Camcorder Reviews

If Apple and Flip Video have anything in common, it is the fact that they keep releasing the next generation models of their product line without much of an actual difference. The Flip Mino was a hit and has been in the market for quite a while now. It is notable here that the third generation model of the Mino HD has been released and is continuing with its evolution; it is only an evolution and definitely not a revolution. All the major areas of the product, such as, the features, operation and design remain to be the same. Instead of competing with the features of the other models, Flip video has kept it simple sticking with what they already included.

Design:

As we just mentioned, Flip Mino HD 3rd Gen Camcorder looks pretty much the same as its previous generations. This cannot be said to be a bad thing, as the Mino HD is really smart phone sized, in fact smaller than the Nokia N97. It has a black matte finishing with touch sensitive buttons. Flip has also given you an option to personalise it your own unique way by allowing you to design your own case cover. Just upload any pattern on the site and Flip will do the rest.

Ports and slots:

As far as input and output is concerned, you get a HDMI op and sports a flip out USB, which allows you to connect it to the PC straight away. Software wise, the Mino HD offers a very handy built-in app that enables the user to edit and upload the videos on the web. With FlipShare, it is extremely easy to share the clips on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Memory:
There is also nothing available to get in own storage. The Flip Mini HD Video Camcorder comes in two capacities of 4GB and 8GB. With 8GB memory, you will get two hours of video and that is about it. As soon as that is used up, you need to have your PC handy to load it up before you can continue shooting.

Features:

The best part of Flip Mino HD third generation is its simplicity in design and functionality. It will not be fair to say that the range of options provided is very less will be an understatement. However, this is not a criticism because as we had just mentioned previously the simplicity is the beauty of Mino HD. Taking videos with this device is just as simple as switching it on, pointing and pressing the record button. This device is absolutely fool proof as there is zilch settings to mess with. The only thing you will be able to do is, just push down the middle button at the time of start-up, which will allow you to set up the time and date, and this will also turn off the noise alerts.

Simple:

Those who worry about not having options will not buy Mino HD on the first place and those who do not like the settings will find it absolutely liberating. So, the question here is, at what settings does the device actually shoot at? The Mino HD records at 720p at a frame rate of 50fps. If you have noticed, this is the place where the third generation differs from its previous version. The 2nd gen Mino HD shot at just 30fps. This can be definitely said to be a step towards the positive direction offering a much smoother motion outdoors. The only thing that we are not able to get out heads around is, why the company did not increase the resolution, especially since most of the other manufacturer’s offer 1080i or 1080p, at a lower price mark.

Image stabilisation:

One addition that is worth mentioning is the addition of image stabilization feature. However, it is just electrical; the optical stabilizers are better. However, it is worth noting that it does a good job at stabilizing some minor shakes.

No still photos:

One of the facts that is definitely stacked against the Mino HD is its lack of a dedicated photo shoot mode. This is one of the very basic features expected and even the cheapest models in the markets seem to possess by default. This will definitely prove to be a turn off to some consumers who may wish to have one small gadget for both their photo shooting and video needs.

Performance:

Moving on to performance, we found that the Flip Mino HD performed much better than the rivals. The videos seem to be having vibrant colours and images are quite detailed too. The motions are pretty smooth and the shutter issues are quite negligible. In the low light conditions, the videos are quite grained with some visible oversaturation. However, the Mino HD still performs better than the rivals in the low light conditions.

Warranty:

The Mino HD comes with 1 year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

It is quite disappointing that the third generation Flip Mino HD has not managed to bring in a still image mode or even bumped up the resolution by a little. Since this model does not have anything drastically changed over the previous model, those who are looking for an upgrade may prefer to just skip. Yet another thing to be considered here is that, while the market is actually being flooded with pocket camcorders, the Flip Mino HD does not seem to be the best value for money. However its point and shoot simplicity will lure many consumers towards it.

Flip Mino HD 3rd Generation Camcorder – Technical Specification Table

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