Turns out, the Sanyo PLV-Z5 is exceptional in terms of shadow detail, exceeding that of every other under $10,000 projector I have reviewed, except one, the almost twice the price Samsung SP-H710AE. Even my (and I really am pleased with it) BenQ PE8720, with its Darkchip3 DLP (blacker blacks, higher contrast than Darkchip2), comes up short, and my BenQ is pretty well tuned!
So I'd like to show you some scenes and look at shadow detail. Remember, I already mentioned that a typical good digital camera doesn't have the range to capture the full dynamics of a projector, so I have some work arounds:
The first pair of images are from Lord of the Rings (standard DVD). The first is normally exposed. The second, is the same frame overexposed, so you can pick out the details in the shed on the right, the bottom area, and on a very few projectors, even pick out some detail in the wood structure on the left. You can click on both of these images, for larger versions, and since they open in separate windows, you can take a close look. You'll also find this pair of images in most reviews done since early 2006, for comparison purposes.
Here's another image - of Nancy, dancing, from Sin City. There is a great deal of dark shadow detail in this frame, making it excellent for comparison, you'll find this same (or similar) frame in the last few reviews, and in future reviews, for comparison.
Shadow details - Picture Slideshow
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Shadow details
Image - of Nancy, dancing, from Sin City
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Shadow details
Hi-Def, from Phantom of the Opera (HD-DVD), normally exposed version
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Shadow details
Hi-Def, from Phantom of the Opera (HD-DVD), overexposed version
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Shadow details
Image with shadow details
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Shadow details
Image with shadow details
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Shadow details
The image above, from Phantom (HD-DVD) is also found in most other recent reviews for a look at shadow detail and contrast.
