Compact Camera Viewfinders

[sisyphean]

I have recently acquired a Panasonic TZ8 compact which is capable of taking great pictures.
I say capable because when the sun shines from anywhere behind the camera I find it virtually impossible to see the image on the screen.
My question is, why have manufacturers abandoned including an optical viewfinder in compact cameras?
I have an old Sony P200 which has one and so it seems unlikely that cost is the reason.
My other reason for wishing to have a conventional viewfinder is that it is far easier to hold a camera steady when pressed against your forehead than holding it several inches away with your arms flexed. Image stabilisation helps but can detract from the quality of the image.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day sisy

Nice to hear from you - and a good Q

To my mind, the removal of the ''old-style, optical'' viewfinders is very sad, but they cannot keep up with zoom lenses

It is not possible for the camera makers to put a zoom viewfinder into the camera along with the zoom lens and make them work together ... if it is an electronic viewfinder [like the SLR-like cameras] then it copies what the sensor is seeing, but for an optical & separate viewfinder to do the same is just not possible - pity.

Hope this helps a bit ... any more Qs??
Regards, Phil

[peripatetic]

Yup that's the main reason.

The market wants a big zoom range. Almost impossible to do with an optical viewfinder unless it's a TTL view like a DSLR.

If you are willing to give up on zoom you can totally awesome optical viewfinders. See the Fuji X100 for example.