Front
The front of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33 is completely flat. There are no finger grips or protrusions. Even when the camera is turned on, the lens remains within the body of the camera. The T33 is elegant in its simplicity, the entire face of the camera a smooth brushed aluminum color. In its top left is the “Sony” brand name polished across in silver. In the very top right corner is the self-labeled “Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar” lens. These words appear around the outer rim of the lens, along with its length and aperture ratings: “3.5-4.4/ 6.7-20.1.” To the left of the lens is an oval pill-shaped flash. Below the built-in flash is the AF assist lamp. In the bottom right corner are the words, “Cyber-shot Optical 3x.” Overall, the front of the T33 is quite attractive in its minimalism.

Back
The entire left side of the camera is dominated by the 2.5-inch LCD screen. Beneath the screen is the brand name: “Sony.” On the right one-third of the camera back are the control buttons. At the top, within easy access of the thumb, is the zoom lever. On the left side is a “W” and an icon of a magnifying glass with a “-” (subtraction) symbol in it. This is, of course, the wide angle side of the zoom lever. On the right is a “T” and an icon of a magnifying glass with a “+” (addition) symbol in it, the telephoto function to the 3x optical zoom lens.

Below the zoom lever is the LCD view button. When the button is pressed once, the LCD darkens. This option is best in low light. When the button is pressed again, picture info and a histogram appear across the LCD screen. To the right of the LCD view button is the speaker. To its right is the Mode Switch. The actual switch is on the right side of the camera, but the graphics extend onto its back. The switch includes three options: Movie Mode, Camera Mode, and Playback Mode. The Movie Mode is located at the top of the switch and is represented by a filmstrip icon. The Camera Mode is in the middle and symbolized by a camera icon. At the bottom is the Playback Mode, indicated with the typical Playback Mode symbol.

Directly below the LCD view button is the self-labeled “Menu” button. Below it, and a bit to the right, is the four-way navigational dial. The dial is separated into five buttons, one in each direction and one in the middle. Besides scrolling through menus and selecting features, these buttons double in function. The top button serves as a Flash Mode selector and is labeled with a standard flash symbol. The right button has a picture of a flower on it, the common symbol for Macro Mode, and is pressed to select the focusing mode. The bottom button doubles as a self-timer function. The left button plays back the last image recorded, despite whatever shooting mode the user is in. In the middle of the dial is a black circular button, which is used to make selections like an OK button, although it is not labeled. Below the dial, there is one more button on the bottom left: the delete function. In the right bottom corner of the camera is the word “Reset” and an LED light.

Left Side
The left side of the Sony T33 is left completely blank.

Right Side
The right side is cased in two-tone brushed aluminum. A band of polished aluminum extends from the top of the camera to the right side. In the center is a loop for threading the wrist strap. Just above it and toward the rear of the camera is the Mode Switch. The icons extend to the back, but the actual switch is located on the right side. Below the strap loop are the words, “Memory Stick Duo Pro.” The words relate to the memory card, which goes into a slot next to the battery beneath a port door on the bottom of the camera.

Top
The top of the camera has a polished metal plate. On the left of the top are a series of phrases describing the camera, “5.1 Megapixels,” “MPEG Movie VX,” and “DSC-T33.” To the right of those phrases is the built-in microphone. To its right is the large shutter release button with an LED light below it. Next to the light is a flash symbol and “CHG,” an abbreviation for a battery charge. All the way to the right is the self-labeled “Power” button, which has an LED light in its center.