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TZ3 - Screen Protector Necessary?

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Walt Bilofsky

Walt Bilofsky

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Is a screen protector necessary on a TZ3? How badly would the LCD get scratched, if carried in a pocket without a case?

On my Canon pocketable cameras, I've been using a screen protector because without one, carrying the camera in a pocket wears off the anti-glare coating pretty quickly.

Of course, it wouldn't be an issue if the camera were carried in a case, but I believe that a pocketable camera belongs in the pocket, ready to grab and shoot.

The TZ3 LCD does pretty well in sunlight, and a screen protector reduces its usability - but so would being all scratched up, eventually.
 
IMO the TZ3 is a little big for a pocket unless you have baggy pants. I think a belt loop bag is better such as Tamrac 5691, easy to get to camera with lots of protection
 
Walt Bilofsky said:
Is a screen protector necessary on a TZ3?
Click to expand...
IMHO, yes, even if it were carried in a case!
Walt Bilofsky said:
The TZ3 LCD does pretty well in sunlight, and a screen protector
reduces its usability -
Click to expand...
I use an anti-glare LCD protector and, yet, it does reduce some of the visablity. But I find it helps in the sun, though not always perfectly. I don't want to risk scratching the LCD.

--
gail ~ http://www.pbase.com/gailb
My digital camera BLOGs: Panasonic TZ3, Canon SD700 & S2
http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-logs/index.php
 
We dropped our TZ1, 12 inches onto rocks, in the first week we had it. It received three big scratches on the screen, but you know when the screen is turned on you don't even notice them. I had forgotten that the scratches existed unitl I saw this post. I kind of chuckle when I hear all of the chatter about screen protectors. These screens have essentially built-in protectors. It think it is like putting floor mats on floor mats. IMHO the screen will outlast the camera. (Of course if you want to eventually sell your camera with a pristine screen, you will need a screen protector.)

Just my experience, for what it's worth.
 
I bought my TZ3 in Japan - at Yodobashi Camera Store. I got a screen protector right there and I couldn't imagine my TZ3 without it. I think the TZ3 needs one, considering the size of the screen. You can easily scratch it if you're not too careful.

I should add that YODOBASHI is one of the best shops you can consider when buying a digital camera. The staff there are very very careful with the way they stock and handle their cameras. The prices are much cheaper than in most parts of the world. One little trick I learned is to get a Japanese-market camera from Yodobashi (the japanese-market aisles are just beside the English-market cameras) This way the camera would be even cheaper...and just look for in-camera settings for ENGLISH (Olympus for example comes with multi language support). Also check if it has international warranty. This way you will get the same camera at a much cheaper price. Only Japanese Operation Manuals? Just ask the cashier if he has extra copies of English manuals (they usually do). Or just download a softcopy from the manufacturer's website.
 
Got the TZ3 partly to take photos from a river cruise ship. I also use it to take photos from my own boat.

Shirt pocket = a really bad idea on a boat, especially for something that doesn't float. :-)
 
Thanks for the tips. Wish I had known that when I bought the camera. I didn't realize that international warranty cameras were available in Japan (except for one or two brands - I think the salesman said Ricoh and Casio??)

I did find the manual on the Panasonic site. But how do I get the English software?

(My Canon software works fine for downloading the images, except that somehow it does not pick up the orientation for portrait-oriented shots on the Panasonic camera. So I have to rotate them all by hand.)
 
lostbutok said:
We dropped our TZ1, 12 inches onto rocks, in the first week we had
it. It received three big scratches on the screen, but you know
when the screen is turned on you don't even notice them. I had
forgotten that the scratches existed unitl I saw this post. I kind
of chuckle when I hear all of the chatter about screen protectors.
These screens have essentially built-in protectors. It think it is
like putting floor mats on floor mats. IMHO the screen will
outlast the camera. (Of course if you want to eventually sell your
camera with a pristine screen, you will need a screen protector.)
Click to expand...
It really depends on the screen. I had a Canon S45 and had just the same experience as you. It got all scratched but that didn't make any difference.

Then I got an S80, which has an amazing anti-glare coating - just fantastic - but in my pocket, it completely rubbed off in three weeks.

It looks like the TZ3's LCD is behind a plastic cover that has no coating, so probably it'll be OK.
 
