Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation 2 Hours Brushed Metal

Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation 2 Hours Brushed Metal

The sleek HD camcorder features 2 hours of record time and a large, 2″ anti-glare display, making it even easier to capture stunning HD video.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars What’s the best kind of HD camcorder?
What’s the best kind of HD camcorder?

The kind you have with you at all times.

The number one reason why I love my Flip Cam so much is that I always have it with me. My previous HD camcorder took outstanding video BUT I never had it when I needed it. So what did I do? I took lousy-quality videos with my cell phone or even worse: I’d miss the moment all together.

Now my wife just keeps it in her purse at all times and we whip it out when a moment we want to capture presents itself.

I also love the Flip Cam because there are no wires, battery packs, memory cards, or any other pieces that I need to make it work. After we fill it up, we just connect it to the USB port and let the software do the rest. Once it’s dumped, it goes right back into my wife’s purse.

Speaking about software, I really like what comes with the Flip Cam. What I like best is that as soon as I download my videos from the Flip Cam, it emails family members with a link where they can view the videos from their computer. This is especially great because it allows my grandma, who we don’t see very often, to watch the videos and feel more connected to the family.

I don’t mean to sound like a commercial for the Flip Cam, but I honestly do love it that much. While the video quality isn’t as good as my Canon VIXIA, the sheer convenience of it outweighs the difference in video quality.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5 Stars Excellent single-purpose recorder
Flip is a beautifully-designed, solid video recorder with high ease-of-use and a few bonus perks. If you have kids or a popular video blog, this straight-forward, no nonsense device is perfect for you.

The interface is simple and fun to use. The seamless control panel matches or even beats Apple with simplicity and smooth industrial design. The few buttons are intuitive and appropriately receptive to the touch. The built-in USB prong also makes it very easy to connect with your computer to download your videos and recharge the battery.

The video quality is excellent HD and the colors are brilliant. Automatic light adjustment is also good.

Flip also comes with complimentary video upload software and web hosting so that you can share your videos with your friends and family with ease (if you aren’t even slightly tech-capable to retrieve the video files from your hard drive and upload them to Facebook).

The main drawback to this simple device is that it is too simple. It’s just a video camera (I couldn’t even find a still photo option). It’s a very good video camera (perhaps the best in the compact department), but it is just that. If you are looking only for an excellent video camera, this is your device.

4 Stars Great little camera – but don’t expect HD imagery
This is a great little camcorder. It’s small – a bit longer than a deck of cards and about the same width but you get a lot of goodness in that small bundle. It doesn’t have a viewfinder so you have to rely on the LCD screen on the back but thankfully it’s more than large enough to work with. And the operational buttons beneath it are clearly laid out with one big red start/stop button the center that you cannot miss.

The form factor is cool especially the glowing red ‘record’ leds on the front (which can be disabled easily if you’d prefer to film incognito). Popping out the USB connector is straight forward and of course you can then hook the camera up to your PC/Mac for easy access to your footage. The supplied software is on the camera so no CDs to install. In fact hooking the camera up was a breeze and amazingly simple – gone are the days of transferring video from your camera to your computer via miniDV tape or even CDs. This is as easy as it gets. You can view, copy delete your footage as soon as it’s taken. They really have streamlined the process of getting video footage onto your PC. And, as an added bonus, while doing so your camera’s battery is also being charged via USB too. Nice.

Now image quality – well this is where we lose a star. It’s just not up to HD standards. It’s not. Sure it’s in HD rez (1280×720) but a cursory glance at the footage reveals it’s little more than up-scaled SD. Whilst I don’t expect cinema quality footage using a 3″ consumer camera, I do feel that if you call something HD then it needs to be MORE than just HD resolution – it needs HD quality as well… and you aren’t going to get that here. But then for the price, size and lens type should you expect it? Probably not.

This is, after all, a camera for every day fun – vacations, family gatherings and so on. Just pop it in your pocket and shoot what ever takes your fancy. So if you go in with no greater expectation than that then you won’t be sorry you bought it.

Fun camera to film your fun times!

