Projection Lens Support

HemiStar® Fisheye Projection Lenses

Q. What is the proper way to clean my HemiStar lens? 

A. You can use the following glass cleaning solvents and instruction to clean the outside glass of your lens:

• Acetone: Acetone can be used alone on optics if there is no heavy dirt.
• Isopropyl Alcohol (preferred)

Instructions:

• Using a small piece of lens tissue wrap it around the swab/ tweezers, soak the wipe using acetone or alcohol, applying a gentle uniform pressure wipe slowly starting in the center and working your way out to the edge.
• Wiping slowly allows the solvent to evaporate without streaking. Remember, slow and steady cleans the optic. Glass-cleaning solvents will streak, so always use wipes with a solvent, because dry wipes can scratch optical surfaces.

NuView® Replacement Projection Lenses

Q: Why would I need a different lens from the one that came with my projector?

Video or data projectors only give a limited projection screen image size. By exchanging the unit's lens (LCD or DLP) for an ancillary (replacement) lens the projector can be placed further or closer to the projection screen. The advantage of this is that the size of the image can be kept within the confines of your screen from a greater distance while putting the data/video projector in a more convenient position at the rear of the room. Or, the projector can be placed closer to the screen to provide a larger image area in a smaller room. If your projector does not give you the image size you really want then you may need a new lens.

Q: How do I install my LCD Lens?

Installation instructions can be found on our website and are specific to your projector make and model.

Q: What do I do if my lens needs to be repaired?

Please contact Navitar or your Dealer regarding instructions for return. We urge our dealers to return all products to our factory for any repairs. Unauthorized disassembly will result in voiding the product warranty. Many product repairs require specialized knowledge and tools/equipment. Your Navitar representative can provide you with a return materials authorization number (RMA#) that is required for product return/repair.

Q. How do I calculate what size lens I require?

If you need to calculate the correct lens size you require, please use the following formula for a very close approximation. If you have any questions, please call and speak to one of our engineers.

Lens Focal Length = Projection Distance x LCD Panel Size (diag. or width)  
                                                  Screen Size (diagonal or width)

First, you must know the following information:
1. Screen size in inches (diagonal or width).
2. Projector LCD panel size in inches (diagonal or width).
3. Projection distance in inches (measured from the front of the video projector housing to the screen).

It is very important that you be consistent. If you use the diagonal screen size measurement, then you must also use the diagonal measurement for the projector LCD panel size. If using screen width, then use the LCD panel size width. If you are working in inches, then you need to do all of your calculations in inches.

You can convert the lens size to millimeters at the end. Please note the following information:
Screen Diagonal x 0.8 = Screen Width
LCD Diagonal x 0.8 = LCD Width
1 Foot = 12 Inches
1 Inch = 25.4 Millimeters

Example: You have an 80’ projection distance from the screen to the front of the LCD projector housing. The screen is 10’ wide & the LCD has a 1.3" diagonal.

Lens Focal Length = Projection Distance x LCD Size (diagonal or width)
                                                Screen Size (diagonal or width)

Lens Focal Length (Calculated in Inches)
                              = (80’ x 12") x (1.3" x 0.8) = 960" x 1.04" = 8.32"
                                            10’ x 12"                      120"

Lens Focal Length (Calculated in Millimeters)
                             = (80’ x 12" x 25.4) x (1.3" x 0.8 x 25.4mm)
                                                     (10’ x 12" x 25.4mm)
                             = 24,384mm x 26.416mm = 644,127.74mm = 211mm
                                            3,048mm                  3,048mm
For this application, we recommend the 6-9" zoom lens, model 819MCZ900.

Q. If my image is 10 feet wide, how high will it be?

An easy way to determine image height is to take the image width and divide it by its aspect ratio. The aspect ratio for standard video is 1.33:1. 
Image Height = Image Width = 10’ = 7.5’ (7’6" or 2,286mm)
                       Aspect Ratio   1.33
The aspect ratio for HDTV and most "letterbox" formats is 1.77:1, therefore a 10 foot wide HDTV image will be 5’8" high.