I just put on a crappy piece of plastic screen protector that I cut down from a pack I bought for my Pocket PC. I think they were supposed to go on a Palm device. When power is off you can see bits of distortion and coloration, but when power is on all you see is the image. The minor visible artifacts of the screen protector are easily ignored, at least by me.
 
Warning/Achtung!: Standard 3" screen protectors will cover the LCD area, but not the whole piece of glass (plastic) on the back.

Duh... It didn't occur to me that the actual back piece is larger than 3 inches before I ordered mine on eBay. Far from the end of the world, but unless someone is offering a screen protector out there that actually covers the whole area, I guess I'll be custom-cutting one sometime in the future.

Just something to keep in mind.
 
misterjosh said:
Warning/Achtung!: Standard 3" screen protectors will cover the LCD
area, but not the whole piece of glass (plastic) on the back.

Duh... It didn't occur to me that the actual back piece is larger
than 3 inches before I ordered mine on eBay. Far from the end of
the world, but unless someone is offering a screen protector out
there that actually covers the whole area, I guess I'll be
custom-cutting one sometime in the future.

Just something to keep in mind.
Click to expand...
I've just ordered today via Amazon UK a DuraSec High Tec screen protector which seems quite good. The supplier is supposed to provide for 3,000 different cameras, PDAs etc and each to fit the specific unit. The site includes two enlargeable windows , one giving what I understand to be the exact replica size of the item on sale - this one being of couirse stated for the TZ3. Matching up my TZ3 screen back against the illustration does indeed seem to suggest that this is exactly the fit for the whole screen.. the LCD as seen AND the extra black border.

The same supplier firm are also on Amazon Ca I found .. so maybe they are on Amazon US also - seems they do ship world-wide and I think they seem to come from Germany. Looks like a very good item though and an easy price, worth it to both stop the easy finger-marking I'ver already found on my TZ3 after just a day or so , or the screen is self-healing so it will stops scratches or if any markings are picked up it will heal itself. I think I've come across this also with some of those table-top slider-cutters for paper .. some are made with this self-heal 'plastic' where you cut , so if required, it will 'heal' itself from any nicks.
Can't be bad, at the cheap price it is ..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DuraSec-HighTec-protector-Panasonic-DMC-TZ3/dp/B000NFZQQ0

--
ericN-UK

 
gail said:
I'm using the LCD protector made by boxwave; easy to apply, bubble
free, can be removed, rinsed off and reapplied:

http://www.boxwave.com/products/cleartouch/cleartouch-screen-protector-panasonic-lumix-dmc-tz3_2670.htm

--
gail ~ http://www.pbase.com/gailb
My digital camera BLOGs: Panasonic TZ3, Canon SD700 & S2
http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-logs/index.php
Click to expand...
Gail -

I've heard of that Boxwave one before - I believe they do one also for the Fuji Fxx compacts but I just could not find any supplier at all in UK. So this DuraSec HighTec protector that I've now found here and in fact sent off for (it's on its way they say) seems very much the same idea , and self-healing type too.

--
ericN-UK

 
Urbanito said:
I am using Giottos, bought from B&H. It is a litle expensive, but
is made of special coated glass, very thin and beautifull.
Loke here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/483871-REG/Giottos_SP8300_SP8300_AEGIS_Professional_Glass.html
Click to expand...
A very, very nice screen ... but having tried an import to UK before , from B&H .. it may surprise you to hear that as usual , the added shipping cost is actually 50% MORE than the item itself.

Yet another time, alas, when I feel rather dismayed at what we cannot get here ...
Great product though ..

--
ericN-UK

 
I also have the Giottos screen saver from B&H. Excellent product
 
puttin said:
I also have the Giottos screen saver from B&H. Excellent product
Click to expand...
From what I have seen of Pana LCD's, sunlight directly on the screen is not the major problem. The worst situation seems to be when you are shooting into sun and wearing bright clothing which is picked up by the LCD surface as glare/reflection, and at the same time the eye pupils close down because you are staring into sun. Challenging, to say the least, which is why some makers still provide an OVF.

Does the Giotto solve this problem?

Just 24hrs ago I was sure I would not buy TZ3 because of this particular problem. Now if the Giotto really makes a big difference maybe I should reconsider.

Nick
 
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