I want to purchase a digital camera for use in my work as an insurance agent. I have been using Polaroid or point & shoot 35mm for years. I have a Minolta SLR (with 20-70mm zoom) I hardley ever use, but I do prefer TTL viewing.

It seems that only the more expensive DCs have both LCD & optical viewfinders. I'm willing to spend what it takes to have a "non-irritating" camera. While I convinced that a zoom lens is very important to me, I don't have enough information to decide on the viewfinder issue.

Will I regret not having an optical viewfinder since 98% of my shots will be outdoors -- in the sun? Is there validity to concerns about the difficulty of framing shots while holding the camera in front of your body -- instead snug against your face?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

-- Paul Little (pdl@pobox.com), April 24, 1998

Answers

Paul-

If you're going to be doing most of your shots outdoors, you could very well find an LCD-only design irritating. By and large, they're bright enough to see outdoors OK, but if you're in an extremely bright environment, or have the sun to your back (as it probably would be, unless your subject is backlit), the LCDs could be very hard to see. (Our outdoor portrait shot is shot in full sun, with the sun at our backs, and the background throwing a lot of light around - this is pretty much worst-case, but the LCD-only models are tricky to use for that shot.) We know (but can't talk about specifics yet) of at least one camera due out this summer that will have a *reflective* LCD. These devices rely on ambient light to see the LCD, so the brighter it is the better! - If the combination of LCD and outdoor shooting is very important to you, you may want to wait.

Holding the camera in front of you, rather than pressed against your face definitely takes some adjusting to, but I wouldn't rate it a serious concern: After a day's shooting, it should become second nature.

How about it? Any comments from actual USERS (vs buried-in-the-lab testers) as to how the LCD/Optical viewfinder issue shakes out?

- Dave Etchells, Chief Test 'Droid

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), April 24, 1998.

I've used both (both on cameras that offer both and those that only offer LCD) and my conclusion is that an optical viewfinder is essential. Using an LCD to frame pictures makes certain shots (such as framing a painting on a copy stand) easier, but for snapshots I've found that framing images without the camera braced against my face is easier said than done.

The other drawback to LCD viewfinders is that the LCD display on a digital camera is one of the highest-current parts, leading to extremely battery life when it has to be on all the time.

If you decide to get an LCD-only camera, make sure you try it in bright sunlight during the return period.

-- Ben Jackson (ben@ben.com), April 28, 1998.

Paul. I currently have a Casio QV10 (LCD display only), Olympus D300L (separate optical viewfinder + LCD preview) and Oly D600L (Optical SLR viewfinder + LCD w. postview only). The business use you have described sounds like a job description for the Oly 600.

I never liked the LCD viewfinder of the Casio because of issues with camera stability, visual comfort, visibility outdoors, battery drain and focus confirmation. The optical viewfinder of the D300L was much better but like most fixed focal length digicams, and P&S for that matter, it has a rather short lens (about 36mm equivalent). With a 35mm film camera you can crop a negative substantially and still get clear information or examine a print under a 10x loupe to see finer details. You can't crop digital images to the same extent so you need to get close enough to see the true damage your company is paying to fix. The Oly D600L has the best resolution in its class and a moderate zoom. The auto-focus and exposure control work very reliably outdoors and there are provisions for spot meterring, forced fill flash, and 3 stops of exposure compensation. I love the TTL viewfinder. I think it is superior to any other type for all-around comfort and confidence. Accessory add-on lenses are also available to extend the effective focal range of the camera, and Olympus has maintained its legendary optical quality in the scaled down digicam lenses.

Since the auto exposure works mainly on the shutter speed and the camera doesn't tell you what its choice is, your first accessory especially if you use a lens extender should be a tripod. The D600L is not as large as a 35mm SLR nor as heavy but its lightness may, paradoxically, make it harder to hold steady, especially at longer focal lengths even though it is well designed for P&S type photography. BTW, I've read many times but never tested personally that shots taken on a tripod are almost always sharper than hand held, assuming same subject, exposure data, etc.

In terms of irritability, the manual may offend more than the camera. Actually I would buy a good reading magnifier before I bought the tripod if I had to do it over again since the type size is tiny and the layout is confusing. The 600's auto choices may surprise you from time to time but in my experience it is a predictable and reliable instrument once you a) use it enough and b) read the manual.

-- Glenn Kinsley (gkinsley@cybernet1.com), May 04, 1998.

I didn't see any mention of the Kodak DC210 camera, so I thought I'd give it a plug.

The Kodak DC210 has both optical and LCD view finders. You have the option to use the LCD as a view finder, as a viewer of stored pictures, or to turn it off completely. (This extends the battery life immensely).

One of the advantages of this camera over the above mentioned cameras is that it has a 2 to 1 zoom, and the lens is very wide angle. If you are shooting pictures for insurance purposes, I would venture to guess that you might want to get a picture of a whole building or vehicle in one frame. If you are shooting photos of indoor spaces, the wide angle & zoom feature are great for capturing a good portion of the room in one shot. Realtors should also consider this camera for the above mentioned reasons.

If you are taking close-ups, the LCD is very helpful in framing the picture.

My suggestion would be to buy a camera that has both optical and LCD view finders.

-- Jeff Henderson (jphender@ix.netcom.com), May 14, 1998.

I have a Nikon CP900. In general I prefer using the LCD to frame shots. In addition to giving an accurate feel for composition, the LCD also gives some indication of exposure as well if you "focus lock" (press the shutter button halfway). However, I find that in direct sunlight, the LCD is completly washed out. Given the nature of your work, I would look for cameras with both viewfinders...this is relativly common these days.

-- J. Peterson (isonno@yahoo.com), July 14, 1998.