For a project I want to install a tiny digital projector inside a box, projecting a small image--around the size of a business card or index card or so. I've found a bunch of different models, but I'm having trouble finding info about how close the projectors focus, and how small an image you can get (I assume most users will want larger images, with projector farther away).
Anyone have any advice?
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I'll look into that, thanks.
Agreed. They work, but the image is usually soft (even compared to other projectors), and not bright at all. They’re fun to play with, but the image just isn’t there. A teensy display will like a LOT better.
Is it a moving image?
Yes.
Ok. Let's not play a thousand questions. Pleas describe your idea with details like size, shape, is the image coming out onto something else and if so what and how far. or is it on the surface of the box. The we can give you some thoughts.
It would go inside a box, approx 30" x 30" x 30". I would like to project onto a piece of textured white paper or white cloth. I don't have the all the details determined yet; this is just a germ of an idea at this point.
If there is a tiny projector that can focus within 3' or so, with a very small image, I might buy it and then experiment.
Take a look at this. It has a built in focusable projector and all you need to do is put in a card with media. I have a bigger version and the projector works pretty cool. It doesn't have a lot of light output but with your short throw it might be perfect. However, you might need to experiment with some additional lensing to get the image to the right size. You can also use neutral density gels/filters to reduce the light on such a compact area. Definitely doable.
That looks really cool--thanks!
Here's my NXcam projector. Should be the same from everything I looked at. First pic is 9" from wall with a 4 1/2" wide image. Second pic is 25" from wall with a 12" wide image. You can't zoom the projected image. Distance dictates size. I played around with a couple of crappy magnifying lenses and with the right combo and decent quality lens you could throw a little image a lot further. It was upside down but you can always feed it an upside down image and it will project right side up.
Super helpful, thanks!!
Seems like the projected image quality isn't too bad?
I does need a bit of a darkened room.
Any reason not to just use a small display?
I was considering projecting onto objects, which couldn't be done with small display...but it might be easier to use a display.
Were you thinking tablet or phone, or are there other tiny displays you know of?
Check out the displays they have here: https://www.adafruit.com/category/63
Will do, thanks.
I don't know about tiny, but there are some reasonably small displays (about 8 inches, using TV measurements), the one I have connected via USB, with separate power cable. Worked great for displaying stuff kinda like a Picture-in-Picture thing.
You might get some good results out of a pocket laser projector, like an AnyBeam - that would be in focus at any range, and would have higher resolution than similarly-sized traditional projectors.
You may have trouble getting any projector to work well on a target the size of a business card, though. For the image to be so small, the projector would have to be very close, and they aren't designed for that. The image will be too bright and bleed-y.
I'll take a look, thanks!
Don't buy it.
It’s a fun toy. It’s a terrible TV
Texas Instruments and Beaglebone I’ve used this setup, but it takes some programming knowledge (or at least it did a few years ago). Incredible picture quality but smallest image that could achieve sharp focus was about 12x18
Thanks.
You can get a really small image, really, really close up. I had one of these for a Karaoke thing I used to do, and yes, I wanted to project a large image reasonably far away, but I also had to test the thing before putting on the show. So...got it all hooked up and ready and tested it in my palm. Still looked good and worked great. Very bright. In my palm, the edge of the projector was less than a foot away at filling-my-palm size.
Thanks; do you remember which model it was?
No, but it was very small. A pocket projector, I think it was called. Black box, about 3 inches long and one inch wide. I was pretty fond of Black Web at the time, so maybe one of theirs... I think I paid about $100 for it at the time...
I'll look around, that sounds perfect.
I have an old Aaxa laser pico projector that would work, but the flicker is unpleasant and it only plays low res
Taleya t1_j1fi62d wrote
Not worth it tbh. Get yourself a mini lcd or tft.
Domestic projectors aren't designed for fine detail work, plus the globes are horrendously priced. It's not gonna look as good as in your head and it's gonna be a huge pain in the arse day-to-day
Source: been working digital cinema since 2012.