I have a Dimage Xt, and assuming they are all the same except for the megapixel rating, I'm pretty sure that camera is all metal except for the battery cover, which is painted metallic to match the rest of the camera.
As for the pictures themselves, The color reproduction is the best I've seen on any compact camera. A side to side comparison with the Canon s220 revealed a better ability to blend colors together and have colors fade from one to the other across the entire spectrum without any splotching. However, the pictures do look slightly warmer on the side (barely noticeable), and the battery life is kinda low (I have a spare np200). A great camera! I say go for it 🙂