Portable digital projectors work well enough that you can use them to beam large image displays for exhibits, concerts, and other events. While they hardly create the clearest, crispest images, their convenience have made them a more viable option for a whole load of folks. VISIO is a portable slide projector that’s hoping to make for an equally convenient analog alternative.
Designed to beam film slides like old-school photo projectors, the device allows you to display an exceptionally clear photo-quality images in scale-up sizes. Whether you need to project large images during auditorium presentations, as a backdrop for music concerts, or just to set the mood at a party you’re hosting, this thing makes sure you can do that with the kind of photographic quality no amount of digital reproduction can match.
VISIO consists of a powerful handheld LED light, which can fit a film slide on the business end (there’s a slide holder) for beaming onto your desired projection surface. Obviously, a handheld flashlight can’t beam a massively amplified image onto any surface. As such, you’ll need to pair it with any of the photography lenses in your arsenal, which you mount on the lighting unit’s head using any of the available adapters. As of now, they have adapter mounts for Sony A, Nikon F series, Canon EF series, Pentax K series, and M42 lenses, although you should be able to use any other lens using an adapter ring.
A 1500-lumen seven-LED array allows it to deliver an intense beam of light, so you don’t have be in total darkness to project clear pictures into space. This ensures your slides are all projected in clear detail even in nighttime outdoor settings. It comes with a rechargeable battery that should keep the projector running for up to three hours straight, although you can always bring a power bank to keep it operational for far, far longer.
Since holding it by hand can get tiring pretty fast, VISIO comes with a standard threaded slot that you can use to mount in on tripods, selfie sticks, and other similar equipment. Dimensions are 6.7 x 2.9 x 3.7 inches without a lens attached, so it should be compact enough to fit in backpack pouches and small carrying cases for convenient portability.
While it’s obviously great for projecting pretty pictures to draw attention (this will be great for store openings), its creators suggest a number of ways the device can be useful to a wider group of users. Mural artists, for instance, can use it to create sketches on paper than they can then photograph and turn into a slide. They can then project that sketch up a wall for easier reproduction. You can also use it to display messages that you can scribble on a slide, as well as use it to throw up a bat signal for those times you need the Dark Knight in your life. Or something like that.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the VISIO. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at €289.