LCD screens do not give you a full-blown view of your photograph but rather offer a tiny view of the picture in the camera. Typically, an LCD screen will display about 200,000 pixels for viewing a picture that is maybe 5 megapixels in size. What this means is that the picture you see on the back of your camera is an approximation; it is a very good approximation, but it will nevertheless differ in some respects when you view the same image on a computer monitor. Yet for quick viewing purposes, it is excellent.

In addition to providing a small, crisp image, LCDs allow you to adjust the brightness of the screen to suit both your needs and the lighting conditions of your situation. For example, in very bright light, you might need to pump up the light on the screen to view the image properly. In very dark light, you may also need to adjust the screen to see details that can be hidden in the shadows.

When previewing a scene, the displayed LCD image is a true rendition of the image. This means it is not distorted; rather, it is a true TTL image and does not suffer from any parallax problems since it displays the image that the camera sees. It also gives a good sense of focus.

As good as the LCD is, many photographers do not use it as a viewfinder for a number of reasons. The camera must be held out at a distance so that the screen can be viewed properly. This is an awkward position, and it tends to make the camera shake, which can result in blurry pictures.

In some situations, however, the LCD monitor becomes the viewfinder of choice. If you are in a crowd and need to hold the camera up, high above your head, the LCD screen makes this kind of photography possible. The picture displayed is the picture the camera sees, so there is no distortion or parallax, which can occur in close-up work. This means that for macro photography the LCD screen can be perfect for viewing the shot.