Trevor Penfold reviews Expert Shield’s screen protectors

Keeping your camera display as clear and scratch-free as possible is essential for making sure your camera is in top condition. Acclaimed wildlife photographer Trevor Penfold reviews Expert Shield’s 1DX screen protector

Do you have a screen protector on your DSLR? If not, perhaps it’s time you should.

If your camera gets as much use as mine does and you find you often have to clean the grime off your camera’s display risking scratches, then this information could be of interest. I’ve put together this quick review of a screen protector by Expert Shield.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this company except for the product they sent me to test.

Out of the Blue

Back in June 2013 I received an email from a company asking me if I would use and review their screen protector. Below is part of the email I received:

“They’re seriously good, we actually guarantee against bubbles or scratches for the lifetime of your 1D-X. I’d hate to think you were using them without screen protection. If you’re pleased with them, perhaps you could do a brief review on your blog.”

This was sent by Ed Tyson from the company Expert Shield.

I’m always dubious about these sorts of emails, but at the time I didn’t have any protectors on my 1DX, so I thought, “What the hell?” I replied to Ed’s email and explained that I was more than happy to give them a try. I told Ed that if I were to write a review then it wouldn’t only be written if I liked the product – if they were terrible I would say so. He seemed happy with this, and low and behold the Expert Shield arrived in the post.

Fitting the shields

After reading the instructions on the back of the packaging, which were very clear, I opened it. For the 1DX there are three protectors all of different sizes to cater for all three displays. There was also a small cleaning cloth enclosed so you can ensure the screens are spotless before applying the screen protectors. By following the instructions I found that the film was extremely easy to apply and I had no issues at all.

So how do they look?

Well to be honest I was pleasantly surprised. In fact they were so clear you wouldn’t know they were there – no bubbles, no ripples, no fogging – just a clear, clean screen. That’s not just my opinion as my wife couldn’t tell I had fitted them, and she had her glasses on!

Why so long for the review?

One of Expert Shield’s claims was that they “guarantee against bubbles or scratches for the lifetime of your 1D-X”, so I felt I should see how the product holds up out in the field. Well seven months of dust, rain, sunblock, and sweat, and I can report they are looking great. There are also no signs of them peeling up at the corners. One big advantage I found was how easily smudges wipe off with a quick wipe of your T-shirt – though that’s not how I clean my lenses by the way. With my 5DII that hasn’t got protectors, the smudges are much harder to remove.

This image shows the condition of the two rear screen protectors on my Canon 1DX after seven months use in the field.

This image shows the condition of the top screen protector on my Canon 1DX after seven months use in the field.

So would I recommend them?

In a nutshell, yes. In fact I am about to fit them on my 5D Mark II, which I wish I had done at the same time. If you want to know more about Expert Shield, visit www.expertshielduk.com.

Acclaimed New Zealand wildlife photographer Trevor Penfoldshares his ongoing photographic adventures here at D-Photo as well as on his blog. For more from Trevor be sure to visit his website www.trevorpenfold.com.