Delkin Screen Protector - A Wise Investment

My motto is "better safe than sorry". That is what makes the Delkin Screen Protector a smart investment. The first thing that I do when I acquire a new lens is slap a protective filter on it. The Delkin screen protector is my filter on the LCD display of my Canon 30D. It also serves as a shade when I look at the images I have taken in a bright setting, such as a bright, sunny day, but that is just the gravy. Knowing that the fragile LCD display is under cover, protected from inadvertent contact is the main reason that I use this item. This is not a "one-size- fits-all" so Delkin makes several models, but they all serve the same purpose in basically the same way. It is easy to install. All that you need to do is remove the eye cup from the camera and slip the protector on in its place. The downside of its simplicity of mounting is that it is not that difficult to catch it one something and pull it off, thereby exposing the screen. This device completely covers the LDC screen when it is open, or closed, because of the piece of clear film incorporated in the protector. The protector opens easily and small spring loaded shields pop out on each side so the display is covered on three sides. To close the device requires you to push the side wings in slightly and then bring the cover down until is locks into place. There is also a bonus benefit beyond the obvious one of preventing accidental nicks and blows to the LCD screen. It also prevents smudges and contamination from your fingers or the end of your nose brushing against the screen when you hold the camera up to your face. The device is inexpensive, especially when you consider what it covers, yet it is also built reasonably well.

As with most things, there is a downside to the device. One of the most appealing benefits of using a digital camera is the immediate feedback of showing you if you got a good image. The Delkin screen cover requires you to open and close it every time that you want to look at the image you have just taken. Personally I rarely (almost never) take the time to review images at the time I capture them. I use a huge 4GB flash card in my camera so I have plenty of space to take picture after picture and worry about the editing and deletions later. Still, if you like the immediate feedback of looking at your shots after each one, this device will slow you down and make you do a lot of opening and closing.

This device can save you from catastrophic damage to your camera's digital display. That reason alone is good enough for me to use it, but don't get me wrong, it will probably not protect your camera's display if you drop it off of a ten foot cliff and it lands display side down on sharp rocks (after all it is made of plastic). The device is inexpensive and if it breaks from a blow that would have landed on your camera's display had it not been there, you can easily replace it.