Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P93

Front (7.5)
Most of the front left side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93 is taken up by its 3x optical zoom lens, although its close placement to the rounded side of the camera made my left hand want to wander onto the lens surface at times when shooting pictures. To the right of the viewfinder, at the top of the camera body, is the viewfinder window, with the self timer lamp, and AF illuminator located below it. The microphone is located near the bottom of the camera body, and was also easily muffled with my oversized left hand at times when in awkward shooting setups. To the right of the viewfinder window is the built-in flash, with variable settings, positioned neatly above the scooped out shallow polished silver depression which is perfectly suited as a designed resting spot for those wandering right hand fingers. This design feature allowed for comfortable gripping and ease in shooting, a much appreciated addition.

Back (7.0)
The back of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93 features a 1.5-inch LCD screen on the left side of the camera body, with the real image optical viewfinder located above and slightly to the right. The viewfinder’s small compact size makes it nearly impossible to use, forcing the user to rely primarily on the LCD screen as a reference point for image capture. To the left of the viewfinder are three LED lights, which signal, from top to bottom; Self timer/recording lamp, AE/AF lock lamp, and the Flash charge lamp.

Beneath the viewfinder and alongside the LCD screen is the LCD status button, which controls the on/off functionality of the LCD screen and status of the overall image. Beneath this button is the Menu button which can be engaged to control the manual settings and other parameters of images captured by the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93. Beside these buttons to the right is the four-way controller, which controls the up/down/left/right/enter functions within the settings in the menu, and when the menu is off, controls the Flash (up), Self-timer (down), Quick review (left), and Macro zoom (right), respectively.

The Enter button is located in the center of the four-way controller. Next to the down button, slightly to the right, the user will find the Burst shooting mode/Trash button, burst functioning when in normal camera operation, and trash operating when the camera is in Playback/edit mode. Beneath all of these controls, and flush with the bottom of the camera, is the port cover for the USB, A/V out, and DC in jacks. A slight tab on the left bottom corner of this port cover allows the user to easily and simply flip the cover open; however, its hinge is a little flimsy in overall construction, a worrisome feature when looking at long term usage.

In the upper right-hand corner on the back of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93, the user will find the Wide Angle and Telephoto zoom buttons, which control Wide Angle to the left, and Telephoto to the right. A slight shallow depression has been set into the body of the camera, slightly to the left of these buttons, a consciously designed feature which allows the user to let the thumb of the right hand rest without worrying about slipping it onto the viewfinder or another control. This feature, although slight, is greatly appreciated during long term shooting, or in inclement weather situations.

Left Side (7.0)
Aside from the smooth rounded edge there are no functional features available on the left side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93.

Right Side (7.5)
The right side of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93 features a terminal cover which can be opened by depressing the open button located in the center of the right side. By pushing down and sliding forward at the same time, the user is able to access the battery slot for the two double AA batteries, and the Memory Card Slot. This feature is cleanly and consciously designed. Without frustration or flummoxing irritation I was quickly able to decipher and access these features with ease. The eyelet for the wrist strap is located on the bottom of the camera near the right side, along with the playback speaker for the unit.

Top (7.0)
The top of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93’s body features a Mode dial on the right side, which allows users to change between both Custom image presets, and Shooting modes such as Automatic, Video, and Manual Modes. The Shutter button is located at the center of the Mode Dial, with the ovoid power button and light located to the left of dial. The following settings are available on the Mode dial; Automatic, Program Auto Shooting, Manual, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Candle, Landscape, Beach, Soft Snap, Set up, Movie, and Playback/Editing. I find it useful to have these various modes located on one dial, preventing the user from having to search through various Menu settings.