The only time this could be a problem is in bright sunlight. This is a 16x9 (wide screen) camcorder and images must be framed in the 6x3.5cm display that can rotate up to 270 degrees. Of course to get a good image you will need a tripod and the dock screw is also on the base. Not only can you record to the hard disc but the rear has an SD card slot so reasonable still images can be taken at huge magnification. 32x optical is something that digital cameras only dream of but is almost the norm for a decent camcorder.