April 10, 2009 The HD version of the diminutive Flip Mino camcorder has reached UK shores following its release in the US last November. The three ounce Flip MinoHD happens to be the smallest and possibly the simplest high definition camcorder in the world, with one touch recording and a 4GB internal memory (upgraded from 2GB) that's good for 60 minutes of 720p video.
If you haven’t heard of the Flip, you're either in a country where it’s not yet available, or, as the saying goes, you’ve been living under a rock. This ultra-mini, fool-friendly camcorder has won applause in the digital world for both its compact size and performance.
Reviewers praised the earlier models for their ability to shoot in low light conditions, and apparently this one does it even better. The Flip MinoHD shoots with 30 frames per second as does its earlier models, but has an average bitrate of 9Mb per second. There's still no optical zoom however and the extra features seem to take their toll on the battery life - the MinoHD can operate for two hours between charges on its two AA batteries whereas the standard Mino gets four. It still features the handy flip-out USB arm (hence the name) and its built-in microphone is also omni-directional.
The FlipMino has been seen in the hands of notable public figures and celebrities, from President Barack Obama’s daughter (who filmed her father’s inauguration speech) to Oprah Winfrey, to Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton (who uses it to promote her own fashion line). It is being used by amateurs to professionals, for Youtube (with instant upload) to short films and documentaries.
The Flip MinoHD is available in the UK for £169.99, in the US for USD$229.
Jamilah Le