Flipping out

Christopher Breen has a review of the Flip MinoHD (120 minutes) and seems to be generally happy with it:

...the Flip MinoHD [is now] my new favorite pocket camcorder.

Like other cameras, the results of its low-light shooting can be grainy. However, it compensates for the wild color shifts you get from some of these cameras. Under typical lamp light, for example, most pick up a yellow cast and a few over-compensate and bring too much blue to the picture. The new MinoHD gets much closer to the true color—white objects are white instead of yellow.

All good stuff, but is anyone else getting confused by Flip's product line, and what does what? A look at their products page reveals the following models:

  1. Mino 60min MSRP$149.99
    Screen: 528 x 132, Video: 640 x 480 Bitrate:4Mbps
    3.94” x 1.97” x 0.63” (H x W x D)
  2. Ultra 120min MSRP $149.99
    Screen: 960 x 240, Video: 640 x 480 Bitrate:4Mbps
    4.25" x 2.19" x 1.17" (H x W x D)
  3. UltraHD 120min MSRP $199.99
    Screen: 960 x 240, Video: 1280 x 720 Bitrate:9Mbps
    4.25" x 2.19" x 1.17" (H x W x D)
    Video Out: HDMI Mini Connector
  4. MinoHD 60min MSRP $199.99
    Screen: 528 x 132, Video: 1280 x 720 Bitrate:9Mbps
    3.94” x 1.97” x 0.63” (H x W x D)
    Video Out: Composite Cable
  5. MinoHD 120min MSRP $229.99
    Screen: 960 x 240, Video: 1280 x 720 Bitrate:9Mbps
    3.94" x 1.97" x 0.66" (H x W x D)
    Video Out: HDMI Mini Connector
I've only included a few specifications here, and ignoring the first two - because they do only standard video - I guess what puzzles me is the UltraHD/MinoHD 60/Mino HD 120. They all support 720p, but the physical size, recording length, screen and video out connections seem to be the key differences. When you boil it down, it seems to be that the MinoHD 60 has the shorter recording time and no HDMI. While the UltraHD and MinoHD 120min match on recording time, screen and video out, but the MinoHD 120 is smaller (and more expensive.)

So unless size is the key, buy the UltraHD, right? Except if Chris's article is to be believed, the quality of image produced by the three camera's is notably different, with the MinoHD 120 doing much better in indoor light.




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