Q. How do I convert a diagonal measurement into width?

Just as most TV sizes are given in diagonals, the same is true of LCD panel sizes. This is why we multiply the LCD panel size (a diagonal measurement) by 0.8 (4x3 standard format) or 0.87 (16x9 wide screen format) to determine the "Aperture," which is the "Width" measurement.

Standard Format (4x3 : 1)
Width (or Aperture) = Diagonal Measurement x 0.8 

Wide Screen Format (16x9 : 1)
Width (or Aperture) = Diagonal Measurement x 0.87 

Q. Why do some lenses only work on certain projectors?

The most common reason for this is due to the physical internal and external designs of the projector itself. For example, the position of the LCD panel or electronic components inside the machine are simply not compatible with all lenses. The design of the outside projector cover can also determine whether or not some larger lenses can be used with that particular projector model.

Q. Is it difficult to install a new LCD lens in a projector?

Installing a new lens is relatively simple. There is no disassembling involved and no heavy electronics to take apart. In fact, many projector manufacturers are now designing their projectors to make it easier to remove the prime lens.

Installation instructions are included with each NuView lens sent out. You can also find instructions on our website under the Documents/Drawings tab associated with the lens selected. If you have any doubts, contact your dealer for the name of an authorized service center or trained professional in your area, or you can contact the Navitar directly.

Q. Will I lose all of my remote control features?

All NuView lenses are manual lenses, that is, you must focus or zoom the lens by hand (your power zoom and power focus functions will be disabled). If your projector has a lens shift function, you will retain this feature. For fixed installations, the picture size and focus need to be set only once and readjustment is not necessary. Set it and forget it!

Q. At what distance will my lens focus?

Most NuView lenses will focus as close as 3 to 4 feet in front of the projector and all lenses are set to focus to infinity, therefore focusing at long distances will not be a problem.

Q. What do these terms mean?

Zero Offset Most LCD projectors have a built-in angle of projection, usually upwards a few degrees. A "zero offset" or "on axis" lens projects straight out in front, so it is necessary to place the projector in a position that is perpendicular to the center of your screen. This is typically the case when using wide-angle and fixed lenses.

MCZ (in lens part number): Multi-Coated Zoom and  MCL: Multi-Coated Lens . Our coating process increases the brightness, contrast ratio and color saturation of our "Xtra Bright" lenses.

Prime Lens The "prime lens" is the factory installed, manufacturer’s lens that comes with your projector.

ScreenStar® Projection Conversion Lenses

Q. What is a ScreenStar® and how do I use it?

A Navitar ScreenStar is a conversion lens for video projectors. It is simply placed in front of the projector's standard lens allowing users to easily change the picture size or throw distance for almost any size format video projector. If needed, slide the ScreenStar from left to right to capture the four corners of the projected image. To enlarge your image size, rotate the projector zoom lens to wide-angle and use our 0.65X or 0.8X ScreenStar wide-angle conversion lens to increase your image by 20-50% from the same projection distance. To increase your throw distance, rotate the projector zoom lens to telephoto and use our 1.20X or 1.5X ScreenStar telephoto conversion lens. This allows you to place your projector 20-50% farther away from the screen and maintain the same image width.

Q. Why would I choose a conversion lens instead of a replacement lens?

There are a variety of reasons for choosing a conversion lens instead of a replacement lens. Often, people who choose to use a conversion lens are working with a small format projector. Many of the small format projectors on the market today are too intricate to take apart and replace the prime lens, so a conversion lens is the best choice. Other projectors allow lens replacement, but many replacement lenses are physically too large for smaller format projectors.

Q. Why would I use an HD ScreenStar instead of a standard ScreenStar lens?

HD ScreenStar lenses preserve your HD projector image. The HD ScreenStar lenses have been specially designed to convert the image without losing sharpness, color or brightness.

