I think this is a GREAT product.
For a long time the issue of screen protection has been a real problem for owners of Nikon DSLRs.Even those DSLRS that come with factory screen protectors are not well served, as those standard screen protectors scratch and haze quickly even in ordinary use and soon lose much of their original clarity.
APPLICABILITY
There are three tiers of Nikon DSLRs as far as screen protection is concerned:
- Nikon's top professional bodies such as the D2x/D3/D3s, and so on, have tempered-glass rear LCDs that are quite tough and very scratch-resistant.In fact, these bodies seem more likely to suffer from a broken screen than a scratched one, seemingly indicating that the screens are sufficiently resistant to being scratched that it takes quite a heavy, damaging impact to make any mark on them at all.In a case like this it's difficult to see the advantage of an auxiliary screen protector of any kind.I wouldn't bother to use anything at all, unless I anticipated some sort of particularly heavy use, in which case an impact-absorbing plastic screen protector like the factory item might be a better choice than the Giottos glass screen protector.
- Nikon's mid-range SLRs such as the D80, D90 and D300 have fairly easily-scratched screens (plastic, I believe) that are protected by clip-on plastic protectors from the factory.These plastic protectors are inexpensively replaced - however, they have very little surface hardness and routinely suffer superficial hazing marks and fine scratches even in careful, ordinary use.In addition, small particles of sand and dust can work themselves between the cover and the screen, leading to damage to the screen itself over time.The covers negatively impact transmission of the image from the screen even when new, and don't take long to deteriorate to the point at which the usability of the screen is much reduced, especially in bright conditions.The Giottos protector is a vast improvement over the standard covers for these cameras, effectively solving the problems of the standard protectors completely (though adding on or two new ones - see below).
- Nikon's entry-level consumer bodies such as the D40/60/3000/5000 have plastic rear LCDs with no screen protection of any kind either supplied or offered by the factory.These screens scratch so easily and universally in use as to be the most serious (often only) cosmetic issue these cameras suffer after months or years in service.These cameras absolutely need some form of aftermarket screen protection, and until now no good solution has been available.
AEGIS
The Giottos Aegis screen protector is glass.It is thinner than commonly available plastic screen protectors, and has visibly less impact on light transmission.It presumably has multiple layers of coatings applied to each side: the precise number of coating layers notwithstanding, it is clear that the Aegis is a high quality optical product, optimized for its function, and that it will transmit light clearly from the screen while minimizing unwanted reflections.
The Aegis has a clear glass area that makes up the majority of its surface.The clear area is designed to be slightly larger than the actual viewable area of each screen it is specified for, such that perfect alignment isn't critical when installing it: a slight mis-alignment will still allow you to view the entire visible picture area of the screen.Surrounding the clear area is a black area that closely matches the black surround on the camera's own screen.On the rear of this black area is a mild adhesive to enable the protector to be semi-permanently adhered to the camera's screen.When installed, the Aegis sits on and just about perfectly fills the LCD area of the camera body it is designed for.
In use, the Aegis is almost completely invisible.Comparing two identical D40s side-by-side in direct sunlight and in low indoor light - one with the Aegis protector installed and one with no screen protection - there is virtually no difference in the appearance of the two screens in either condition.The image through the Aegis screen protector is crisp and contrasty and fully allows the quality of the Nikon's LCD to be appreciated.It is still washed-out by reflections from the sun or a very bright sky, but no more than the standard LCD by itself, and far less than a plastic screen protector (the plastic screen protector's worst quality).Obviously, this refers to new examples of each.With use, the Aegis should remain free of scratches is handled with reasonable care, while the bare LCD or plastic screen protector won't, giving the Aegis a compelling advantage in real-world use.
INSTALLATION
The majority of poor reviews of the Aegis come from people disappointed with its adhesiveness - apparently the Aegis protectors will fall of and/or break off easily in use.Thinking that this might have something to do with care in installation, I took considerable care installing the Aegis on each camera body I've used it on (we have three SLR camera bodies in the house, all with Aegis protectors now installed).
