Display

Like the controls, the display is a very important part of a camera—yet not a feature that’s likely to push you to spend hundreds or thousands of extra dollars on a camera. In a nutshell, larger, brighter, higher-resolution displays are better because they give you a better preview of your picture. However, you’re not likely to choose between two cameras just based on the display quality. Some cameras have articulating displays which flip up, down, out, or some combination of those. Flip up and flip down displays are quite useful; they allow you to hold the camera up high over your head or down low to the ground, making unusual compositions much easier. Flip out displays can be rotated towards the front of the camera so you can see yourself when you’re taking a self-portrait, which helps you frame yourself in the picture. However, articulating displays take up space and reduce the durability of a camera because they’re difficult to weather seal. For that reason, articulating displays are features on lower-end cameras that are missing from higher-end cameras. If an articulating display is important to you, you might be forced to choose a less expensive camera to get that feature.