Canon REALiS SX80 Mark II

Canon REALiS SX80 Mark II

No matter how you look at it, the Canon REALiS SX80 Mark II ($3,999 direct) business projector is anything but typical. Like the Editors' Choice Canon REALiS X700 ($2,500 street, 4 stars), it's built around Canon's version of LCOS technology, which eliminates common issues with LCD and DLP projectors. Its SXGA+ (1,400 by 1,050) resolution gives it an advantage over most data projectors for images with fine detail. And it offers unusually advanced control over color, making it of particular interest to anyone who needs to get onscreen color just so. The total package is unusual in the extreme, and I mean that in a good way. According to Canon the SX80 Mark II does particularly well in the higher education market, which is probably due to a combination of features, including the excellent image quality and the bright image rated at 3000 lumens, as well as the color control. Being able to get the color right would be a compelling feature for say, an art history class, and the high resolution would be of obvious interest for any number of other subjects, particularly in science and engineering, that need to show images with fine detail. The same features make the projector of special interest to photographers, galleries, and anyone else who needs to get the most out of photos.