This guide covers installing, removing, and caring for the JK3D Lens Protector for INNOVV K2/K3/K5/C5/K6/K7/N1 cameras. Need replacement or upgraded glass? Shop replacement and Sapphire lenses here.
At a glance
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: ~10 minutes
- Reversible: Yes — the protector removes cleanly and your camera is unchanged
- Tools: 2.5 mm hex wrench (clamp screw) · 5.5 mm socket or pliers (to hold the locknut) · a lens wipe
- In the box: lens protector body · TPU insert(s) · the glass lens (packed separately — see note below)
Before you begin
- Find the glass first. The protector ships without the glass installed. The lens is packed in a small envelope/sleeve that can hide in the packing material — locate it before you start.
- Remove the shipping seal. A rear TPU seal (the soft rubber ring) is placed in the body for shipping. Take it out before you insert the lens.
- K5 owners: the front camera is narrower than the rear. If you ordered both, the protector with the larger rubber insert is for the front camera.
- “TPU” simply means the flexible rubber insert and sleeve that seal the glass and grip the camera. All current TPU parts are black (older photos below show a clear/white version).
Overview
Installation steps
- Clean any slight adhesive residue off the face of the protector and the TPU insert with water or alcohol.
- Seat the glass. Place the lens in the protector body and gently nudge it into the TPU groove at the front. (If your lens is beveled on one side, that bevel faces the back, toward the insert.)
- Fit the TPU insert (thin for K2/K3/C5, thick for K5). Push the side nearest the clamp down to the lens first — there’s a ridge by the clamp that can catch it, and starting there avoids that. The K5 insert especially needs this order to seat properly.
- Press the insert flat all the way around against the lens. Make sure the glass hasn’t shifted out of its front seat while you do this.
- Clean both sides of the glass with a glasses cleaner or lens wipe. Avoid abrasives, harsh chemicals, and coarse paper towels. Let the assembly dry fully before installing.
- Slide the assembly onto the camera. It’s a firm fit — press on the body of the protector (not the glass) and use a gentle side-to-side, top-to-bottom rocking motion to work it on.
- Seat it fully. Push until the camera body is firmly against the TPU lip inside the sleeve. This is what seals out water, dust, and dirt.
- Tighten the clamp screw with the 2.5 mm hex wrench until the clamp pulls the two tabs together. Hold the nut with pliers or a 5.5 mm socket so it doesn’t spin. Stop as soon as the protector is snug — don’t over-tighten.
✓ You’re done when: the glass sits flush against the front TPU ring, the camera body is pressed firmly against the inner TPU lip, and the clamp is snug (not cranked down). That even pressure on the glass is what keeps fog and condensation out.
Install photos & detail
Advanced: eccentric seal (V1 & V2 protectors only)
This only applies to V1 and V2 lens protectors. V3 and newer protectors use a larger crystal, which eliminates this issue — so if you have a V3+ protector, you can skip this section entirely.
On V1/V2 protectors, the K2/K3/C5 and K5 rear cameras have a slight image offset that can cause vignetting (a dark object in one corner). If you see that with the standard centered insert, swap to the included eccentric insert, which shifts the camera slightly to one side. This does not apply to the K5 front camera. Use one insert or the other — not both. Here’s why this happens.
- Remove the standard centered insert if you’re seeing a dark corner.
- Fit the eccentric insert the same way as the centered one.
- With the insert fully seated, use the cut-out index mark on its thicker side: rotate it toward the corner where the vignette appeared.
- Install on the camera and check. Test different rotations and angles to find the position with the least dark corner.
Removing or replacing the lens
Removal is essentially the reverse of install, with a couple of things to watch for.
- Loosen the clamp screw.
- Wiggle the protector body to slide it off. It often leaves the TPU sleeve on the camera. The airtight seal can create a vacuum that makes it pop off suddenly — keep a hand ready so an intact lens doesn’t drop.
- Pull the TPU sleeve off the camera if it stayed behind.
Lens & care notes
- Bevel faces back. Many glass/crystal lenses are beveled on one side — that bevel must face the back of the protector (toward the TPU).
- Glass thickness: use 1–2 mm watch glass/crystal (spec: 26 mm diameter, 1–1.5 mm). Thinner won’t seal; thicker can cause optical issues at the edges.
- Mineral glass scratches and pits more easily from road dust, but because the protector sits so close to the camera’s main element, this rarely affects video — the camera is focused far beyond it. Don’t dry-wipe it; use a damp cloth or a pre-moistened lens wipe.
- Sapphire is far harder (and ~10× the cost), so it handles grit better — but it’s more brittle and can still shatter on a hard enough impact. You can swap either type into the protector over time.
- Rain tip: once the glass is clean, wipe a thin layer of Rain-X on the outer element to help rain shed off.
Troubleshooting
Fog or water building up between the camera and the protector after rain?
- For fogging: remove the protector, dry the camera and the protector (let it sit somewhere warm and dry — not hot — until fully dry), then reassemble. Humid air gets sealed inside on assembly, so install on a warm, dry day rather than a cold, wet one when you can.
- For water between the lenses: dry everything as above. On reassembly, make sure the front glass is fully seated, and press the camera firmly and evenly to the front of the protector — you may need to keep back-pressure on the protector while tightening the clamp to keep the seal.
- Optional (advanced): a very thin layer of waterproof dielectric grease around the front TPU seal can improve the seal. Use sparingly — too much is messy and hard to clean off. Not generally necessary.
Still stuck? Email support@jk3d.us — I answer personally.