There is nothing that makes me madder than to pay good money for something that proceeds to place an advertisement that cannot be removed at the end of a video! I thought this was a great little recorder until I uploaded my first video to Youtube - then found that an ad which is not visible when the video is viewed on my computer is created on Youtube at the end of the video . For shame, they had a good product, but what customer wants to be a walking advertisement for a product they paid for!!! Mine will be given to my nephews as a toy, for that is all it is. Plus, the software is buggy and crashes all the time when you try to create movies. Save your money and buy a REAL video camera

For some reason, I was really excited to order this camera. I was convinced it would be the best thing ever.

Eh, it's okay. It's small, lightweight and fairly easy to use (I only stood there thinking I was recording something when I really wasn't one time) and I like the fact that I don't have to install any software on my computer and can plug this into my boyfriend's laptop knowing that I won't be breaking his "don't install any software" rule. Still, there are some changes I would make...

First, I really want to be able to attach it to a tripod. I didn't even think about how I might want to do this before I got it, but I've wanted to a bunch of times since getting it.

Second, a flip out usb connector sounds like a good idea, but I have yet to use it with a computer that has a usb port located in such a way as to make this convenient to connect....and I have two desktops, a laptop, a tablet pc and a monitor with usb ports built right into the base. I'd rather just have a mini usb port built into the side (right next to that tripod mount). I'm imagining them testing the thing out and realizing the flip out usb plug wasn't that great but by that time they had already spent so much time on the design making the flip part work and were so invested in the name and marketing was all set to roll on it, so they felt they needed to keep it.

Finally, if you use the built in Flip tools to compress your movie for the web, it ends up with a little ad for Flip cameras at the end. That's not really cool...I didn't know I was paying for that "feature". I did find that you can just use YouTube to compress your video for you and it won't have that ad at the end, but what if I want to host it on my own site instead?

In the end, I think the Flip is okay, but it's not really better than the movie feature on my four year old Canon PowerShot digital camera which, by the way, has a tripod mount and normal mini usb connection and the additional advantage of taking great still pics and using removable memory cards.

I've had this camera about three months. While the picture quality isn't as good as my 3ccd camcorder the Flip suffices for TV displays. All the software for PC and Mac resides on the camera. The USB connector is part of the camera and flips (thus the name) out to plug into a computer port. It's so easy to use that's it's sort of the iPod of the camcorder business. My four year old grandson has taken some pretty good videos on it with minimal instruction. It fell twice off a four foot table to concrete and it still runs. The second time the plastic case separated, but I easily snapped it back in place. I'm more careful now, but it's nice to know that you don't have to worry too much about damage. It uses two AA batteries and they last over an hour, or the time it takes to fill its 1GB internal memory. No zoom, but, if you've watched enough amateur home movies with zoom, you'll avoid zoom nausea.

I picked up a flip (the old 30-minute model) because it was cheap and I needed a camera to record short videos, mostly for youtube-type stuff. For that purpose, it is amazing - it's easy to use, gets decent battery life, and it's not terribly hard to download the movies to your PC or laptop, so the '30 minute' storage has never been a problem for me.

The videos are decent quality, with decent image capture even in poor lighting. Getting the videos on my computer (a MacBok Pro) is a snap. Just flip up the USB connector, plug it in, and wait for the camera to show up as a flash drive. Don't mess with the video software Flip gives you, just drag your videos onto your Hard Drive and then open them in QuickTime. Pay the few bucks for Quicktime pro and you have simple video editing as well. I can't speak for the PC side of things, but on the Mac it's a dream. Here's another Mac tip: if you have iWork, use Keynote to create title screens and simple animations, add a soundtrack, plunk your video in the background, adjust the timing, and you have some basic FX and credits! I've done this many times and it works brilliantly.

It's not for the aspiring Cannes contestant, but for what its made for (short, simple, decent quality vids) it's great. And cheap. Did I mention cheap? It's also easy: anybody can shoot a video with this camera so long as they have: at least one eye, a thumb, and one living brain cell.

NOTE: I found great results using Flip with Apple iWork '08 to create quick movies in Keynote (of all things, yes this actually works well)

I purchased this camera because it was simple and compact. However, it may be too simple. I took the camera on my trip to Italy. After three weeks of shooting, I realized I had gone slightly beyond the 60 minutes (by 2 minutes). Instead of automatically stopping the process, it deleted my entire film except for those two minutes. When shooting outdoors, the glare of the sun does not allow you to read the settings. In addition, the instruction book makes no mention of this factor. I cannot express how disappointed I was to not have the film I shot over three weeks. There should be a feature that stops the filming when the 60 minutes is up and allows you to reset when you are ready.

