Digital Projector Ratings
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 Ergotron 97 598 055 Teachwell MDW Projector Shelf  US $76.92
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 Cables To Go 38049 6FT M1 VGA HD15 M M PROJECTOR Kit US $43.54
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 Cables To Go 38054 75FT M1 VGA HD15 M M PROJECTOR Kit US $108.32
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 Cables To Go 38049 6FT M1 VGA HD15 M M PROJECTOR US $36.28
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 Cables To Go 38054 75FT M1 VGA HD15 M M PROJECTOR US $98.47
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 Kensington 64530 Kensington MicroSaver 64530 Lock for Projector Kit US $61.73
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 Kensington 64530 Kensington MicroSaver 64530 Lock for Projector US $56.12
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 Ergotron 97 598 055 TEACHWELL MDW PROJECTOR SHELF Kit US $84.61
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Optoma DS317 Multimedia Projector
A digital camera with a projector built in? Impossible!
Isn't it amazing how far projector technology has come, that we can now fit a projector inside a digital camera or cellphone?!
Projectors of the type used for presentations or small movie screenings are a very recent development in their own right – we are used to seeing them now, but some readers may remember the HUGE cabinet-based projectors from the mid-80s, with their own built-in screen, that projected an image using THREE separate beams (red, green and blue) and used enough power to run a small city!
In recent times we have seen small, briefcase-sized models become the norm, but they are not without their drawbacks – they generate a lot of heat, the image still cannot be compared with, say, an LCD or plasma screen, and they can be quite delicate, requiring gradual powering down in order not to damage the (expensive) lamp inside.
So how did we get to the stage where we can fit a projector into a digital camera and project our images on the wall?
The answer lies in pico-projector technology. Without going too much into the technical details, pico- (which just means ‘very small') projectors do not use an incandescent lamp (a bulb) like traditional projectors, which are bulky and get very hot, as we mentioned before. Instead they use technologies based on LED (light emitting diodes) or, less commonly, lasers. These generate far less heat and, together with a special mirroring or other optical technology allow the projector to be sufficiently miniaturised to be housed in a camera or other small handheld device (there are standalone picoprojectors available too).
As you would expect, there is a trade-off against the small size – the greatest is probably picture brightness, which is considerably less than with a regular projector.
However, think of the advantages: a cellphone or camera with a projector built in allows you to take pictures and instantly display them for review on a wall or other surface, probably to the amazement of all those present – until cameras with projectors become commonplace, at any rate!
This technology can only improve and as cellphone and camera projectors become more advanced it seems as though science fiction is becoming a reality before our eyes!
About the Author
Have a look at two cameras with projectors here - the Nikon Coolpix S1100PJ camera with projector and the 3M CP40 Shoot 'n' Share Camcorder with projector (there's a video too, so you can see it live!).
