Community poll forum: How often do you use the viewfinder on your point-and-shoot?

I have a Canon S2, and absolutely love it! It has a "live" viewfinder, which is a miniature LCD like the articulating one on the body. Lots of information about setup, and bright sun is not a problem. Not a pocket model but a great camera. I have a 3.1 megapixel Fuji shirt pocket model as a standby. Indeed, I have appreciated the "Thru the lens" viewfinder idea from my single lens reflex experience, and continue to like it better for best composure of the picture. The 12X optical zoom tops it off, and the viewfinder is absolutely necessary at long zoom, in my opinion.

NOTHING CHANGES WHERE YOU TAKE A PICTURE WITH A VIEWFINDER OR LCD SCREEN. LEAVE THE INTIMACY WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER. TAKE PICTURES W "REALISM".

I love the LCD screen on my point-n-shoot camera, but the optical viewfinder is my ONLY option in strong sunlight. For me, that's enough said.

I do like the overlaid info available on my LCD, and I love being able to review a snap, but that optical VF is essential!

I could not have said it better myself. In fact, all I can say in response to your posting is "Ditto."

I definitely wouldn't be without an optical viewfinder period. Oh yes I do from time to time rough-line my compose when in appropriate places but I would guess 80-90% of my composing has been done using the OVF. Knowing my OVF (Canon S30) has limitations I know which way to go in composing with some zoom.

The LCD is very good but given light conditions in bright situations I find it so much easier to have camera at-my-eye and I can see what I am about to snap. That also assists me in stabalizing the camera somewhat.

I normally run with my LCD on; if I'm in a situation where battery power is questionable that is when I power down the LCD. My problem right now is my camera is 4-5 years old and my two (2) propriatary (for uninitiated special packaged batteries versus a AA or AAA battery) batteries are coming to the point I don't get a great charge out of them. With the cost of each in vicinity of $80 that money will be better used toward a Canon A710 I'm eyeing with relatively modest price of the required Ni_mh AA batteries.

As for LCD size, it matters naught to me as long as I can have a screen in the 2"+ range I'm happy. That size at least gives me a 'preview' of my picture and enough information to make the 'do I take it over' decision!!

I've played with cameras that have the 'built-in' red-eye repair in the camera. I'm not at all impressed with the results as working with such a small LCD doesn't allow me to make the 'repairs' as well as I can using my Paint Shop Pro graphics program. As far as I'm concerned, that feature could be eliminated from the camera and a good solid 'red-eye' removal in the graphics program that comes with the camera purchase.

I can see manufacturers saving a few dollars by eliminating the OVF especially in their 'low' end cameras; the majority of 'snappers' never use this feature relying solely on the LCD screen. I just hope they do not eliminate the OVF totally as it does serve a very practical function for those of us who are beyond the 'point-n-shoot level!!

I have to agree with you, Mr. Dexler. As you have, I grew up expecting that I must use the viewfinder as the only mechanism available to me for properly aiming all the (film) cameras I used. I recently, finally, purchased my first digital camera, a Nikon D80 dSLR. With a D80, the LCD screen simply does not work "live" to help you compose your shot. And that doesn't bother me one iota.
Full disclosure: I have used some digital point-and-shoots, all borrowed from my employer or a friend, from a Sony Mavica up through a Nikon PowerShot of recent vintage. And truth be told, I did use the live LCD screens on the backs of them to compose my shots. But shooting at arm's length was hard to get used to for a viewfinder-centric person like me. I didn't hate it, it was just hard to get used to. Once I did get better with it, I found I could do a few things that would be awkward with a viewfinder-only camera, like holding the point & shoot at odd angles or unusual POVs where you'd have trouble contorting your body in order to look through a viewfinder. So the live LCD screens are not without their benefits. But all the drawbacks of the LCDs mentioned in other messages here outweigh those few opportunities to hold the camera at a weird angle or shoot from a direction you wouldn't ordinarily have access to. As I always say, "Your mileage may vary."
So now I have a "real" photographer's camera, a SLR... digital, yes, but SLR none the less. I am back in my comfort zone and it's fine with me. Viewfinders Rule! I love my new Nikon D80!

Deriving from personal experience, optical view finders conserve battery life. The more often picture takers use the LCD screen, the faster the drain of the batteries will be. This is specially true for rechargeable batteries, which discharge faster than alkaline cell batteries. Is there such a thing as an external power pack for non-professional little digital cameras?

Archie Rabbit

Ever since I started using digital cameras I've used the LCD Screen rather than the viewfinder. Like a view camera I find it easier to visualize the end product with the LCD Screen.

First, the survey is pretty useless, since it doesn't specify which TYPE of viewfinder: optical or LCD. I think it's fair to say that almost everyone uses one or the other on most of their shots.

Many of the shots I take are outdoors in bright light, frequently of planes doing low passes. I find that, aside from the dificulties of taking such fast-action shots with digital in general, the LCDs don't keep up with the action quickly enough to let me track the plane and snap the picture with the subject still visible. And to top it off, I normally can't even make out anything on the LCD viewfinder in strong sunlight, which tends to be when I'm doing this. And let's not even start talking about the added battery drain caused by the LCD panel. Some cameras use a tiny LCD that you look at through the optical-like viewfinder. That helps the sunlight and battery problems, but doesn't do too much for the fast action issue.

There is hardly a time that I don't use my optical viewfinder. I feel I have more control over my aim that way. I don't know why....I just do. Also, I am far sighted and I always have to grab my reading glasses when I use the LCD display. I do use the LCD display when I'm using the timer or when I take pictures at a wierd angle and need to twist the LCD display on my Canon S2 for convenience.

I am an old time photographer. I am used to using a viewfinder. I, at most times automaticaly bring the camera up to my eye to take a photo.
It's funny that when I decided to buy a digital camera I wanted to have one that had all the features that was available. When I had it I could not understand how to use it. So very new to me.
I have been in the photography field for over 50 years, starting as a dark room tech going on to be a photo jounalist for a major newspaper. Throughout my career I always used Nikon equipment. Later in my life I went on to selling photo equipment and then to the repair of the same. I had an enjoyable life due to the "camera" and now they have changed the whole concept.
I guess it is for the better, but I will aleays use the viewfinder.

One of the biggest advantages of digital photography, to me at least, is the ability to instantly review the picture you take. And you cannot achieve that by using the optical viewfinder. So I've been using LCD viewfinders exclusively since switching over from film to digital.

Also, how exactly do you compose your picture using OFV on a P&S? Wouldn't an OFV on a P&S only show an approximation of the picture you're taking? After all, unlike an SLR, the OFV on a P&S uses a different lens that the one used to take the actual picture.

Before my first trip to China and India (this summer), I bought my first digital camera with an LCD (Sony DSC-H2 with 12x zoom and stabilization). While shopping, I insisted that I needed a view finder and couldn't see the value of the LCD. On the go, though, the LCD turned out to be the big winner. Because of the stabilization feature, I didn't need to support the camera against my forehead. And, with the LCD, I could place the camera against a window or in other awkward positions and still get a great shot. And, when trying to shoot street scenes, using the LCD away from my face meant I still had peripheral vision to see what was coming into the shot.

From time to time I do not use the viewfinder.That is while composing selfportrait. I turn the LCD backwards and use the remote control to shoot. That happens once a year.

A steady shot, without tripod, means: holding arms to the chest and the camera to the eye and head. That's what I learned in school.