Skinz,
Hard to say because I don't know what material they use, but I'd definitely try lens papers for cleaning camera lenses or a microfiber cloth. Toilet paper and Kleenex, in relative terms, are relatively harsh materials. The fact that toilet paper altered the surface indicates to me that it's a very soft material. Soft, to me, means potential light distortion and that it is easily affected by temperature changes. Please understand that I'm a bit on the picky side when it comes to this stuff, and maybe excessively so.
When you do this kind of photography, many things work against getting a tack-sharp image, primarily water distortion and aquarium glass/acrylic, if you're shooting through the side. When shooting top-down, you eliminate the aquarium glass/acrylic as a factor, but must deal with water movement/distortion at the surface and throughout the column, even when the flow is off. Adding this device re-introduces that aquarium glass/acrylic factor. Shooting with the camera above the water and eliminating light reflections can be done without putting the front of the lens below the surface. When I shoot top-down shots, example below, I strive for what I call the "dry look," i.e., I want the shot tack sharp so you can see as much detail as possible and no indication that I'm shooting through a column of water.
Don't get me wrong. This seems to be a better solution than photo boxes. In addition to my concern about swamping the camera/lens, those photo boxes are just one more thing to hold steady in a situation where eliminating all motion is a monumental challenge. The Avast product eliminates the extra-thing-to-hold factor, and being able to attach it to the focus ring so manual focus is possible is a huge plus. I'm tempted to try the Avast device but, if the acrylic is that easily damaged, it is problematic for heavy/long-term use.
That's probably more than you wanted, but it's an interesting discussion for me. Thanks for your tolerance.
Gary
I ask these questions and have concerns about the product, but have to say that Skinz's shots suggest that the device has the potential to deliver what I'm looking for. For handheld shots, in water, hanging over an aquarium edge, they're pretty good.
