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We knew this was coming. Just a few months ago Pure Digital let out the Flip Mino, a pocket camcorder for creating easy Web videos. At the same time, other companies, DXG, Kodak, RCA were pushing around their pocket high definition cams, so it couldn’t be long before Pure Digital, who’s Flip cams lead the market, came out with their own.
The Mino HD is that camera, and as the name suggests, it’s essentially a clone of the original Mino with the exception of the ability to shoot HD video. Rather than 640 x 480, the HD records at 1280 x 720 resolution in H.264 format. It saves that video onto 4 GBs of built-in flash memory for about an hour‘s worth of footage. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery runs for about 2 hours and recharges via the USB jack that flips up like a switchblade when you press the button.
Like other Flip cams, the HD is a one-button story when it comes to shooting. There’s no menu or settings to speak of, just aim and press the big read button. You do get a digital zoom feature, but like all digital zooms, it’s best avoided as it lowers your resolution and tends to look bad. Framing and viewing recorded videos is done on a 1.5-inch LCD screen. Forward and reverse buttons allow you to surf through your clips. Strangely, the LCD screen is in 4:3 format rather than widescreen, which seems like a waste.
Once shot, you plug the cam into your PC’s USB port, which then launches the FlipShare software. The software has changed a bit from the original Mino. I prefer the earlier software as it allowed a little more control over editing clips and making movies, but the new FlipShare is easy to use and lets you stitch clips together to make movies, add music and credits, then email them or send them out to online sites like youtube, AOL and myspace. You can also burn to DVD or order a DVD made by Pure Digital. One thing to keep in mind when making HD movies is that rendering high resolution footage takes a lot of CPU power and may tax older or wimpy computers.
The video with the MiniHD is far superior to the standard Mino. There’s more detail, less juddering and pixilation. That said, it’s far from the best high def camcorder footage you can get. It is probably the best you can get for $229. Low light scenes tend to invite a lot of grain and some chroma aberrations The lens has a fixed focus, so not everything will be sharp, especially moving subjects.
Uploading high definition video to web sites is a chore, which is why most video sharing sites don’t accept HD footage, so the best way to enjoy your HD movies is on your PC or through a big TV. It was easy for me to plug the MinoHD’s USB jack into a PlayStation 3 where I copied my movies and could play them on a 50-inch plasma.
The MinoHD wins at simplicity and ease of use. Like all Flip cams, this one is fun to use and doesn’t require any user manual. The video is better than standard definition camcorders, but not what you’d get from an auto focus, optical zoom, high def cam from the likes of Sony, Panasonic, Canon or Samsung. Of course, it’s $600 less too.
Pure Digital Flip Mino HD
$229
720p/30fps video
4GB/1 Hour capacity
Rechargeable battery
FlipShare software
Pouch and strap included
www.theflip.com
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