Camera's without view finders

We were in Europe in May and my wife took a viewfinderless Nikon Coolpix L6 (an older inexpensive model) I took a Canon A530 w/viewfinder. Both cameras use AA batteries and we used lithium in both cameras. Between us we took 1600 pictures without replacing our batteries. I pride myself as being somewhat of a knowledgable photographer, but must admit that my wife came back with better photos than mine. I was using the viewfinder all the time and she had to use the LCD screen. At the end of the trip my Canon's flash quit working so I have replaced it with a Lumix TZ4, which has no viewfinder. It does have a great lens which goes from a 28mm wide angle to 280MM telephoto. My wife has taken a sudden interest in photography and wanted a camera with a faster shutter release. She now has a Casio ex S10, which is a very slim pocketable model with no viewfider. Both our new cameras are available for a little over $200 at Costco and we both have what we want.

I spent a little time using flickr's Camera finder and then looking at pictures taken with the cameras we were interested in. It appears to me that "serious" photographers used Lumix TZ cameras quite a bit because of the lens capabilities. As to viewfinders, I was a vocal advocate for viewfinders, but recent comparative experience says they just aren't that important any more, and my own new camera doesn't have a viewfinder.

Hope all this was worth reading.

I would find it problematic. I have SLR digital and use the view finder. I had been frustrated with the point and shoot that had LCD screen for the very reason you mention. It was hard to read in bright sunlight. Now, that said, I know that there are new screens that are supposed to be easier to read in sunlight. Have they used that kind of screen? What do online reviews of the cameras say? I'd google the brand and model and see if you can find any reviews.

Pam

Good idea Pam. I hadn't even thought about doing that. Thanks!

I just purchased my second Canon with a view finderlast month. My old one gave out after 4 years & lots of wear and tear. I tied some of the other without view finders (belonging to friends). Some of my friends have given up their LCD only cameras to go with one with a view finder.I would not have any camera without a view finder. Yes, in the sun you may not be able to see the LCD screen.

The price difference is very little. My Canon was $179. You can get a camera without a view finder for $100. My criteria for the camera was a view finder & being able to take any AA batteries. The new camera takes 2 and the old camera took 4. I use rechargeable batteries but if I always carry a pair of regular AA.

The camera will fit into my pocket but it is not credit card thin like the ones without view finders. It does have image stablization. I also recommend buying your camera at a camera store, not a big box store where no one knows all the ins and outs of cameras. They can recommend a camera to meet your personal needs.

It would really bug me not to have both a view finder and LCD screen! My husband just purchased a Nikon Cool Pix 80 which we are really thrilled with...Mine's a Cannon PowerShot A720 which is great as far as I'm concerned.

Chiming in....I always use the view finder on my camera....never use the LCD. Can't see it in the sun, and you also loose the ability to hold the camera close to keep from taking blurry photos. Even with a stability feature (important in cameras!) if you are holding the camera out from your face, you can get blurry shots as you can't hold the camera still.

My camera of choice is a Sony DSC-50. it's an older model, but I love it, and it takes fantastic photos. It's a compact body, so it fits in our bike bag, or in a shoulder bag. Check out Sony products in addition to the Olympus and Canon.

The only use for an LCD is to view your photos at the end of the day to delete those that are just bad!

I agree with those who say 'get a view finder'. At least that way, you have the option, even if you end up using the LCD.

Also, turning the screen on eats battery power. If you want to conserve batteries, turn the LCD screen off (except when reviewing photos) and only use the viewfinder. I have a Canon SD1000 Powershot that I bought for my Italy trip last year. It's lightweight enough that you can take pictures with one hand, easily fit in my coat pocket, and has a viewfinder.

I am back to an SLR (digital, finally), but I found that on the early point and shoot digitals, that the LCD screen gave a more accurate depiction of the picture than the view finder. This might have changed now, but I would take pictures using the viewfinder and find that things were cut out that I thought were in the picture or things were in the picture I didn't see in the viewfinder.

The LCD screens are hard to see in bright light, and I am glad to be back to using a viewfinder. However, when the viewfinder is not accurate, there is no point to using it.

I'm not sure I could manage a camera without a viewfinder. There is the sun problem, as noted above, and the inability to hold it as steady when you're holding it out to see the screen. I just find it easier to frame up what I want by using the viewfinder, and I will probably always use it.

We have been looking at Best Buy and it seems that almost all of the new camera's are now without view finders.

I don't want to have regrets when we buy.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Canon G9, is your answer. They sell for about $450, so are pretty much the top of the line in point and shoot cameras. The lens in this camera is excellent and takes fantastic pictures. I have a Nikon D80 SLR camera ($1200), which by all rights should take better pictures, but if they do it is not visible to the human eye. I have a small greeting card company which consists of cards that are printed from photos I take in Europe, therefore the quality is imperative. I took both cameras on my last trip to Europe in May, and used the Canon G9 80% of the time, and the Nikon D80 20% of the time, mostly because the D80 was so heavy to carry. I have several new cards from my most recent trip printed from the Canon G9 and the quality rivals that of the D80. I researched a lot before I purchased, and knew that I wanted a viewfinder and a LCD screen. I use the LCD screen all of the time, except for sunny days, when it is impossible to frame a good picture or even tell if it is in focus. It would be so frustrating to travel half-way around the world, prepare to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower, and have it so sunny on your LCD screen that you can't frame it, and not until that evening when you review your days pictures, do you realize you cut off the top of the tower. The Canon G9 camera has a solid metal housing, is slightly bigger than most point and shoot, but this allows for a much better zoom feature. I personally wanted a camera that didn't use AA batteries, which this camera does not. It uses a little bigger size lithium battery that I believe would last much longer. This is a 10 megapixel camera, if I remember correctly. D-Preview is an excellent and extensive site for camera reviews. As a previous poster mentioned, stop by a reputable camera store in your area and ask them about this camera. Do remember its all about the lens, and the more you pay the better lens the camera will have.

In my opinion a basic travel photographer will get better pictures using the LCD screen on a point and shoot. It allows you to take pictures at angles and perspectives that with a viewfinder you have to crawl on the ground or twist in crazy positions. On newer cameras with image stabilization and long battery life there are no other good reasons to choose a viewfinder.

Viewfinders are also less effective on new cameras when i comes to focusing software. Canon and other companies have facial recognition software which locks on focus points on faces plus other software that determines focus points in a picture. Those focus points are not visible through the viewfinder - only on the LCD. It's good to know when your camera decides to focus on the garbage can in front of you instead of the monument just further ahead.

FYI: When I travel, I take two cameras. A Nikon D300 DSLR and a Canon SD800is point and shoot. With the Canon I think I have only used the viewfinder twice in tens of thousands of shots.

Pete

I have a viewfinder and I never use it. If the next camera I buy comes without one, I won't care.

I use the LCD screen to frame my shot. I think it's better because you can see exactly what the shot will look like. The viewfinder only helps you see the direction the camera is pointed. Using a viewfinder you can't really crop your picture to get what you want. You are less likely to notice the ugly graffiti or overflowing trash can that ruins your shot until you take a closer look at the finished product.

Most of the new camera's LCD screens are glare free and can be used in any light.

Some say the LCD screen uses up too much battery. A good camera, however, will take 300-400 shots on a charge using the LCD. You will have no problems charging the battery in your room every night or two.