Photographers? Do you look through the eye lens (?) on a digital camera or do look at the display?

In most cases, one eye on the viewfinder while the other eye on the subject or surrounding. On different situation, after framing from the viewfinder with a steady hands, both eyes on the subject only to go back to viewfinder to check the composition. LCD on awkward position of the camera.

For most photos it does not matter. If you are taking close ups or ultra close ups you must use the digital display because the eye piece will not show what the camera sees.

The big difficulty that I find is that the digital display is not bright enough for most outdoor work. If the person's face is lit by the sun then the display probably is also and you just cannot see well enough to take the picture. In this case you must use the eye piece.

Now, it seems that some cameras have eliminated the eyepiece totally. I would not buy a camera like that because of the wash out problem in bright light. What do you do if the sun is shining brightly and you cannot see the screen? I guess you put a towel over your head and the camera and try to work that way, but you will look mighty foolish.

So, for me, it is the eyepiece every time except for real close up pictures.

I am hardly a pro but I have been at it for 50 years and even have some dark room experience. I use the view finder. The only exception is if I am trying to shoot over a crowd or other obstacle. I like the view finder because it locks everything together. I have basically three pointed the camera. Between the two hands holding it and my head stabilizing it I find far less camera movement and hence better pictures.

Drop me an email if you want more reasons and other things I might do to cheat a photo.

I think you will really like the Canon A620. The reviews of this camera have been very favourable. It takes great quality pics, has 4X optical zoom, manual controls and has the handy vari-angle LCD screen that you can fold back into the camera when not in use, so it protects it from scratches and damage. If you want something a lot smaller with very little manual controls then one of the new IXUS models would be good too. Take a look at the link below...

That's a good question. As a semi-pro I am used to only using the eyepiece finder becuase I was trained with Nikon and Canon 35 mm camera's that don't have a display and did not even have autofocus. However, with the advent of digital cams, especially those with HIGH SPEED auto focus, there really not too much need to use the viewfinder through the eyepiece unless you are curious about the f-stops and shutter speeds. I suggest that you continue to use the viewfinder until you are sure you are getting good results, and THEN you can start using the video display finder only. It's mostly a matter of personal preference.

First off, holding the camera at arms length is not the most stable way to support your camera;this is why so many people get blurry images. Holding the camera to your face creates a strong base to hold the camera.Then, you eat up your batteries much faster by looking at the display. There are rare occasions when a display is preferable, but very rare. ..especially in the world of pro photography.

37 years using a Single Lens Reflex and seeing the world through a viewfinder. I only look at the back of the camera to check what film I loaded.

Cameras that pro's use are incapable of utilizing the digital display for composition. So it's not a matter of choice.

Of course there are benefits to the camera being made like that, but that's for another time.

Those Fancy cameras are SLR camera and looking through the "eye thingy" is showing them an exactly what the lens is seeing. On cheaper camera when you are looking though the "Eye Thingy" you are looking from above and to the left of the lens and your framing will be off.

I try to avoid the digital display. I use the viewer. Helps you hold the camera more steady and give you a better idea of what will be in the frame. Some use the viewer as force of habit.