112 of 115 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to learn, April 10 2005
By Tracy L. Eastridge "teastridge" - Published on Amazon.com
My 8 year old learned to use this within 5 minutes. It has a touch screen with easy to find controls. Pop the mini DVD in--format--record--finalize--and play on DVD player. This model does not have a USB connection to your computer or a remote. It is really designed for minimal editing--tape and go. Buy an extra battery and lots of mini DVDs as they only last 30 minutes.
135 of 140 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice camcorder, April 27 2005
By John Schawbe - Published on Amazon.com
I have never used/purchased a mini camcorder before. This one was very easy to setup and understand. The video quality seems to be very good. I have not used the camera/photo option yet. The DVD played on my DVD player without any problem. The touch screen menu is super easy to use. I don't plan on editing my video's, or downloading them onto my PC, so I went with this model. Pretty much, using a DVD-R, it's load, record, finalize. That's it. Then pop it into your DVD player to watch. I guess the limitation is only 30 minutes of recording time on the DVD, but that's plenty for me. Cost of the DVD-R's is about $3.00 each, so that is bearable for me as well. I played around with a DVD-RW. Rewriting the disk was easy, and the VR mode allows you to do some editing if you need to. I would have purchased this item on Amazon, but didn't because I was unsure if I'd be happy with it, so I purchased from a local retailer for about $50 more than I could of from Amazon. I paid $570 for it at the retailer.
All and all, I am very pleased with my purchase thus far. I did however order an extra battery and battery charger through Amazon saving myself about $20 from what it would of cost me at the store.
Again, I am not an expert on camcorders, nor have I used anything comparable before, so for me, I have nothing to complain about by comparison. Some of the limited reviews available on the Internet say that this is still a developing technology, and may be worthwhile reading if you already own a mini camcorder, or are looking for something that may be a bit more flexible, or has more features, or better resolution. I can only say this camcorder works exceptionally well for my needs.
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The key thing is: "How easy is it to use?", Feb 3 2006
By C. Beggs - Published on Amazon.com
Most people, when it comes time to buy a camcorder, are overwhelmed with the overabundance of choices on the market these days. Either this is the first time that they've decided to purchase a camcorder or they haven't upgraded since they purchased their old 8mm or VHS-C 10 or 15 years ago. With all of the choices and relatively little difference between them, this camcorder is definitely one of your best bets. It is probably the simplest camcorder on the market today. If you are ready to join the DVD camcorder craze, this is the perfect place to start. First of all, the DVD92 is very easy to understand and set up. It's as simple as: 1.) Load the disc. 2.) Press record. 3.) Finalize the disc. That's it! The mini-DVD's play in virtually any DVD player on the market. The mini-DVD's are relatively inexpensive, depending on where they are purchased. Ebay is a great place to find deals on any type of camcorder media. The DVD92 also features a 3.0 MegaPixel still-shot function which is absolutely wonderful. You can enlarge your still images up to a 5x7 without any distortion or "digitizing". The still photos are conveniently separated on the DVD from the video, allowing easy transfer to your computer. The video quality is a given, DVD-quality is as good as it gets without venturing into the higher priced High Definition camcorders. The sound quality is phenomenal, featuring a built-in surround sound microphone. The only drawback I could find was that the DVD's can only hold, in standard DVD quality, 30 minutes each. Then I got to thinking...How many times do you record for more than 30 minutes at a time? Anyhow, you can lower the video quality if you have to, and give yourself a total of 60 minutes on each disc, the same amount of time you would get on a standard MiniDV tape. So if you're in the market for a new camcorder and you want something that is very user-friendly and of exceptional quality (as Sony camcorders have been for the past 15+ years), then look no further. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.