Finder is a commonly used abbreviation for viewfinder, the optical or electronic system on a camera that the photographer looks through in order to frame and compose a shot before making an exposure. The term is widely used informally in photographic writing, conversation, and equipment descriptions as a convenient shorthand for the full word.
Viewfinders come in several different forms depending on the camera type, including optical viewfinders, which show a direct or reflected view of the scene through a separate window or through the camera's own lens; electronic viewfinders (EVFs), which display a live digital feed from the image sensor; and the rear LCD screen found on many modern cameras, which serves a similar compositional purpose. Each type has its own advantages and characteristics in terms of accuracy, brightness, and ease of use in different shooting conditions.