Flip Mino review

Flip's Mino is a tiny camcorder, measuring only 100x50x16mm.

It's designed to shoot video for uploading to the web; there's even a YouTube logo on the box. However, most digital cameras are capable of shooting video suitable for the web, which left us wondering if the Mino was really necessary.

The Mino has 2GB of built-in flash memory, which will store around an hour of footage at the 4Mbit/s bit- rate setting. The resulting files are in the popular XviD MPEG4 codec, along with 8-bit mono audio. The CMOS sensor is a respectable in in size, which is bigger than the 1/6in CCDs used in budget MiniDV camcorders. The sensor's native resolution matches the resulting video - only 640x480 pixels. This means the size of each pixel is far larger than you would normally expect.

This allows the Mino to generate higher-quality video than most digital cameras we've seen. It's particularly impressive in low-light conditions, where those big pixels help avoid significant noise problems. Colours were surprisingly accurate, though there was a tendency to overexpose the highlights in many shots. We saw fewer compression issues than we expected, given the relatively low bit rate. Even those that we did see aren't a big issue though, given that your footage will be highly compressed again when it's uploaded to video-sharing sites. Considering the Mino's tiny size and small lens, we were seriously impressed with the results. It records at a steady 30fps, so the action stays smooth, even when things get hectic.

The compact size does have some disadvantages. There's no room for an optical zoom, with only a digital 2x zoom instead. The small display has just 528x132 pixels, and so is good only for basic framing duties. It's cleverly designed, though, with a neat pop-out USB connector for plugging directly into your PC. There's also an AV output for connecting to your TV. The Mino feels very sturdily constructed and the touch-sensitive controls are easy to understand and use.

Editing software is supplied on the Mino's built-in flash memory. It's easy to edit down your footage by setting in and out points. You can then combine the clips together, with an MP3 soundtrack if required, into a movie. This can be uploaded to YouTube for the world to see, and you can send an email that includes a link to your video. All this is done without leaving the video editor. It's easy to use, with simple wizards to guide you through the whole process.

It's fair to say that most people already own a camera or phone that can shoot low-resolution video for uploading to the web. However, if you don't already have one then the Mino is specifically designed for the job and is easy to control, works well in low light and makes getting the results online both quick and easy.

Author: Seth Barton