Upon first seeing these types of mini videocams through my girlfriends' dad and brother-in-law, I thought that they were kind of like a gimmicky "toy", being so small and lightweight. But, as I have discovered by having one of my own, they don't have to weigh a ton to be sturdy, and it can create good quality video in spite of its miniscule size.
Before I actually purchased mine on -where else?- Amazon, I searched for different brands and read review after review, just as you are doing. I wasn't able to find any other brand that was comparable in size, features, and, most important for me, price. So, I took a chance on the Flip and I'm quite satisfied with it. Here's my take.
LIKEs:
Size - small and compact with no cables for charging or file transfer as it has a USB connection that flips out of the body. It's also quite lightweight, so it's not fatiguing to hold for extended periods.
Video quality - At the moment, I only have a netbook that is hooked up to a 22" LCD monitor, and the video quality (clarity) is pretty good upon playback. But, the videos are a little choppy possibly due to the limitations of the video card in the netbook.
Use - Quite user friendly, just turn it on with the power button on the side, press the red button in the back to start recording and press again to stop. There is a directional pad around the red button that scrolls through previously recorded videos (L/R) or to zoom and control volume (Up/Dn). There is also one button on each side (horizontally) of the central pad for playback and delete. Transfer of files and charging is done through a USB connector that swings out of the side of the camera. There is also a (mini) HDMI outlet for watching videos on a TV. Oh yeah, almost forgot about the screen in the back 'cause it's so tiny (1.25"X1.75"), but it's not bad considering its size. That's it.
Battery - I like the fact that it has a rechargeable (NiMH) battery pack that is also removeable so it is replaceable with 3 AA batteries. Not quite sure of the run-time, but at least you could have some AA's for backup.
DON'T LIKEs:
Charge/Charging - There's no way to tell how much charge is left until a low battery icon comes on and I don't really know how much run-time it has after the initial signal. I also don't really care for the fact that the computer has to be on to charge the camera. I have used my iPhone jack to charge the camera, though I'm not sure if it'll damage the battery.
Case - This is really minor, but as others have said, the supplied case is just a soft drawstring "bag", if you will, that is quite snug and therefore a little trying to get on. I guess it's not bad considering how much the camera cost, and on the bright side, it does double as a wiping cloth.
OVERALL:
I gave this videocam 4/5 stars. The deduction of one star because of not being able to see how much charge is left and requiring the computer to be on to charge the phone. Otherwise, this is a really good compact camera with its highlights being price, build quality, ease of use, and video quality. Another thing I failed to mention earlier is the sound quality, which is quite good. One night I was watching a video I took of my dog who has a couple of tags on his collar so we can hear where he is. As I was watching the video, his collar was jingling and I thought that he was actually in the room with me, but he wasn't. I guess the sound from the video was so well reproduced and ambient that it fooled me into thinking that my dog was there. Highly recommended.Get more detail about Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black).
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