A nice little pocket size camera that takes reasonably good video.It fits comfortably in a shirt or jacket pocket and is easy to use.

You should have an extra USB cable with it as the built in connector does not readily fit in either one of my computers.The weight of the camera is hanging on the flip out USB arm !!!!

There is NO WAY to directly burn your video to a DVD on your computer. You must take it to a store such as CVS or RITE-AIDE where they will charge you $12.99 for the pleasure + tax.

When recording YOU CANNOT PAUSE, so that unless your shooting one long continous 60 minute video you end up with several short files that hopefully won't be there if you have a video made.

The upload to the internet for mailing was painfully slow!!!!!

It works WELL on the TV with the direct AV cable hookup and showed a surprisingly clear picture.

Overall it's a fun little machine if you don't expect to much, and kids would love it.

RF
Shenandoah Valley,VA

I bought this camera because the product marketing promised 2 things: 1) a simple, lightweight video capture experience; 2) an equally simple video-transfer-to-computer experience.

The company delivered on Promise 1, but failed catastrophically on Promise 2. Here's a sample of our experiences with the Flip's software:

1) First try: software booted up and told me to go get a firmware update from the Flip website. OK. I get to the update site. The firmware isn't yet available for the Mac. Bummer. There's no place to sign up for an email alert to let me know when the update's ready; I'm instructed to check back in "about a month."

2) Meanwhile, I tinker with the software to see if there's anything I can do while waiting. The FlipForMac application freezes while I'm exploring it. I force-quit. The computer no longer recognizes my camera. I disconnect it. The camera won't turn off and can't get itself back into video-taking mode. I remove and reload the batteries. Camera comes back alive and seems to be working normally, but my trust is shaken.

3) A month later: The firmware update's available. I download, install and run it. Ten minutes into the installation, the update fails with a big error message linking me back to the Flip website. The website tells me to remove the batteries from the camera, reboot my computer and try again.

4) I do that. The update fails again after 10 minutes. The Finder on my Mac locks up for 5 minutes. I lose patience.

5) Remove camera from computer. Remove batteries from camera (its interface is frozen again). Hard-reboot computer to get out of whatever bad loop the Finder is in. Plug in camera again. Click on FlipForMac application icon. Get error message saying the application icon I clicked on "...is not a Director file." Nothing else happens. I can't force-quit the application or eject the camera. OS freezes up again.

6) Fueled by morbid curiosity, reboot. Throw away installed FlipForMac software and restart. Plug camera back into computer. Try to reinstall the software from the camera itself. The application icon *on the camera* appears to have gone dead. The camera goes dead too -- it won't respond to attempts to eject.

7) Lather, rinse, repeat.

8) Give up. Come to Amazon. Write product review.

This wasn't just an aggravating waste of time, nor was it one of the rare frustrations of using a Mac (see other reviews from Windows users -- XP and Vista both -- who've had bad experiences with this software). Regardless of what OS you're using, there are some basic things that even minimally competent professional software should never do.

- It shouldn't get halfway through an installation before it fails.

- It should never lose track of its own state ("I'm dead.")

- It should never lose track of its own initialization sequence after dying ("....this is not a Director file...").

- It shouldn't take the rest of the operating system down with it when it goes.

- It shouldn't leave a user with the impression that the software is a rickety house-of-cards held together by luck.

This company has invested its resources in excellent marketing and good industrial engineering (the camera itself). The software -- a big chunk of the user experience -- is clearly an afterthought. Responsible software engineers spend a lot of time thinking about edge-cases that will mess things up and figuring out how to handle failures gracefully. Those software engineers are expensive, and the Flip company has decided not to bother with that expense.

You can drive over a bridge a lot of times before it falls down. A lot of people are going to get to the other side just fine, and those people are going to give their experience with the bridge a decent review. The mark of a responsibly engineered product is how decently and gracefully it recovers from failure.

