WL' s rgb projection cube

[steve001]

Let me qualify this post by saying I have a long bad memory of WL's questionable business tactics. With that said this might be one worthwhile item still in development. Here's s vid by Brainiac demonstrating it.

 

[Windjammer]

So I actually registered to this forum just because I saw a similar video of Wicked Lasers LaserCube. Then started to research the company, ended up att LPF and are torn... between questions around the company, delivery, quality etc and the potential awesomeness of that product. I'm interested in using it in photography and the potential just seems endless.

Du you have a thought on it?

 

[Encap]

So I actually registered to this forum just because I saw a similar video of Wicked Lasers LaserCube. Then started to research the company, ended up att LPF and are torn... between questions around the company, delivery, quality etc and the potential awesomeness of that product. I'm interested in using it in photography and the potential just seems endless.

Du you have a thought on it?

If you are in the USA you don't have to worry about it. The WL will not accept orders for the product from the USA.
Is not available for shipment to the USA. It does not comply with FDA laws, rules and regulations concerning laser products.
The FDA sets safety standards that must be met before laser products, including pointers, can be legally sold in the U.S. market.

 

[Windjammer]

I'm not.

Does anyone have a thought on the product?

 

[green lasers rock]

As someone who works with projectors, I have thoughts though they may not be as relevant to someone just starting out with the hobby.

I think this is a decent product for a very niche user but you need to have realistic expectations. There are several problems.

1. Scanners. The image quality I've seen from this projector in videos has been fairly bad and while they claim that their scanners are 30k at 8 degrees I am dubious of this claim. 25k Ilda is probably a reasonable expectation. This means that the images you can produce will be fairly simple or the quality of the image will be lower if you scan to fast. I'm not sure if the software wicked lasers give you allows you to control the scan rate at all. That said, it does say it's compatible with lsx which should allow you to scan at the correct speed. At 25k, you should be able to pull off good beam shows and basic graphics. Don't expect anything very intricate to have no flicker.

2. Color balance. The laser has a pretty bad color balance with 700mw of blue and 150mw of red. The white output will appear very cold and the beams/image will appear much dimmer when red content is being used. You may be able to correct this in lsx but since the color modulation on cheap projectors tends to be bad you will loose some dynamic range.

3. The Company. WL just doesn't have a good reputation and I doubt they would stand behind their product and the safety of their customers.

With all that said, If all you want is something that creates cool shapes on your wall or in the background of a photo, this may be enough. If you've never done projection before, you will enjoy it. But I suspect you might lose interest when you discover that the equipment is fairly limited.

Also, be aware that these projectors are not safe if used improperly and need to be treated differently than other forms of lighting. At 800mw, this projector is class 4 and a beam in the eye from up close will cause permanent damage. Be sure to spend some time looking into laser safety and never shine the projector at people unless you have done the appropriate calculations to assure that your show is safe for audience scanning.

 

[Encap]

What he said ^^^.

Is a dangerous toy + limited in many ways.

 

[green lasers rock]

I'm realizing my post may have come off quite negative and I wanted to clarify that I'm not trying to discourage you from getting into laser scanning. It's a very fun hobby and with the right equipment, you can spend many hours creating really neat effects that will keep you entertained for hours. But not all equipment is created equal.

At the end of the day it really comes down to what you need and what you expect. I now have really high standards from working with professional equipment but when I started out with a 25k projector and quick show I thought it was the coolest thing in the world

If you do get this projector, my recommendation would be to look into getting LSX so you don't get bored of the pre-made content. Even with this projector, if you sit down with good software and create something you enjoy you'll have a good time. Just don't limit yourself to the bad software they ship with the laser.

 

[Windjammer]

I'm realizing my post may have come off quite negative and I wanted to clarify that I'm not trying to discourage you from getting into laser scanning. It's a very fun hobby and with the right equipment, you can spend many hours creating really neat effects that will keep you entertained for hours. But not all equipment is created equal.

At the end of the day it really comes down to what you need and what you expect. I now have really high standards from working with professional equipment but when I started out with a 25k projector and quick show I thought it was the coolest thing in the world

If you do get this projector, my recommendation would be to look into getting LSX so you don't get bored of the pre-made content. Even with this projector, if you sit down with good software and create something you enjoy you'll have a good time. Just don't limit yourself to the bad software they ship with the laser.

Oh no, not at all. Appreciate you taking the time and I definitely see your point(s)

Unless I go down "the laser rabbit hole", which I don't have time to since already dug down deep in another couple of holes , I think the cube will be fun and value enough.


And thanks for the tip on LSX, will have a look at that

 

[green lasers rock]

No problem.

Here's the link to the page for LSX. You should only need the lite version since you have just one projector. I think you can just use the usb dongle that comes with the projector.

I know that the software might seem a little expensive but trust me, the software is worth just as much as the projector. I can't personally vouch for LSX (I use Beyond) but some of the best abstract laser shows are created using LSX. Check out some of Christopher Short's work (produced in LSX) here. It's pretty incredible. This recommendation presumes you are interested in abstract images over graphics.

With all that said, I want to be clear that I am NOT recommending you buy this unless all you have is exactly 500 dollars. I think it might work for you but since I haven't worked with it I can't guarantee anything. Buy at your own risk. The biggest consideration is safety. Please make sure you use the equipment as safely as possible.

 

[Windjammer]

No problem.

Here's the link to the page for LSX. You should only need the lite version since you have just one projector. I think you can just use the usb dongle that comes with the projector.

I know that the software might seem a little expensive but trust me, the software is worth just as much as the projector. I can't personally vouch for LSX (I use Beyond) but some of the best abstract laser shows are created using LSX. Check out some of Christopher Short's work (produced in LSX) here. It's pretty incredible. This recommendation presumes you are interested in abstract images over graphics.

With all that said, I want to be clear that I am NOT recommending you buy this unless all you have is exactly 500 dollars. I think it might work for you but since I haven't worked with it I can't guarantee anything. The biggest consideration is safety. Please make sure you use the equipment as safely as possible.

I will start out with using if for different light painting projects, both indoor and outdoor. Mainly pictures.

 

[green lasers rock]

You can get some very cool results using lasers for light painting. I find that slowly moving objects (lines/shapes) can look good with long exposure. Check out these photos:



Anyways, since you seem committed to buying it, I would be curious to hear what your experience with the projector is.

Also, I just can't stress enough that you need to be safe. It's easy to overlook safety but cool photos are not worth going blind. Be especially wary of doing anything public. Projectors can also pose problems for aircraft when using them outside. Don't project into areas where nearby aircraft might fly by.

You mentioned you were outside of the US. Make sure that the rules where you live allow you to purchase this projector and make sure there are not other requirements (equivalent to the variance in the US.)

And most of all, enjoy the hobby. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. There are many great users on this forum who are very knowledgeable and can also help you.

 

[steve001]

What's inside of the little black box? Also a comparison with a full size laser projector.

 

[green lasers rock]

What's inside of the little black box? Also a comparison with a full size laser projector

I must admit that that’s impressive. Everything just barely fits after all the modifications they made to the standard layout. Not bad at all.