A top panel shows camera settings, including resolution, flash mode, and battery status. Boxy is the best word to describe the camera's design. While its buttons are well placed, it feels somewhat clumsy in the hand. Take care not to block the flash with your fingers. The flash is located in the upper-left front, right in the most natural hold position for the left hand.
Picture quality goes a long way toward offsetting our complaints with the camera's case design.
The PhotoMAX captures still images in four modes. In bright light, images seemed a bit flat but had clean colors. Skin tones were pleasing using either natural or flash illumination. The limited focusing control was not a problem in normal shooting, and group shots, landscapes, and most close-ups had acceptable sharpness. We don't recommend this camera if your main goal is macro photography or if critical focus is an issue.