The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 is a compact 1080p LCD laser projector primarily meant for portability and streaming content. It's capable of projecting content up to a 150" size. It has full auto horizontal and vertical keystone correction to eliminate trapezoid effects when installed off-center or at an angle and also includes automatic focus correction. It has two HDMI ports—one of which is an ARC port—with 1080p @ 60Hz support and two integrated 5W Yamaha speakers. It has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support and comes with the Android TV smart interface with full Chromecast integration.
We've independently bought and tested over 45 projectors, and we've published all the detailed results for each so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodology is also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
Our Verdict
The Epson EF12 is passable for watching movies. Unfortunately, its native contrast is inadequate, and its brightness is middling, so it doesn't excel in any particular lighting condition. The projector doesn't have a wide color gamut, but it doesn't matter, as it's just not bright enough to make colors pop. Thankfully, the projector has great pre-calibration image accuracy, so it's a solid choice for those who care about accurate colors. Even though it has no white balance or color adjustments, a slight adjustment to its color temperature gives it fantastic overall accuracy.
- Great image accuracy pre-calibration, and it is fantastic after only slight tweaking.
- Small size makes it easy to carry around.
- Not bright enough to deal with any lights.
- Inadequate contrast makes its blacks look gray when viewed in dark rooms.
If you're a gamer, skip the Epson EF12. Its input lag is extremely high; the delay is noticeable in every gaming genre, even slow ones. There's no Game Mode, no 120Hz mode, and no 4k support (it downscales 4k signals to 1080p). It's fine for video playback and perhaps purely turn-based or idle games where timing doesn't matter, but gamers should really look elsewhere. Thankfully, the projector fares a bit better in terms of image quality, but that's not saying much; it's not particularly bright, nor does it have deep contrast, but it is quite accurate out of the box.
- Great image accuracy pre-calibration, and it is fantastic after only slight tweaking.
- Not bright enough to deal with any lights.
- Inadequate contrast makes its blacks look gray when viewed in dark rooms.
Extremely slow input lag at any resolution.
Limited resolution support, with no true 4k support.
No 120Hz or 240Hz refresh rate modes.
Changelog
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Updated Nov 04, 2025:
We've added Imaging, Optics, Noise, Supported Resolutions, HDR Format Support, 3D, Input Lag, and Audio Passthrough boxes as a result of our latest test bench. We've also added a Gaming usage in the Verdict section.
- Updated Oct 30, 2025: We've converted the review to Test Bench 0.10, which updates our Design tests, and adds a whole new suite of Inputs tests. We also added new gaming-oriented usage scores in Our Verdict. See the 0.10 changelog.
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Updated Oct 20, 2025:
Mentioned the newly reviewed Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21 in the Differences Between Variants and Popular Projector Comparisons sections of this review.
- Updated Jun 27, 2024: We previously stated that you could use the projector's mini USB port to control the projector with a PC, but it's actually a service port. We adjusted the Inputs & Connectivity section accordingly.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 belongs to Epson's compact EpiqVision Mini 1080p laser line. It's the smart model on Android TV with Yamaha-tuned speakers and HDMI ARC. The EF11 is the non-smart sibling (no Android TV, no ARC) with a similar fixed 1.0:1 throw. The later Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21 and EF22 models move to Google TV and add a 1.0–1.81 digital zoom (EF22 also adds a swivel gimbal and external PSU). All four use Epson's 3-chip 3LCD engine with a laser-phosphor light source.
| Model | Platform | Imaging & Light | Audio / I/O | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF12 | Android TV (Chromecast) | 3-chip 3LCD + laser (1080p) | 2× HDMI (one with ARC), USB-A, 3.5 mm, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Yamaha-tuned 5W × 2 |
| EF11 | — | 3-chip 3LCD + laser (1080p) | 1× HDMI, USB, 3.5 mm; Miracast | 1.5W × 2 |
| EF21 | Google TV | 3-chip 3LCD + laser (1080p) | 1× HDMI (ARC), USB-A, 3.5 mm, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 | 5W × 2 |
| EF22 | Google TV | 3-chip 3LCD + laser (1080p) | 1× HDMI (ARC), USB-A, 3.5 mm, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 | 5W × 2 |
Our unit was manufactured in the Philippines.
Popular Projector Comparisons
The Epson Mini EF12 is a decent portable projector. It straddles a fine line between quality and portability; it has better image quality than most smaller and more portable projectors and worse image quality than heavier projectors. It's hard to beat if you need a projector that you can easily bring to your friends' basements to project some streaming content, but it's a bit expensive for what it offers. It's also a poor choice for gaming, with about 131–139 ms of input lag at 60Hz, no Game Mode, and no 120Hz support. The XGIMI Elfin looks almost as good as the EF12 but is smaller, lighter, and cheaper. And if you already own the Epson, there's no need to upgrade to the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21, as they both perform very similarly.
