The FD92 features a fast F2.8 4.75-38mm (41-328mm 35mm equiv) 8x optical zoom lens. It is further enhanced by a 2x digital zoom. Filters and add-on lenses can easily be attached via the 37mm threads.

To save power when using the camera outdoors in the bright sunlight you can switch off the color LCD's backlight. The ambient light comes in through the photocell on the top (shown here lit up by the backlight) and provides illumination for the LCD display.

Controls on the back: The VOL buttons control the playback volume. LCD BACKLIGHT turns the color LCD's backlight on and off. The camera's operational modes are controlled by the Play / Still / Movie selector switch. The POWER switch obviously turns the camera on and off. The lightning bolt button changes the flash mode (Auto, On, Off, Redeye). The FOCUS button cycles between autofocus, macro and manual preset distances. The PROGRAM button cycles through the auto exposure modes (automatic, night, night+, landscape, portrait and spot metering). The DISPLAY button controls the amount of overlay information shown on the LCD. The 4-way selector switch calls up the Menu and allows you to navigate it and make selections.

The FD92 has a Memory Stick card slot in addition to the floppy disk drive. Last year's FD95 allowed the use of Memory Sticks but required the MSAC-FD2M floppy adapter. This worked but the read/write speed was limited by the floppy controller's slow throughput rate and the adapter added another $80 or so to the cost. With a dedicated MS card slot the the images can be written to the Memory Stick in about 1.5 seconds versus the 5 seconds it takes in the floppy adapter.

Images can be copied back and forth between the Memory Stick and the 3.5-inch floppy diskettes while in Play mode. Any size Memory Stick module can be used.

Also new on the FD92 is a USB port for high-speed image downloading to the computer. Using the latest USB driver software supplied with the camera both the Memory Stick and the floppy drive mount like any other removeable drive resource.

Behind that flap is the DC IN port for connecting the combination battery charger and AC power supply (see below). The A / V OUT port carries the monoraul audio and video signal to the TV or other video device.

The built in flash has modes for automatic, redeye reduction, forced on (fill) and disabled.   Need more flash power?   Attach the optional HVL-F1000 flash with its bracket and connect it into the ACC jack on the side. Besides greater flash range the HVL-F1000 also gives you the benefits of bounce flash illumination.

The FD92 is powered by the Sony InfoLITHIUM rechargeable 7.2v "battery with a brain" -- it tells you on the LCD exactly how many minutes of runtime is left. Supplied with the NP-F330 pack, it can also use the higher capacity NP-F550 battery as well.

The battery is charged in the camera and comes with a combination battery charger and AC power adapter that plugs into the side of the camera (see the I/O ports above).