Over the past few weeks I’ve been able to *try out one of the new Flip Mino HD™ digital camcorders. It is the most convenient (literally pocket sized) & high quality video camera I’ve seen. Easy is the key term that comes to mind with this gadget.

Connecting the Flip to a computer is easy with the built in USB – no more losing the cable when it’s time to upload.

On a Mac uploading is very simple, just plug into the USB port & the movies are imported into iMovie with ease. Even on a PC the Flip is easy to use. For PCs the Flip software requests an install first time and connects automatically thereafter. And uploading from either Mac or PC to YouTube is a snap.

Another nifty feature is the ability to save a snapshot from the video stream easily. The snapshots can also be uploaded easily to online sites like Facebook or Flickr. The Flip software also has the cheesy capability to send an e-card with your video embedded (some of you already received your Hannukah card).

It’s not the right gear for lovingly shooting nature and scenery & must admit that there were times when I longed for zoom. But for capturing moments with people – family & friends – it is ideal (check out the #GelatoTUB clips on YouTube). So easy to whip out the Flip and capture a moment & easily share it online with other folks.

Apologies for my novice video skills – but you can check out some of my videos on YouTube to get an idea of what the Flip is like. Iggy Pintado is also doing a series called #RealTweeple using his new Flip Mino™.

Pricing & technical specifications on each model:

Flip Mino HD™ RRP $299.95 AUD
Recording Time: 1 Hour
Memory: 4GB
Screen: 1.5” Transflective
Video Resolution: High Definition, 1280×720
Frame Rate: 30fps Progressive Scan
Video Format: H.264, MP4
Average Bitrate: 9.0Mbps
Battery:Internal Li-Ion Rechargeable
Battery Life: Up to 2 Hours
TV Output: SD Composite Video
Zoom: 2 x Digital

Flip Mino™ RRP $229.95 AUD
Records: 1 Hour
Memory: 2GB
Screen: 1.5” Transflective
Video Resolution: 640×480
Frame Rate: 30fps Progressive Scan
Video Format: MPEG-4 AVI
Average Bitrate: 4.0Mbps (auto-adaptive)
Battery: Internal Li-Ion Rechargeable
Battery Life: Up to 4 Hours of Recording Time
TV Output: SD Composite Video
Zoom: 2 x Digital (interpolated)

* Note – I have to give the Flip back soon as it was a loaner, but it is on my wishlist for real 😉