One feature commonly espoused by the camera manufacturers is the size of the LCD screen. The bigger it is, the more you can see what you're recording and what you've captured. But the bigger it is, the more battery power it requires too. Also, some LCD screens are not very effective in bright sunlight, and that's one place you will likely be using your camcorder often. Having a viewfinder as well as an LCD screen is a useful option, enabling you to see what you are recording when seeing the screen in bright light is difficult and saving battery power.