Flip Mino Video Camera - Black, 2 GB,1 Hour (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
by Flip Video
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List Price: Our Price: $35.99 You Save: $114.00 (76%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Flip Mino Video Camera - Black, 2 GB,1 Hour (1st Generation) OLD MODEL
Customer Review: Great quality for such a small camera! ***UPDATED: Camera stopped working all of a sudden ***
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This small camera definitely proved to be more than what I expected; it is practical, small like the size of a regular cell phone (which makes it easy to carry everywhere) and very easy to use.
First thing to mention for those interested in a small video camera, do not expect many functionalities from this model, the zoom it has is digital and does not reach that far; While the functions are very basic (record, play/pause, next/previous) I have found it very easy to use, when you plug it into your PC via USB you can install the software included in it (for both pc and Macintosh) or you can also simply drag/drop the files into whatever folder you want.
The movies are recorded in AVI format and the quality is next to good, I connected the camera into a 50" HDTV and the image did not distort at all.
Bottom-line, a great product, small, easy to use and very practical. I have a 10 month son and I can take this everywhere to record everything I'd like to when I'm with him. I have yet to take this to a concert and test how good is the sound recorded. For my purposes, this is the best product I could ever find.
It also includes a small bag to keep it so you don't have to spend extra on a case for this, unless you want something fancier than the once included. Cables to connect it to a TV are also in the box.
*** Updated ***
So I've had this for almost a month and today it simply stopped working. I was watching some videos in it and when I inserted it in my laptop's USB socket nothing happened, the white light that usually appears when plugged was not there. I disconnected it and tried to turn it on and nothing happened. So I googled the problem and found that some users have experienced this issue with the 60 min. model (the one I have) One of the forums discussing the problem suggested to contact support which I did. Response time was great, within the hour I got an email asking me for the model number printed in the bottom part of the camera. After I provided that information and since the camera didn't seem to have a reset button, I started pushing the `On/Off' and `REC' buttons, I pushed them and held them for some time and then... it simply turned on!
I have been turning it on and recording all day and it seems it is working ok now; I also received an answer from customer service with a potential resolution (which was to reset the camera by clicking a hidden button in the tripod opening area) that I will copy below in case someone else has this problem, it may help, since I got this fixed before that I can't tell if it does.
I guess all I can say is that regardless of the product failure (which can happen to anyone) their customer service and response time were excellent, I work in a customer service are so I can tell you about it =)
I am not removing any stars from my review since the product is working again and this is an isolated problem that can happen to anyone. I was very happy with the response time and customer service they provided.
Response from Flip Video Support:
"We suggest trying to reset your camcorder, and then attempt to charge it again.
To reset, simply take a pin and insert it into the reset hole within the camera's tripod mount, wait five seconds before powering on, and then power on without touching any of the buttons on the back of the camcorder for an additional five seconds.
This should complete the reset process.
Next, please connect the USB arm to a high-powered USB port on your computer, and ensure your computer is powered on. You may see no activity on the camcorder - neither lights nor indication that the camcorder is charging - for the first 30 minutes. Once the initial 30 minutes has concluded, you should see some indication that the camcorder is charging and be able to power the camcorder on. Continue charging for the full amount of time (we suggest three hours) to ensure that the battery is completely charged before recording again."
Customer Review: Great compact device you can take everywhere!
Summary: 5 Stars
The form factor on this product is great. Its noticeably smaller (in both the pocket and the hand) than its predecessor - the Flip Video Ultra Series, 60 min. And the Ultra was already compact to begin with! The sleek size was important to me because I just won't bring a camcorder out with me if it doesn't fit easily in my pocket. This device did just the trick. If you don't care about size (i.e., because you will just put it in your purse, etc) then I would suggest saving the money and getting the Ultra, which lists for about $50 or so less.
As far as I can tell, the video quality and functionality is about the same as the Ultra and they both have the 2GB of memory, similar 1.5" screen size, digital zoom etc. So the only reason in my mind to get this is for the size advantage. But for me, size does matter. When I think about how many moments passed by unrecorded simply because it was too cumbersome to take a camcorder along, it really makes me wish they made this Mino years ago!
For those of you unfamiliar with Flip camcorders, the Mino has suprisingly good VGA video quality. I'd put it on par with that of much larger, more expensive traditional camcorders. The Mino also records well in a variety of light settings. The lack of a true optical zoom is probably to be expected given the small size, but the 2x digital zoom is good enough for most casual settings. The design is well thought out to avoid many of the classic pitfalls of portable devices - there's a scratch resistant covering on the lens, an on/off switch on the side that is difficult to trip accidentally and a centrally located record button that has enough resistance to avoid unintentionally starting/stopping recording (I know some have issues with the Ultra record button but I have not).
I have a PC at home and the Mino truly is a plug-and-play device. You don't have any confusing software or cables to muddle around with. Simply plug the USB adapter into your computer and you're ready to go! It's great for the non-technically savvy. I also like the rechargeable built-in battery in the Mino (which is a new feature). It recharges like an iPod, either in the computer or through an outlet which is convenient. I can't attest yet to the battery life/quality but I figure by the time it dies out on me, I'll be well on my way to buying a next generation Flip Micro!
