The Buyers guide to...Best cameras with a flip screen

There’s no questioning Canon’s commitment to the mirrorless camera segment with the introduction of the Canon EOS R5. Its outstanding specifications, including a 45Mp full-frame sensor, all-encompassing phase detection autofocus, and advanced eye AF capable of recognizing humans and animals in both video and photo modes, set a new standard. Its standout feature is a superior viewfinder, coupled with a versatile vari-angle touchscreen.

Crafted with precision, the Canon EOS R5 mirrors the construction quality of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. A rugged magnesium alloy build paired with weather-resistant seals provides robust protection. Though similar in handling, the controls have been rearranged to suit the addition of the vari-angle screen.

As a result, the Canon R5’s rear resembles a fusion of design elements from the EOS R and the 5D Mark IV.

The inclusion of the vari-angle screen on the EOS R5 is a valuable addition. It enhances ease of video shooting from unconventional angles, while maintaining a compact and lightweight design. The touch-sensitive screen allows intuitive control with a few simple taps.

Canon has swiftly realized the advantages of touch control, seamlessly integrating it into its cameras without compromising the traditional physical controls.

Read our Canon EOS R5 Review

Though it has been succeeded by the R6 Mark II, the original Canon EOS R6 is still widely available and remains one of the best cameras with a flip screen for advanced enthusiast photographers.

The R6 features a viewfinder identical in size to the R5’s, at 0.5 inches, but with a slightly lower resolution of 3.69 million dots, as opposed to 5.76 million. This matches the quality found in the EOS R, as well as the electronic viewfinders in competitors like the Sony A9 and Nikon Z7, making it a respectable specification for a camera of this caliber.

In the ‘Power saving’ mode within the Shoot8 section of the menu, rapid subject motion may appear somewhat choppy. Altering this to the ‘Smooth’ setting yields a more natural portrayal of movement.

The camera also features a 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen with 1.62 million dots. We commend vari-angle screens for their ability to simplify the process of capturing either portrait or landscape images from above or below eye level, in contrast to a static screen. A tilting screen only offers assistance when framing landscape images.

Both the viewfinder and the screen render an accurate preview of the final image. All things considered, the controls on the R6 are intuitively laid out and the implementation of touch control is stellar. The vari-angle screen proves itself to be a valuable feature.

Read our Canon EOS R6 Review

Canon has stuck with the same 0.5-inch type 3.69-million-dot electronic viewfinder and 3-inch 1.62-million-dot screen in the EOS R6 II that were introduced in the R6. why are we including both on our list of the best cameras with flip screens? Because the R6 II has some powerful video specifications and a superb continuous shooting rate. If these are important to you, it’s worth paying the extra money for the Mark II.

The R6 II’s LCD screen  continues to deliver excellent performance. True to Canon’s recent mirrorless cameras, the screen offers extensive touch-control capabilities, allowing for an effortless transition between using buttons and dials or the screen for adjusting settings and making selections.

The rear screen, attached via a vari-angle hinge, can be flipped and rotated to ensure clear visibility from virtually any angle, whether you’re capturing in portrait or landscape orientation. It can even be swiveled to face forwards, enabling viewability from the front of the camera.

The vari-angle screen proves particularly handy when shooting from imaginative angles, such as at low-levels. However, like other cameras, the R6 II could benefit from enhancing the visibility of its electronic level indicator, making it easier to perceive when your eye is positioned at a distance from the screen.

Read our Canon EOS R6 Review

Upon reviewing the Sony A7 III, a flip-out touchscreen was the number one upgrade we hoped to see in Sony’s next full-frame all-rounder. Delivering on expectations, Sony equipped the A7 IV with a vari-angle screen that can be angled forward or adjusted for composing shots at varying heights in both landscape and portrait modes.

Furthermore, the A7 IV comes with a 3-inch 1,036,800-dot touch-sensitive screen. A notable upgrade is the ability to navigate through menus and settings simply by tapping, a feature absent in earlier Sony touchscreens where touch was only used to set the AF point.

Thoughtfully designed, the A7 IV’s mic port is positioned above the screen on the side of the camera. This allows the screen to move unrestricted even when an external microphone is connected.

