Flip MinoHD Video Camera 4 GB, 1 Hour (3rd Generation) – Silver
Flip MinoHD Video Camera 4 GB, 1 Hour (3rd Generation) - Silver
- Carry it anywhere with its sleek and slim design that fits in any pocket or purse
- Shoot up to 1 hour of stunning HD video (720p / 60fps) on 4 GB of built-in memory; no additional memory needed
- Keep your video steady on the go with MinoHD's newest feature, image stabilization
- Connect the flip-out USB arm directly into your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software
- Organize, create and share your videos with FlipShare software
Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 4 GB, 1 Hour NEWEST MODEL
- Shoot up to 1 hour of amazing HD video on the easy-to-use, pocket-sized UltraHD
- Press the big red button to start capturing vibrant HD video (720p / 30fps) on the super-simple user interface
- Comes with 4 GB of built-in memory, letting you capture up to 1 hour of HD video; no additional memory cards required
- Connect the built-in USB arm to your PC or Mac to launch pre-loaded FlipShare software
- Organize, create and share your videos with FlipShare software
Flip Video Flexible Mini Tripod for Flip Ultra Camera and Mino Camcorders NEW
 | US $12.97 (0 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 15:54:46 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
 | US $49.99 End Date: Wednesday Feb-22-2012 15:56:14 PST Buy It Now for only: US $49.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
More Flip Camera Products
A Simple Pocket Camcorder Which May Appeal to Some,
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===> PLEASE READ IMPORTANT UPDATES AT THE END OF THIS REPORT (which is as I wrote it on October 28, 2010) AND CONSIDER CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING AN ‘ORPHAN’ PRODUCT <===
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This Flip MinoHD Video Camera – Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL is well-constructed and takes decent video and sound. It was offered to me by Amazon Vine and I wanted to obtain it to see why it has been stated that Flip Video ‘rules’ the pocket camcorder field.
Unfortunately I am very disappointed with this model for the following reasons:
1. It offers only one level of picture quality: 720P [1280 x 720 60fps H.264/AVC with an MP4 file extension]; while this is good, the files obtained are quite large – I took just 143 seconds of video and the total file size is 169.9 MB. A person could convert this to something smaller if desired but that is, at the very least, time-consuming and I think that many persons for whom this camcorder is intended might be intimidated by the necessity of doing this. A choice should be offered as it is on other similarly-priced pocket camcorders.
2. It does not take still pictures. If you have a Microsoft Windows or Mac-equipped computer, you can extract stills from your videos using the free included software – but, again, this is an extra and time-consuming step and may also be intimidating for some.
3. Its USB connector is very badly designed; unless you have one laying about, you MUST purchase an AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet / 3.0 Meters) or similar. If you attach the camcorder directly to your computer, you will find that the weight of the camcorder puts an inordinate strain on the USB port as well as the USB connector on the camcorder.
4. I appreciate that the camcorder comes with a cloth bag as standard but this bag offers no real protection to the camcorder nor any means of attaching it to a belt or other connection point. The bag could have been much better designed and I’m sure that many, if not most, people will want to buy an after-market case.
—> The following is the most important design defect, in my opinion, and would be a ‘deal-breaker’ for me:
5. This camcorder uses a built-in rechargeable battery instead of a user-replaceable one. Not only that, its battery life appears to be somewhat short and the camcorder CANNOT be operated when connected to either AC or a USB port (these can be used only for recharging the battery).
I did not know that it came with such a battery prior to ordering it and, had I known, I would NEVER have ordered it!
What does this mean to the user? It means that, if you want to take video for an extended period of time and your battery goes flat, you will have to wait while you recharge it, possibly missing some situations you would have liked to capture.
Just imagine having that happen during the middle of recording a wedding ceremony and reception, or your daughter’s first dance recital, or your son’s first school play, or your children opening their Christmas presents …
And don’t think “it can’t happen to me” – oh yes it can!
I can’t stress enough that this is a MAJOR disadvantage and is the main reason for my disappointment with this unit.
In addition, these built-in rechargeable batteries have a finite and relatively short service life, generally about three or four years. After that, you will either have to send the camcorder back to the manufacturer (at a high cost including shipping) for battery replacement or, more likely, you will just discard it.
In other words, after only a few years, you will probably have just an expensive paperweight.
If this were some twenty-dollar ‘wonder’ the defects I list above might be acceptable (even the short battery life in use; at twenty dollars you could afford to buy two, using one while the other is recharging).
But this camcorder costs TEN TIMES that! And at that price it does not offer good value for money, again in my opinion.
So for whom is this camcorder intended? As it is extremely easy to set up (with few choices to have to consider in its menu) and very easy-to-use when ‘filming,’ it may be fine for someone’s great-grandmother (no offense intended) or for someone who is completely technophobic. A…
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|Not the “upgrade” I was hoping for,
FLIP video has done a great deal to prove to me as a repeat customer that they heavily weigh simplicity and ease of use when designing their products. My family owns two FLIP camcorders and it is clear to me that the previous version:
-Flip MinoHD Video Camera – Brushed Metal, 8 GB, 2 Hours (2nd Generation) OLD MODEL
is a much better value for the money as I do not believe the minor updates on this “new” model warrant a $70 plus price increase (a nearly 50% premium!!!!)