Q. What is considered a small format projector?

Navitar conversion lenses are often used with small format projectors. Here are a few of the small format projectors currently on the market (panel sizes are measured diagonally):

• DLP format projectors: 0.55", 0.7", 0.8", and 0.9"
• LCD small format projectors: 1.2", 1.0", 0.9", 0.8", 0.7", and 0.5"
• DILA format projectors: 0.7"
• LCOS format projectors: 0.9"

Q. Will a ScreenStar conversion lens work with every projector?

While a ScreenStar conversion lens should work with most projectors, the most common exception is a projector where the prime lens sits too far inside the projector, away from the projector face. Close coupling the ScreenStar with the prime lens will allow you to use the ScreenStar and prevent clipping the corners of the projected image.

Q. Can I use a ScreenStar conversion lens with my ceiling-mounted projector?

Yes. There is a ceiling mount adapter accessory available from Chief Manufacturing which allows you to attach the ScreenStar lens to a Chief ceiling mount. (Call Chief at 1-800-582-6480 and ask for part # NAV 1.)

Q. How do I calculate my new focal length using a Navitar ScreenStar lens?

A1. Use the following formula to calculate your new focal length using the Navitar SSW065 or HDSSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Focal Length (FL) 
FL x 0.65 = New Focal Length (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current focal length is 1.18-1.80" and you place a Navitar SSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new focal length will be:

FL x 0.65 = New FL
1.18-1.80 x 0.65 = 0.76-1.17" New FL

Note: When the focal length ranges between two numbers, as in the example above, multiply each number by 0.65 separately for your new focal length range using Navitar's Wide-angle Conversion Lens.

A2. Use the following formula to calculate your new focal length using the Navitar SSW08 or HDSSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Focal Length (FL) 
FL x 0.8 = New Focal Length (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current focal length is 1.10-1.40" and you place a Navitar SSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new focal length will be:

FL x 0.8 = New FL
1.10-1.40 x 0.8 = 0.88-1.12" New FL

Note: When the focal length ranges between two numbers, as in the example above, multiply each number by 0.8 separately for your new focal length range using Navitar's Wide-angle Conversion Lens.

A3. Use the following formula to calculate your new focal length using the Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Focal Length (FL)
FL x 1.20 = New Focal Length (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current focal length is 1.10-1.40" and you place a Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new focal length will be:

FL x 1.20 = New FL
1.10-1.40 x 1.20 = 1.32-1.68" New FL

Note: When the focal length ranges between two numbers, as in the example above, multiply each number by 1.20 separately for your new focal length range using Navitar's Telephoto Conversion Lens.

A4. Use the following formula to calculate your new focal length using the Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Focal Length (FL)
FL x 1.5 = New Focal Length (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current focal length is 1.18-1.80" and you place a Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new focal length will be:

FL x 1.5 = New FL
1.18-1.80 x 1.5 = 1.77-2.7" New FL

Note: When the focal length ranges between two numbers, as in the example above, multiply each number by 1.50 separately for your new focal length range using Navitar's Telephoto Conversion Lens.

Q. How do I calculate my new image width using a Navitar ScreenStar lens?

A1. Use the following formula to calculate your new image width using the Navitar SSW065 or HDSSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Image Width (IW)
IW x 1.5 = New Image Width (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current image width is 96" and you place a Navitar SSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new, larger image width will be:

IW x 1.5 = New Image Width
96" x 1.5 = 144" New Image Width

A2. Use the following formula to calculate your new image width using the Navitar SSW08 or HDSSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Image Width (IW)
IW x 1.25 = New Image Width (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current image width is 80" and you place a Navitar SSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new, larger image width will be:

IW x 1.25 = New Image Width
80" x 1.25 = 96" New Image Width

A3. Use the following formula to calculate your new image width using the Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Image Width (IW)
IW x 0.83 = New Image Width (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current image width is 80" and you place a Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new, smaller image width will be:

IW x 0.83 = New Image Width
80" x 0.83 = 67" New Image Width

A4. Use the following formula to calculate your new image width using the Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Image Width (IW)
IW x 0.67 = New Image Width (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that your current image width is 96" and you place a Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, your new, smaller image width will be:

