Flip Mino Video Camera - Black, 2 GB,1 Hour (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Flip Video
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List Price: Our Price: $40.00 You Save: $109.99 (73%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Flip Mino Video Camera - Black, 2 GB,1 Hour (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Very useful and convenient
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this product for a specific purpose, to use as a dash cam in my car in order to capture video evidence in case of an accident. I work in auto insurance, and everyday I have to deal with the reality of what happens when people who were involved in an accident with each other dispute how it happened, and no other evidence exists to clarify the facts (so you'll have to forgive me if I seem a little paranoid on the issue :) When I go out to my car, I just drop it in one of those plastic mounts that clips onto your air vent to hold cell phones, ipods, etc., pointing the camera lens out the front windshield. I press the power button and the red record button and I'm ready to go in less than a second. It doesn't take up a lot of room or look cumbersome or get in the way. There is also no time consuming set up or waiting, and that's important when you use a device like this frequently.
When I reviewed the video quality from my first trip with it, I was very pleased with the results. It takes much higher quality video that other devices that are specifically designed for this purpose, for around the same price. I can see things clearly in the video that will be vital if I ever need to use it, like the color of the light at intersections as I pass through them and how I'm positioned in my lane.
On a few occasions I've had it freeze up on me, and had to reset it using the pinhole size reset button on the bottom of the unit. It's a little bit of a pain when it happens and you have nothing around to insert in the hole to reset it with, like a paperclip or thumbtack. Other than those few glitches, it's been reliable.
This device has been designed with simplicity and portability in mind, so any shortcomings in video quality and bells and whistles really need to be overlooked, in my opinion. It really couldn't be more simple to use and carry. There's the power button, record button, trash can button for deleting videos, a plus + and - button for zooming in and out, and < and > buttons for scrolling forward and backward through video when watching playback on the device. That's it. I consider the fact that it has any kind of zoom at all a bonus. It's best features are its small size and the fact that it powers up and down almost instantaneously, and can fit in your shirt pocket, giving you the advantage of being able to capture an event on a second's notice that might otherwise be missed if you had to stop to dig around for and set up a more traditional camcorder. It's worth it's weight in gold for casual video recording.
There is 1 hour of recording time built into the unit, and it is not expandable. I've read complaints about the lack of expandability, but given the form factor and the length of the battery life, plus the fact that you have to plug it into your computer to charge it anyway, adding more memory would not be useful for the sole reason that the existing battery life would not allow you to record for much longer than the built in memory allows for. And since you'd be plugging it into a computer to recharge it anyway, there's no reason not to dump the existing video to the hard drive at that time. Therefore, any additional memory you wish you could add would probably not be used anyway.
Customer Review: Simple, easy to use, but has a few flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I received this item as a gift. I have always been put-off by flash-based video recorders because typically the quality of the video is poor. After using this device for about a day or so, I'd have to say this is probably the best mini video recorder I have ever used.
The video quality is excellent. The device records videos in a divx format, so it is capable of squeezing excellent video quality out of the relatively small built-in 2 GB memory. The colors are vibrant, lines are sharp, and detail is excellent. Even in lower-light, indoor situations, this recorder is capable of showing a lot of detail. In extremely low-light situations, however, you won't get much of a picture, and there is no light. Even my cell phone has a small LED light that can be used in low-light situations, so the absence of such a feature on this recorder is noticeable. Don't expect to use it in the dark. You also can't flip the camera around and record yourself without guessing.
When you connect this device to a Windows PC, you can either use the supplied software or just copy the files from the device, since it will appear as a portable drive in your PC. The supplied software will allow you to save and sort videos, edit them, and compress them into smaller formats for emailing. I prefer to use my own software, so I will probably ignore the supplied software most of the time. If you want to play the files back on your PC, you will need to install specific video codecs.
A couple of issues -- you can't expand the memory. 60 minutes seems sufficient, since the days of "recording" entire events seems to have passed. The device is better-suited to short 2-5 minute clips. But an expansion slot would be helpful, especially when taking this device on vacation when there isn't a computer available to copy and delete files to make more space.
