PURE Digital Flip MinoHD F460

The second generation FLIP Mino was a great camcorder. You could keep it in your pocket ready to record any spontaneous moment and forget it's there. But the standard definition 480 line resolution lacked the visual punch of today's high definition world.

The new FLIP Mino HD shoots in high definition video mode at 720 lines (vs 480 for the non HD Flip mino). Although 720 is not full 1080 HD, the image is very clean and sharp, especially outdoors. The video is widescreen mode only, and fills the screen on a high definition TV. As the light level becomes lower, the image still retains a good deal of quality and does not get grainy until light levels become very low.

There are no manual over rides on any of the camcorder's white balance, exposure, focus, scene mode or audio. This is the most basic point and shoot camcorder. From three feet to infinity, the image is always in focus. The color is accurate under almost any lighting so you really don't need manual control. Back lighting can be a problem, so you need to frame your shots to avoid back lighting whenever possible.

If there's a weak link of this camcorder, it's keeping the image steady. There is no image stabilizer. The camera shoots 30 frames per second in progressive mode. The nature of progressive mode tends to make any image look jittery during pans or fast motion. Because of it's tiny size, you need to learn to hold this camera rock steady with both hands when you shoot, and pan very slowly.

The Mino lacks any optical zoom like all previous Minos. The digital zoom is nearly useless as it just magnifies the pixel size, losing sharpness as you zoom. You are limited to one hour on the internal memory, and two hours on the internal battery. The memory and the battery are not user removable. However, the built in USB plug lets you charge the camcorder on any computer as well as transfer the files to the hard drive.

Audio is very crisp and clear. Loud sounds are automatically lowered to prevent distortion. There isn't much bottom end (bass frequencies) to the audio, but this is an advantage when recording voices in a noisy environment as it prevents rumble from wind, traffic, etc. There are no audio inputs or headphone outputs. The audio/video connector that connects the Flip to a TV is only standard definition.

In order to view the video in high definition, you'll need to view it on a computer or copy it to a Blu Ray disk. A standard DVD is only 480 lines and is not high definition. But standard DVD's made from the Flip Mino HD look as good as the DVD format can deliver.

Yes, the Mino HD has limitations. But no other camcorder fits in a small pocket or purse so well. The best camcorder is the one you have with you, and the Mino can be with you all the time. For it's intended purpose, casual video, it's an excellent camcorder. By learning it's strong and weak points, and with a little practice, a capable user can create some pretty fantastic videos with a Flip Mino HD. I used it to create a music video.