FLIP video has done a great deal to prove to me as a repeat customer that they heavily weigh simplicity and ease of use when designing their products. My family owns two FLIP camcorders and it is clear to me that the previous version:
-Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Brushed Metal, 8 GB, 2 Hours (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL
is a much better value for the money as I do not believe the minor updates on this "new" model warrant a $70 plus price increase (a nearly 50% premium!!!!)
The new generation has maintained the small size and easy use of the second generation. They have added a new sensors and image stabilization to 720p video at 60fps. (Second gen-720p 30fps)
I bought the 2nd generation flip minoHD (ASIN: B002R5AM7C) as a present for myself and my family to use for many different applications. The kids have used it for making YouTube videos with their friends. We have used it to record Birthdays, Christmas and many other random filmable occasions all with great results. It has become a favorite of all of the members of my family and me.
My son recently moved away to college and I decided to give the second generation family minoHD to him for school. Conveniently for our Flip-Lacking family, the new 3rd generation minoHD just came out so I ordered it to replace the second generation.
I would be kidding myself if I did not acknowledge that the new features do add some recording benefits but the basis of this review is that my family and I have decided that these improvements just ARE NOT worth the extra $70.
The recording quality is still 720p; the fps increase is hardly noticed. I would feel much better about the price increase if 1080p recording had been incorporated but with the newest round of cell phones producing HD video now, FLIP needs to give us more upgrade for the money.
For now, IMO, the 2nd generation Flip minoHD is a much better value. Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL
I got one of these as a gift and wasn't sure I'd use it much since I have accumulated an assortment of digital cameras big and small. This little powerhouse of a camera has become the go-to for all my video. It's very small and light but comfortable in the hand and I've been able to use it with ease without ever opening the instruction book which was a big plus for me. I also love that there is no power or USB cord that I have to keep track of because I'm terrible about keeping those handy for my other cameras. The video plays back crisp and clear even on the full-screen. It rivals my much larger and more expensive Canon HD video camera, which takes amazing video but I rarely use because it's such a hassle. Overall I think this new Flip is an amazing piece of hardware -- stylish, compact, powerful -- that couldn't be easier to use.
I bought this camera for my girlfriend for Christmas. She wanted a digital camera, but I thought she would have more fun with a pocket video camera. Ironically, my dad had the same idea for my mom and also bought her a pocket video camera. However, being that he read a lot of reviews and is tedious in his research, he went with the Kodak Zi8. That was most unfortunate for the Flip product because I was able to compare them side by side. The Kodak Zi8 is a far superior product in every aspect. Here is a list of what you can do with Flip: Record video, adjust volume, view video. Here is a list of what you can do with Zi8: Choose between 4 different qualities of video, with the highest being 1080p, zoom in and out, adjust volume, take still pictures (which was a huge selling point), date/time stamp, adjust brightness. For half the price, the Zi8 is a no brainer. I returned the Flip to Amazon and promptly order the Zi8 in its stead. I saw a similar product from Sharper Image that I would purchase over the Flip if I had a choice based on the ridiculous price being charged for the Flip.
I have several nice cameras and camcorders but anytime I ask my wife to take a picture, I have to go through a minor training program explaining what this is and what that is. By the time I get it all explained, the photo opportunity is usually lost. I have given up buying her cameras since even the simplest ones seem to baffle her.
I have a smart and very high tech friend, who has many excellent cameras, but often uses a Flip Ultra and loves it. When Amazon offered the Mino HD as the "Deal of the Day", I read a few reviews and went for it. I frankly find it to be an amazing and unique piece of equipment. In this day of cramming more and more features into smaller and smaller packages, Flip has taken the "Keep it Simple" route and I applaud them for that. There is no choice of several video formats, just the one that many of us consider the best. There is no separate still image feature but the software allows you to grab stills of pretty good quality quite easily. Essentially, there is one button to turn the unit on, one button to extend the USB connection, and a large red button to begin and end recording. There is no memory card and no battery, instead, an internal battery and built in memory that will give you two hours of HD recording. It has an image stabilization system, probably electronic that does fine. The LCD screen is beautiful and adequate in size.
In short, this is exactly what I wanted for my wife, something that turns on, takes videos, and turns off. The videos viewed full screen are very good. The sound is excellent. This camera is exactly what it was meant to be, fast into action and good HD quality with good sound. Videos are simple to get on the computer and play beautifully.
The Flip software loads right from the camera, no disc to keep track of. As soon as I loaded it, I was offered a chance to update the software and did. One of the new features allowed me to import my contact list for email. The email program, for the most part, is excellent, but more on that in a minute.
The software is excellent and very intuitive. You can shorten videos from either end and save the new video separately or replace the original one in your camera. You can take stills from the videos with the click of one button. A couple of times my videos were a little jerky, causing a dialogue box to appear that said something like,...."You seem to be having trouble playing your video from the camera. We suggest saving it to your computer and playing the saved copy" That was a one click operation and worked perfectly. I have tried stills, shortening, etc, everything except making a movie. I'm sure that will be easy.
emailing is a snap. All you do is click the email symbol. It lets you drag and drop any video or still and emails them easily. There is no sizing or changing of anything required. I love this feature! Although the emails do not appear in your sent mail file, the Flip software has it's own sent mail file. You can always find what you sent to someone.
So, why not give this Mino HD five stars? It is what it claims to be and it exceeds my expectations. I'd love to give it five stars but I find that the emailing feature, one of my favorites, is mishandled by Flip, at least in my opinion. The person receiving the email will feel that is has been sent by Flip,...and there are ads and invitations to click on this or that for more. It is very easy for the email recipient to find himself in the Flip store with many items offered for sale. Really now, Flip, should you attach your ads to what you call privately shared email? I don't think so. We all get enough spam without it being attached to our personal email.
Anyone wanting something small enough to have with them and simple to operate will love this Mino HD. I'll probably check back after my wife tries it Christmas day. I'm betting she'll love it.
Flip, if you see this, please consider changing your email presentation. You really don't need that with the excellent products you have. It wouldn't surprise me if people found your email ads more offensive than enlightening.
Jack'
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