Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

LCD, which stands for liquid crystal display, refers to a specialized flat screen available on most digital cameras but not traditional manual ones. LCD screens display an image using a number of pixels that are composed of liquid crystal molecules.

The type and quality of LCD screen on a digital camera varies with different camera models. Factors that affect the quality of an LCD image are its resolution, color support, aspect ratio and response time (among other factors).

James Fergason invented the first LCD screen in 1969. With his invention, taking photos has become considerably easier for amateur and professional photographers alike. For one, the LCD screen allows a photographer to see the image before taking the shot, helping him properly frame it.

Another helpful aspect of the LCD screen lies in the fact that photographers can immediately view the shot just taken: if the shot is not to the photographer’s liking, he can immediately delete it, freeing up memory, and take a better shot.

However, while the LCD screen helps a photographer frame and take perfect shots, it does consume a great degree of battery power. Therefore, experts recommend that photographers who plan to use their camera’s LCD a lot carry around an extra set of batteries.