Sony has pioneered its 2005 line of DVD camcorders with the DCR-DVD92, one of the most affordable and rudimentary DVD camcorders on the market. The camcorder shares little in common with its siblings, but maintains strong ties to a past model, the DCR-DVD101. The current model seems to have inherited the imager (1/6” CCD with 680K gross pixels) and the performance of last year's Sony DCR-DVD101. Poor video and low light performance haunt both of these camcorders. The DCR-DVD92 does bear some resemblance to its immediate family with this model's cumbersome navigation system and great ease of use. This model does stand alone its zoom power with 20x optical zoom, the largest in the 2005 Sony DVD line.

As an entry level camcorder, the DCR-DVD92 is lacking in many areas where the higher-end models (DCR-DVD203, DCR-DVD403) excel. The most significant feature missing from this model is the widescreen LCD; we get only a 2.5" LCD. The higher-end models are outfitted with a 2.7" widescreen hybrid LCD, which provides the users with the means of viewing an uncompromised widescreen image. The DCR-DVD92 is found wanting in its audio capabilities as well. This model is able to capture Dolby 2 channel stereo audio recording, with the option of attaching a 5.1 Dolby surround sound microphone to the Active Interface shoe. The DCR-DVD403 has a built-in Dolby microphone, and unlike its smaller siblings, it has visible audio levels.

Convenience and comfort are the main attractions for the DCR-DVD92 and most of the Sony’s 2005 DCR-DVD line. The Easy Handycam mode and good manual controls have made the DCR-DVD92 fairly easy to use. By pressing the Easy button, embedded on the side of the lens barrel, the user is able to relinquish all control over the quality of the image to the camcorder. Also, the camcorder's automatic controls provide the user with a relatively relaxed operating experience. With swift and reliable automatic exposure and white balance adjustments, the user only has to worry about pointing the camcorder and recording. One note of caution: the camcorder's automatic focus lags when fully zoomed in on a subject. The delay is short but noticeable.

The DCR-DVD92 provided mediocre results in bright light conditions and exhibited poor low light performance. The camcorder is outfitted with a 1/6” CCD with 680K pixels, which it inherited from the DCR-DVD 101. In conditions equivalent to a bright sunny day the camcorder produced an image with noticeable grain and slightly washed colors. Its predecessor, the DCR-DVD10, as well as this year's more expensive DCR-DVD7, had a fuzzier image with under-saturated colors.

Low light is a sore point for the DCR-DVD92. It performed poorly by producing images with considerable grain and meager color representation. The DCR-DVD101 and the DCR-DVD7 suffered from excessive grain and muted colors as well. The Panasonic VDR-M53, which produced wonderful bright light footage, also showcased undesirable low light performance. Control over shutter speed and all around better manual controls would have proved useful for a camcorder with such modest performance.

Affordability is both this camcorder's greatest asset and its greatest curse. Because this camcorder is relatively inexpensive, it has been stripped of significant features such as a widescreen LCD, audio recording options, and still resolutions that accompany its bigger siblings (the DCR-DVD203 and DCR-DVD403). The 20x optical zoom, its only distinguishing feature, is not enough to make it a sensible purchase. The camcorder is however relatively easy to use. Point-and-shooters are welcome to take a look at this model, because they're the only ones who might want it. It provides convenience and relative comfort, but for users that require optimum control over the quality of their image, the DCR-DVD92 can be cumbersome and taxing.