4 Stars A great pocket camcorder. Just wish is had better picture quality.
When I go shopping for new cameras and camcorders, I value one thing above all else: picture quality. I don’t care if it has 10,000 pixels or some fancy-named sensor. I want my pictures and video to look good first and foremost. Second, I look for a camera that I like holding in my hands. Some cameras take great pictures but are difficult to work with.

For my review of the Flip HD, I’ll keep it short and to-the-point.

LOOKS great. Very stylish and retro. 5 stars.

FEELS okay in my hands. Most camcorders fit my hand better than the Flip. Button placement is good. Few buttons to work with. 3 stars.

IMAGE QUALITY could be improved. The HD label just means that the video will be big, but it doesn’t mean it will look hi-def. If you want good picture quality, I wouldn’t recommend this HD camera. For the price, the quality is what you’d expect but like to see improved. It’s just okay. 3 stars.

SOFTWARE that comes with a camera is something I never use. I work with my video in Abode Premier Elements and don’t plan on using limited software that comes bundled with a camera. N/A

MEMORY & BATTERY LIFE is good for the price. Not great, but not poor either. 4 stars.

Who’s this camera for? The niche market for the Flip HD is the 10-25 age group. It is very stylish, easy to work with, but misses in some key areas that a more discerning shopper would want. If you have the money, spend a little more and get a handheld camcorder from Panasonic, Sony or Canon. You’ll spend more, but you’ll get a far better video experience.

4 Stars Sexier version of the old Flip
Good:

If you’ve had the first generation Flip, this is the more stylish, smaller (and of course, HD) version. It feels more solid, like something out of a spy movie. Especially the front-facing recording light, which can be turned off.

The video and audio (in stereo, no less) are good quality, and you get a 2-hour battery life. Clear 2″ screen. The user interface is pretty much the same as the old model, so if you’re used to it, you’re all set. HDMI output as well. Comes with strap, carrying pouch, and cables.

The software is snappy and easy to use. Your video is easily transferred and ready for YouTube.

Not great:

The zoom is, of course, not great, but unless you want something more expensive and bulkier, that’s something to live with. The other thing is the USB connector – it makes the unit hang in mid-air. Gives me the willies. But so far it hasn’t snapped off.

The battery is nonremovable, and there’s no memory expansion.

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Flip UltraHD Camcorder 120 Minutes White

Flip UltraHD Camcorder 120 Minutes White

The Flip UltraHD Camcorder combines Flip Videos signature shoot-and-share simplicity with the power of vivid, vibrant HD video. Power on and press record to start capturing incredible HD video in seconds. When its time to share your video, use the flip-out USB arm to connect to any PC or Mac and launch built-in FlipShare editing and video-sharing software. Built-in FlipShare software lets you easily email videos, edit individual clips, make custom movies, capture still photos from video, and even upload video to sharing sites likeYouTube and MySpace

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Nice alternative to traditional camcorder
My wife and I are having a child, so we decided to get a camcorder. In looking at all of the available options out there, we started to look into the Flip style pocket cams vs. the traditional camcorder route. We knew we wanted HD, but I didn’t want to spend $400 and up for a traditional style camcorder. When we started thinking about all the ways we would use it (clips of the baby for emailing to the grandparents, etc) the Flip style video recorders started to really shine. Add in the Flipshare software, and this thing is just about perfect for our needs. The camera itself is tiny, like fit in your pocket tiny, so I am apt to take it more places without fear of destroying it (the beach, etc). The HD video is superb so long as you have good light and are not panning quickly. I do not think it is as good as some of the higher price point camcorders out there, but we are talking about 1/4 the price here, for what I think are very acceptable levels of performance. The Flipshare software is pretty intuitive, you set up emails that can join your “channel” and when you plug your camera in via the convenient USB port to upload video, they are alerted to a new video for them to watch. Really makes it easy to share via the web. You can also burn to DVD. Overall, I am impressed. I would like to see newer models include such features as image stabilization, and perhaps better zoom (almost non-existent, and since it’s digitial, probably wouldn’t recommend using it anyways).

5 Stars Love it!
I bought this as I’m getting ready to build a new house and wanted to have a video record of the build process. Last time I just took pictures, and thought it would be cool to have videos this time. I want to be able to easily upload to a house blog that I’m creating so friends and relatives can follow the process. The week after I got it I attended my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary and took the Flip along with me. I took about 18 different clips and then easily made them into a movie with the Flip software. The FlipShare software allows you to share by email or uploading to a Flip channel. Needless to say, they were thrilled with the end result when I sent them a copy. I only wish I owned this when my parents had their 50th anniversary! The HD video is very clear even when enlarged to full screen. It comes partially charged so I was video taping 5 minutes after I opened it up. It’s very user friendly and fun to use.

5 Stars Works Great Videoing Moving Horses
I bought this Flip UltraHD even though I already had an older flip camcorder, still working by the way, they both work the same except this new on has more sensitive controls, another words the buttons work better. I do a lot of horse videos so the wider screen format makes it so much easier to follow the horses as they speed by. I had a very expensive HD camcorder already but the flip is so handy I carry it around in my shirt pocket and get more videos that way. I don’t miss having to hook up the two cables and figure out what program to use to take video off the old expensive camcorder with a weird .MOD format that does not work with most of my software, I had to covert videos with yet more software. With the flip I just plug it in to the usb port, the flip software starts automatically and then I can choose what videos I want to keep. This is a real no brainer other than you may like the mino flipHD it is smaller, but I have big hands so I chose this one. The video color and brightness is very good.

4 Stars Good Beginners HD Camcorder
I was very excited to receive my Flip Ultra HD camcorder to begin filming everything and anything. It is so portable you can really take it anywhere and after seeing the quality of the camera on youtube I was very impressed I had to purchase it. When I got the device I instantly filmed a few test videos to see the quality, and it wasn’t that impressed. The best quality you can get from what I have found is outside. The visuals look great and the colors stand out. I guess I might be used to HD images but the quality looked 480p/540p. It could just be my device but indoor shots with decent lighting were just average, I really didn’t get that wow effect compared to the videos I saw on youtube.

Other than that, I am extremely satisfied with the portability of the camera. It is so small and fits in your pocket so you can really take it anywhere. I plan on filming a lot with this device and the flipshare software was very easy to use. I am a beginner to video editing and using iMovie HD has been semi difficult but I am figuring it out. Once I used the included Flipshare software, I was able to make a great movie in seconds! Very easy to use which is what I liked. I recommend this camcorder for anyone looking for simple point and shoot video. The HD is an added bonus although my device doesn’t really look HD but again it could just be a lemon. Buy this camera you will have a blast using it!

4 Stars Portability Fun!
I’d have to say the same things about the Flip UltraHD that’s been said hundreds of times! I would defintely but the UltraHD rather than the Flip Ultra Camcorder 2nd Generation, 120 Minutes (White)

Two problems however. One is the zooming, it only zooms 2x. I’d like for it to zoom at least 4x and I wouldn’t care if the lens had to come out very far from the camcorder!

And, of course, my biggest concern. No, not the audio quality! No, not even the fact that this camcorder has no image stabilizer. But the fact that this camcorder has no MACRO!!! This basically means whenever you close-in on an object (e.g. a cell phone screen), the image BLURRRRRRRRRS out!

In the end, I say this is a good “starter” camcorder. What are you waiting for, buy it!

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Flip Video Power Adapter

Flip Video Power Adapter

The Flip Video Power Adapter helps you keep your Flip camcorder charged and ready to go at all times. The compact adapter plugs into any wall outlet and features a USB port that connects to your camcorder’s USB arm. The Power Adapter is a particularly handy option for travelers.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star buyer beware
A word of caution, this item was included in a “combo” package with the Flip camcorder, the problem is my camcorder uses AA bateries and can’t be charged with this power adapter. So it’s never been used.

3 Stars Flip Video Power Adapter for me is so so
I almost returned this. Flip rechargeable batteries have a problem recharging with message coming up saying “charging paused”. They do this being recharged using Flip Video Power Adapter or my computer. However, the batteries then seem to work in the camera ??? Meanwhile I am always armed with regular AA batteries.

3 Stars works, but wierd configuration
i got this power adapter for my flip video hd. after contacting the company as to why it wasn’t working, they gave me instructions to do this and that and it seemed to charge after that. this adapter has the port on the bottom so it makes it akward to use as my flip has the usb arm on the side. i have to make a sling to support the camcorder while it’s charging. the setup is a bit funky but the charger does seem to work.

1 Star Nickel and dimed
[I don't know if it was intended to be this way, but this is textbook nickel and diming the valued customer. The Flip camcorder comes without a charger and the proprietary charger (this one) comes without a charging cord.]

I thought I’d get the charger for my Flip MinoHD because its non-removable battery can only be charged through a computer USB port OR the Flip’s own adapter and I CAN imagine instances where I don’t want to carry a laptop around so that I could charge a pocket-sized camcorder. I also did not like the way the MinoHD plugs into the laptop and hangs there, charging for hours, suspended by the USB arm.

Well… $24.95 later (that’s what I paid at the Flip site) it turns out that there’s just ‘one more thing’ needed to make this work the way I want it to. I couldn’t imagine it possible and I didn’t check before ordering but the charger came WITHOUT a cord so the MinoHD has to hang off the charger by its USB arm again while the charger itself plugs into the wall outlet (weird).

I really wish the Flips were compatible with standard chargers. The way they are now, while allowing us to take good videos on the cheap, they also complicate life more than they should. It’s one star because I don’t like its design/ergonomics, I don’t like the concept of asking the customer to spend more on a NEEDED wire and because I’m returning it.

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Note:

I found that the USB Travel Charger for SanDisk Sansa Clip/ Sansa Fuze/Sansa View/Sansa e200 is perfect at charging my MinoHD and almost a steal, pricewise. You will need a cord, unless you want your MinoHD hanging off its USB charging arm while charging.

4 Stars I Flipped For This!
I’ve noticed several complaints about this product, but many of these were in conjunction with the Flip Mino, whereas I have the Flip UltaHD. I received the Adapter and it’s a piece of cake. I’ve used it several times with no problem. My only gripe is having to use something to prop up the video and adapter against the wall because I don’t want the video to “hang”, but otherwise it works fine. I was able to charge the battery pack in 3.5 to 4 hours.

Buy/More Info

Panasonic Waterproof Shock Proof Compact SD Camcorder Silver SDR SW20S

Panasonic Waterproof Shock Proof Compact SD Camcorder Silver SDR SW20S

Panasonic’s SDR-SW20 compact SD camcorder is built tough so you can shoot in places never before possible. Take it underwater as deep as 5 feet for great video in the pool or ocean. Waterproofing also means you can shoot in the rain or snow with no worries. The SW20 is also shockproof, resisting damage even if dropped from a height of up to 4 feet with improved fortification inside and out. A dustproof design keeps the camcorder safe even if handled with dirty hands or used in a place with swirling dust. Take it to the beach or sports field without worrying about sand. And since its waterproof, simply wash it with water when it gets dirty.This product is small enough to slip in a pocket or bag. Cool enough to take everywhere you go. This is one stylish camcorder you’ll never want to be without. The SW20 SD camcorder starts up to record quickly. In Quick Start mode, recording begins in just 0.6 seconds from the time the LCD is opened. This lets you catch those sudden shooting opportunities.The USB port allows you to connect directly to a DVD burner. And copying a recording from an SD card to a DVD disc is as easy as selecting from the menu. To view your video, simply take the SD card from the camcorder and slip it into any TV or DVD player with an SD card slot; there are no cables to worry about.First, transfer the motion-image data from the SD card to your PC using your PC’s USB port. Then with the included MotionSD STUDIO 1.3E software, you can easily put scenes in a different order, delete the ones you don’t want, and add a wide variety of video effects. Save your results by burning your video production onto DVD.

$244.98

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