When it fails, the Flip's software fails horribly and it doesn't recover at all. I worry about what else it takes down with it. Potential Flip buyer, beware! Will *you* be one of the Flip users who has a catastrophically bad experience with the software? Are you willing to take that chance because the product and its marketing are cute? I wish I hadn't.

I give this Flip camcorder 2 stars--for potential only. The video and sound were pretty good, especially for the size and light weight of the unit. Unfortunately no PC could recognize the device, so no video could be saved or viewed except for on the Flip unit itself. I've contacted Flip and returned it, but they didn't even offer me a free return--I've paid for the return shipping! After about 3 weeks with no contact, I contacted them, and have been told they have received the camcorder, but no fix yet.

In short, get a different brand.

This camera is terrible. I KNOW it's not supposed to be a really good camera; I bought it to record videos and share online. I wasn't expecting something amazing. But everyone's giving it such great reviews that it does not reserve.

The reason I chose this camera was because it's supposed to be easy to use. I have a Mac, and I was planning on using iMovie to edit. When I import the videos into iMovie it's just a blank video with the sound. I can only get the videos to work in the Flip Video program. I'm sure I could get it to work by downloading drivers and other junk, but I'm not going through all the trouble for a camera that's supposed to be "stunningly simple to use". Maybe for Windows users it is, but it's just a pain for Macs.

The sound quality is absolutely terrible. When I talk on the video I sound like a robot. I'm bought this camera this afternoon and I'm taking it back right now. Terrible.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1V8HY3ZZLN8S7 I just ordered Flip Video last week, I take it with me everywhere, it is easy to use, great picture and sound quality, I can't say enough how satisfied I am, get it, you won't regret it

Based on the overwhelming positive reviews on this site I purchased the FLIP Video. I got it home and right out of the box the FLIP Video itself worked great. However, once I connected the device to my laptop (fairly new Dell PC running Windows XP) the software would not work with my computer as advertised. I tried everything I could think of for over a half hour and it still would not work. I ended up just taking it back to the store for a refund. In this case it really was too good to be true.

My wife and I purchased the Flip about two weeks ago. We wanted to keep costs down, and I wanted to keep complexity down. We just need something that can take quick videos of our baby daughter so we can annoy our family senseless with how cute she is.

In just the first two weeks, we have taken about two dozen videos, generally ranging from one to six minutes long. It has been perfect for this. I did not need to install any drivers on my Mac to transfer the files. I've had no problem editing and burning them to DVD. Now both grandmothers will be getting a surprise in their Christmas cards this year!

The picture quality will certainly surprise you. We have a 60" screen at home (non-HD old projection set), and the picture looks great to us. Not sure about durability just yet, but so far we couldn't be more pleased with this purchase.

Great and easy to use! WARNING: VIDEO'S ARE NOT EMAILABLE!!!

We got this for christmas, so after taking a bunch of videos, I decided to download them to my computer. After attaching the files to several emails, I started getting messages back that they only came through with audio, no video.
Yup... its right. The MPEG-4 format that these videos are shot in are not compatable with most peoples basic setup for media player. They must either download software for $20 or you have to load the flip onto each computer that you want to watch the videos on. Very upsetting. They do have an online host, where you can upload to and then your friends/family get a link to that website, however the video and sound quality are poor at best.

It was very upsetting. We are very pleased with the ease of the unit itself, the quality of viewing it on your computer is great... but this formatting issue makes it almost impossible to share great moments with others.

Sorry flip, but you are a flop.
(had to say it)

Ok it's christmas morning. I open up the camera, take some family videos. Works fine I try to download them to my mac - which is in specifications. I'm running 10.4. bogs down, spinning icon, nothing - locks up the machine.

I try another mac that has more disk space (try the obvious) same issues.

I go to the flip phone site - guess what, it reports it needs new firmware which isn't available until sometime in jan. (no specific date)
Companies that sell you things in December that they know don't work / won't work until jan. should be taught a lesson.

THIS IS JUST WRONG.

I rated it one star because amazon won't le4t me rate it zero)

The camera itself is pretty nice, but for now there is no real support for Mac OS X Leopard. Here's the message I received when I inquired about why the Flip Video download program didn't work on my computer:

"The Flip Video camera does not support Mac OSX Leopard (OSX 10.5.x), so
we cannot guarantee that the Flip Video program will have full
functionality. However, you should still be able to access your videos
in order to play and save them.

We are working on adding Leopard support in future versions of our
software and camcorders. We are also hoping to provide an upgrade to our
current users, although we do not have a release date.

While we do not technically support Leopard, we have an update that
seems to allow for smooth functionality of the Flip on Leopard. It would
be beneficial to upgrade your camcorder on another computer using this
link: http://www.theflip.com/app/prius/31/update/. You can then try to
run the program on your Mac.

We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope you won't hesitate to
contact us further."

The Flip Camera is what it is: a lightweight, easy to carry, easy to use video camera that does what it's supposed to do for not a lot of money. It comes complete with a usb plug so it can be connected directly to a computer for easy uploading (no hunting for a cord), and it works with both a pc and a mac (I've used both). It's so easy to use that I've let my students at school use it to cover events and then upload them independently of me, and they never have an issue with how to operate it. In fact, the first day I had my camera, I took precisely one minute to show my eleven-year-old daughter how to use it and she proceeded to take lots of video within seconds of holding it.

I do wish it didn't go through batteries as quickly as it does, but other than that, I cannot think of one single thing I'd say negatively about this camera. It's not for major filming and editing, but capturing those special (and occasionally random) moments, you can't do better for the price. Highly recommended!

I returned my first FLIP for a malfunction...AMAZON was wonderful...received a replacement with ease, but it also did not work properly. Now returned for a refund. Only good thing was great handling by AMAZON. I loved the FLIP, but the quality is lacking

Received it today, and the hardest part was getting it out of the thick plastic clam shell. I have only taken a one minute video, while sitting at my desk, just to check on the quality of the picture, audio & lighting, to my surprise they were all above average to which I am very pleased, so it will be taken along on our cruise to the Panama Canal this Dec. For some reason it took me only a few minutes to install it on my wife's Dell 8200 kitchen computer, but over two hours to get it up and running on my Dell 9100 ?
Overall I think it is a good buy for the money and would recommend it to all my friends and family.

We are on our 3rd camera from Flip because the camera which seems fantastic does not work with a Mac, even though they will lie and tell you it does. We had footage from Paris that took FOREVER to download because the camera kept electronically detaching from the computer. Fortunately we got the footage but it was very tedious. Flip sent a replacement that also did not work with the Mac and a 3rd replacement that we waited 4 weeks for that would not even start up! They wanted us to give them a credit card # before they sent the 4th. Do we want to try it again??? Not sure. After all this I do wish it worked but my faith is pretty weak. My advise. If you have a Mac don't get it unless you have a lot of time to kill and strong nerves.

I own a Mac, and I was expecting a flawless install like with everything else Mac. However, the software would lock up every time I tried playing or editing or exporting a video.

I eventually figured out that I could just treat the camera like an extra drive and copy the movies to my local hard drive. However, since the files are saved in AVI (a PC format), I had to purchase Quicktime pro to open the AVI files, save them as MPEG, so I can then open them in iMovie.

For some reason, iMovie will not just read the camera and import straight from the camera...so I have to go through somewhat of a hassle to get the videos into iMovie. I just deleted the Flip software that came with the camera. It was worthless.

Other than the software issues, the camera is a great unit, though I wish the microphone were a bit more sensitive. Does a great job adjusting to lighting conditions.

I got this for my birthday from my parents. I works great. Its ease of use is insanely good. You turn it on and you press record. Boom. It's recording. You press play, boom, it plays the video. You press delete and press delete again, boom, your vid is gone. It's great!

One of my complaints is the lack of real editing. No black and white.
The other is the little USB connector. If you have a laptop, great! Otherwise, your Flip is going to hang from your computer. So far, it shows no signs of breaking off, but you never know.

Pros:
Sturdy
Easy to use
Cool movie mixes
Small

Cons:
USB is too short
No video editing
Speakers are weak(very minor)

This is a very handy pocket video camera. It has a good quality picture and is easy to use. With this you can catch those magic moments that you want to retain. Since it fits in a coat pocket, there's no excuse for not having it at work or play. The price is very reasonable and it uses 2 "AA" batteries. Several friends have admired it asked where I purchased it. I am sure that it would be very usefull in many situations of day to day life as well as "on the job" for some professions. I rely on it very much.

As a senior citizen I find a lot of the new technology "beyond me". This little video camera is extremely user friendly and fun to use. You do not have to be a teenager or a "geek" to use it. I highly recommend it.

NerdBoyTV is a BIG fan of this little innovative video camcorder. When my 14-year-old was a baby and toddler, I lugged around a GIGANTIC Hi-8 (remember those) camcorder. I remember videotaping EVERY moment, yawn, and giggle and have about 15 two-hour tapes of her. Then came the three boys and I just lost the energy to pull the big, awkward camcorder out to film anything.

How I wish they had this little gadget back then...

But, I'm making up for lost time quickly. Now, at parties, restaurants, parks, events, or at home, I just click the Flip Video Camcorder on like a digital camera and start recording. The video AND audio are quite impressive considering the size of the unit.

What I like best is that the camera is as easy-to-use as a digital camera...just point and click. You'll find that you're more willing (and ready) to capture everyday events that you'll treasure for a lifetime.

...and isn't that the point of having a camcorder anyway?

PROS:
* Easy-to-use (most important) with a fairly intuitive user interface
* Small, compact, and quickly accessible
* Software built into the camera; just plug-and-play
* Can easily upload to YouTube.com
* Proof that even a kid can use it; my 6-year-old uses it all the time!
* Inexpensive and now comes is a variety of nifty colors

CONS:
* Buttons a little awkward for those of us with "stubby" fingers
* USB arm connector is difficult to attach to some computers
* Why even bother with a 30-minute version of this camera? Stick with the 60-minute!

CAMERA STYLE PHOTOS/VIDEO ----------WORKS GREAT, BUT BATTERY LIFE SEEMS TO BE SHORT. MAKE SURE YOU CUT THE CANCORDER OFF YOURSELF RATHER THAB WAITING FOR IT TO CUT IT'S SELF OFF IS THE OLY ANSWER THAT I KNOW.......

Extremely easy to use, but that's the problem - my whole family, including kids, takes videos with this and we end up with hundreds of useless videos. Also, it does not "pause," so when you stop recording, then start again, it's another video. I have NO idea how to put them together into one big video. It's like the old-fashioned cameras with film, when you end up with a lot of useless pictures you keep anyway. We have some great moments in many of these videos, but can't figure out how to edit out the bad stuff.

I like the camcorder because it is easy to use. The only problem I have with the camcorder is that it uses the batteries quickly. For example, I had to replace the batteries after using the camcorder for about an hour and half. I suggest getting a camcorder with internal battery.

I got a flip video for my son and daughter-in-law at the other end of the country to keep me current on my grandson's life and growth. All they do is point and shoot, plug into their computer and download and send it to me as an email. So much better than photos! Cheap and easy for all of us. I liked it so much I got one for our end.

I have created quite a library of videos using my Flip, primarily because of it's easy plug-and-upload functionality. It's built-in USB adaptor is very convenient. Ive been using this for work-related video and news posts. In addition, i carry it around in case something interesting comes my way. My 11- year old little sister figured out how to use it in about 5 minutes! Great for quickie video, but the audio is not the greatest.

I bought two 60 minute Flip Top Videos for my grandchildren for Christmas(9 years old and 12 years old). They are thrilled and use them night & day making up their own little movies and programs. After two weeks one of the Flip Tops started deleting everything and showing only 35 seconds available. Although it is a wonderful concept and one is still working, I am very disappointed to have spent that much money only to have it breakdown in two weeks time. My granddaughter is also very disappointed.

I bought this gift for my mom, who isn't very tech savvy. She had it figured out in one day and already sent me a video via email. With kids and grandkids all in different states this is perfect for her to share all her special moments. Awesome gift!

This camera was such a disappointment. It recorded really well and I was fine with the quality as you're really looking for something that can be shared with family primarily, but when it came to transferring the videos to another format, TV, another camera or computer it just didn't work. Sometimes I could reboot enough and fiddle around where it would randomly work once, then go back to it's bad error message. I tried multiple computers and am certainly computer literate. I don't at all recommend this product.

If you want a camcorder that's easy to use, and has good quality, get this one!! You can easily upload vids on youtube, and AOL. Plus, you can email them easily to your friends. The only problem, you can't pause recording. You can stop it, but not pause. Only one shot. Besides that, its a great camera for me. It helps me out a whole lot!!!!

