Ultimate DSLR LCD monitor “Screen protector”

The description on the package.

The Packaging.

Installed on my K20D.

That is what it looks if you crack one, but your LCD monitor will be saved. I didn't really crack that one, it was given to me as a sample of what it would look like.

Hi Pentaxians and friends,

Every once in a while, a product comes out that radically change the market or at least the way we go about something.

We all know how easy it is to scratch the LCD monitor on our digital cameras. I tried half a dozen of screen protectors and all had some kind of problems. Either the plastic sheet would bubble up with trapper air, or would not be perfectly clear. Some would reflect the light so much that I could not see the monitor as well. Let’s face it, a thin sheet of film will only protect the LCD screen from minor scratches. The LCD monitor can still crack on impact. Then there the kind of hood protectors that do protect the LCD monitor, but you have to lift the cover after each picture…doesn’t work for me.

Finally, last week I found one that really protects the LCD monitor from scratches, breaking of the LCD and has 12 multi-coating layers to reduce reflection and glare.

It is made by Giottos. (They are mostly known for their tripods. Actually, all of my tripods, monopods and tripod heads are from Giottos.) The screen protectors are actually made of real quality glass. So if something hits the LCD, the screen protector will crack instead of the LCD monitor as there is a small space between the monitor surface and the screen protector. That also eliminated the bubble problems. It’s not cheap, $24.00 to $48.00 at B&H Photo. I think it’s well worth the money.

They make them in all sizes. I bought two of them for the K20D and the K200D, which both have 2.7” LCD, monitor. It comes with instructions and a micro-fiber magic cloth to clean the monitor before installing the screen protector. Most of all, it looks great on the camera.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque

Glare Free camera LCD screens

Once in a great while a new product is introduced to the market that changes the way things are done. I usually don’t write technical reviews and this is not intended to be one. Ever since digital LCD have been used to either see the picture you are about to take or to review the picture(s) you have taken, glare has been a problem. With less that a perfect vision, point and shoot cameras have always given me (and many of you, no doubt) problems in that I can’t see the LCD clearly because of my particular vision and also because of glare issues.

Switching to a DSLR camera fixed half the problem by allowing me to focus through an optical viewfinder with a diopter adjustment for my particular eyesight. But when it came time to review my images on the LCD screen, the old glare and clarity problem arosed again. I have seen an assortment of retracting and bellows hoods on the market, but all seemed to either fix the glare problem or the vision problem, but not both.

Finally, Hoodman USA came up with an ingenious device that fixes both problems. It is made in China and I am not sure if it was actually designed in the USA or China, but Hoodman USA is the sole distributor of such device that I know of. It is called Hoodloupe Professional. At around $69.00, it’s one of the best gadget I found in a long time to help any and all photographers and users of digital cameras getting rid of unwanted glare and at the same time, allowing viewing adjustment to your particular eyesight. Here’s what they say on their Website:

“Hoodloupe Professional is worn around your neck just like a normal loupe. When it is time to review your shot; bring Hoodloupe up to your image and place your eye up to the eye cup for complete glare free viewing. Hoodloupe has a +-3 diopter to accommodate those with less than perfect vision. Hoodloupe adjusts focus just like a binocular eye piece... you turn the eye piece in or out to set for your vision. Minimal magnification is used to eliminate visual pixilation of your image. Each Hoodloupe is encased in a user friendly rubber for comfort and protection from bumps that will occur throughout your shoot. Comfortable lanyard and compact protective storage case included. Fits up to 2.75 inch LCD screens. “

The only problem I see in their advertisement...they are using the wrong camera. It should be a Pentax k20D. :)

It really works as advertised. I am not paid or associated with Hoodman USA in any way, but when I see something good, I don’t mind telling the whole world about it. I congratulate Hoodman USA for such a good and practical product. By the way, it is very well made and the optics seems to be multi-coated.

Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque