Flip Video MinoHD F460 4 GB Camcorder - Silver

I love this amazing camera. This camera starts up in seconds! So you don't miss any action waiting for a long load screen to get ready. Easy use: Point and push the red button to record. Zoom in and out. I have noticed that you sometimes have to play around with the zoom to get it to register. Playback videos using the the left and right arrows and control volume. The size of this video recorder is just right and no one can really tell you are even holding a camera and recording. I brought this camera on a trip that I went on with a group of people and began recording from the very first day and it wasn't until about halfway through the trip that people started wondering what I was doing holding some kind of device that no one had ever seen. So this is definitely still a fairly new product that people aren't used to seeing. The camera came with a little bag and I was constantly putting it in and taking it back out of my pocket again and again, so it's small enough to slip right in and out. The simple USB plug pops right out for easy plugin right into any computer. Video is recorded in HD and is beautiful quality. Since the video is recorded in HD, videos do take up quite a bit more space on the hard drive. While there is software that comes with this camera, built-in, and auto-updating, I opted to use iMovie instead, finding plenty more options available than the FlipShare software. I explored the FlipShare software and found it pretty good and flexible for simple basic movies. I had occasional freezes but iMovie did the same thing when I was attempting to make a project longer than 30 minutes. Getting around this: Just make another project and merge the two movies later on. I recommend buying a tripod if you wish to record while sitting at your computer or for longer time periods for image stability. A disadvantage is that it only records video. However, using either the FlipShare software, QuickTime or iMovie, you can extract the bits of the HD movie into good quality pictures of the things you've shot in the movie. But it would have been nice for an extra option to just snap a quick picture. There are two ways I've used the video camera to take pictures. Either point and shoot and it takes a "preview" picture or just hold it on the scene for several seconds to a minute, zooming in and out ever so slightly so that you can later grab the picture. Another great advantage with the FlipShare software is it's social network friendliness: you can upload directly to MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, or anything else. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who wishes to begin recording their experiences either in everyday life or for traveling. With this camera, I quickly got over any shyness and I noticed that many people on the trip who had been (video) camera shy were quick to get over it and actually very understanding that I was putting together a movie for memories. After the trip, I ended up making it into an hour movie out of the time spent touring the country I was in, not just of the sights and things we saw, but of the people as well. Battery life is very long and you will likely never run out while recording. The only downside is the record time: 60 minutes is decent and was definitely enough for recording on a day-by-day basis, but 120 minutes would give you longer use. At the end of each day, I would load all the video on to my computer and have a fresh start for the next day. Definitely a lot of fun to be had with this camera!

The second generation FLIP Ultra was a great camcorder. You could keep it in your pocket ready to record any spontaneous moment and forget it's there. But the standard definition 480 line resolution lacked the visual punch of today's high definition world. The Ultra is almost identical to the Flip Mino, but it's bigger. Why buy bigger? First, there's the recessed lens that blocks sun glare better than the Mino. A few extra features like an HDMI connector and replaceable battery pack make it more usable. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Ultra over the Mino is the underwater housing. It's made specifically for the Ultra, and it won't work with the Mino.

The new FLIP Ultra HD shoots in high definition video mode at 720 lines (vs 480 for the non HD Flip). Although 720 is not full 1080 HD, the image is very clean and sharp, especially outdoors. The video is widescreen mode only, and fills the screen on a high definition TV. As the light level becomes lower, the image still retains a good deal of quality and does not get grainy until light levels become very low.

There are no manual over rides on any of the camcorder's white balance, exposure, focus, scene mode or audio. This is the most basic point and shoot camcorder. From three feet to infinity, the image is always in focus. The color is accurate under almost any lighting so you really don't need manual control. Back lighting can be a problem, so you need to frame your shots to avoid back lighting whenever possible.

If there's a weak link of this camcorder, it's keeping the image steady. There is no image stabilizer. The camera shoots 30 frames per second in progressive mode. The nature of progressive mode tends to make any image look jittery during pans or fast motion. Because of it's tiny size, you need to learn to hold this camera rock steady with both hands when you shoot, and pan very slowly.

The Ultra lacks any optical zoom like all previous Ultras. The digital zoom is nearly useless as it just magnifies the pixel size, losing sharpness as you zoom. You are limited to one hour on the internal memory, and two hours on the internal battery. The memory and the battery are not user removable. However, the built in USB plug lets you charge the camcorder on any computer as well as transfer the files to the hard drive.

Audio is very crisp and clear. Loud sounds are automatically lowered to prevent distortion. There isn't much bottom end (bass frequencies) to the audio, but this is an advantage when recording voices in a noisy environment as it prevents rumble from wind, traffic, etc. There are no audio inputs or headphone outputs. The audio/video connector that connects the Flip to a TV is only standard definition.

In order to view the video in high definition, you'll need to view it on a computer or copy it to a Blu Ray disk. A standard DVD is only 480 lines and is not high definition. But standard DVD's made from the Flip Mino HD look as good as the DVD format can deliver.

Yes, the Ultra HD has limitations. But not many high def camcorders fit in a small pocket or purse so well. The best camcorder is the one you have with you, and the Mino can be with you all the time. For it's intended purpose, casual video, it's an excellent camcorder. By learning it's strong and weak points, and with a little practice, a capable user can create some pretty fantastic videos with a Flip Ultra HD. I used it to create a music video and a wedding video.

As a mother of two kids I can always use a good video camera to capture those great moments wether its a milestone, school awards/programs, at home playing around, or out and about, and who wants to carry around a large camera all the time? This camera is perfect for my needs, its as small as a cell phone so it can be carried in a pocket, purse or diaper bag. It has great picture quality for it's size and pricing. The built in usb is a great feature because you're not having to search for a cord when you're in a hurry to get your videos on your computer! The time on the battery is excellent and lasts a good while. I've had it for 5 days so far and the battery is still almost completely full! However, there are a few things that I wish it did include such as a light for dimmer lit rooms and when it's dark. If you plan to take video in a dimly lit or at night this isn't exactly good for it. I would also have liked for it to come with a SD card expansion port to get more time on it especially for the holidays when I won't be by my computer and will probably be taking more than 60 minutes of video. The last thing that I wish it had as a feature would be still capture, however you can get some stills from the video itself but some do not look as good as you'd like. Other than that I would highly recommend this small portable digital camcorder, especially to those like me who has kids and would like to be able to get to a camcorder in a hurry and be able to upload them as soon as possible!

What I like best about the Flip Mino HD is that it is as simple and convenient as I can imagine to take excellent HD video. Carrying it around is easy. Turning it on, pointing, and clicking to start taking video is easy. Charging it is easy (just flip out the USB plug and stick it into the USB port on any PC - no cables to hassle or lose). Transferring the videos you take to your PC is easy (same as charging it). It even takes great video with great sound in most average or even dim light conditions. It even has a tripod mount on the bottom, and I'd recommend using it when possible, because with HD, high quality video, jitter is more noticeable.

The price of simplicity is, of course, that it lacks bells and whistles. No optical zoom. No fancy effects. No titling. No stereo sound. No big deal, if you ask me, unless you're doing professional shots.

So if you don't mind giving up advanced features in exchange for simple, great video from an inexpensive, convenient package you can keep in your pocket (just keep it in the nice protective velvet sleeve it comes with), I heartily recommend the Flip Mino HD. I use it more often than my more expensive camcorder, and I suspect you will too.

Really easy to use, even my old man who never own a dvd player could learned how to use this camcorder in just five minutes..I am serious :)

Video quality is pretty good too, and very easy to import in to my computer
Use USB to charge up helps me save some money from wasting on an expansive battery, I'm more than happy with this camcorder!