Viewfinder coverage tells you how much of the final photo you can actually see while composing. A 100% viewfinder shows the entire captured frame; a 95% viewfinder means the camera will record a little more around the edges than you saw.

In practice, that extra 5% can matter quite a lot if precise composition is important. You may accidentally include distractions at the frame edges, extra background, or even something like a tripod foot, especially with wide-angle lenses where small framing differences cover more real-world area. With less than 100% coverage, you often won’t notice these until after the shot.

If you mainly shoot casually and tend to crop later, 95% may be fine. But if you care about exact framing, clean edges, and a true “what you see is what you get” experience, 100% coverage is a real advantage and generally considered a premium feature.