I HATE taking family videos.
Having kids and taking photos is fun and easy. For the minor stuff or when I'm on the go, I have a decent pocket digital camera that takes great pictures. For the bigger stuff, or for when I don't mind carrying it, I have a nice Nikon D-50 that takes superb pictures. In either case, you can have a record of whatever you are doing and not feel like you are taken out of the action as the photographer. This isn't the case with a video camera. I always feel that I am set apart and experience the event through a tiny viewfinder rather than in real life. Also, while the size has come down in recent years, the video camera is still another thing to carry along with you. Then there is the editing and distributing, which is not hard, but its another step in the process that I usually don't get to right away. Damit, am I out of MiniDVC tapes again!!
A couple weeks ago, I went to Amazon.com to order something completely unrelated and those sneaky bastards put an add for the flip MinoHD right there on my homepage. I read about it on Amazon, looked around for reviews (kind of sparse, it being just released. However the WSJ had a good review), and decided to pick one up. At $229, it was a gamble, but one I could live with. If it worked out, it would be great to have for the holidays.
I received the camera a few days ago and prepared to go through the documentation. This was the first good sign. The MinoHD doesn't have a whole lot of documentation because there isn't much to it from an operational standpoint. It is unconfigurable by design. The way it is set up at the factory is pretty much it. No white balancing, quality settings, etc. etc. It is what it is. For a pocket digital camera, that's what I want.
Another thing you dont get is a charger or batteries (the older flip models used batteries). It has a pop out USB connection that is used not only so synch your videos to your computer, but for charging too. Just leave it in the USB port on your computer for a while and you are fully charged..good to go.
Inside the flip MinoHD is a 4 Gig flash drive, enough to hold an hour of video. As long as the battery lasts more than one hour, I'm ok with that.
Taking videos is really easy. Just turn the power on and press the red button. The viewfinder is really really low quality, just good enough for you to keep your aim. Really, that's all that is necessary. The flip has a 2X digital zoom. It works well, but 2X zoom is pretty minimal. It is clear that this camera is designed to be used in close quarters only. I really haven't used the zoom at all. Its best just to take a step or two forward. One word of warning, because the camera is small, you need to make sure you hold it steady. If you are moving around too much, you will notice some bouncing around.
The expereince of using the camera is great. Almost everything I don't like about shooting video is taken care of with this one. I hold it far away from my face, at around shoulder lenth and hight. I feel like I'm actually there and not just the cameraman.
Just as important to me as the small size and ease of use, is simplicity of downloading and editing the videos. This feature really blew me away. The camera is loaded with a very light video organizing/playback/editing application that will install on your PC (If you use a Mac, you don't really need this since the Mac is so awesome for video to begin with). With the application you can preview your clips, do some basic editing, and make a good basic movie. It even has some preinstalled soundtracks! You can literally make a presentable movie in one minute. The application is also set up for direct uploading to Youtube and AOL video. I really don't like either of these for home video, so I don't use them. However if you do, the flip MinoHD will truly be a one step solution. I prefer to use a service called Vimeo.com. You can post longer videos and it handles HD very well.
The million dollar question is "How is the video quality?" The resolution of the videos is purported to be true 720 dpi HD. As far as I can tell, this is true. I compared the quality of the flip MinoHD to the quality of my regular DV camera and the resolution is far superior.
So for me, a family man on the go, this was a good purchase. I think this will be a lot of fun for the holidays.
Here is a sample for you. This is a clip of my son that I shot and edited entirely with the flip camera and built-in software. (for full HD quality, CLICK HERE)
Hopscotch for Beginners from john willis on Vimeo.
