Flip Mino Review

The Flip Mino is Pure Digital’s newest offering in the budget video camera space. Owners will loves its new sleek, sexy and compact design. The Flip models are famous for their ease of use, and even the most technically unsavvy person should have no problems using this device.

The first thing to notice when comparing the Flip Mino to its best selling predecessor, the Flip Ultra, is that it is 40% smaller. That puts it in the same class as my Apple iPhone. The Mino comes with 2GB of flash memory which allows it to hold 60 minutes of VGA quality video. It also has a 1.5 inch screen for viewing and editing of videos and a built-in rechargable (lithium ion) battery. In my tests, I found that my Mino gave me about four hours usage per charge. New in the Mino are the touch sensitive buttons. These six buttons handle Pause/Play, Zoom, Delete and Menu Navigation functions. While they look nice, I found that they lacked tactile feedback and were slightly more difficult to use than standard old style push buttons.

The Flip Mino has the signature Flip slide-out USB arm that lets you conveniently plug the device into any computer for easy editing and sharing. The included software is easy to use and allowed me to send my videos directly to my YouTube and MySpace accounts. As a Mac user, I also appreciated the support on my computer out of the box.

The video quality of the Flip Mino is pretty solid. It obviously can’t compare to more expensive video camcorders, but it should satisfy most people. I tested the device in several different lighting conditions and my Mino had no problems in these environments.

At a price of $180, the Flip Mino might be a little expensive to some. That’s $50 more expensive than the Flip Ultra, and $80 more than the Creative Vado. Still, if you consider its stylish good looks, small compact size, and ease of use, this makes the Flip Mino one of the best gadgets you can buy.