I've been hunting for a Beseler Opaque projector lens with 22" EFL and 5" diameter. This is not the Vulyte II, III, IV which all have an 18" EFL lens. Every time I find one on fleabay, I lose 🙁. I actually had a good deal on just the lens a few months ago, but I lost my internet connection when I moved and the cable company, busy with all the new connects in this collegetown, took forever in getting me an install.
Anyway, I found this guy in CA who says he's got 30 or so of them. I still have to confirm that they're the exact same model with the 22" EFL lens. His going price is $75 per projector (plus shipping). I was thinking about maybe seeing if I could strike a deal on a number of projectors or maybe a number of lenses but I thought I'd check here before troubling him with that.
Would such a lens be good for a DIY PJ? Perhaps, mated with the 3dlens 550 cm fresnel? I know some people have reported some OK results with the 18". I thought that with the 22", it could be set a bit further from the panel, enabling it to fit better within it's effect FOV for better focus and with the longer FL, a longer throw could be used.
Let me know and TIA.
Anyway, I found this guy in CA who says he's got 30 or so of them. I still have to confirm that they're the exact same model with the 22" EFL lens. His going price is $75 per projector (plus shipping). I was thinking about maybe seeing if I could strike a deal on a number of projectors or maybe a number of lenses but I thought I'd check here before troubling him with that.
Would such a lens be good for a DIY PJ? Perhaps, mated with the 3dlens 550 cm fresnel? I know some people have reported some OK results with the 18". I thought that with the 22", it could be set a bit further from the panel, enabling it to fit better within it's effect FOV for better focus and with the longer FL, a longer throw could be used.
Let me know and TIA.
I would like one
Where in California? I would really like to buy one of these. I am using an 18" fl OHP lens, and I have to keep my projector a bit closer than I would like. A 24" would fit my media room perfectly, but I could get by with a 22".
I am using one of the 3dlens 550 mm fresnels, and it works fine with the 18" OHP lens. I think it would also work fine with the 22" lens, by adjusting the lamp arc to condensor fresnel distance slightly. This can be used to adjust the location of the lamp arc image, to get most of the light into the projection lens.
I live between San Diego and Los Angeles, so I could actually go and have a look at them, if he is in Southern California.
Where in California? I would really like to buy one of these. I am using an 18" fl OHP lens, and I have to keep my projector a bit closer than I would like. A 24" would fit my media room perfectly, but I could get by with a 22".
I am using one of the 3dlens 550 mm fresnels, and it works fine with the 18" OHP lens. I think it would also work fine with the 22" lens, by adjusting the lamp arc to condensor fresnel distance slightly. This can be used to adjust the location of the lamp arc image, to get most of the light into the projection lens.
I live between San Diego and Los Angeles, so I could actually go and have a look at them, if he is in Southern California.
He's in Ventura, CA. Is that close?
I found him through eBay. He has sold two projectors with the same description so far.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7557794082&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1
From questioning other sellers about this PJ, the lens should be marked on the barrel with it's specs so it should be easy to tell if it's the right one.
I found him through eBay. He has sold two projectors with the same description so far.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7557794082&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1
From questioning other sellers about this PJ, the lens should be marked on the barrel with it's specs so it should be easy to tell if it's the right one.
too far for me!
162 miles each way!
Thanks for the eBay link. I will see if he can just ship me a lens. If I can get one, I will post a report on it here.
162 miles each way!
Thanks for the eBay link. I will see if he can just ship me a lens. If I can get one, I will post a report on it here.
im intrested in one as well if it will act as a suitable long throw
keep me updated if you can
Quinn
keep me updated if you can
Quinn
I ebay messaged the seller a couple of days ago. My first query got a quick response, but this last one is still unanswered. Apparently, this guy deals mostly with food service equipment and he's liquidating these PJ's for a friend. He hasn't relisted the PJ since the 2nd time he listed it. I guess he's busy with his regular dizzle.
I have one coming
I called him and he said he has about 20 left. I asked him to ship me just the lens and he said "That sounds familiar, are you the fellow who emailed me?" I explained that we all are in touch and we all want the same thing: Just the lens without paying to ship 50 pounds of junk with it!
He sent me an invoice ($75 + shipping and CA State Sales Tax). I put my payment in the mail today, so I expect a lens some time next week. Probably late in the week.
I will post a report with some screen shots when I get it.
I also told him there would be a first-surface mirror in there some folks might want, if he feels like dissassembling the units a bit. Probably not big enough for 15" LCD projectors, but maybe okay for 7" Lilliputs.
I called him and he said he has about 20 left. I asked him to ship me just the lens and he said "That sounds familiar, are you the fellow who emailed me?" I explained that we all are in touch and we all want the same thing: Just the lens without paying to ship 50 pounds of junk with it!
He sent me an invoice ($75 + shipping and CA State Sales Tax). I put my payment in the mail today, so I expect a lens some time next week. Probably late in the week.
I will post a report with some screen shots when I get it.
I also told him there would be a first-surface mirror in there some folks might want, if he feels like dissassembling the units a bit. Probably not big enough for 15" LCD projectors, but maybe okay for 7" Lilliputs.
