OLEDs, or Organic Light Emitting Diodes, are thin, efficient and bright and can be used to make flexible, transparent displays that offer brilliant color—perfect for cameras.

Advantages of OLED Displays

At the top of the list of advantages over LCD displays is color. OLED displays offer a wider range of color, which is a more accurate representation of the printed image. But even when a photographer prefers to work in black and white, OLEDs still offer the advantage of higher contrast.

Speed is another advantage that photographers love. OLEDs refresh about 1000 times faster than an LCD display, which makes the output nearly live. This is especially handy when it comes to electronic viewfinders, and a rapidly updating, smooth representation of movement can help recreate the optical viewfinder experience.

Unlike LCD displays, OLEDs do not require a backlight. In an OLED display each ‘pixel’ is a small light emitting diode (or, more commonly, three: red, blue and green). This means that the basic structure of an OLED is simple (no need for backlighting, filters and polarizers), which makes OLEDs ultra-thin and lightweight.

OLEDs in Cameras

OLEDs have been used for camera displays for more than a decade. Today you can find OLED-equipped cameras from some of the biggest names in the industry including Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Samsung.

Cameras with OLED screens include:

• Olympus XZ-1 and E-P3
• Sony TX200V
• Samsung WB850F and WB150F
• Samsung NX200
• Nikon S100

The Future of OLEDs

Back in 2011 the market for OLEDs was estimated at $3.3 billion, which was double the $1.25 billion just three years prior. No doubt the market has grown exponentially in the five years since, considering Samsung’s investment in OLED displays alone was more than $6 billion in 2012.