The zoom feature is really just 2x, and I would expect more. Don't expect to zoom in close from really far distances, so this won't work at the kid's shows, recitals, etc. The zoom is only good for changing perspective, so as to minimize boredom while recording, and makes for some interesting transitions between
The unit lacks features I would expect to find, such as the ability to adjust recording quality (to extend recording capacity, etc.). It also doesn't allow you to adjust the brightness of the screen, which can annoy people in low-light situations. The power button is awkwardly recessed, and I can't turn the device on as quickly as I would like. However, it has a quick start-up and is ready to go within seconds.
The device feels good in my hands, and has a great glossy surface. However...it attracts fingerprints and will probably be prone to scratches.
Overall, I give this item a 7 out of 10. There is room for improvement, but it does the job well, and is a great, small, portable device that can be carried all the time to shoot random, candid videos. The quality is better than a cell-phone, and the quality is just as good as any full-fledged camcorder. It just needs a little more to make it "great".
Customer Review: Not perfect but worth the money ....
Summary: 4 Stars
From dagblog.com
My One Favorite Thing this week is the Flip Mino video camera. What a clever little device. I've been using it a ton on my Thanksgiving trip home, including capturing the touching moment when my girlfriend and i first surprised my parents. The Mino was made for that type of event - a short experience when you either don't want to lug around a more substantial or expensive video camera or when you want to be somewhat surreptitious that you're taping things.
The Mino feels good to hold in the hand, and operating the device, especially the responsive touch sensitive control panel, is both easy and enjoyable. It holds an hour of video and the battery lasts quite a while. It has a nifty USB plug attached (but normally hidden) which charges the device when connected to a computer as well as launches a software program that allows you to work with your clips.
The video imaging software is basic but relatively easy to use (though certainly not as seamless or genius as ITunes). You can share videos with others via private email or by uploading (compressed versions) to public Web sites. You can edit videos for length, and also make very simple movie mixes, with the free version of the software but for more indepth options, you'll have to upgrade to the rather costly premium version (which I think is sheer nonsense - Pure Digital, the makers of the Mino, ought to realize that software differentiation and functionality will be key if they are to be anything more than a flash in the pan).
As far as other suggested improvements, I'd like a bigger LCD screen in the front (or better yet, a small screen on the side with the camera lens so you can see what you're filming when you're pointing the camera at yourself). A headphones jack on the device would be convenient for playback. Also, I'd like a way to customize the length of the auto shut-off option as several times I've attempted to capture a fleeting moment only to realize the device powered down (and takes several seconds to boot back up). I also wish it had a better zoom functionality.
Technically the video and audio is pretty darn good, more than sufficient for Web viewing, and ok for TV as well, which you can do with an included cable. My device isn't high def, tho they just came out with a new Flip camera that is HD (it's more expensive and a bit bigger and heavier, and taking a bunch of HD videos would quickly eat up a lot of space on a hard drive).
Obviously, a lot of digital cameras and even mobile phones take video but the simplicity and features of the Mino make it a compelling stand-alone product. Right now, Apple can't even do pictures well with its iPhone, but I'm sure eventually they'll find a way to effectively converge video functionality so that the Mino becomes obsolete.
In the meantime, however, I highly recommend anyone interested in a portable, fun, easy-to-use, fairly inexpensive video camera that is perfect for taking short video clips and then sharing them on the Web with others take a look at the Mino.
Customer Review: Recording in less than a minute after opening the box!
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Flip Video Mino really is THAT easy, and I am NO techie. If your goal is to be up and running with probably the easiest to use video recorder on the market, you'll be thrilled with this device.
The Mino comes in what looks like a black jewel box, and the glossy black gadget really is elegant and foolproof, even without reading the little insert that is all the written documentation you get with it. You don't need more.
The recorder was partially charged, so I flipped the on button, and suddenly the screen showed brilliant color and crisp delineation. The device is razor-thin, yet all the features are well-defined, belonging to a much more substantial product.
