backlit meter viewing angle

[cncjerry]

I've been on a meter kick lately as I needed higher degree of accuracy plus my project has a number of power supplies that need to be monitored.   This led me to wanting a new backlit meter but wanted to try it out before going overboard.  I bought a Fluke 115 at Sears for $119 with leads and manual.  I noticed that the display looks best with/without backlight from an angle where the meter is held flat in your hand, not slightly rotated so your view would be perpendicular to the plane of the meter face.  At first I thought this was a defect and now I'm not sure.  I have another backlit meter and it acts the same way (e.g. the meter contrast is best looking at it from about 70 or less degrees opposed to 90).  Not to put to fine of a point on it, but if you lay the meter flat on a table and look at it, the contrast is superb.  But it you lean it on the back stand, it looks ghostly.  Both meters, two different manufacturers.  So is this common? 

[VK5RC]

I agree lcd can be at times frustrating,  whenever I am using a  dmm,  stuff is usually all over the place,  and position of the dmm is not on my mind.  I have one of Agilent /Keysight OLED dmm and have been very happy with its really good viewability.  Some people have raised issues of oled life span,  but so far mine(U1253b)  is going well.  Agilent know how to charge though!

[Fungus]

LCDs have a limited viewing angle, yes.

Do they optimize it for the most common usage pattern? Of course they do.

You can get meters with other display types but they're expensive, often can't be seen outdoors, and the batteries need changing every few days (if you use the meter a lot).

[cncjerry]

I went back and found a reference in the specifications for the Fluke that said the 'viewing angle' was 70 degrees.  I equated that with the typical TV angle thinking they mean side to side peripheral viewing angle.  Now I am starting to think it refers to the angle at which it is tuned for viewing?  Anyway, I agree with the poster about things being all over the place while debugging and the only reason I didn't buy the fluke with detachable meter face is I would end up packing it away in the DUT like a surgical sponge.  Where do all my test leads go anyway?