Read our Sony A7 IV Review

OM System has outfitted the OM-1 with an impressively bright 1.62-million dot vari-angle touchscreen. This 3-inch display, akin to those found on the OM-D E-M1 III and OM-D E-M1X, is mounted on a flexible vari-angle hinge, enabling optimal viewing regardless of whether you’re shooting in landscape or portrait mode.

Similar to existing Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, the OM-1’s screen is touch-sensitive and exhibits prompt response to taps. However, it’s disappointing that OM System didn’t extend the touch control functionality to the main menu of the new model.

The OM-1’s screen delivers excellent visibility both in cloudy conditions and indoors, and it doesn’t falter in more luminous conditions either. During a demanding test, wherein I was skiing on a sunny day while attempting to film my friends leading the way, the screen performed admirably. Despite the challenge of maintaining frame as we navigated the slopes, I managed to keep sight of them through the screen.

Read our OM System OM-1 Review

Even though the Panasonic Lumix S5 is more compact than the GH5, it boasts an ergonomic grip that’s well-sized and covered in a rubbery material for secure handling. Its weather-sealed design ensures that sudden weather changes during a shoot won’t be a concern.

Despite its reduction in size and weight, the Panasonic Lumix S5 doesn’t compromise on its features, housing a 3-inch 1,840,000-dot vari-angle touchscreen and a 2,360,000-dot OLED electronic viewfinder.

The Panasonic GH5’s vari-angle screen was highly demanded for the S-series cameras following their initial development announcement. While the Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R feature 3-way tilting screens, which are beneficial for shooting both landscape and portrait images, they lack the intuitiveness and versatility of a vari-angle screen and can’t be viewed from the front of the camera.

Fortunately, the Lumix S5’s screen fulfills many users’ expectations, providing the ability to be rotated to face forwards. This feature positions the S5 as a potential contender for a top full-frame vlogging camera.

Adding to the positive news, the S5’s screen, like its viewfinder, offers an outstanding preview of the image. When shooting outdoors under bright light, the Live View Boost can be engaged to amplify the screen brightness, facilitating a clearer view of the scene. The screen’s touch response is also notably swift.

Read our Panasonic Lumix S5 Review

Similar to the EOS R6 above, we’ve included both the Lumix S5 and S5II even though they use the same 3-inch 1,840,000-dot vari-angle touchscreen. The difference is, for more money, with the S5II you get powerful video specifications in the form of the ability to shoot internal 4:2:0 10-bit 6K (3:2) and 5.9K (16:9) footage at 30fps and 4:2:2 C4K and 4K at up to 60fps.

This screen can be flipped forward, an ideal feature for vlogging, and can also be manipulated in various ways to aid in capturing images from high or low angles in either portrait or landscape mode.

In our test of the S5II, we found the screen offered a clear display that accurately represented the final image.

The Panasonic GH6 boasts a 3.0-inch 1,840K-dot tilt and free-angle touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio located on its back. At first glance, the screen’s tilting capability might not be evident, but activating a button located under the bottom left corner of the monitor allows the screen to be raised from its base.

While it’s possible to lift the screen without using the button, it’s more straightforward to follow the intended method.

The screen’s tilt movement is designed with two stopping points. The first one enables the screen to be swung out to the side of the camera without obstructing the viewfinder, and the second one, at around 45°, offers a more comfortable viewing angle when capturing images at waist-level.

For those unfamiliar with the tilt and free-angle combination, it might seem excessive, but it allows the screen to be flipped and rotated to face forwards, upwards, or downwards without interfering with any cables that might be connected to the camera’s ports on the left side (mic, USB-C, and full-size HDMI).

The 3-inch screen, with its 1.84-million dots, provides a clear view of the scene and copes well with reflections, even under sunny conditions (as tested in the UK in March). Nonetheless, there are instances, even when filming video, when one might prefer to utilize the 3,680k-dot 0.76x OLED viewfinder. With a contrast ratio of 10,000:1, this viewfinder delivers a precise and vivid preview of the scene.

