LCD screen protector ?

[DestinationDisney]

I'm wondering if I should buy an LCD screen protector for the 3" screen on my Sony H5.

The camera came with a free protector, but its adhesive and I'm worried about it leaving a very sticky residue when I decide to remove it. What is your advice?

Thanks!

 

[bazzanoid]

most screen protectors are self-adhesive.

personally (and i must stress personally) i wouldn't bother - chances of it getting damaged are pretty much the same as chance of damage anywhere on the camera, plus most protectors give a 'soft focus' edge to the pictures on the screen, which doesn't help the previews much! In my experience, anyway.

 

[muphoto]

I would advise using some kind of protector. It has been my experience that the screen gets scratched. Either buy a hard plastic cover or get a roll of clear adhesive material from a crafts store. I have never had a problem with the soft material leaving residue on the screen.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I went to Staples and got a pack (of 5 I think)of screen protectors? They were made for the Blackberry or PDA's and you can cut to size. It works great - no bubbles and the screen is so clear. I put the others in my camera bag. It came with a cleaning cloth and a "scraper" tool to help smooth it and get it on evenly.

 

[extreme8]

chances of it getting damaged are pretty much the same as chance of damage anywhere on the camera

That may or may not be true (Lcd plastic is probably softer than the plastic used on most camera bodies), but a scratch or scrape on your grip or battery door won't affect your use of the camera like a big old gouge on the display.
Having said that, I still haven't put one on my camera but only because I'm the king of procrastination.

 

[JR6ooo4]

That may or may not be true (Lcd plastic is probably softer than the plastic used on most camera bodies), but a scratch or scrape on your grip or battery door won't affect your use of the camera like a big old gouge on the display.
Having said that, I still haven't put one on my camera but only because I'm the king of procrastination.

That may or may not be true, hehehehe
My sony and my canon both have a hard glass over the LCD, or at least a somewhat scratch proof ploycarbonate.

If you are trying to judge exposure by the lcd then I do not reccomend a protector.

Mikeeee

 

[extreme8]

The image displayced on the LCD is a pretty poor choice when it comes to judging exposure.
Give me histograms or give me death! Well, maybe not death. How about a really painful hangnail or something.....

 

[JR6ooo4]

The image displayced on the LCD is a pretty poor choice when it comes to judging exposure.
Give me histograms or give me death! Well, maybe not death. How about a really painful hangnail or something.....

exactly!
and worse the cameras that do not have a Histo probably have a low quality lcd screen.

I believe my old sony 717 has a live histo!

Mikeeee

 

[Anewman]

I do not know about that exact camera model, but with my Canon DSLR the protector costs more than a replacement cover direct from canon(that is including shipping).
kinda like getting a car cover that costs more than a new paint job at the dealer.

1. Easier to scratch
2. More expensive than the part it is supposedly protecting
3. Make it harder to see in bright sunlight

And I have seen cases of the adhesive causeing a sort of haze over the plastic lcd cover, I guess it depends on how hard the cover is to begin with.

 

[DestinationDisney]

Well now this pretty much leaves me back where I started (I'm only teasing )...unsure of whether or not to put on a screen protector!

I think I'll hold off for now. But I'm still worried about scratching the screen or messing it up! Then again, I'm also worried about the screen saver leaving a sticky residue that I won't be able to get off my LCD screen.

By the way...my camera has a histogram, but what exactly is it used for? Something with measuring the darkness in a picture?

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

The protectors I got don't have any adhesive to them. They are like window clings - just cut to size and put on like those clings. I took mine off last night to check if lcd was sticky (I put the protector on when I got the camera about 2 months? ago) and it was as clean and smooth as the day I purchased the camera. Maybe what I am using is not as common as most protectors?

 

[DestinationDisney]

The protectors I got don't have any adhesive to them. They are like window clings - just cut to size and put on like those clings. I took mine off last night to check if lcd was sticky (I put the protector on when I got the camera about 2 months? ago) and it was as clean and smooth as the day I purchased the camera. Maybe what I am using is not as common as most protectors?

Can you tell me what kind you are using? And where you got them?

Thanks!!

 

[JR6ooo4]

...my camera has a histogram, but what exactly is it used for? Something with measuring the darkness in a picture?

Exactly!

very simply put (I do not have a degree in this) the histo is a vertical bar graph showing the exposure of the scene.

the left side is anything dark in the scene, the right side is bright, the middle is everything in betwwen. Any bars that go off the top indicate overexposure. Any bars that do not appear (are under the graph) are underexposed.
Generaly yuou want a nice bell curve going almost to both sides and almost to the top. If the whole middle section of bars is flat up against the top the middle colors (or greys) will be too bright. If the right side of the graph is over the top the bright colors (and whites) will be washed out. Same thing wwith low bars in the left side of the graph, the dark areas will be too dark to see good detail.
But how high or low the bars are is determined by your exposure settings. The shape of the graph is determined by the light in the scene. If you have a black background and an apple, orange and banana you will not have a bell curve graph. That is not exactly true. You will see bars on the left for the background, then a very tight bell curvy spike for each fruit color. You will even be able to tell which spike is which fruit. that is if you know each colors position between dark to white. ie~ is yellow left or right of red

For a real explanation see this wonderful site:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

If you have any questions feel free to pm me,

Mikeeee

 

[PaulD]

Can you tell me what kind you are using? And where you got them?

Thanks!!

I use the Fellowes WriteRight Micro-Thin Screen Protectors on my PDA. I finally replaced the one on my PDA after it was on for about a year and it didn't leave any sticky residue. I think I got it from Office Depot (a long time ago...). They're universal so you have to cut them to size. They don't really affect the quality of the display since they're clear (not frosted like some of the older ones).

 

[muphoto]

You can also find the cling type protectors at hoodman.com.

They make several types of screen protectors and shades for many types of cameras.