The new generation has maintained the small size and easy use of the second generation. They have added a new sensors and image stabilization to 720p video at 60fps. (Second gen-720p 30fps)
I bought the 2nd generation flip minoHD (ASIN: B002R5AM7C) as a present for myself and my family to use for many different applications. The kids have used it for making YouTube videos with their friends. We have used it to record Birthdays, Christmas and many other random filmable occasions all with great results. It has become a favorite of all of the members of my family and me.
My son recently moved away to college and I decided to give the second generation family minoHD to him for school. Conveniently for our Flip-Lacking family, the new 3rd generation minoHD just came out so I ordered it to replace the second generation.
I would be kidding myself if I did not acknowledge that the new features do add some recording benefits but the basis of this review is that my family and I have decided that these improvements just ARE NOT worth the extra $70.
The recording quality is still 720p; the fps increase is hardly noticed. I would feel much better about the price increase if 1080p recording had been incorporated but with the newest round of cell phones producing HD video now, FLIP needs to give us more upgrade for the money.
For now, IMO, the 2nd generation Flip minoHD is a much better value.
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|Oct 20, 2010 11:14:22 PM PDT
Prior to releasing our new products, our engineers spent a lot of time investigating 1080p vs. 720p video to determine which resolution would provide the highest-quality video viewing and sharing experience. The challenge with 1080p video from any video camera is that most PCs do not have the processing power to play back 1080p video without significant shuddering in the playback. This makes for an almost unwatchable video on the PC in most cases . This issue is made even worse when you want to upload or share videos via the web or email. This is why we have chosen to continue capturing HD video in 720p. For all forms of sharing over the web, we optimize the video for high-quality playback while avoiding large file uploads or downloads for the person who receives your videos. We feel confident that our new line of video cameras feature our best-ever HD video and that our enhanced FlipShare software allows users to maximize how they organize, edit and share their videos.
Finally, we’d like to point out that MinoHD 3rd Generation is available in 2 hour and 1 hour configurations at suggested retail prices (SRPs) of $229.99 and $179.99 respectively. The 2nd Gen MinoHD 2 Hour was also released at $229.99 SRP before the 3rd Generation product was released, so you are able to take advantage of a price discount on the old version while supplies last. One consideration might be to buy the new MinoHD 1 Hour product and get all the features of the new 2 Hour product for $50 less in the 1 Hour configuration. We hope this has answered your questions.
WARNING – NOT TRULY 3RD GENERATION,
Please see Cisco’s response, below. I am glad Cisco has responded.
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I almost bought one of these until I read the fine print.
The “real” Flip UltraHAD 3rd Generation has 60 fps recording speed for better action shots AND electronic stabilization – two BIG features.
I can give up the 4 gb of extra storage on the “regular” model, but his “Black Friday” model blowing out at Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon strikes me as a “come on” – it omits the two essential features that make the 3rd Generation Flips of interest – the higher frame rate (60 fps vs 30 fps on this one) and the stabilization. Read the specs and blurbs on the REAL model you need to be looking at:
Flip UltraHD Video Camera – Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL
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|Nov 30, 2010 2:25:28 PM PST
While these products do not have the same feature set, both the 2 Hour and 1 Hour version are new products this year for Flip, and that is why they have both featured the 3rd Generation designation in the product name. Both products feature new chip sets, updated firmware, and the latest version of our FlipShare software. Furthermore, the new 1 Hour UltraHD product offers consumers a model of our best selling HD Flip video camera at an opening price point of $149 (Suggested Retailer Price) for the first time. Additionally, the Blue and Magenta colors that are available are entirely new to the UltraHD family. It is always our intention to be clear and direct about our products and their features; we apologize for any misunderstanding that may have resulted here. To avoid further confusion, we have asked Amazon to remove the reference to “3rd Generation” from the 1 Hour UltraHD product names.
Handy camera,
I couldn’t ask for an easier lighter more user friendly camcorder than this! This camera is so easy to use it’s amazing. Just point and shoot. Then preview your videos or upload to your computer. The Flip software for your computer helps you customize and make adorable movies to be burned to a cd and saved forever! This camer is so easy, I convinced my principal to purchase three for our school. Now kids make video projects! I even video taped our SGA speeches and created a movie with music and credits. Sure, there are plenty out there that can do all this, but for the price and the ease, the Flip is the bomb!
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|Very deceptive by Flip,
I double checked the specs on the Flip website – although the 1 hour and 2 hour Flips have identical names, they are NOT the same quality camera. The 2 hours has image stabilization and 60 fps (frames per second), while the 1 hour camera does not have stabilization and only shoots 30 fps.
I can’t stand it when companies pull stuff like this.
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|Nov 30, 2010 2:26:36 PM PST
While these products do not have the same feature set, both the 2 Hour and 1 Hour version are new products this year for Flip, and that is why they have both featured the 3rd Generation designation in the product name. Both products feature new chip sets, updated firmware, and the latest version of our FlipShare software. Furthermore, the new 1 Hour UltraHD product offers consumers a model of our best selling HD Flip video camera at an opening price point of $149 (Suggested Retailer Price) for the first time. Additionally, the Blue and Magenta colors that are available are entirely new to the UltraHD family. It is always our intention to be clear and direct about our products and their features; we apologize for any misunderstanding that may have resulted here. To avoid further confusion, we have asked Amazon to remove the reference to “3rd Generation” from the 1 Hour UltraHD product names.