IW x 0.67 = New Image Width
96" x 0.67 = 64" New Image Width

Q. How do I calculate my new projection distance using a Navitar ScreenStar lens?

A1. Use the following formula to calculate your new projection distance using the Navitar SSW065 or HDSSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Distance (D)
D x 0.65 = New Distance (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that you currently place your projector at a distance of 13 feet from the screen. If you place a Navitar SSW065 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, to maintain the same image size, you'll be able to move your projector 33% closer to the screen. Your new, closer distance will be:

D x 0.65 = New Distance
13 ft. x 0.65 = 8.45 ft. New Distance

A2. Use the following formula to calculate your new projection distance using the Navitar SSW08 or HDSSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lenses

Distance (D)
D x 0.8 = New Distance (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that you currently place your projector at a distance of 20 feet from the screen. If you place a Navitar SSW08 Wide-angle ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, to maintain the same image size, you'll be able to move your projector 17% closer to the screen. Your new, closer distance will be:

D x 0.8 = New Distance
20 ft. x 0.8 = 16 ft. New Distance

A3. Use the following formula to calculate your new projection distance using the Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Distance (D)
D x 1.2 = New Distance (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that you currently place your projector at a distance of 20 feet from the screen. If you place a Navitar SST120 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, to maintain the same image size, you'll be able to move your projector 20% farther away from the screen. Your new, longer distance will be:

D x 1.20 = New Distance
20 ft. x 1.20 = 24 ft. New Distance

A4. Use the following formula to calculate your new projection distance using the Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens

Distance (D)
D x 1.5 = New Distance (with Conversion Lens)

Consider that you currently place your projector at a distance of 13 feet from the screen. If you place a Navitar SST150 Telephoto ScreenStar Conversion Lens in front of the projector's standard lens, to maintain the same image size, you'll be able to move your projector 50% farther away from the screen. Your new, longer distance will be:

D x 1.50 = New Distance
13 ft. x 1.50 = 19.5 ft. New Distance

Q. Can I use the ScreenStar lens with multiple brand and model projectors, or larger size (taller) projectors?

Yes. We offer an optional table stand with adjustable height and tilt, which allows compatibility with projectors of almost any size, shape, or height. This is great for AV rental dealers who deal with numerous brands and types of projectors. The Navitar part number is 1-16576. (Please note that you will need to purchase the corresponding adapter ring for your ScreenStar model.)

Q. How do I attach my ScreenStar lens to my projector?

There are four different options for attaching your ScreenStar Lens:

A stabilizing leg comes standard with every ScreenStar lens. When using the ScreenStar on a table, with a typical small DLP or small format LCD projector, the stabilizing leg is all you'll need. It allows you to simply place the ScreenStar lens in front of the prime lens on your projector. (There is nothing to actually attach.).

Another choice is the optional table mount which allows you to place the lens in front of the projector and easily adjust the height and tilt as required. Base holes allow for hard mounting the stand to a surface.

If you plan to use your ScreenStar with a ceiling mounted projector, there are two ceiling mount adapter accessories available. Chief Manufacturing and Premier Mounts both offer ceiling mount adapters that allow you to easily attach your ScreenStar lens to a ceiling mounted projector. To order a Chief ceiling mount adapter, call Chief directly at 1-800-582-6480 or 1-952-894-6280 and ask for part # NAV 1. To order the Premier Mounts ceiling mount adapter, contact Premier Mounts at 1-800-368-9700 or 1-714-528-2072 and ask for part # PP-NVT.

Finally, for large volume applications, Navitar would be happy to make a custom adapter allowing you to directly connect the ScreenStar lens to a specific model projector. Please call for details and minimum requirements.

Q. How far away from the projector do I place the ScreenStar?

The ScreenStar lens should be positioned directly in front of your projector's prime lens and placed as close to the prime lens as possible.

Q. Will my image be distorted if I add a ScreenStar lens?

No. Navitar ScreenStar lenses do not add any significant distortion.

Other Questions?

Q: My question is not listed here. How do I get my question answered?

You can e-mail your question to Navitar at info@navitar.com, contact your local sales representative, or call Navitar directly at 1-585-359-4000.