I had no problems getting used to this camera. After a few minutes, it felt very natural. The design of the camera forces you to hold it in a certain way, and the buttons and switches are located intelligently. For example, the thumb of your right hand sits squarely in the middle of the zoom rocker switch, and the shutter release is right there under your index finger.

The on/off switch requires a firm push and is located far away from the other controls, making it unlikely that you'll accidentally turn the camera off when you meant to select one of its other functions. The same is true of the back latch and the other buttons. You can't accidentally alter a setting while pulling the camera out of the bag.

The shutter release is a bit tiny but feels about right. Still, I was able to operate the camera effortlessly while wearing winter gloves. There is slight shutter lag as the camera finds a focus point, locks focus and then triggers the shutter. I wouldn't want to use this for shooting a basketball game, for example. That's really a matter of using the right tool for the job.

The "mode" and "drive" buttons work easily, but you definitely must read the manual to understand how to properly use these functions. I don't quite understand why the "drive" button is called that, because it controls exposure compensation, manual ISO settings and recall of photo data and not the motor drive. The "mode" button controls self-timer, infrared remote control release, continuous exposure at 1.5 frames per second and multiple exposure.

The deeply recessed "ABC" button allows for autoexposure bracketing. When activated the camera will take three consecutive shots: underexposed, correctly exposed and overexposed. The controls allow the photographer to set the amount in 1/2-stop increments.

The top-mounted distance and shutter-speed dials turn easily with the shutter-speed dial having click stops at each speed. The aperture ring doesn't allow half-stop settings. You can set it between full stops, but because it's electronically controlled, only the full stops are recognized.

The diopter-adjustment lever looks cheap. The lever moves too freely and should be tighter. A small thumbwheel would have been better.

This is not a lightweight pocket P&S. It weighs 670 grams, or just a shade under 1 1/2 pounds. I was able to stuff it into the pocket of my sports coat. I wouldn't want to make it a habit though. In real-world use, the extra weight of the camera provides an extremely stable shooting platform.

The camera itself is wonderfully balanced. The handgrip feels very comfortable, and the choice of covering is very attractive. I can't figure out if it's cowhide, snake, lizard or synthetic.

The soft case, like the neck strap, is awkward and fits a bit too tightly, causing the zipper to come in contact with the corner of the camera. That could cause some problems down the road, I think.