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Screen Protector Shootout: Photodon Crystal View

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In part 2 of his look at the Photodon screen protectors, Truc Bui continues his great review of screen protectors.

 

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– Truc Bui

Summary:

Pros:

· Corner to corner coverage with silicone adhesive has a very tight fit. Good craftsmanship.

· At $12 + $4.75 shipping for the T2010 that is now available, it’s extremely affordable, especially for something that’s reusable. There are no price differences for the AG or the Clear.

· Excellent writing feel with no speckling. Period. Awesome scratch resistance.

Cons:

· The same difficulties hold true for installing the full adhesive protector in a dust-free environment.

· It’s a fingerprint and palm smudge magnet. Be sure to clean every once in a while or else you’ll get screen protector scratching grit caught between the protector and the pen. In fact, that’s how I ended up with the hairline scratches.

· Scratch resistance was not as good as the AG (but taken in context, it is the best Crystal Clear to date).

In the second half of Round 5, I take a close look at the Photodon Crystal Clear film. After the disappointment of the Boxwave Crystal Clear, I was ready to throw in the towel in my quest for the perfect crystal clear screen protector. I was very hesitant and even dismissive of the Photodon even before it was put on.

Initial Impressions:

Much like its anti-glare brother, the Photodon came in a no-frills package. Photodon’s website just updated pricing on the T2010’s protector at a whopping $12 + $4.75 shipping. It’s probably the cheapest solution out there. The screen protector is of good thickness and exudes high quality.

Installation:

Installation was no problem here. With this much practice putting on and taking off screen protectors, I’ve gotten quite accustomed to installing them with little to no problem. I think the key is to install at a decently fast pace. If you go too slow it will increase the chances of introducing statically charged dust and hair particulates. If you go too fast you risk misalignment. The one good thing about these new silicone adhesive resin backing screen protectors is that if they do get riddled with debris, a simple lint remover rolled over the resin will clean the screen protector right up.

Preservation of Luminosity:

My personal preference, and hence my search for the ultimate screen protector, is to preserve the brightness and crispness of the Fujitsu native screen. It’s something you have to see to believe. I think in the T2010 vs. 2710p inkshow shows how much brighter the LED screen from Fujitsu is compared to the industry standard. Anyway, the Photodon brings back the screen quality that made me get the T2010 in the first place. Gone is the speckling! We’ll see how it holds up during the inking experience to scratches.

Writing Feel:

As I write this, I am giddy with joy. The writing feel on the Photodon is great. The screen protector is very prone to fingerprints and palm smudges, but after a few hours’ use, the grime is pretty consistent and writing feel is unaffected. Scratch resistance is great, considering it is a crystal clear type screen protector. Smoothness is a definite plus on the Photodon. Switching from the standard pen tip to the felt pen tip resulted in an even better writing feel. The felt tip provides just enough feedback that inking is an absolute joy. Don’t get me wrong, the regular standard tip is great, but I have to say I prefer the felt tip.

Outdoor Viewability:

Finally, I am able to test the viewability of a crystal clear screen protector. The Photodon does not disappoint here at all. Some people prefer the AG style screen protector because it cuts down on the reflections while in the shade. I, on the other hand, prefer the reflections because you can just focus on the screen and not the reflections. I find the AG type to diffuses too much light, which hinders viewability according to my tastes. For the Photodon Crystal Clear, the sun, if it is ever within the viewing area, becomes a point-source of light which does not really hinder outdoor viewing at all. It does take some getting used to and is completely a personal preference, but I like it a lot more than the diffusion of the sun that is characteristic of the AG type protectors.

Screen Protector Removal:

I’ve done this so many times now that removing the screen protector was very simple to me. I just took my multi-tool and pried off a corner and the rest of the screen protector came off. As with all the other screen protectors with a silicone resin adhesive, no sticky mess was left on the screen. There was no residue to worry about.

Conclusion:

I must say that the Photodon line has thoroughly impressed me. At the price point of $16.75 shipped, Photodon has combined high quality with low cost. If your screen size is not listed on the website, Photodon will custom cut you a protector for $2.00 extra. So for under $20, you get a very good performing screen protector. There were very fine hairline scratches on the screen protector after I was done, but I also put it through its paces. I doubt any of us would ink has hard or as vigorous as I did during the time the Photodon was protecting my screen. Since I am still looking for a screen protector for my T2010, I wanted to stress test it to make sure it would hold up to the most extreme uses. I must say that both Photodon screen protectors performed above expectations. I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re tired of waiting for me to finish the Shootout, you won’t go wrong in choosing the Photodon.

Come back for Round 6 where I look at Clarivue’s screen protector.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. jj

    12/13/2008 at 11:35 pm

    I am looking into buying a tablet, and your website has proven to be an excellent reference. However, this video serves as a good example of why I do not use your site more.

    Create a script. Just because we don’t know what you’re about to say doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

    Please edit. There is no reason to apologize for forgetting that a felt tip was in. Just remove it and start again without showing us.

    I appreciate that you showed the installation and removal at high speeds. Is this also available at regular speed somewhere on your site?

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