I could kick myself for not ordering this great little projector years ago! As a mural artist I have been using the old fashion overhead projector for some time (costs a fortune in transparencies and printer ink, not to mention bulky to carry around and position). I promised myself that if it ever broke down I would get a digital projector.
Not knowing much about projectors, I researched regular projectors as well. I settled on the artograph because of the extra features (gridding, reversing image, etc.) that I knew would be helpful as an artist, even though the price was somewhat higher than a regular projector. While researching I couldn't find all the answers to the multitude of questions I had and alot of reviews dealt with smaller art projections or it's use as a movie projector. I decided to just take the chance on this one!
Once I had this baby up and running, I immediately knew I made the right decision. The images are crisp and clear, even in a light filled room. This was very important - when painting murals in peoples houses, you don't always have control over lighting. I was also surprised at how large the image can get, but even more surprised how small I could get the image without losing clarity - something I could never have done with an overhead projector. This opens a lot more options for projection, saving me time, and the client money. The keystone feature is also great, if needing to project into higher locations. Combine it with the tripod (a must-have) and I can project onto ceilings. If you ever had to draw up on a ceiling, you will understand how cool this is!
On the back of the projector there are several options for connections to laptops, pads etc. I use a hdmi cable (had to purchase)connected to my asus eeeslate (not sure what connections an ipad has so ipad users may want to check this). What is wonderful about this, is that I can change the size of the image not only by positioning the projector, but by changing the image size on my computer - this really helps if you are in tight spaces or if you are projection on the ceiling where you can't always change the distance of the projector. Nor do you have to get over-zealous of positioning the projector in the exact place (a constant pain in the neck with an overhead projector). It has an sd card attachment which is great, but I find being able to control images on my eeeslate an incredible asset.
As I mentioned, I researched this projector, and while there was great information and reviews, I found little information from people actually using it for murals and large scale artwork. My biggest concern was projection in a lit room, and thanks to a couple of amazon reviews and a youtube clip, I knew that would be okay. It actually turned out much better than I anticipated. And I do have to agree with a few other reviewers here, movie projection is wonderful for dvds and games - just a little added bonus.
I haven't had the projector very long, so I haven't ran into anything I dislike about it. But from it's use so far, I doubt that I will. Perhaps I am just over-excited because I am so use to an overhead projector!
If I was to find one little think I disliked, it is that the carry bag is too small to hold the cords and connections adequately, and it is not padded in any way. It may be worth purchasing a more suitable carry bag.
I am very new to the world of digital projection, and if you are too, please feel free to leave a comment/question about this projector, and I will answer it to the best of my ability from an artists perspective.