Check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors and the best outdoor projectors. If you'd prefer to shop for another product in the same price range, look up the best projectors under $500 instead.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 and XGIMI Halo+ have different strengths. They're both small and light projectors, but the XGIMI is even smaller, and it has an integrated battery, making it more portable than the Epson. Regarding image quality, the XGIMI has better contrast and a wider color gamut than the Epson, but the Epson is the vastly more accurate projector. Thus, the XGIMI is better suited for contexts where image accuracy doesn't matter as much, like projecting on the side of a van when camping. The Epson is better if you can access an outlet and project on a good-quality screen.
The XGIMI HORIZON is a bit better than the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12, but they have different use cases. The XGIMI HORIZON is a slightly bigger and heavier projector than the Epson, but it is also brighter, making it easier to place in various lighting conditions. The XGIMI has eARC support, while the Epson is limited to ARC, so the XGIMI supports advanced audio formats. The Epson, however, is vastly more accurate than the XGIMI, so it's the better option for image accuracy purists.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 is better than the Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen. The Samsung is much smaller and lighter, so it's much easier to carry around, but the Epson is also quite portable. The Epson is significantly brighter than the Samsung and is vastly more accurate pre-calibration, although both projectors are very similar post-calibration. The Samsung has a wider color gamut than the Epson, but it doesn't matter, as it's just not bright enough to make colors pop. Finally, the Epson has significantly better connectivity.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 and the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF21 are very similar projectors, with little to differentiate them. While the newer EF21 is a bit brighter, the older EF12, in turn, has slightly better contrast. The EF21 has an optical zoom, making setup a bit easier, while the EF12 has a fixed zoom, so the only way to adjust the image is to move the unit. The older model had an advantage over the EF21: it has two HDMI ports, so it can act as a passthrough hub for audio through ARC.
Test Results
This projector has middling brightness, although it has good brightness uniformity. Close the blinds and turn off the lights when using this projector, as it's not bright enough for anything but a dark room.
The projector has inadequate contrast, so its blacks look gray when viewed in a dark room.
This projector has great pre-calibration accuracy. It's slightly too dark, but it's not noticeable. The white balance is very good, with minor accuracy errors, and its color accuracy is excellent overall. Its color temperature is a tad on the warm side, but otherwise, it's almost exactly on the 6500K target.
The Epson EF12 projector's image accuracy is fantastic after calibration. It doesn't have color calibration or white balance calibration, but adjusting the color temperature improves the white balance and color accuracy. Of course, this comes at the cost of a worse color temperature, as it's then too cold.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 smart streaming laser projector has an okay color gamut. It does a good job with the Rec. 709 color space used with SDR content, but struggles with displaying the wider Rec. 2020 color space.
Epson’s portable Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 uses an LCD light engine with a laser-phosphor source, so there’s no color wheel and no risk of rainbow artifacts. The light source requires no maintenance and will last for 20,000 hours or more. You likely won't ever have to worry about replacing it. As it's a 1080p projector, it's limited to a 1080p @ 60Hz resolution.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 smart streaming laser projector uses a fixed-lens (no optical zoom) with a 1.0:1 throw ratio. Focus is manual, there's no lens shift, and auto keystone is available for quick setups. However, for the sharpest image, keep the lens centered and avoid keystone when possible.
Typical throw distances for a 16:9 screen:
• 70" image: 5.1 ft from the screen
• 80": 5.8 ft
• 90": 6.5 ft
• 100": 7.3 ft
• 110": 8.0 ft
• 120": 8.7 ft
• 130": 9.4 ft
• 150": 10.9 ft
The Epson EF12 has a compact design and weighs 4.7 pounds, making it easy to carry around, but it doesn't have an integrated battery, so you still need to have it plugged into an outlet. It has full auto keystone correction and autofocus, so it's easy to set up, and you can adjust the projector's angle with its adjustable front foot.
At full brightness, the projector's fan is noticeable in a quiet room, but it's not excessive. From a few feet behind the seating position, it fades into the background during typical content when listened to at average volume.
The projector has two HDMI ports, one of which doubles as the ARC port. It also has two USB ports: one USB-A port and one mini USB port, the latter of which is for servicing only. The projector has a Kensington lock to prevent theft. It also supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The Epson EpiqVision EF12's input lag is abysmal. The projector has no Game Mode, and its input lag is an incredibly high 139 ms at 4k @ 60Hz, and almost as slow at 1080p. This is too slow for any game and will be annoying even when playing slow turn-based titles due to the noticeable delay on your inputs.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 has a single HDMI with ARC and no optical out, so the projector can't act as a hub for external devices. If you want surround sound from a console/streamer, plug those sources into a soundbar/AVR that has its own HDMI inputs, then run HDMI ARC back to the projector. If your audio system lacks HDMI switching, you're limited to stereo (LPCM 2.0) or to the projector's Bluetooth audio.
The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 Smart Streaming Laser projector has Android TV built-in and is smooth and fast to use. The projector is cast capable through its Chromecast integration, so you can play content from your phone directly on the projector. Finally, the projector has two integrated 5W Yamaha speakers.