What is a "viewfinder" and what kind do I need for my camcorder?

What is a "viewfinder" and what kind do I need for my camcorder?

Tim Smith (Camcorder Training Specialist) gives expert video advice on: How do I decide which camcorder to buy?; What factors should I consider when comparing one camcorder to another?; What camcorder features are unnecessary? and more...

All camcorders have some way, of course, of viewing the image. It's either with a viewfinder, or maybe what's called a flip-out LCD screen. But a viewfinder's just really a small television set that sits inside the camcorder so you can see what you're recording. It's an electronic image. It's not like the old days where you actually saw through the glass what was coming through the lens. You're seeing an electronic image that's coming off the chip, which is what ends up on tape. This is a viewfinder.