Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2

Model Design / Appearance
Many compact digital cameras have a horizontal, boxy look. The Sony M2 veers away from tradition with its cell phone-like design. This Cyber-shot is vertically stacked with control buttons on the bottom, the lens on top, and the LCD screen either on top or to the left. Users can get a balanced grip with the M2 with one hand because of this vertical orientation.

The thin camera is constructed of a durable metal material and it feels like a drop or two on the cement wouldn’t faze it (although I didn’t test this). The only durability concern is if the M2 is dropped with the LCD screen pointed outward.

The dark metal has polished silver highlights around the rim of the lens and in select places to add some visual interest.

Size / Portability
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 is not incredibly thin, but is still quite compact with its 2 x 4.8 x 1.25 inch measurements. There are many smaller cameras, but the M2 is still small considering it is supposed to replace both a digital camera and a video camera. This Sony is heavier than it looks. It weighs 6.6 ounces without the lithium-ion battery and memory card. When it is loaded, it weighs 7.7 ounces. This isn’t enough to even strain a wrist, but is a substantial enough weight to justify spending $500 on it. The digital camera has a tiny wrist strap loop on the right side that will be tough to string anything through. The M2 isn’t incredibly slim, but is flat and would fit nicely in a pocket or purse.

Handling Ability
Turning on the M2 is easy—users have a choice of the power button or flipping the LCD outward and to the left side. After that, handling the Sony M2 can be a little tricky. The vertically designed model can be held with one hand, but some functions require two hands; the major complication to handling is the placement of buttons and controls. The multi-selector is at the top and the shutter release button is far below. And there isn’t a single shutter release button – there is one for still photos and one for video. Many conventioneers who handled this camera ended up recording when it wasn’t their intention. The non-intuitive setup made handling very difficult.

Some credit needs to be given to the M2 though. The M1 and the M2 have very similar bodies, but the M2 has a few more subtle curves meant to improve ergonomics. If you’re still unsure of how the handling would be, just hold your cell phone up like you’re going to take a picture with it; it’s about the same feel.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Good luck navigating the M2. Users of the M1 may find the transition to the M2 a smooth one, but users who are unfamiliar with the control placement are in for quite a learning curve. There are buttons all over the place. There are three buttons on the left side of the LCD monitor. The multi-selector is to the LCD’s right. There are two shutter release buttons labeled Photo and Movie, but these look like mode buttons at first glance (which is why everyone accidentally recorded both photos and videos). There are also a few small buttons scattered on the body for activating the menu system and deleting photos. The tiny buttons won’t bother users as much as the non-intuitive placement. Users will constantly search for buttons; taking pictures and video will never take so long.

Menu
The Sony menu system hasn’t changed at all. It is the same on the M2 as it is on every other Sony digital camera. When the Menu button is pushed, a gray bar appears at the bottom of the screen. When users scroll left and right through the icons, a text title appears just above it and a list of options appears. The icons aren’t totally intuitive; the Sharpness icon was vague and unfortunately, there is no help function. When users scroll through subsections, the selected item appears in yellow to stand out. The live view can still be seen beyond this, but a truly live view is only available when scrolling through white balance options. Users can see the difference between the Incandescent and Fluorescent white balance modes in real time. The font is the same bland font used on all Sony cameras. It isn’t interesting at all and reminds me of the intro to Doogie Howser, M.D., but at least it is still easy to read.

Navigation through the menus is complicated by the multi-selector’s high position on the camera. The recording menu has the following options: Camera, EV, Focus, White Balance, ISO, Image Size, Recording Mode, Bracketing, Burst, Flash Compensation, Picture Effects, Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness, and Setup.

In the Recording tab, these are the options: Hybrid Record (Normal and Pre-Recording options), Digital Zoom, Date/ Time, Red-eye Reduction, AF Illuminator, and Auto Review.

The Card tab yields these options: Format, Create Recording Folder, Change Recording Folder, and Copy.

The Album tab reveals the Write in Album and Format options.

The Setup menu has tabs along the left side for faster navigation because it has a nice long list of options. The Setup 1 tab has Beep, Format Music, and Language options. In the Setup 2 tab, the File Number, USB Connect, and Video Out options can be tweaked.

The Playback mode has Folder, Protect, DPOF, Print, Resize, Rotate, and Setup options. The Playback menu appears across the bottom of the screen like the Recording menu.

The menu systems are quite intuitive to navigate, but the placement of the multi-selector makes handling a bit tricky.

Ease of Use
If Sony M1 users are upgrading to the M2, they will find it familiar and easy to use. However, the transition will be tougher for users unaccustomed with the strange layout of this Cyber-shot. The placement of the control buttons is odd, so finding the right buttons will take a bit of time. The menu system is intuitive and easy to read, which is good. There is no help function, but all of the icons have accompanying text titles. But getting to the menu may be rough; overall, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2 won’t be known for its ease of use and will likely require a large learning curve for new users.