Panamorph DC1 User Manual and Installation Guide, Version 1.1, copyright February, 2011. All rights reserved.
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INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Panamorph DC1 lens system – the world’s first sealed, high
performance anamorphic lens system designed to dramatically enhance today’s 16:9 projectors when
showing the true widescreen 2.40 aspect ratio, the choice of most major motion picture directors.
The DC1 Lens System includes the DC1 Lens, ATH automated transport (or optionally the MTH
manual transport), plus the pre-engineered AK8Pro Attachment Kit and Chief mounting hardware
(RPA Kit). All parts necessary to quickly and easily mount your projector are included with the
Panamorph DC1 System. This manual provides detailed instructions for installing both the
Automated DC1 System and Manual DC1 System. The DC1 can also be installed as a fixed lens
system; however, that installation will not be covered in this manual.
DC1 BASIC PROJECTION PARAMETERS
Throw Distance
(distance from projector lens to screen)
This distance should be between 12 and 21 feet (3.6M and 6.5M) with the standard DC1 lens. The
ideal range of 14.5 to 17.5 feet (4.4M to 5.3M) provides the highest pixel level clarity, especially for
applications at 1080 resolution. If your projection system involves a significantly longer throw
distance, we recommend contacting Panamorph Tech Support to determine if an optional correction
element is needed. Alternatively, visit
www.panamorph.com
for more information about our long
throw correctors.
Throw Ratio
Throw ratio primarily affects image distortion, sometimes referred to as “pincushion”, an inward
bowing that you will notice along the top and bottom of the projected image. To reduce this distortion:
-
Minimum throw should be at least 1.6 times the native 16:9 image width of the projector, or
2.85 times the screen height.
-
Throw may be reduced to 1.3 times the native image width (or 2.3 times the screen height)
with use of a curved screen. Use of a curved screen for very short throw distances can also
reduce non-uniform image brightness from your projector (hot spotting).
Image/Lens Shift
Horizontal lens/image shift other than fine adjustment is not recommended due to key-stone distortion
that can be introduced by the DC1. Vertical lens shift does not impact the use of the DC1. However,
note that with vertical lens shift the DC1 should be tilted to face the approximate center of the screen
to make any residual pincushion distortion symmetric at the top and bottom of the image.
A NOTE ON YOUR SCREEN FORMAT
The DC1 system works very well with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio screen. However, if you are considering a
new screen we highly recommend an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 for the best all around fit. The 2.35:1
aspect ratio is somewhat of a film industry designation for many aspect ratios
around
2.35:1 and may
include many titles up to 2.40:1 and occasionally higher. Consequently, by following these installation
instructions we will help you optimize your constant height imaging performance for the three primary
aspect ratios of 16:9, 1.85:1 and the general range of 2.35:1-2.40:1.
