What kind of view-finder is better?

Question

I am planning to buy an entry level digital camera with manual settings.

Why and What kind of viewfinder is better - optical or digital ? (I am not asking about the lcd screen intended for playback.)

Answer 1

I prefer optical because it allows me to keep the camera close to my body, it uses no battery power, it is less conspicuous, it does not blind me and it is clear even in low light situations.

I will not buy a camera without a optical viewfinder. Period.

LCD viewfinders are awesome as well...perfect framing, exposure control, focus feedback, swivel views, etc. I want a digital camera that has both.

Addendum 6/22/08   2:35am

Well, I guess I have no idea what you are talking about. Please post a link to clarify. Thanks!

Answer 2

Optical will not use any of the power the camera needs to actually take photos.

Answer 3

If the optical viewfinder is through the lens (TTL), such as that found in a DSLR, it will virtually always give more detail than an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Off the top of my head, I can't think of any situation where a TTL viewfinder would not be the better option except for some instances of low-light manual focusing on a dim optical viewfinder (The EVF will remain bright). Digital viewfinders are nice and all, but they're limited in their pixel count, and even a high resolution digital viewfinder will never have the detail that a good optical viewfinder will. If the optical viewfinder is not TTL, then it may be hit or miss. Between bridge cameras, I'd still feel that a good optical viewfinder should give better detail, as it will always be higher resolution than an EVF, but it may be much more subjective based on how you feel about that particular camera.