I've been looking for a more compact alternative for the standard ILDA (DB-25) connectors, which are bulky and (relatively) expensive when you need longer cable runs.
Most projector housings already have a couple of Neutrik D-sized holes populated with 3-pin XLR for DMX input, and I was looking for a connector that would fit this form factor so it is also more robust in on-the-road setups.
Since we're mostly using 5 wire pairs for X/Y/R/G/B, ideally you'd need a 11- or 13-pin connector (if you also want to carry DMX on the same cable), however, Neutrik doesn't stock any connectors in the size with more pins than 8.
Neutrik Ethercon and standard CAT5 cables are an option, but the tradeoff is that you need to run single-ended signals for R/G/B modulation, possibly introducing noise. Advantage would be that it's easy to convert to Ethernet in the future, and CAT5/CAT6 cables are insanely cheap (and often even free) to get almost everywhere.
"VGA" HD-15's would be an option, they are compact and cheap, but they are just as fragile, if not more fragile, than DB-25. DB-15 could be a useful alternative, but it only saves marginally on compactness.
Best case would be a (locking) connector that has at least 15 pins, for differential X/Y/R/G/B wire pairs, and an additional pair for both DMX and emergency stop/interlock. Any compact form factor would be useful for it, but circulars are probably most beneficial since they're easiest to handle and install on the road. AMP CPC may be a good option here - they are locking and robust (people familiar with argon heads should know), but are more expensive and AFAIK, not all AMP connectors allow cables to be connected in-line.
Obviously, for connecting to the DAC and for ILDA projectors that need more colours you could still use DB-25 and mix/match using adaptor plugs. Beam table effects (like gratings or lumia) are just as easily done through DMX with some standard relay boards.