Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend Mino is a camcorder that goes anywhere. Simply put it in your pocket! Then easily share your video on the web on MySpace, YouTube, and AOL. Weighing in at just over three ounces, the remarkably slim yet powerful Flip Video Mino raises the bar for high-quality, portable, and easy-to-use video. Smaller than most cell phones, Mino fits neatly into a jeans pocket to capture life's stories whenever and wherever they… Product details and pricing info |
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261 Customer Reviews Posted
- Go with the More Compact Mino
- All the positive reviews are true. My comments focus on the smaller size and increased price of the Flip Mino.
Now that the Flip Video Ultra Series is at least $50 cheaper, the question is whether to purchase the Ultra or the upgraded Mino? (I have only used the Mino.)
With the Mino, Flip Video has maintained its KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) - all while making the design more iPod-ish. Perfect! It also says it has improved the video, audio and software.
In the theme of iPod commercials, cool Daddy can whip out his Flip Mino to capture quick and precious moments with his two-year old son; while Grandpa - at family events - has to have it staged, while fumbling around with his high-tech camcorder.
Simply put - the Flip Mino is the iPod of camcorders. - 2008-06-27, 1 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- An amazing size for an Amazing camera
- The Flip Video Mini is on its was to making traditional video cameras obsolete. The Flip Mini gives you...
- Good video quality (certainly not HD... but not bad)
- A rechargeable battery
- Ease of use ... if you have a PC (more on this later) it really is as easy as plugging the camera into your USB port
- Very small ... it is thinner than a deck of cards.... really it is about the size of an average cell phone (Non-Blackberry).
- 1 hour of video capturing ability.
-Sleek enough looks that you would think that it was made by Apple.
- And in my opinion a pretty decent value
Now when compared to the Flip Ultra it loses some of its charm... in fact, I would only recommend the Mini if you value the smaller size (It is about 1/2 the thickness) or if you have a passion for rechargeable batteries.
--- one alert----
Flip cameras are not as easy to use when you use Macs - and you do lose some of the built in editing and you-tube type features. In fact, if you are interested in Flip Camera and own a Mac I would highly recommend you buying Roxio Crunch Roxio Crunch Win/Mac as a means to convert your videos so that they can be viewed on your Mac. It is not hard to convert using Roxio Crunch, but it is an extra step.
Final tally - 5 stars for a PC user - 4 stars for a Mac - happy recording! - 2008-06-27, 1 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Top-notch, easy to use, and great for any age! Works great with my Mac, too!
- Let me start off by saying that I owned a Flip Ultra for about 4 days several months ago before returning it. It had some bugs in its software and I found the record button on it to be extremely hard to use. The Flip Mino is a vast improvement over the Ultra!!! And the smaller size is a great bonus!! I absolutely love the simplicity of this camera. It's easy to operate, right out of the box. And instead of a massive instruction book, there's a fold-out quick guide. It really couldn't be any simpler to operate. The software this time around seems to be fine, too. I'm using a Mac running the last version of Tiger (NOT Leopard), and haven't had any problems. It should be noted that the "extra" software that comes with the camera and allows you to stitch together clips, etc. does NOT work on a Mac. It's Windows only. Even so, this camera is great! The video quality is more than acceptable. In fact, I find it very good, even in low light. The sound quality leaves a little to be desired, but it's certainly more than acceptable. I love the smooth touch-sensitive buttons, although they might be just a tad too sensitive. They are easy to get used to, though. And the record/stop button is a regular button, right in the middle of the camera's back, which makes it easy to find and operate while you're shooting a video. The 1 GB of flash memory holds 60 minutes of video, which I think is more than enough. You can also save multiple videos on the camera and play them back right on the camera's screen at the touch of a button. It is also easy to skip forward or back while viewing videos directly on the camera.
Transferring the videos to my Mac was simple. Heck, they even load into iPhoto (yes...iPHOTO) if you want them to. And they play in Quicktime. No problems at all with the transfer or playing of the videos on my Mac with the Mino!! (I did have trouble transferring and playing videos from the previous Ultra model.) Uploading to YouTube is also a breeze. Just connect the Mino to your computer, select a video, click "Share," then click "YouTube," enter your YouTube account login info, and voila!!! The video uploads like a piece of cake (and it works the same on MySpace or AOL.) This camera is so very simple to use and so very portable. My 12-year-old and 18-year-old sons didn't even need instructions on how to use it. They just picked it up and started shooting. Although this camcorder is perfect for people of any age, it is definitely a great, great camera for young people. It fits in your front pocket easily and goes anywhere. The little carry bag included with the camera is even pretty nice.
Another advantage of the Mino over the Ultra is the rechargeable battery. I hated the fact that the Ultra took regular batteries. I'm sure some people prefer that, but I prefer the rechargeable battery and the fact that it charges while plugged into the USB port on my computer. Which brings me to the only downside to this camera (and the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars): I still think the little flip-out USB connector is too delicate. I can't prove that it won't hold up over time. But plugging the camera into my laptop's USB port and having the weight of the camera supported by that USB connector just seems like an accident waiting to happen. I have eliminated this problem, however, by buying a USB extension cable. I now plug the extension cable into my computer's USB port, then plug the Flip into the extension cable. That way the camera can rest safely on the desk or the couch or any other more stable surface. Problem solved! Like I said, I'm not saying the camera won't last without using the extension cable. I'm just trying to prevent damage I think might POSSIBLY happen. I will ad that I really think the manufacturer should include the USB extension cable with the camera. It would add minimal cost to the product but would give the buyer a great deal of flexibility and--more importantly--peace of mind.
I would give the Flip Mino 4.5 (or 4.75) stars if I could, but since I had to choose between 4 and 5, I gave it 4 stars. It might seem a little pricey for what you're getting, but the size, portability, convenience, and ease of operation make it a GREAT camera for anyone. And especially for tweens or teens who want to put videos up on YouTube or MySpace or AOL Movies. Highly recommended (but get a USB extension cable with it!!!). (NOTE: The USB extension cable I bought from Amazon to use with the Flip Mino is "Cables To Go - 19003 - 1M USB A Male to A Female Extension Cable (White)." It's very inexpensive and works like a charm!) - 2008-06-26, 4 of 4 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Conveniant
- *****
Reviewing products like this is out of the norm for me but I felt I should make an exception for this one as I felt it was incredible. I received the camera and used it in my film class in college for short ideas which I would be able to expand upon later and run through at a more convenient time. This became very helpful in that scenario.
Also on a recent trip to a concert where I saw Bob Dylan I whipped this bad boy out to record a little bit and the sound quality later was great, and the visual was amazing.
For quick convenient situations as such the Flip Video Mino is very nice. It holds up to 60 minutes in the camera, though you can add the video to your computer and keep them forever while keeping free space on your camera. It comes with directions, a USB port, cables for your television, a safety pouch and strap for carrying. This is a very convenient camera, and a very high quality one at that. - 2008-06-25, 4 of 7 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Maybe I'm going over the top, but yes, that and more.
- This flip video is AMAZING! I'm 11 years old and yes, my dad let's me use his account. Anyway, the flip video is superbly easy! My mom showed it to me and I constantly use it. All you have to do is touch the buttons and set the date and time. Even an 11 year old can do it! I was dazzled! It was beyond my dreams. Maybe I'm going over the top, but yes, that and more.
- 2008-06-25, 3 of 5 people found this review helpful, Rated:
