Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I am a Photoshop teacher and I am interested in a projector that does not produce images that are too contrasty. In other words, if I am demonstrating how contrast in general affects an image I need to be able to show a low contrast image as a comparison. Unfortunately all the projectors I've tried seem to automatically boost the contrast especially of low contrast images not allowing one to show a difference or even adjust.

So what is a good projector that can maintain the proper contrast of the original image but which also has good color and all the rest? I am not talking about Contrast Ratio. I think that is another term for "Dynamic Range" involving projectors. What I am talking about is a different thing. By "Image contrast", I mean what Curves does in Photoshop. You won't find it in projector specs.

RGreenway Loc: Morristown, New Jersey

Home theater projector usually have a range of settings including several image settings from "normal" to "dynamic" and in-between. They also allow you to set the contrast, brightness and other settings like a good TV screen or monitor.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Why not use the projector you have and provide a photo that you made with far less contrast to show?

Then when the projector add contrast it will look like what you wanted in the first place.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

You can't make a low contrast image appear low contrast on most projectors. Try it. Auto contrast must be built in to them all. Photographers and Photoshoppers like me are in the minority in wanting this. The public and the manufacturers are sold on high contrast. It makes their projectors look better by making average photos look a little better. General public loves this too.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

My experience has been that normal contrast on Home theatre projectors is high contrast. It goes up from there.

RGreenway Loc: Morristown, New Jersey

cant u just go to settings and dial it down to what you like? Or do a calibration set up? I am using a Panasonic Home Theater projector that I am sure does that!

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

I just talked with a Carmen Aiken from a projector store at 800-639-3010 x2004. She first thought a business projector since they have little contrast to start with then asked several questions I had no idea about. Best you talk with her.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

It looks like I am in the extreme minority in appreciating low contrast. I just talked to Carmen and Todd at the Projector People. Their advice is that the least expensive projector for what I want (ability to show low contrast) is the Canon Realis WUX 5000 at about $3000.00.

Unfortunately that projector series is what is already in use in class. It doesn't do it. So there you have it. You can't always get what you want.

My whole workflow is based on keeping the contrast low in post processing because it's very, very difficult to lower contrast as opposed to raising it. Most people don't understand the amount of detail that is lost because of higher contrast. So maybe I keep it to myself.

Thanks

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

I still think my initial answer would do it. When I took an average photo in RAW form with good contrast showing, (a good football player photo), I went about removing the contrast in assorted ways. To remove the contrast, a sort-of mild or fuzzy looking edges were needed. Of the things I tried, (Clearity, Sharpening, and assorted other assorted thing), Clearity worked best on it's own. In combination with sharpening it looked very "un-contrasty" if that is a word?

In my Clearity controls I had the choice of; Natural, Punch, Neutral, and Classic. Classic seemed to work best although the others were not too far off. I just turned the clearity down low then the sharpening down and it was about what I think would work. That combination made it look sort-of like in a fog around the edges.

I use Capture One Pro 9 but you would probably have close to the same controls on PS and maybe Lightroom.

If you have different styles of older film looks, you might want to try that too.

When the projector adds contrast, it will add the amount it normally does and being you were under contrasted, it should look like what you want.

Good luck.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Thanks. Negative Clarity is a good thought but notice that you can't use it too much as it becomes foggy. The second set of sliders under the main sliders in Levels will reduce contrast the best but you can't use that too much either.

Note: Something photographers don't hear a lot: Adding contrast--easy, Reducing it--difficult.

Violameister Loc: michigan

To help me understand the question: I think you have two images from Photoshop, one with a high contrast and another with a low contrast. When you send these images to the projector they are indistinguishable. Is that correct?

On my several projectors all of them project perfectly a video image of mine that starts out mid scale gray and gradually lightens and darkens parts of the image until it has enough contrast to make the text readable.

Now, some projectors attempt to increase projected contrast by using a variable iris which darkens dark images and opens up light images. Perhaps this is what is causing the problem. That can usually be turned off.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Value changes in step scales are solely based on brightness.

There is very little low contrast capability on almost all projectors. You can always pump it up. You can't lower it. You can't hardly display it either. I just wondered what the best projector would be for my purposes—to demonstrate low contrast (I also like it in my images). The Projector People © told me the best one for that would be the Canon Realis line which is what I have. End of line. There's either no demand for it or it's a technically too difficult an issue to solve. File that away.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I use a Datacolor Spyder that's able to calibrate computer monitors, printers, TVs... and projectors.