A viewfinder is not absolutely essential. Most compact cameras today rely on the rear screen, so many people shoot happily without one.

The real question is whether a viewfinder is important to you. For some photographers, raising the camera to the eye makes framing easier and steadier, which can lead to better results. Others are perfectly comfortable composing on the LCD, especially if they already do most of their shooting that way on a phone.

A simple test: think about how you naturally like to shoot. If you often prefer eye-level framing and want a more camera-like handling experience, a viewfinder may be worth prioritizing. If you're comfortable using the rear screen for most photos, it may not matter much.

So between these two cameras, the presence of a viewfinder should be treated as a personal usability feature, not a must-have for everyone.