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Sony HW40ES + anamorphic lens suggestions?

3005 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by AV_Integrated, Mar 5, 2015

mtnboydl

Discussion Starter · Mar 5, 2015

Hey all,

I'd like to start by thanking the many of you that posted in my last thread as I looked into projector options and have helped me frame the foundation of our theater build. Dreamer in particular has been very helpful for the display issues.

I've decided on the Sony for the projector. Budget won't stretch much higher if I'm to include an anamorphic lens configuration as well.

I've looked at Panamorph, and I know there are a few other brands for sale in the classifieds section to consider, but I'm a bit confused about some of the options. It looks like the panamorph is a fixed lens that requires the image to be squeezed back to a 16:9 ratio for HDTV and internal vertical stretching to eliminate the top and bottom black bars for cinemascope options. This also seems to require the projector to be rotated 45 degrees for the lens to function. Is that accurate? Are there setting presets that I can store to allow the squeeze and vertical stretch to switch back and forth without playing with the settings every time?

Can anyone comment on the benefit of a motorized or non-permanent lens solution? Is it worth the premium in price?

Thanks all!

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AV_Integrated

· #2 · Mar 5, 2015

mtnboydl said:
Hey all,

I'd like to start by thanking the many of you that posted in my last thread as I looked into projector options and have helped me frame the foundation of our theater build. Dreamer in particular has been very helpful for the display issues.

I've decided on the Sony for the projector. Budget won't stretch much higher if I'm to include an anamorphic lens configuration as well.

I've looked at Panamorph, and I know there are a few other brands for sale in the classifieds section to consider, but I'm a bit confused about some of the options. It looks like the panamorph is a fixed lens that requires the image to be squeezed back to a 16:9 ratio for HDTV and internal vertical stretching to eliminate the top and bottom black bars for cinemascope options. This also seems to require the projector to be rotated 45 degrees for the lens to function. Is that accurate? Are there setting presets that I can store to allow the squeeze and vertical stretch to switch back and forth without playing with the settings every time?

Can anyone comment on the benefit of a motorized or non-permanent lens solution? Is it worth the premium in price?

Thanks all!

Most anamorphic lenses do not require any sort of rotation of the projector, but I can imagine that there are a couple of cheaper ones that have prisms which require rotation.

Most just require the lens to be placed in front of the projector lens and it performs a stretch of the image.

So, while you can PURCHASE a slider (sled) which moves the lens back and forth, you can also build one yourself if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. You just need to slide the A-lens in front of the Sony lens and you have a stretched out 2.35 anamorphic image. Slide it out of the way and you are back to 1.78.

I would certainly consider that a requirement if I were doing it. Put in a sled, and just slide the lens back and forth as needed.

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Ellebob

· #3 · Mar 5, 2015

The projector doesn't need to be rotated for the lens to work. The lens is just cut that way but you are not seeing the other glass inside it.

If you have a 16:9 picture and you put a lens in front of it stretches the picture to fit a 2.35 screen. With 16: material the picture will be stretched similar to people that stretch standard definition material on their HD display. With 2.35 material you will have black bars at the top and the bottom of the picture. So the processor stretches the picture vertically to fill the 16:9 panel and the lens stretches it horizontally to make for a correct aspect ration an totally fill the screen. The Sony 40 has an aspect button that you can cycle through the modes.

Options for anamorphic lenses.

1. Fixed Lens - Poor man's solution. The lens stays in front of the projector at all times. So if you are watching 16:9 Material you either watch it stretched or you hit the aspect button until you get to the 'squeeze' option and it will squeeze the picture to make the 16:9 aspect ratio correct. You lose some resolution doing this but surprising it doesn't look too bad. Most of the installations I have done the people just leave the 16:9 material stretched. To watch 2.35 material you hit the aspect button until you get to the V Stretch option.

2. Lens with manual slide - They make an option for this with the Cinevista lens. To watch 16:9 material you simply move the lens out of the way and hit the aspect button and select the 'normal' option. For 2.35 you put them lens in front and choose 'V stretch'.

3. Lens with automated slide - Works the same as manual but the lens can be automated.

The difference in lenses is the different quality glass. The Cinevista will have to use the Sony's convergence adjustment. The better lens will not have to use it or not as much. the Cinevista is pretty good especially for the price and even without a lens you usually have to use the convergence adjustment so it is not a big deal.

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Verge2

· #4 · Mar 5, 2015

Rotate projector?

Huh?

Where did you get that.

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mtnboydl

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 5, 2015

Verge2 said:
Rotate projector?

Huh?

Where did you get that.

I saw a picture of someone with an anamorphic lens that had a rotated projector. Unfortunately, they were projecting onto a wall that was 45 degrees from the wall they were mounting to and it confused me.

Comments can always be helpful instead of veiled in sarcasm, btw.

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AV_Integrated

· #6 · Mar 5, 2015

Verge2 said:
Rotate projector?

Huh?

Where did you get that.

I could definitely see that being the case with a 'cheap' anamorphic prism lens. Where it's just setup with the prisms inside in a manner that requires the projector to be rotated slightly.

That said, I don't see that being the case for any of the typical lenses or the more expensive models. More like a DiY lens, or a 'cheap' model.

If I was running a A-lens setup without a sled to move the lens, I would have zero issues saving some cash and just rotating my projector 45 (or whatever) degrees to get a solid A-image on my screen. May look goofy, but could save a fair bit of cash, and/or give me a better image.

But, I certainly have never seen that type of setup before. I'm just throwing out my thoughts.

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