Selling your 18" lens?
Hello!
I would interested in your 18" lens when you get the 22"
How much?
Let me know,
sillymeeee@yahoo.com
Thanks!
GregZ
Hello!
I would interested in your 18" lens when you get the 22"
How much?
Let me know,
sillymeeee@yahoo.com
Thanks!
GregZ
Opaque Projector Lenses
I am keeping my 18" lens for now: I am more interested in trying comparisons between different DIY projector parts, than I am in recouping my costs.
I see opaque projectors on eBay all the time. The real ones that can project an 8.5" by 11" piece of paper have lenses that can also project a 9" by 12" LCD. ( Don't buy an "art" projector: They have smaller stages and lenses.) They don't go for a very high price because they are obsolete technology. I think most sellers would be willing to ship you the lens and junk the rest, if you won the item. It's a lot less hassle for them to ship a small box.
Current eBay item numbers:
7563419964
7563990944
I am keeping my 18" lens for now: I am more interested in trying comparisons between different DIY projector parts, than I am in recouping my costs.
I see opaque projectors on eBay all the time. The real ones that can project an 8.5" by 11" piece of paper have lenses that can also project a 9" by 12" LCD. ( Don't buy an "art" projector: They have smaller stages and lenses.) They don't go for a very high price because they are obsolete technology. I think most sellers would be willing to ship you the lens and junk the rest, if you won the item. It's a lot less hassle for them to ship a small box.
Current eBay item numbers:
7563419964
7563990944
Rats!
"I see opaque projectors on eBay all the time"
I know I see them all the time...most have high starting bids so I never bother.
I am in the process of collecting parts for a hybrid laptop projector. The LCD is 16" - the lens is the sticking point. I know the "pro" lenses will be out soon$$...but I am ready to go now. I guess I will keep looking.
Thanks!
GregZ
"I see opaque projectors on eBay all the time"
I know I see them all the time...most have high starting bids so I never bother.
I am in the process of collecting parts for a hybrid laptop projector. The LCD is 16" - the lens is the sticking point. I know the "pro" lenses will be out soon$$...but I am ready to go now. I guess I will keep looking.
Thanks!
GregZ
I see 18" lenses and opaque PJ's with them all the time on fleabay, too. Any Beseler Vulyte Mark II, III or IV has this lens (the original model without the "Mark" name is the one I mentioned in this thread with the 22" EFL.) I've also seen other brands of lenses and PJ's that were similar including Buhl. I often search on the following terms:
project* lens
Beseler (lens,project*)
opaque project*
I wildcard 'project' cuz people sometimes write 'projecter' instead of 'projector' or 'projection.' The first one yields a lot of results that aren't really good because they're for film projectors. The second one uses the parentheses/comma-separated way of doing the logical OR.
project* lens
Beseler (lens,project*)
opaque project*
I wildcard 'project' cuz people sometimes write 'projecter' instead of 'projector' or 'projection.' The first one yields a lot of results that aren't really good because they're for film projectors. The second one uses the parentheses/comma-separated way of doing the logical OR.
The Word
The Word is: excellant!
The 22" fl Beseler opaque projector lens works very well with a 15" LCD. I can focus individual pixels all the way across the screen. In the central 75% of the screen, I can actually see the individual red, green, and blue subpixels on a "white" image.
This is not just a longer focal length version of the 18" lens. That lens has 5" diameter optics, while the 22" fl lens has 4.5" diameter optics. They are both mounted in a 6" long tube, so the Field Of View of the 22" lens would be smaller if not for the longer LCD to lens distance.
I have some light leaks in my LCD frame, and these are showing up very well focussed past the edges of my screen. This tells me that this lens would perform well with a 16" or 17" LCD.
If anybody is interested, I think the seller still has some left. He charged me $75 plus shipping for just the lens. (You could buy the whole projector for that, but the shipping would be much higher.) Give him a call, if you are interested. BTW, I did not hesitate to send him a money order since I saw that he has a >98% positive rating on eBay:
AAA Equipment Connection
5055 Ella Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 644-0741
(I have no financial relationship with this company.)
If you need a 22" lens, make sure you ask for it (just in case he also has the more common 18" lens projectors too.)
If you are searching on eBay for opaque projectors, you should not just look for Beseler. There are also Buhl and AO (American Optical) lenses in some opaque projectors.
The Word is: excellant!
The 22" fl Beseler opaque projector lens works very well with a 15" LCD. I can focus individual pixels all the way across the screen. In the central 75% of the screen, I can actually see the individual red, green, and blue subpixels on a "white" image.
This is not just a longer focal length version of the 18" lens. That lens has 5" diameter optics, while the 22" fl lens has 4.5" diameter optics. They are both mounted in a 6" long tube, so the Field Of View of the 22" lens would be smaller if not for the longer LCD to lens distance.
I have some light leaks in my LCD frame, and these are showing up very well focussed past the edges of my screen. This tells me that this lens would perform well with a 16" or 17" LCD.
