I’m not averse to a cheap compact camera for travel and casual snapping, and I was interested to see Panasonic bringing out the Lumix ZS300/TZ300. However, there was one feature missing from the spec that, I’m sorry to say, meant that I wouldn’t even be considering buying it.

That’s right – no viewfinder. This is a purely personal thing for me – I don’t think it will or should be the case for everybody – but I will never buy a camera without a viewfinder, no matter how big and sharp its LCD screen is. And here, since you ask, are my key reasons why…

1. Immersion

This is absolutely critical for me. When I’m composing a frame, I like to be wholly focused on doing just that. The kids call it ‘locking in’, and it’s one of the things I enjoy most about photography. No background distractions, no peripheral concerns – just me and the rectangular slice of the world that I’m capturing.

When I’m composing on a screen, holding it at arm’s length, I just don’t get that same level of total immersion in the activity. I’m still too aware of my surroundings, too distracted, and it can become easy to second-guess myself and become convinced that a greater shot might lie elsewhere. 

In my opinion, it’s a big part of why phone photography always feels a bit disposable, even though the quality of smartphone cameras has improved dramatically. You just can’t lock in the way you do when you’re closing one eye and pressing the other to the viewfinder.

2. Screen fatigue

Before you start – yes, I know that an electronic viewfinder is a screen. You’re not being clever by pointing it out. Don’t email me. 

But what can I say? To me, it doesn’t feel like one. Maybe it’s because we don’t operate it the same way we do a touchscreen. Or maybe it’s because manufacturers like Fujifilm have found clever ways to deliver hybrid optical and electronic viewfinders. 

But the point is this: like many of us, I suffer from screen fatigue. I spend all day looking at screens, and I don’t care for it. At those times when I want to throw my phone into a river, photography is the perfect balm, and so I prefer it when photography feels as little like operating my phone as possible. 

3. Rock-steady grip

When I’m shooting using the viewfinder, I’m holding the camera pressed to my face. The right hand is on the handgrip, elbow locked; the left hand is under the lens, elbow locked. This is a steady, well-supported position.

When I’m shooting using the screen, I’m holding the camera at arm’s length, or close to. The elbows are not locked, and the camera is nowhere near as well supported. The result? A detectable drop in hand-steadiness, and all my boasts about being able to shoot handheld at 1/15sec turning to ash.

Sure, the up-to-date, modern photographer has the asset of built-in stabilisation. But the tight-fisted, pretentious photographer (me), who insists on buying second-hand, and who refuses to replace devices that still work perfectly well (also me), does not. So, for me, the superior steadiness of viewfinder shooting is still an asset.

4. I like the choice!

This may seem like it flies in the face of everything I’ve just said, but I don’t use the viewfinder all the time. Sometimes, when I’m working at odd angles, or trying not to attract attention on the street, I make use of my camera’s tilting screen. 

Because ultimately, the main reason I’ll never buy a camera without a viewfinder is that I like choice. I like a tool that’s as flexible and versatile as possible – it’s one of the reasons I wasn’t really sold on Fujifilm’s admirable but misguided X-Pro3, with its flip-down screen.

So, as long as there’s a choice between a camera with a viewfinder and one without, I’ll always choose the former.

Related reading

• It’s great to see new compact cameras, but I’d never buy one without this key feature
• You must use a DSLR if you want to learn the true craft of photography, here’s why
• This forgotten classic is the ONLY analog camera you’ll ever need, and this is why

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: [email protected]

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