The GGS LCD protector - a comparison with the Giottos Aegis

[RichC]

LCD screens on many cameras are often made of toughened glass that's difficult to scratch, but not impossible - and on some cameras the anti-reflection coating is easily scratched.

I thought some might like to hear of my experiences with LCD protectors.

My first camera was a Canon 10D, but I never gave the LCD a second's thought, as it was indestructible - banged about my bag for years without a single mark. The 10D's replacement, an Epson R-D1, was a different kettle of fish: after only a week's ownership, the coating on the screen was scuffed from rubbing against my clothing! I quickly bought a screen protector...

I now use screen protectors as a matter of course - an LCD may be made of toughened glass with a hard, scratch-proof coating ... or it might not, and scuffed screens are at best unsightly.

A myriad screen protectors are available. Most are thin plastic films, but I've never had much luck with these - I tried several well-known brands such as Invisible Shield, and all reduced the clarity of the screen, and several started to peel off after catching on things in my bag.

When I got my Leica M8 in the summer of 2007, one of the first things I intended to do was fit a screen protector - the M8's LCD may or may not be tough, but I didn't want to discover the hard way!

I came across the Giottos Aegis - a screen protector made of multicoated Schott glass: its listed specifications made it far superior to flexible plastic films. I decided to give it a try, and ordered model SP 8250. Not cheap - I think it cost about £30. It was indeed a huge improvement on the plastic film protectors: it was crystal-clear, and has remained firmly attached for the past two years. Apart from the price, I have a few minor niggles: (1) too much unnecessary "in-your-face" white labelling; (2) the black border is slightly smaller than the LCD, obscuring about 1 mm from around the edges of the image area; (3) the corners of the protector aren't as rounded as the M8's LCD, and thus overhang the LCD by a fraction; (4) I heard that the glue is strong enough to lift out the LCD cover if care is not taken when removing the Giottos protector, and the removal instructions not followed precisely.

Good as the Giottos Aegis is, it has suffered - mainly when I went on a trip to climb volcanoes: volcanic ash is not kind to cameras, and the Giottos now has fine scratches all over it (as has the UV filter protecting the lens!): if I hadn't used the Giottos Aegis, I hate to think what the M8's screen would look like! Recently, a corner of the Giottos Aegis has snapped off - a result of point 3 above (the corners overhanging the M8 LCD): as the LCD is slightly raised, I thought that, sooner or later, something would get under the an overhanging corner and damage the Giottos's glass, but two years isn't a bad innings.

So, it was time to replace the screen protector. I quick web search tuned up an alternative toughened glass protector to the Giottos Aegis: the GGS screen protector. It seems to garner good reviews, and compared to the Giottos Aegis, has a specification that's at least equal, and is a fifth of the price. Loads on eBay - that was the other problem with the Giottos Aegis: it was hard to get, and I had to order it from America, so shipping made an expensive product even more costly. Leica's sapphire glass cover is the perfect protection, but the £1500 that Leica wants for it is a little excessive - that's half the price of the camera!

Here's a review I found on the web: GGS DC Professional LCD Screen Protector review.

I bought a GGS protector.

Before fitting it, though, I had to remove the Giottos Aegis, bearing in mind point 4 above. I followed the instructions for removing the Giottos protector, taking care not to lift it using much force. I also used dental floss to gently "saw" through the adhesive. The protector came off easily using this method, though it did leave a little adhesive behind, which I cleaned off with a bit of lighter fluid.

I'm pleased with the GSS protector so far: it is well made, is a more accurate fit than than the Giottos, and has much less irritating white lettering. With luck, it will protect the M8 as well as the Giottos...

[jimbo035]

Interesting to read your findings, Rich; I have been considering an Giottos Aegis as a replacement for the GGS protector I put on my D-Lux 4.
The GGS one is IMHO everything it claims to be, but one essential feature (as far as I am concerned) is missing, namely an anti-reflection coating.

Unfortunately, I find that the GGS protector seems to make viewing the D-Lux4 monitor under bright lighting conditions even more difficult, which is why I was attracted to the Aegis and its twelve AR coatings. I say "was" because the D-Lux4 and/or LX3 are not specifically catered for, and the nearest fit (Aegis SP8300) does not quite match the cameras' monitor dimensions.
Viz. SP8300 Dimensions: 65.95 x 49.3mm (GGS: 71 x 46.5)

MInd you, I have not totally abandoned the idea of buying one.

[RichC]

I think the Giottos reflects similarly to the GGS - but then my Giottos coating is worn, so a new Giottos may reflect less (but I'm not convinced).

To be honest, I think reflections are a fact of life with glass screen protectors since the coatings are themselves reflective anyway - and I assume there's reasons why a more matt coating isn't used (cost, softness, reduced light transmission?).

I never found reflections intrusive with the Giottos, and didn't even think about them when choosing the GSS, not even after installing the latter. This may well be the nature of the M8, since the LCD is less a part of normal shooting than with other cameras (especially compact cameras without viewfinders and dSLRs with live view), and I, like many M8 owners, have auto-preview turned off most of the time.

A dim, difficult to see LCD in sunlight is a far more irritating problem than reflections, but that problem afflicts all cameras I've tried (and my phone!).... and is why I'm never a buying viewfinder-less camera until they sort it!

[kalina]

I just bought the ACMAXX LCD armor protector for both my M8 and D-Lux4. My M8 LCD already has scratches on it from the previous owner, so I figure this will prevent any more on it.

[SchlaeppiM]

I bought a GGS protector.

Have you bought a special Version vor the M8 or does the standard 2.5" just fit?

Regards

[RichC]

Originally Posted by SchlaeppiM

Have you bought a special Version vor the M8 or does the standard 2.5" just fit?

The 2.5 inch one - I don't think there is an M8-specific one anyway. It's an almost perfect fit - the corners are slightly less curved than the M8 screen, so there's a very small overhang over the LCD at the corners (it's a better fit than the Giottos).

Six-month report: half a year later, the GGS protector is still doing its job perfectly, and is scratch-free (worth mentioning, as I don't use a case, so the M8 rattles around in whatever bag I'm carrying it in).

PS: just a reminder to anyone using one of these Giottos.GGS-type protectors - don't just yank it off when removing it or the Leica LCD cover will come off too: an expensive repair that's very easily avoidable. Read my instructions in the first post.

[SchlaeppiM]

Ok, thanks. Will order one too.

[doubice]

I have the GGS protector on the M8 and the ACMAXX LCD Armor protector on a Digilux 2, Pentax K7, Canon G7 etc.

If I were to do it all over again, I would go with the ACMAXX for the M8 as well. The GGS has a peculiar bad habit - face grease stays on it, is very difficult to wipe off and it becomes relatively difficult to view the LCD. For some strange reason, the plastic ACMAXX does not have this problem. Even with face grease, I can see the LCD without much difficulty.

Best,

Jan

[robin20]

Hi everyone..
I bought new Samsung LCD last week and i need some solid protection on the screen. So could anyone here please suggest me some websites providing protector film for my LCD screen?

LCD screen protector film