Boxwave ClearTouch screen protector Cleaning Equipment Review

After spending a large chunk of your hard earned cash on a digital camera, the last thing you'd want is to risk damaging the LCD screen. Gary Wolstenholme takes a look at the range of screen protectors available from Boxwave to see if they are the accessory of choice for preventing damage to your investment.

In this test I will be looking at both the ClearTouch Crystal and Anti-Glare varieties of screen protector for the Canon EOS 5D. The 5D does not come with any protection for the screen, if it was accidentally put in a bag with a hard or sharp object it would be easily marked.

Features:
Both varieties are designed to help reduce the chance of damage to the screen, but they also have other features that set them apart from each other. Features of the ClearTouch Crystal range include:

• 99% transparency
• Dust resistance
• Washable and reusable

and the Clear touch Anti-Glare range includes the following:

• Anti-Glare coating
• Dust repelling
• Fingerprint free
• Washable and reusable

The packs cost $12.95 (approximately £7) each and include a protector for the rear and top LCD screens.

Application

First align the screen protector with the edges of the screen. These Boxwave protectors are cut perfectly to the size of the EOS 5D screens, even the rounded corners perfectly match those of the screen.
Once the protector is positioned, place the cloth provided over the screen and wipe the ClearTouch applicator across it to remove any air bubbles. I found this can takes a little practice to get right, but because the adhesive is reusable, the protector can be repositioned if you get it wrong the first time.
Now you are almost finished, simply use the cloth to wipe away any fingerprints or marks on the protector gained during application.

In use

ClearTouch Crystal

ClearTouch Anti-Glare

The Crystal protectors have a reflective finish, which on one hand provides a bright and clear image, but on the other it can make the screen difficult to see in bright light. I found the Anti-Glare protector to be an improvement on the normal screen surface. The matt finish is great at preventing harsh reflections on the screen.

I would not recommend trying the following test at home. To test the protection offered I moved a key rapidly back and forth over the protector. Both faired very well, barely showing any sign of a mark, and the screen was completely unmarked underneath. The material these protectors are made out of is impressively tough.

Verdict
Applying a ClearTouch screen protector is simple, so long as you get the knack of squeezing any air bubbles out as you do it. Once you have this, the process is straightforward.

The material they are made of is very tough. They coped very well with my scratch test, barely showing a mark after being gouged with a metal key.

In summary the positive points of Boxwave ClearTouch screen protectors are:
Very tough finish.
Easy to apply.
Reusable and repositionable.

The negative points:
There's a knack to eliminating air bubbles under them. Once you have it, this is no longer a problem.

Boxwave ClearTouch Crystal screen protectors are available direct from Boxwave here and the Anti-Glare version from here