Seeing Is Believing: Canon RE-450X

Canon RE-450X

Pros: Auto-sensing zoom and focus fast and accurate. Adjustment knobs ideal for fine-detail tweaking.
Cons: No 90-degree camera-head option. Front-panel labels are small and cluttered. No remote.
Rated: 4 out of 5.

CCD: 1/3 inch, 855,000 pixels (805,000 effective).
Frames per second: 15.
Zoom: 12X optical.
Inputs: RGB, RS-232.
Outputs: RGB, composite video, S-video.
Remote included: No.
User-programmable presets: Paper-size preset.
Image memory: Image-freeze holds one at a time.
White balance: Auto, manual.
Weight: 22 pounds.
Dimensions: 20.6 x 28.4 x 21.8 inches (l x w x h).
Price: $2,495.
Contact: Canon U.S.A. Inc., 800.828.4040, www.canonprojectors.com.


The Canon RE-450X is about the same size as the Elmo EV-4400AF, with a stage and built-in light box for transparencies, a camera arm with no in-between settings and two side lights. But the similarities end there. As far as connections go, the Canon's are minimal by comparison, and although its camera head can be tilted, it can't match the 90 degrees some other models achieve.

Canon has put all the RE-450X's functions (such as input select, lights, backlight, exposure, white balance, detail, focus, zoom presets, etc.) on the front panel of the stage area. It does not have a remote. The labels are small, as are the buttons. One nice feature, however, is the use of turning knobs for fine adjustments. White balance, exposure and detail can easily be tweaked as needed with these knobs.

Performance-wise, the Canon showed clear details, had minimal pixel artifacts and was on par with the Elmo in its video connection. The auto-sense and autofocus was the fastest of all the units we tested. While the adjustment knobs on the front panel are a little hard to see, their sensitivity when it came to adjusting color and contrast settings was appreciated. For example, the white/paper mode on the Canon really boosts the contrast. On some documents this jolt of contrast can be a bit much, but a quick turn of the dial adjusts it quickly.

The Canon's wonderful focus features seemed to struggle when dealing with transparencies, which required more manual-focus tweaking than we would have liked. At times, the autofocus also struggled with depth of field,