If anybody is interested, I think the seller still has some left. He charged me $75 plus shipping for just the lens. (You could buy the whole projector for that, but the shipping would be much higher.) Give him a call, if you are interested. BTW, I did not hesitate to send him a money order since I saw that he has a >98% positive rating on eBay:
AAA Equipment Connection
5055 Ella Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 644-0741
(I have no financial relationship with this company.)
If you need a 22" lens, make sure you ask for it (just in case he also has the more common 18" lens projectors too.)
If you are searching on eBay for opaque projectors, you should not just look for Beseler. There are also Buhl and AO (American Optical) lenses in some opaque projectors.
22" lens
I used a lumenlab 220 mm fl condensor fresnel and a 3dlens.com 550 mm fl field fresnel. (A 650 mm fl fresnel would be a better match for this lens. The 550 mm fresnel is optimal for an 18" lens.) I tried it first in the split fresnel design (field fresnel past the LCD) and it looked fine.
Now I have it in the nonsplit design (both fresnels together before the LCD). It needs some adjustment to the lamp arc image position. The 550 mm fl fresnel is really too short for this lens if you put the lamp arc at the focal length of the condensor fresnel. It is focussing the arc image a few centimeters before the first surface of the projection lens, so the center of the screen is not lit evenly when I look back into the projected light.
Let me explain that a bit better: If the fresnels focus the arc image at the very center of the projection lens (not at the first surface), then you should be able to look back through the center of the lens to every part of the LCD and see a very bright spot of light. That is the light coming directly from the lamp arc, through the LCD, and coming together at the center of the projection lens. As you move your head around to intercept the rays from the center of the lens to the various parts of the screen image, that spot should move with you. If you get to a point at the edges where the bright spot fades out, then that tells you your fresnels are focussing the arc image too far past the projection lens. Likewise, if the bright spot fades away when you look right down the central axis of the image, then your fresnels are focussing the arc image before the lens. You can fix a mild LCD-to-lens/field-fresnel mismatch by adjusting the distance between the lamp arc and the condensor fresnel.
I am switching from a 250 Watt to a 400 Watt lamp setup, so I plan to make my lamp position adjustable during that transition. That should take care of my lens/fresnel mismatch.
I used a lumenlab 220 mm fl condensor fresnel and a 3dlens.com 550 mm fl field fresnel. (A 650 mm fl fresnel would be a better match for this lens. The 550 mm fresnel is optimal for an 18" lens.) I tried it first in the split fresnel design (field fresnel past the LCD) and it looked fine.
Now I have it in the nonsplit design (both fresnels together before the LCD). It needs some adjustment to the lamp arc image position. The 550 mm fl fresnel is really too short for this lens if you put the lamp arc at the focal length of the condensor fresnel. It is focussing the arc image a few centimeters before the first surface of the projection lens, so the center of the screen is not lit evenly when I look back into the projected light.
Let me explain that a bit better: If the fresnels focus the arc image at the very center of the projection lens (not at the first surface), then you should be able to look back through the center of the lens to every part of the LCD and see a very bright spot of light. That is the light coming directly from the lamp arc, through the LCD, and coming together at the center of the projection lens. As you move your head around to intercept the rays from the center of the lens to the various parts of the screen image, that spot should move with you. If you get to a point at the edges where the bright spot fades out, then that tells you your fresnels are focussing the arc image too far past the projection lens. Likewise, if the bright spot fades away when you look right down the central axis of the image, then your fresnels are focussing the arc image before the lens. You can fix a mild LCD-to-lens/field-fresnel mismatch by adjusting the distance between the lamp arc and the condensor fresnel.
I am switching from a 250 Watt to a 400 Watt lamp setup, so I plan to make my lamp position adjustable during that transition. That should take care of my lens/fresnel mismatch.
That is awesome news! I only wish I had seen that before getting the 18"... The only thing with the 22" is you have to have that thing REALLY far back to get a decent screen size. A 10ft throw with a 17" LCD, the screen would be around 76". 12ft is 95". 13ft is 104". 14ft is 113". So for those with long rooms, this looks to be a good choice! Unfortunately I have about 100" MAX to work with. DOH! That's a 60" screen. hehe.... At least it would be bright. 🙂 Nice find.
22"
To Guy: Is there any way that you could check the FOV more closly maybe with some lens shifting? I like the FL but the fov needs to make a 17" oe 19" for my use.
Thanks Dave
To Guy: Is there any way that you could check the FOV more closly maybe with some lens shifting? I like the FL but the fov needs to make a 17" oe 19" for my use.
Thanks Dave
18" fl lens on eBay right now
Just in case any of you are still looking for an 18" opaque projector lens:
eBay auction #7567762688 closes Dec-05-05 17:24:37 PST. This is an American Optical 18" opaque projector lens. Same 5" diameter as the Beseler 18" lens.
Single bid right now is at the minimum starting price of $9.99. These usually sell on eBay for $60 - $70, if you are thinking of bidding.
Just in case any of you are still looking for an 18" opaque projector lens:
eBay auction #7567762688 closes Dec-05-05 17:24:37 PST. This is an American Optical 18" opaque projector lens. Same 5" diameter as the Beseler 18" lens.
Single bid right now is at the minimum starting price of $9.99. These usually sell on eBay for $60 - $70, if you are thinking of bidding.
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