The video screen is BIG, a lot bigger than I thought it would be. No squinting needed if you didn't put your glasses on! The software easily maneuvers you through the date and time set-up; saving recordings is no effort at all, and deleting them is a snap.
The Mino recharges through the USB port of your computer. It is a little nerveracking that it kind of hangs off the port; it's just a little bit HIGHER than the tabletop of my laptop (a problem easily rectified if you use a USB extension cord so as not to put the pressure on the flip-top USB plug.)
People with Macs may have a little more difficulty with this than PC users, but I didn't find it so. IMovie opened right up when I plugged the Mino in to download the short video I made of the dog staring at me (you can't be too fussy for subjects if you just opened the box!) I started fooling around with the editing functions, and I didn't see any problems at all, but then, since I'm such a newbie, I'm sure it's more complicated than I think it is.
The only quibbles I'd have are the aforementioned USB port dangling off your laptop when it's time to recharge (just makes me nervous; why stress the plug if you don't have to?); the case is so smooth and elegant, it seems a little fragile. I'd highly recommend buying some type of hardcase to carry it in and keep the inevitable scratches at bay.
There are some cute and functional gadgets you can buy to outfit your Mino. One I'm going to invest in is the short tripod with the bendable legs; absolutely indespensible if you want to shoot those Youtube videos of yourself and the entire family.
Experts may find the simplicity of the Mino limiting and a little tedious. The memory isn't expandable, and you've got 60 minutes of recording capability with this, so if you're a photojournalist on assignment in Beirut, it's probably not gonna cut it for you.
But for the rest of humanity who would like a foolproof method of video recording, Mino more than fits the bill with an almost zero learning curve!
Customer Review: Great compact device you can take everywhere!
Summary: 5 Stars
The form factor on this product is great. Its noticeably smaller (in both the pocket and the hand) than its predecessor - the Flip Video Ultra Series, 60 min. And the Ultra was already compact to begin with! The sleek size was important to me because I just won't bring a camcorder out with me if it doesn't fit easily in my pocket. This device did just the trick. If you don't care about size (i.e., because you will just put it in your purse, etc) then I would suggest saving the money and getting the Ultra, which lists for about $50 or so less.
As far as I can tell, the video quality and functionality is about the same as the Ultra and they both have the 2GB of memory, similar 1.5" screen size, digital zoom etc. So the only reason in my mind to get this is for the size advantage. But for me, size does matter. When I think about how many moments passed by unrecorded simply because it was too cumbersome to take a camcorder along, it really makes me wish they made this Mino years ago!
For those of you unfamiliar with Flip camcorders, the Mino has suprisingly good VGA video quality. I'd put it on par with that of much larger, more expensive traditional camcorders. The Mino also records well in a variety of light settings. The lack of a true optical zoom is probably to be expected given the small size, but the 2x digital zoom is good enough for most casual settings. The design is well thought out to avoid many of the classic pitfalls of portable devices - there's a scratch resistant covering on the lens, an on/off switch on the side that is difficult to trip accidentally and a centrally located record button that has enough resistance to avoid unintentionally starting/stopping recording (I know some have issues with the Ultra record button but I have not).
I have a PC at home and the Mino truly is a plug-and-play device. You don't have any confusing software or cables to muddle around with. Simply plug the USB adapter into your computer and you're ready to go! It's great for the non-technically savvy. I also like the rechargeable built-in battery in the Mino (which is a new feature). It recharges like an iPod, either in the computer or through an outlet which is convenient. I can't attest yet to the battery life/quality but I figure by the time it dies out on me, I'll be well on my way to buying a next generation Flip Micro!
I noticed the price dropped on the black Flip Mino. For those of you who don't know (Amazon doesn't advertise this) Amazon not only has a 30 day return policy, but a 30 day price adjustment policy as well. So if you bought your Flip in the past 30 days, you can call them up and they will immediately refund the difference to you with no hassles. This policy holds for all products directly sold by Amazon.