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Toshiba PDR-M60 Toshiba introduces a "value-priced" 2 megapixel camera with nice image quality and a 2.3x optical zoom. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Toshiba PDR-M60 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on Toshiba PDR-M60 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Executive Overview :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:Design Review First Posted: 1/12/2001

Design
Measuring approximately 4.76 x 2.95 x 2.4 inches (121 x 75 x 61mm), the PDR-M60 is a little too bulky for the average shirt pocket, but should fit quite well into a large coat pocket or purse. The camera weighs only 10.2 ounces (290 grams) and comes with a neck strap to make toting it a little easier. The PDR-M60's large, comfortable hand grip wraps around the camera's battery chamber, with a soft pad on the front for your fingers and a natural crevice on the back for your thumb. The overall layout is quite simple, with a sprinkling of control buttons on the top and back panels, and a large Mode dial to control the camera's power and operating mode. Most of the PDR-M60 features lend themselves to one-handed camera operation.

The front of the camera features a simple, sleek design, with a lens, built-in flash, viewfinder window, and self-timer LED lamp. A retractable, shutter-like cover protects the lens by automatically closing when the camera is turned off. When the Mode dial on top of the camera is set to a capture position (Auto or Manual), the lens cover retracts and the lens barrel extends about 1/4 inch out into its operating position.

On the right side of the camera is the battery chamber, neck strap attachment eyelet, SmartMedia slot, and Digital and Video Out jacks. The SmartMedia slot and connection jacks are covered by a hinged, plastic door, which opens by releasing a sliding lever on the side. The SmartMedia slot is so close to the side of the compartment, that it can be a little tricky to push the card all the way into the slot, because there's not much room for your finger to move around. We also noticed that the slot will accept the card loaded the wrong way, so be sure to keep the gold electrodes facing the compartment door when loading.

The opposite side of the camera has only the second neck strap eyelet and the DC-In jack, which is covered by a flexible rubber flap. The flap remains attached to the camera once pulled out, and fits snugly into place when you are not using the adapter.

On top of the PDR-M60 is a small status display panel, the shutter button, three control buttons, and the Mode dial. The benefit of the small status display panel is that it reports most of the camera's settings, so you don't have to power up the LCD monitor every time you take a picture (thereby conserving precious battery power). The large Mode dial includes a power-off position and five operating modes, with finger-gripping rubber notches around the edge of the dial to make it easy to turn.

The remaining controls are on the camera's back panel, along with the LCD monitor, optical viewfinder eyepiece, and status LED. The back panel layout is designed to accommodate one-handed operation, with most control buttons positioned within thumb's reach. The rocker arrow key pad, which Toshiba refers to as the "Enter" button, is used as a navigation tool to simplify scrolling through menu items and captured images. The wide-angle/telephoto zoom control is located under the Mode dial. The four control buttons beneath the Enter button include: Menu, Display (DISP), Macro, and Trash.

Finally, the PDR-M60's bottom panel includes a plastic, threaded tripod mount and the battery compartment door. We found the battery door to be a little awkward, as it requires you to pull up on a lever bar to pop open the compartment. The hardest part is getting the door closed again, because the pull lever serves as the compartment door locking mechanism, and it isn't as fluid as other battery door designs we've seen. We also noticed that the battery compartment and tripod mount are too close to one another to allow quick battery changes when the camera is mounted on a tripod. Given the portable nature of this camera, however, we don't think this will be much of an issue for most users.