Projectors of all kinds for photographers

Fotograf mit Spiegelreflexkamera fotografiert vor einer Wand mit vielen kleinen Porträtfotos

Use by photographers

or what photographers should look for when buying a projector

Photographers are increasingly buying projectors. They know that a large, sharp image not only helps to show pictures, but also helps to sell them. This guide is intended to help photographers who are looking for a projector to display their photos large and perfectly.

What a photographer should consider before buying a projector:

Projector basics: brightness, contrast, resolution?
On the move: how portable should the projector be, and how easy should it be to set up?
Connections: which connections / connectivity should the projector have?
Cost: how to get the most out of your available budget
Sound: the advantages of a sound system in your projector
A projector pays for itself: sell more than before

Projector basics: brightness, contrast, resolution?

Brightness, contrast and resolution. These basic specifications are not that complicated after all. However, you should know a little about them before you start looking for a device. Below you will find a few tips.

Projector brightness

Projector brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. Quite simply, the more lumens, the brighter the projector. How many lumens you need depends on many factors.

→The size of the audience – larger audiences require larger images, which in turn need bright projectors. It is hard to go wrong with more lumens, especially nowadays, when very bright projectors are cheaper than ever.

→ The ambient light in the room where you project – if you take your projector to meetings with clients, bear in mind that the lighting conditions there can vary greatly, and you should buy a rather brighter projector. If you install your projector permanently, you can adapt it to the lighting conditions of the surroundings and may need a less bright projector.

Here is a small table on projector brightness for photographers:

Ambient light	Audience size	Brightness (lumens)
Low	2–10 people	2,000 – 3,500 lumens
Normal	10–100 people	3,500 – 5,000 lumens
High	101–500 people	5,000 lumens or more

Projector contrast

Split-Aufnahme eines Models vor schwarzem und weißem Hintergrund zeigt Kontrastunterschiede in der Fotografie The contrast ratio refers to the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white in an image. A projector with a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 is not necessarily 5 times better than a projector with a contrast ratio of 2,000:1. The contrast ratio does not take into account how the projector displays the shades of grey as opposed to the darkest black and brightest white. If the projector cannot display these shades of grey, parts of the image will fade and look pixelated on a large screen.

So how do you find the right one? Look for a projector with lots of colour settings. Multi-colour processing, BrilliantColor or sRGB modes will help you project your image exactly as you want it. Our experts have seen many projectors in action. So if you have a specific question, just send us an email.

A little tip: In reality, you will not be able to see any real difference between a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 and 500,000:1 unless you compare them in a room with no ambient light at all. In real-life situations with ambient light, even the difference between a contrast ratio of 2,000:1 and 10,000:1 is barely noticeable. Realistically, a projector used by professional photographers should have a contrast ratio of at least 3,000:1.

The right resolution – resolution mainly describes the number of pixels in the image. The more pixels, the more detail in your projected image. For photographers with digital SLR cameras reaching up to the 18-megapixel mark, we strongly recommend investing in an HD projector. Good news: the price of HD projectors has fallen sharply in recent years.

Most popular HD projector resolutions:

Wide XGA	1280×800	1,024,000 pixels	Projectors with WXGA resolution
HD	1920×1080	2,073,600 pixels	Projectors with Full HD resolution

On the move: how portable should the projector be, and how easy should it be to set up?
"Portable" – in the past, this label only applied to very few projectors. Nowadays, almost every manufacturer also makes smaller products, so they can be transported easily and save space too!

Connections: which connections/connectivity should the projector have?
Can you simply connect a projector and it works? Yes, almost! Connection options differ from model to model. However, there are a few connections you must have, depending on what you want to use your projector for.

Many photographers will want to connect their laptop to the projector. Many laptops today output signals via HDMI. This is also the preferred method for presenting photos. It also allows you to transfer videos and films in HD quality to your computer or projector.

However, not all laptops have an HDMI output. Older models only have a VGA (analogue) or DVI (digital) connection. We strongly recommend buying a VGA cable, even if your computer has a DVI or HDMI connection, because you will find a VGA connection on almost every device. This cable always works – the connections are available practically everywhere.

A DVI connection, however, produces a better image because it can transmit the signals faster. Do not be put off if a projector only has an HDMI input, because you can easily convert the HDMI signal into a DVI signal with an adapter. These adapters are easy to get hold of and inexpensive.

Sound: the advantages of a sound system in your projector
Sound is the perfect way to make your presentation more emotional. Music can underscore your slide show during presentations and give it a dramatic effect. At weddings, for example, the bride and groom can choose their music to go with the photos. Music is not the most important thing when presenting photos, but it should not be underestimated either. The difference between a sound system and ordinary speakers is also very noticeable.

A projector pays for itself: sell more than before – first of all, we have to make one thing clear: we are not photographers. But many of our good customers are, and that is how we have gained our experience. And from the point of view of a number of business owners, projectors can be a quick and effective help for your business. Why? Because the large images that projectors create, combined with the right presentation, trigger an emotional reaction in the buyer that ultimately convinces them to buy the product.

Advantages of a projector over a plasma or LCD display:

- Projectors are portable. You can project the pictures straight onto the client's wall, exactly where they will later hang in a picture frame
- Projectors create a "theatre atmosphere"
- Projectors are cheaper per cm of projection area than plasma or LCD displays