Runco LS-5 Projector – Image Quality 3

Posted on July 17, 2013 By Art Feierman

Excellent! By the time I had gotten to checking out the night train scene I photograph in Casino Royale, I already knew what I would see. Really exceptional shadow detail. Okay, not the blackest blacks around, (which does make the darkest detail hard to spot), but the black level performance of this DLP projector is still excellent, with only those JVC’s doing appreciably better. The amount of detail you can see in the shrubs on the right behind the tracks and in the trees, is second to perhaps only one or two projectors in the $4000 and up price range.

That’s more than I ask for, to be pleased. Let’s just say, don’t worry about shadow detail once your projector is adjusted. For my own viewing, I’ve already knocked Brightness down one more number than Mike recommends, giving up a tiny amount of dark shadow detail for a small drop overall, in the black levels.

Runco LS-5 Shadow Detail Performance

Here, a previously never used image from the latest Narnia: The Dawn Treader: The Library on the The Dawn Treader.

Below, the Space Cowboys / Clint Eastwood very dark image. First is the Runco LS-5 projector, then, of course, the LS-10d, followed by the LS-7, then the JVC RS25, the Sony VPL-VW85, the Mitsubishi HC7000, and the Epson Home Cinema 8500UB.

Note the noticeable difference in color is due to the different camera used for the LS5 shoot.

Click Image to Enlarge

Runco LS-5

LS-10d

LS-7

JVC RS25

Sony VPL-VW85

Mitsubishi HC7000

Epson Home Cinema 8500UB

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Again, from Space Cowboys, this is a cropped image. The right side is very bright (so dynamic irises will not be effective). The LS-5 (top left) does very well, in terms of shadow detail. Next to it on the first row, is the LS-10d Those images are followed by the InFocus SP8602 and the Epson 8700UB (second row). The third row is the JVC RS-35 Mitsubishi HC7000 (left), and the Sony VPL-VW85 is last.

LS-5

LS-10d

InFocus SP8602

Epson 8700UB

JVC RS-35

Mitsubishi HC7000

Sony VPL-VW85

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On the left, below, is the Runco LS-5, the middle, the JVC RS35, and on the right, the VPL-VW90ES. The exposures are all a little different, but you should be able to appreciate the combination of shadow detail and dark blacks

Runco LS-5

JVC RS35

VPL-VW90ES

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Next, perhaps the most revealing of the images:

There is simply a great deal of detail to be seen in the shrubs. also in the the lower part of the woods. This image has been greatly overexposed to make the detail more visible. When comparing with the same photo from other projectors below, remember that the exposures are all a bit different, and you have to compensate, if you want to draw your own conclusions.

Runco LS-5