I noticed the price dropped on the black Flip Mino. For those of you who don't know (Amazon doesn't advertise this) Amazon not only has a 30 day return policy, but a 30 day price adjustment policy as well. So if you bought your Flip in the past 30 days, you can call them up and they will immediately refund the difference to you with no hassles. This policy holds for all products directly sold by Amazon.
Customer Review: Very compact and easy to use camcorder
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have used the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (White) and thought it was great. But now after using the Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder I can easily report that I prefer it. The Mino is lot thinner and smaller than Ultra Series, weighing just over three ounces. The touch video screen makes it much easier to use and it comes with a rechargeable battery that powers up automatically while plugged into your computer. Though I do not see a way to replace the batteries at the end of there useful life. And there is no mute button, so what you hear, you record.
The Mino is perfect for recording up to one-hour worth of video and looks great in black. It is perfect for families who want to share videos. I found that the sound quality is ok. The zoom is adequate but not great. And the picture quality is good for its price, Full VGA quality. The better the lighting you have, the better the quality of the video taken. It even looks good when watched on a TV screen. No sense lugging around a camcorder when you can carry this very light and small video camera that fits in your shirt pocket.
Downloading the videos to a computer is simple and it keeps with some pre-loaded software, which makes it easy for you to edit, email, save, and make photos from the videos. The editing is very basic; it lets you trim some off the front and back of what you recorded. And it is set up to link right into You Tube. I was able to make a video in just seconds after taking it out of the box.
The Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder has the ability to be mounted on a tripod as well as an action mount that can both be bought separately. But the 1-hour of video is all it can hold, which is more than enough for me. It does not have the ability to have the memory upgraded.
Just to summarize this video camera is very light and easy to use. It is so easy to use that no instruction manual is necessary and I am not electronic savvy. It comes with all you need, including TV connector cable, carrying case, wrist strap and even the installed rechargeable batteries. This is all you need to share video with your family at a low cost. It even comes in a box that looks like it came from a jewelry store.
Customer Review: Flip Video Mino
Summary: 5 Stars
i purchased the mino just over a month ago. i was primarily looking for a video camera that was small, had a decent battery and made it easy to transfer the footage. the flip meets all three qualifications. i've used my flip more in the past few weeks than i've used my larger camcorder in the past three years collectively. it's small size makes it perfect to keep in my purse so that it's always at hand for the random, funny moments that you never expect but would love to have recorded.
at first, i was concerned that the 60 minute battery life wouldn't be enough. however, in the past three weeks i've taken it out with friends, to a political rally, and on a weekend trip and have had plenty of time and battery life left. it's an extremely simple process to transfer the footage to your computer so i no longer have to worry about footage sitting on my camcorder for months at a time. plus, i really like that i can email it to my friends in a matter of minutes.
so far, i have two negatives: (1) i was recording last weekend and it froze while i was recording. it wouldn't turn off so i had to let the battery die before i could do anything with it. thankfully, it froze just as i was finished recording. however, i am concerned that it may happen again. (2) the video editing software that is on the flip is extremely basic. to really do anything w/ your footage, you need to purchase additional software. while i didn't expect it to come w/ top-notch software, i thought it would be a little more advanced.
a friend has the original flip and while it really isn't that much larger than the mino, i definitely prefer the mino. it's a sleeker design that is worth the extra few dollars. overall, i love my flip. i'm confident that i will record a lot more memories than i ever would have w/ a regular camcorder.
Customer Review: so tiny, easy & fun
Summary: 5 Stars
I received the Flip Mino for christmas (yesterday) as a surprise from my boyfriend. I'd never even looked into them, but pulled it out of the box and immediately started taking video of my family and friends and flipped out the usb jack and watched on my computer. it's so easy to throw in pocket or purse and it seems nobody really notices that you're shooting video so they act naturally. the screen and internal speaker makes viewing them instantly enjoyable, and i used the tv jack to test that out as well. the quality on the tv screen is surprisingly good. i expected it to be much less clear than it was, so it was a pleasant surprise.
it seems an ideal little camcorder for people like me who want to have it at the ready. i have a decent cell phone but the video quality is never so great on cell phones. this is about the size of my phone with decent quality and with 60 minutes of storage, you can capture a lot of funny memories.
i have a parrot who is very camera shy and she has no clue that i'm taking video of her with this thing, so i can get some cute images of her.
i had absolutely no idea i was getting this gift and it ended up one of my cooler gifts of the season. i recommend it.
i can't comment with regard to long-term use since i've had it less than 24 hours at this point. i'd say it's probably like most electronics--hit or miss. i've had ipods with NO problem whatsoever and i also have one that's completely dead after a couple years use. i think that's the luck of the draw sometimes, unfortunately.
only time will tell for me and my flip mino. i wouldn't shy away from it out of fear that it will not last....again, i think it's hit and miss sometimes.
get one and start shooting.