Read our Panasonic Lumix GH6 Review

Maintaining the tradition of previous A7S models, the Sony A7S III is equipped with a full-frame sensor housing 12.1 million effective pixels. This limited resolution benefits its low-light performance by reducing noise levels.

Alongside numerous enhancements to its video specs, the Sony A7S III debuts the highest-resolution electronic viewfinder thus far, and is the first in the Sony A7 series to feature a vari-angle screen.

Sony highlights that the 3-inch vari-angle screen was not merely a request for the A7S III but an absolute requirement. It’s certainly a feature I’ve highlighted repeatedly.

Previously, the contention against such a feature was that a vari-angle hinge is less durable than a fixed screen, and that ‘most devoted videographers use an external monitor’. While these points may still hold, a significant advantage of using a camera like the A7S III is its compact size. Adding an external monitor inevitably increases its size and weight.

Sony also emphasizes that the A7S III is designed to cater to both novice and experienced videographers, many of whom are likely uninterested in the additional expense of a monitor.

A welcomed feature is the option to display a red border around the on-screen image when the camera is recording. In certain situations, this proves to be more beneficial than the customary blinking red dot.

Following the unveiling of the 8K-ready Canon EOS R5, the Sony A7S III might seem somewhat underwhelming. Undoubtedly, some videographers were anticipating a substantial resolution leap from the 12mp A7S II. However, Sony already offers the 61Mp A7R IV and the 24Mp A7 III, thus maintaining the A7S III at 12Mp allows it to deliver even superior low-light performance than its precursor, supplemented by a more sophisticated autofocus system, a vari-angle screen, and the most high-resolution viewfinder available.

Read our Sony A7S III Review

Following in the footsteps of Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, including the top-of-the-line Canon EOS R3, the R7 features a vari-angle touchscreen. This allows for convenient framing of shots from high and low angles in both landscape and portrait orientation. With Canon’s wholehearted adoption of touch control, this feature also comes in handy for adjusting camera settings with a simple touch.

The camera also introduces a few new options, such as the horizon correction feature in the menu, while staying true to familiar aspects of the interface.

In summary, Canon’s latest flagship APS-C mirrorless camera boasts a unique layout and design, yet holds onto some quintessential Canon design traits that will facilitate a swift learning curve for its users.

Read our Canon EOS R7 Review

Like all of Canon’s recent mirrorless cameras, barring the EOS R100, the R10 comes with a fully touch-enabled control system, allowing users to select and modify settings from the main and Quick menu directly on the screen. Setting the focus point and zooming into the image can also be done with just a tap on the screen.

Additionally, the 3-inch screen with a resolution of 1.04-million-dots is attached via a vari-angle joint. This design enables the screen to be positioned for optimal viewing regardless of how the camera is being held.

Read our Canon EOS R10 First Look Review

Fujifilm has made numerous enhancements in the X-H2S, one of the most notable being an upgrade to the LCD screen from the predecessor model, the X-H1. Replacing the 3-way tilting screen of the X-H1, the X-H2S now features a vari-angle screen that can be swiveled out and turned to face the front, ideal for vlogging. This design proves handy when the camera is positioned above or below eye-level, and in both landscape or portrait orientation.

Additionally, the new vari-angle touchscreen with a resolution of 1.62 million dots stands out for its brightness and sensitivity to touch.

The X-H2S showcases several handling modifications compared to the X-H1, and first-time observers will undoubtedly be struck by the robust construction and extensive capabilities of this camera.

Read our Fujifilm X-H2S Review

With the X-T5, Fujifilm made an unexpected move by eliminating the brilliant vari-angle screen found on the X-T4 and reverting to the three-way tilting screen featured on the Fujifilm X-T3.

The X-T4’s vari-angle screen is particularly convenient for both videography and photography. The fresh hinge design allows the screen to be flipped for front-facing viewing – making it an excellent choice for vlogging. Furthermore, you can extend the screen to the camera’s side for an unobstructed view when shooting at below-eye-level.

In this aspect, the Fujifilm X-T4 gets our nod over the X-T5. A vari-angle screen simply opens up a wider array of creative possibilities.

Read our Fujifilm X-T4 Review