MacMost Now 144: The Flip Mino Video Camera

Gary Rosenzweig takes a look at the Flip Mino compact video camera. This tiny little inexpensive video camera works well with Macs and iMovie.

You can also watch this video at YouTube (but with ads).

Video Transcript: Today's episode of MacMost Now, let's take a look at the Flip Mino.
So you've probably seen or heard about the little flip cameras. These cameras came out pretty recently but there's already been a few models. The thing about them is they're tiny, they're inexpensive, and they only really do one thing, which is take video. They're pretty popular among Apple users because they're kind of similar in user experience. There's really not much to them, just one big button that you press to start taking video, and press the same button to stop. It's got a few more controls, but it's basically very simple, and just does one thing, and does it very well, which is take quick little videos.
See, you just stick it in your pocket and take it with you. And it's very easy to get the video from the device to your computer. Matter of fact, that's why it's called the Flip, it's got a little USB port that plugs right into the top. This is not a professional level camera. The microphone's built in, doesn't really have any professional features, but, given that, it's a pretty neat little camera. I mean it's pretty easy to pull it out, press record, and you actually get decent video, even in pretty low light.
There are several different models out now, but the Mino's the newest and the smallest. It has a rechargable battery, has a tripod mount on the bottom, it even has TV output so you can play your video directly on TV, without plugging it into a computer first.
The Mino has sixty minutes of capacity on it, which is perfect, for say, a family trip or event, where if you're taping sixty minutes, you're probably taking too much video. It's also great in that it's so tiny it's effortless to remember to carry it with you at all times. In fact, I took it with me to the BlogWorld expo this last weekend and it's how I filmed the video on the showroom floor that I used in Episode 136.
"And here's me using it on myself in the studio! It's kind of hard to point it at yourself because the screen's on the back, but it still works pretty well."
So how does it work with Macs? Well, there's some software that comes with it, but the software doesn't really do anything special, so I recommend not even using it, just actually downloading the video codec which will add itself to Quicktime when you install. This means that you can take the videos and use them in things like iMovie without converting them to anything. Just drag-and-drop when you plug in the Mino.
The software does have some neat features to be able to go ahead and manage the videos on the device, and also share the videos. For instance, you can go ahead and share with some online services, such as AOL video, YouTube and MySpace.
The Flip Mino costs about $180. You can find out more at TheFlip.com. You can also find older version, such as the Original and Ultra series, at online stores.
Until next time, this is Gary Rosenzweig with MacMost Now.

Comments: 3 Responses to “MacMost Now 144: The Flip Mino Video Camera”

Daniel

16 years ago

Glad to see product reviews being added to MacMost!
Never can have enough toys to go with your Mac.
I came so close to buying the flip Mino but then I saw MacWorld's review of the
Kodak Zi6! Same price and features but uses AA batteries for power and comes with two rechargeable ones and recharger to boot.
This and a few other "comes with" for the same price I think makes it a better deal.

Ian

Daniel must be looking at something different because the video I see is Gary showing how to get free iPhone ringtones from Macmost. there is no mention of the Flip Mino, which is something I do want.

rosenz

Ian: The video got mixed up for a while. It is the correct one right now.

Comments Closed.

MacMost Now 144: The Flip Mino Video Camera

Comments: 3 Responses to “MacMost Now 144: The Flip Mino Video Camera”

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