Why Photographers Should Consider Screen Protectors
Although your camera might come with a screen protector when you first purchase it, the quality might not always be up to scratch. In fact, if a few hairs are already sticking up just hearing the word scratch, then you’re probably one of many who would benefit from investing in a higher quality one.
Is there really a huge difference between screen protectors?
Where it’s true that all screen protectors provide some level of protection, they most certainly aren’t created equally. Some screen protectors are built to last, while others are designed to be removed or replaced soon after being sold.
In addition, certain screen protectors come with special features that extend far beyond just your standard scratch protection.
Protect your screens from scratches
Let’s start with the most obvious reason why someone might want to consider a screen protector – to protect your camera from scratches. When it comes to camera screens, they serve as a crisp canvas for viewing your photos.
Over time, no screen is immune to becoming nicked. Eventually, those nicks add up, which might take away from the beauty of your images, making viewing your work unpleasant.
Not only is there a cosmetic benefit to keeping these screens crisp, but there are also practical advantages. These screens are vital to seeing what the image is going to look like before taking it. Sure, you can look through the viewfinder, but depending on the angle of your shot, this won’t always be possible.
For protection that goes beyond just the screen, you’ll also be able to find certain film protectors that have been designed to protect other parts of your camera.
Be prepared for poor weather conditions
Just like the cellphone protection film on your phone saves your phone time and time again, your camera screen can also be saved. If you ever intend on taking your camera outdoors, you will no doubt encounter poor weather at one point or another.
Shooting outdoors in bad weather conditions can expose your camera to all sorts of harsh elements like wind, rain, snow, dust and sand.
These elements can lead to serious damage if your camera isn’t properly protected. In this case, a screen protector can be especially beneficial when used on action cameras and drones.
Protect your eyes from harmful blue light
Higher quality screen protectors actually come with a built-in orange filter, which essentially protects your eyes from blue light. Many digital devices with LED screens emit blue light, which can directly penetrate your cornea and retina lense.
As our bodies use blue light naturally generated by the sun to wake up, being exposed to too much blue light can interfere with our sleep patterns. What’s more, it can even lead to hormonal disruption and even physical damage.
Fortunately, when you make use of an orange filter it works to cancel out the blue light, making the screen safer to use. This can be especially important for those spending long hours using their camera. These days, some screen protectors can even help to improve the all-round display colours and contrast of your screen.
Transform your screen into one that’s anti-glare
Anti-glare screens are always nicer to work with in general, but they can be especially helpful when it comes to shooting in the sun. As the sun’s light reflects off screens, it can make it difficult to see the true image on your screen.
Unfortunately, most lower level screen protectors that come standard with new devices aren’t anti-glare, another good reason to invest in a better one.
Increase your screen’s privacy
When you aren’t using your camera screen to take photos, you might want to use it to flip through your footage. If privacy is something that’s important to you, then you should probably look at getting a protection screen that blocks out any possible peeping Toms.
These protection filters work by mattifying your screen in a way which makes it difficult or even impossible to view the image from an angle other than directly opposite the screen.
Gain better resale value
If you are planning to upgrade in the future, you might also want to sell your previous camera to someone else. It’s no secret to anyone that a device that’s been protected against wear and tear is going to sell better than one that hasn’t.
No matter how well you take care of your camera, scratches will tell the person looking to buy it a different story. On the other hand, people usually don’t mind paying the price for something that looks as good as new.
Ultimately, the decision to invest in a quality screen protector or not really depends on what you expect to get out of your device, how much the device means to you, how much you’ll be using it and lastly, where you’ll be using it.