A see-through illuminator for a reflective display panel provides a better image contrast when the illuminator is configured to direct a leakage light beam exiting the lightguide from a side opposing the display panel to propagate non-parallel to an image light formed by reflection of an illuminating light beam from the display panel. An objective lens may concentrate the image and leakage light beams at different locations, enabling a user's eye placed at a location of the image light beam to see the projected image without interference from the leakage light beam.