The Aegis is thin and presumably fairly brittle, although it does have enough flex to bend usefully for installation.It comes with a protective plastic layer on both its inner and outer surface.It also comes with a small Giottos micro-fiber cloth, and the instructions advise using the cloth to clean the screen prior to installation.The cloth by itself did not clean the screens to my satisfaction, leaving tiny bits of cloth residue that wouldn't blow or brush off.Personally, my preference anyway is to use a good no-residue optical cleaner, along with lens-cleaning tissues, to clean the screen, and then to blow it dry with a blower-bulb (see my review of the Giottos cleaning kit for my advice on safely cleaning optical surfaces).Make sure to use a cleaner that leaves no residue, as any residue could impede the adherence of the screen.A final light wipe-down with the Giottos cloth can't hurt.Critically important: position the camera body under a bright light before installation so that you can be absolutely certain of the screen's perfect cleanliness.This is very hard to achieve as you will find bits of dust landing on the screen in almost any environment.A little care and patience will pay off.
Because most adhesives work much better in warmer conditions, I lightly heated both the screen itself and the screen protector with a hair dryer before installation.My intention wasn't to get the adhesive hot, but to warm it to slightly above room temperature to help chemically activate it, and to soften it to allow it to conform as well as possible to the screen's surface.
Remove the outer layer of plastic from the screen protector.At first I thought it would be helpful to keep the outer layer in place to help with maneuvering the screen protector into position, but the cover made it more difficult to see exactly how the screen protector was lining up with the screen.I got better results by removing it.
Finally, remove the cover from the adhesive side of the screen protector.Line it up and position first one corner, then an adjacent corner, carefully on the screen in the best alignment you can.If alignment isn't perfect at this point, you will have some ability to gently move or rotate the screen protector until two adjacent corners are nicely lined up.Then gradually and carefully lower the two remaining corners onto the screen, checking and if necessary tweaking the alignment as you go.A small misalignment is possible even if you're careful, but won't have any effect on function.
Immediately after installation, while the screen and the adhesive are still warm, using the microfiber cloth, firmly and evenly apply pressure all the way around the adhesive band on the outside of the protector, working the adhesive into the screen.This should help encourage a strong, permanent bond.
Having applied the screens to our cameras in this way, I haven't had any problem with the screens coming loose in use.Not that it can't happen: If anything Giottos seems to have been too concerned with making sure that the protectors could be easily removed, if desired.Every Aegis comes with clear instructions for removal, for example, and seems that Giottos might have erred in choosing an adhesive that is not as aggressive as it could have been.I do believe that a little care exercised in installation, and appropriate care in use, will mitigate this issue.
DRAWBACKS
Because the Aegis is glass, and thin, it is fairly brittle.While it has advantages as noted compared to the thicker plastic screen protectors as used on the D90/D300 series cameras and their ilk, it has a couple of disadvantages as well.The plastic, although optically inferior and prone to being optically degraded in use, will not shatter in response to impacts, and will provide a level of cushioning to the screen that a thin glass film can not match.If your camera's screen is likely to get bumped against rocks or other hard objects; or to be treated roughly or without care; or to be used in unpredictable environments; a thick, plastic protector will likely offer more protection than the Aegis.The Aegis is optically better, will not scratch easily, and will offer good protection against the kinds of normal handling that a well-cared-for camera will be subject to.It will offer only limited impact protection, however, and will itself be sacrificed if rougher conditions are encountered, possibly also allowing damage to the screen itself.
The Aegis does show prints and any other kind of gunk that gets on it very readily - just like a...Read more›
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Giottos SP8302L Aegis Multi-coated LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D300,D700,D90Product Description: Aegis Multi-coated LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D300,D700,D90. Made from tempered Schott glass from Germany. Efficient, effective 12-layer anti-reflective coating.
Buy cheap Giottos SP8302L Aegis Multi-coated LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D300,D700,D90 now Get 29% OFF
I bought the silver and black version of this "medium" case, and the product description said it was over 7 inches long. What actually arrived was an item barely 4.5 inches in length. I thought they might have sent the "small" version by mistake, but the "small" version even claims a 7 inch length. So there's a foul-up somewhere...so be forewarned.
