Do monitors really need to be so tiny?

Looking at the back of most cameras you could easily have a 5" monitor by moving the buttons or getting rid of them. Probably more useful for video since there's generally more room to make it wider than taller. They could make it "smart" so it doesn't respond to normal grip, only fingertips. Plenty options for button repositioning. Side, front, top, even under the screen.

I have "essential tremor" in my hands, me and touch pads don't get along.

jjdp said:

Looking at the back of most cameras you could easily have a 5" monitor by moving the buttons or getting rid of them. Probably more useful for video since there's generally more room to make it wider than taller. They could make it "smart" so it doesn't respond to normal grip, only fingertips. Plenty options for button repositioning. Side, front, top, even under the screen.

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It probably depends on what one uses the monitor for, I only review the occasional image or make changes to deeper settings. I could manage without a monitor. Of course if you use the monitor to frame shots it's a different matter, I don't.

No monitor for me, please.

Have there been cameras in the past with larger rear LCDs? There might have been - somebody, possibly Panasonic, had a camera with a phone on the back. There have certainly some unusual designs in the past that haven't caught on.

I think that if it was practical to have a larger screen on the back somebody would have done it. The layout of the buttons and dials on the back is normally determined by the handling requirements of the camera - some of the buttons and controls (control wheel or joystick) have to be under the right thumb so that they can be accessed during shooting using the viewfinder. You need to be able to feel that your thumb is on the correct button or control. You can't do that if the "buttons" are on a screen.

Personally I use the rear screen primarily for accessing menus and viewing and changing some camera settings. I find that modern high resolution, higher magnification EVFs are much better than the rear screen for reviewing images.

You can fit a 7 inch panel on some pro bodies and you can also link a 32 inch monitor to all of them, but the question would be why?

As to the observation that they are "tiny", early digital cameras had a 1.5 inch monitor with VGA resolution, now they are improved especially as far as resolution is concerned, something OP didn't even address. Or refresh rate. Or PWM.

Fitting a 5+ inch panel with the corresponding resolution and refresh rate would probably deplete the battery almost twice as fast, and what for? Seeing a larger menu?

PS. To check sharpness, you still need to zoom into the image even on a 5/7/10 inch panel.

I use the buttons all the time, don't like touch screens and use the EVF as my primary method of composition and review. The apparent size of the magnified EVF image is actually very large so seeing detail in the image is much easier than a still tiny 5" screen.

Chris R-UK said:

Personally I use the rear screen primarily for accessing menus and viewing and changing some camera settings. I find that modern high resolution, higher magnification EVFs are much better than the rear screen for reviewing images.

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Yes, this, and better for composition when taking photos.

**** Dastardly said:

PS. To check sharpness, you still need to zoom into the image even on a 5/7/10 inch panel.

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Or better yet use the EVF.

Chris R-UK said:

Have there been cameras in the past with larger rear LCDs? There might have been - somebody, possibly Panasonic, had a camera with a phone on the back. There have certainly some unusual designs in the past that haven't caught on.

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Samsung had a larger 4.8" screen on its Galaxy NX Android-based mirrorless camera.

My lcd touch screen is pretty much only used for menu access. But yeah, A bigger screen would make it easier for fat fingers.

tbcass said:

I use the buttons all the time, don't like touch screens and use the EVF as my primary method of composition and review. The apparent size of the magnified EVF image is actually very large so seeing detail in the image is much easier than a still tiny 5" screen.

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For those of us with presbyopia, the EVF saves us from having to put on otherwise unnecessary reading glasses just to look at an LCD.

John Sheehy said:

tbcass said:

I use the buttons all the time, don't like touch screens and use the EVF as my primary method of composition and review. The apparent size of the magnified EVF image is actually very large so seeing detail in the image is much easier than a still tiny 5" screen.

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For those of us with presbyopia, the EVF saves us from having to put on otherwise unnecessary reading glasses just to look at an LCD.

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Or, for the myopic, take them off.

Heritage Cameras said:

Chris R-UK said:

Have there been cameras in the past with larger rear LCDs? There might have been - somebody, possibly Panasonic, had a camera with a phone on the back. There have certainly some unusual designs in the past that haven't caught on.

Click to expand...

Samsung had a larger 4.8" screen on its Galaxy NX Android-based mirrorless camera.

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Thanks, Dave. I knew that somebody had made one.

John Sheehy said:

tbcass said:

I use the buttons all the time, don't like touch screens and use the EVF as my primary method of composition and review. The apparent size of the magnified EVF image is actually very large so seeing detail in the image is much easier than a still tiny 5" screen.

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For those of us with presbyopia, the EVF saves us from having to put on otherwise unnecessary reading glasses just to look at an LCD.

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That happened to me 35 years ago in my mid 40s.

jjdp said:

Looking at the back of most cameras you could easily have a 5" monitor by moving the buttons or getting rid of them. Probably more useful for video since there's generally more room to make it wider than taller. They could make it "smart" so it doesn't respond to normal grip, only fingertips. Plenty options for button repositioning. Side, front, top, even under the screen.

Click to expand...

While I have no objections to larger screens, I wouldn't wish for one at the expense of buttons or larger bodies to fit them. Looking at my current camera, I'm not sure the screen could get (usefully) bigger without removing buttons that are easily accessible with the camera to your eye while shooting.

I'm a stills only shooter, and do 99% of my shooting with the viewfinder. I much prefer a button I can press with my eye to the VF vs. pulling the camera away from my face that requires the removal of my hands from primary shooting controls to tap a touch screen. Shots will be lost in that time consuming process. Buttons underneath the screen are not reachable with your right hand fingers while in shooting position. My left hand will be on the lens for stability and zoom/focus duties.

Only so many buttons you can put in the "functional while shooting" areas of the camera before you start mixing them up or fat-fingering two buttons during the action. And your thumb and index finger can only reach so far.

Video shooters or those who mostly shoot with the screen may feel otherwise. There's a different set of ideal control points for each approach. It's challenging to design a camera body that doesn't sacrifice one for the other.

If you don't have a viewfinder shame on you for purchasing a camera without a viewfinder.

Matthew39 said:

No monitor for me, please.

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jjdp said:

Looking at the back of most cameras you could easily have a 5" monitor by moving the buttons or getting rid of them. Probably more useful for video since there's generally more room to make it wider than taller. They could make it "smart" so it doesn't respond to normal grip, only fingertips. Plenty options for button repositioning. Side, front, top, even under the screen.

Click to expand...

Samsung had a "smart" camera that did basically what you've described. No longer in production, so that should tell you something.

No, I don't want to eliminate any more buttons or dials in favor of a larger screen. You're basically describing a smartphone.

Also, the backlight of a bigger screen would take a lot more battery power.