I’ve been using the Casio for about four or maybe five months now, and though there are many features that I like I’ve found, especially during my recent trip to Australia and Viet Nam, that I hate that it does not have a view finder.

Using the small LCD screen as the visual window to the pictures I want to take has been a lousy experience. The worst part being that on sunny days I can not see the image in my screen. It is often hidden by the sun’s glare. For many pictures I took on my trip I couldn’t actually see the shot I wanted to take. The other issue I’ve had is that there is something very distancing about looking at a screen instead of through a view finder. It’s like I’m no longer a part of what I’m trying to capture. In fact, I feel like I’m spending more time as a viewer missing the action and seeing it in the past then being in the present. My eyes tend to be away from the object or event and I’m watching it all through a screen that is often blurred or shaded by the sun and I feel like I’m not there, and often I don’t get the shot that I see with my eyes.

I’d like the camera if it had the view finder. I had the most fun taking pictures of myself in a mirror and I think that was because didn’t pay attention to the screen details. I just focused on wether or not I was in the frame or part of me was in the frame and I could use the mirror as the view finder.

Even with all the fun features I miss the Canon and oddly I miss the weight of that camera in my hand. I think it is worth it to save up and try to get a new camera one with a view finder, but until then I will make good use of my little Casio, and hopefully we can have some connections with images other than the mirror.