Flip MinoHD Video Camera – 8 GB, 2 Hours (The Last Airbender – Air) OLD MODEL Reviews

The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I’ve done the product comparisons for you, November 6, 2009

By 

A. Chandler (Austin, TX) – See all my reviews

  

  

  

Update: Since my review the Flip Mino has been greatly improved. It now works and plugs in perfectly to my Mac and has stereo sound. For it’s small size, that’s a good thing.

Now, on to the original review:

If I’m going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there, I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and, consequently, dodge any potential future buyer’s remorse.

I’ve realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don’t have so I may as well share what I can.

I’ll start by saying that you’ll see my “Verified Amazon Purchase” on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because, obviously, that’s the one I wound up buying and I’ll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I’ll break it down and let you decide what’s best for you via what I found out:

Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:

*Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as “F”)

*Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “M”)

*Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “CL”)

*Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as “K”)

*There are notes on the RCA Small Wonder at the bottom. Because that’s not an HD camera, I didn’t include it.

Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images, wider images

HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included, 120 minutes if you buy an SD card

HOW CNET’s editors rated the cameras:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good

MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential, but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.

SW 8GB

RESOLUTION:

All are 720p which is excellent, just one step below the top 1080p format.

MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono*

CL: Mono

K: Mono

SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality, not good in winds

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality

ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it’s 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if, for example, you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.

CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3×2.2×1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5×2.5.0.9 5.6 oz

SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5″ 2.4 lbs

TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don’t need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice), USB extension cable,(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.

SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.

VIEWING SCREEN: All 2″ except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4″

IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan, we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren’t IN the water, we are around the water…on boats, in the sand with sea mist, etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare…

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That’s What Made It Even More Impressive, October 22, 2009

This Flip MinoHD camcorder is amazing– the ideal thing for any family hoping to videotape the kids, friends, events, etc. First of all, it’s completely idiot proof: when you get the box, there is absolutely no assembly required. Your first guess about which buttons are the power switch, record button, and USB connector release will be correct; great intuitive design. The device looks and feels great (as other reviewers have mentioned) and easily fits in your hand comfortably for long periods of time (unlike my blackberry). It turns on and off instantly (unlike my home computer or cell phone) so you don’t have to wait long to start recording that precious, fleeting moment.

The screen is a bit larger than the previous Flip Mino, but that’s not a big deal. Image quality is better than ever, and not too shaky/bouncy. The USB connector is about the same– still very convenient, easy to connect, and you don’t have to go running to find any special USB connector cable (like my old digital camera). The audio is surprisingly good, picking up faint background sounds that I hadn’t even noticed at the time of recording and picking up simultaneous music and voices, near and far, with great quality. The 2-hour battery life is more than I ever use, so it’s great, but I figure people who are videotaping entire concerts or watching grass grow might complain. Honestly I haven’t made use of the HD resolution, but I’m sure that will be fantastic when I start making my own rainforest nature shows. In the meantime, the HD quality is better than anything I’ll ever need. By the way, I know other reviewers have said they can make the camcorder freeze up by zooming in or out during recording, but mine works fine even when I do that. (I purposely tried to freeze it, but couldn’t.)

I saved the best for last: the Flip Video software. That’s what made it even more impressive! It is ridiculously easy to setup, automatically starts when I plug in the camcorder, and makes it completely obvious how to download the videos, play back, freeze frames to make photos, and share. And it’s fast– not much waiting for videos to load up (like other video players). It’s all in an easy-to-use, well-organized (by video date) layout very similar to the iPod control panel (a common comparison, it seems). I wish all software was this easy to use.

I highly recommend this device– it’s a winner!

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Point-and-Shoot HD Video for the Social Crowd, October 16, 2009

By 

V. Dean (Silicon Valley, CA) – See all my reviews

  

I’ve enjoyed every Flip since the first Mino and this 2nd Gen MinoHD exceeds all my expectations. It’s still easy-to-use and easy-to-share video; but, the package is slicker than ever. No fingerprints on the brushed metal front, the 2″ screen is shows detail in any light, and the controls are much more responsive than previous Minos and MinoHDs. The audio is so good, my son’s Reggae band won’t give it back.

PROS:

*2″ screen is big and clear

*Great HD video in normal to bright light

*Better sound than a personal voice recorder

*One thumb video shooting

*Easy uploads and edits – no format worries and YouTube friendly

*HDMI output directly to HD panels

*Brushed metal shrugs off fingerprints and nose prints (don’t ask)

*Storage pouch doubles as lens cleaner

*Lickable packaging

CONS:

*Low light shots are grainy (easily solved at price points ,000 higher)

*USB plug is a little tight

*The wrist strap was hard to mount because of the brushed metal-solved with a toothpick

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