pretty close together, maybe 2-3 feet. There were no stage lights on during that scene (they probably would have drowned out the projector).

 

[Sle]

I actually have experience with the 3m mpro120 handheld projector and the aaxa P2 handheld projector. I have side by side pics. I'll write a real review on them tomorrow. Basically, it really depends on what kind of lighting you are using... in my experience, the 8-12 lumen range isn't enough for production work with any substantial lighting. the aaxa uses 33-lumens and that might be enough depending on your lighting situation


aaxa on left // 3m on right

with the lights on

with the lights off

 

[Studio]

These would be awesome in blackouts or dim (spotlighted) scenes.

 

[museav]

Sle, how large are the projected images in those pictures?

Just for reference, using the SMPTE and DCI guidelines for film and digital cinema which assume very low ambient light levels (essentially blackout other than required emergency and aisle lights), 13 lumens would be good for an image area of less than 1 square foot and 33 lumens for about 2 to 2-1/2 square feet. Not that you are necessarily looking for or needing cinema image quality for all applications, but that provides some reference based on established standards.

 

[Sle]

Handheld projectors - The lumens info between aaxa p2 and 3m mpro120

A few of you had questions on lighting, lumens, size, etc for handheld projectors. Having owned both of these projectors (the aaxa p2 handheld projector and the 3m mpro120 handheld projector), I feel I could give you guys a decent comparison. I bought the 3m a few months ago as more of a toy than an actual tool and decided to upgrade a bit to the aaxa p2.

Needless to say, these things are tiny. I sold the 3m awhile ago so I don't have pics to compare, but both are totally pocket-able.

Relatively, they're about the same size. The aaxa P2 handheld projector offers a higher resolution (800x600) and about three times the lumens. You can really tell when the lights are on. Lights off they're both usable.

Lights off:

Lights on:

Keep in mind, while the lights are off, I am still getting some lighting in from the windows. All of these were taken in the day time.

Depending on your scenario, I work with small companies for plays and during the "night" scenes, these things work great. Lesser in the "day" scenes with lighting going on, but they are usable depending on where you are projecting and the size you are projecting. As a reference, I took another pic with the aaxa p2 handheld projector during the day with the lights off...

There is plenty of lights coming in from the window but they aren't directly on this wall... notice the cigarette pack on the ground for size reference. The projector isn't incredibly expensive, but more than the earlier projectors out there (by about 100 bones). The only place to get them is from the manufacturer, so depending on their stock, you might have to wait. Mine was on a backorder. AAXA P2 Pico Projector - LCoS Based Hand-held Pocket Projector - LED Micro Projector

The one thing I do have a gripe with is that the fan on the aaxa p2 is somewhat loud for something so small.. Its louder than my desktop computer fan and like...1/20th the size. That might be an issue for some of you who are doing film and sound. The 3m is a lot quieter in the sound aspect. Visually, it is lacking.


There's a better and more in depth review at gadling:
Gadling gear review - Aaxa Technologies P2 pico projector | Gadling.com