Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS2S

Front
Panasonic went for a wide, squat, deep shape with the Lumix LS2. It's more like a Twinkie than a deck of cards. The lens is far to the right, in a telescoping assembly. Above it on the right is the self-timer light, and below to the right is the Lumix series' script "L" logo. A metal slab on the left acts as a grip. The flash is a long rectangle high and to the left of the lens. The Lumix logo is at the upper left.

Back
A 2-inch, 85,000-pixel LCD fills the left side of the Lumix LS2's back. To the right of the LCD, there is a status light, which shows when the flash is recharging or when images are being written to memory. Below that are the Display/High Angle button, which controls the LCD display, and the Burst Mode/Delete button.

The 4-way controller is in the lower right corner of the camera. All five of its buttons have direct functions as well as a part in screen navigation. The top button accesses exposure compensation, bracketing and white balance compensation. The left button activates the self-timer, and the center button brings up the menu and acts as the "Set" button in menus. The right button controls the flash mode, and the bottom button brings up the last image shot for review.

As small wedge at the top right corner acts as a thumb rest, and dimples next to it are intended to improve the grip.

Top
The shutter release is a round chrome button surrounded by a collar that pivots to control zoom in shooting mode and magnification in playback mode. The power switch is a small slider. Optical Image Stabilization is activated with a small round button near the shutter release. The mode dial is a small control that overhangs the back edge of the camera slightly. It's just about centered right to left. The camera is labeled "Panasonic DMC-LS2" on the left half of its top panel.

Right
The strap lug is recessed into the top edge of the right side. It's in a convenient spot for users who want a strap, and it won't get in the way of holding the camera. The battery compartment door is on the right side as well. It does not have a separate latch, which would be more secure than its press-and-slide closure. Though the user's hand will wrap around the side comfortably, the surface does not have any texture to improve the grip.

Left
The Lumix LS2's USB 2.0, DC in port and A/V port are on the left side of the camera, under a resilient plastic cover. There is no strap lug on the left side of the camera, since it is unlikely that users will want to hang the lightweight Lumix LS2 around their necks.

Bottom
The tripod socket was hidden under a security device on the sample Lumix LS2 we inspected, but it’s on the far left of the bottom, relatively near the lens axis. It's easier to line up images on a tripod when the lens axis is directly over the tripod's pivots.

The SD media card door is on the bottom of the camera. It slides open under some pressure. Again, we'd like to see a latching door – they're more durable and less likely to open accidentally.