I was looking at buying the 60 min. Flip for my 12 year old daughter, but saw the 30 min. flip on sale at BestBuy for $80 (sorry Amazon) and had to take such a good deal. When my daughter opened the present, she didn't quite understand what it was. After opening the Flip box she was video taping everything in the house within minutes. The best thing was, she did not need me to help her set it up in any way, she opened the box and started taking videos of the entire family. She took it to her friend's house and videoed their new puppy and later emailed it to her. I highly recommend any version of this product for a older child or teenage who wants the ability to video tape without all the trouble of a camcorder. Also, buy a case to keep it in, it is worth the extra $14.00.

I'm impressed! The video from this little camera is very good quality for the money. I have posted three videos on YouTube (TomBK3) that were made with it. I just plugged the Flip Video camera into the USB on the side of my Mac G4 iBook, dragged and dropped the video files from the camera's memory into iMovie, did some editing and saved the results in QuickTime. It's easy, works well and is convenient to carry in a pocket. I may use it more often than the HD camcorder I just bought, although the HD (obviously) has a much better picture, more features, etc.

get ready to spend money on a software upgrade for Quicktime if you're a MAC user. you'll have to get the QT pro for viewing. Kind of lame.

otherwise it's an easy-to-use camera that can go anywhere like a compact. one more drawback is its inability to zoom.

I thought this would be a great gift and bought 4 of them. Unit worked well until I tried installing the software and it crashed with an error from Macromedia Projector. Tried installing it on a second computer and got the same exact error. I went online for support or updated drivers and found nothing useful on their site. Too bad for Flip - I am taking all of them back.

This little product is an amazing piece of technology. It does exactly what you want and with only a few problems.

Despite its tiny size and lens, it takes good quality video. Dim light isn't so good but normal indoor lighting and daylight shots are very good quality. The zoom is virtually nonexistent but thats not what its really for anyway. Just throw it in your pocket and carry it with you to the game or the party or wherever, whip it out, point and record movies.

I found it a bit awkward to hold but nothing serious, it is pretty impossible to 'sneak' in video of the kids because it has to be held up in such an obvious position (its easy to point in the wrong direction so you have to watch the screen a lot).

On the downside, I found the batteries (it uses 2 AA) don't last that long, essentially I have to put a new set in each trip (each hour of video). I also found that in bright daylight its hard to tell if it is recording or not. The video screen is on even when it is not recording and a red/green text in the corner is the only feedback you get (I have recorded lots of pointing at the ground). The biggest problem I have is that its quite hard to take smooth videos, the the thing is so small that its hard to keep steady and when you watch the video later you are amazed at how jumpy/jerky/bumpy it is. My next video camera will have image stabilization.

Once the video is captured, the included USB plug inserts into your computer and you can use the included (fairly lame) software or simply copy the .AVI files from the camera to your hard disk. The files are about 20mb per minute and it stores 60 minutes in the camera. There is also a red/white/yellow cable for transferring directly to a dvd/video recorder but while it works, it also puts a giant green sequence number at the beginning of each segment for several seconds (what were they thinking?)

In summary, its a great little camera for kids or for small events because it can literally be placed in a pocket and carried with you. Due to its small size and lack of image stabilization its difficult to get the video to not be jumpy, however the video quality is good.

This product "in theory" is awesome.
It promised to make my job of restaurant supervision much easier.
The product that I purchased may be faulty.. but I cannot download or compress any video.
My computer locks up and I cannot even "safely eject" or turn off the FLIP without a FIGHT.
There is no support available... so I will return my FLIP this afternoon.

I just got my Flip Camcorder and I am finding it lots of fun or very easy to use. I haven't used the still picture feature yet (actually didn't realize it had one). But I am having lots of fun with this Camcorder which is about the size of a pack of cigarretes. But I am sure that next year they will offer one even smaller and even smaller one the following year as they have been doing with ipods.

I purchased my Flip Video in the spring. The picture quality of the video is more than adequate - I trust it to capture and save the actions of our precious grandchildren. Since buying & using my own Flip, I have bought 5 to give as gifts. That surely backs up my rating of 5 stars.
The small size & weight of the camera makes it easy to slip into a purse or pocket - keeping it "on hand" for those unexpected special moments. My grandchildren love to make their own videos - something I wouldn't allow with a more expensive camera.
I have captured many snapshots from the videos I have taken. Too many digital photos have been snapped just before or just after the perfect smile or expression. A favorite is one of my son, his wife and their new baby, just minutes after our grandson was born.
The convenience of having built-in software is priceless.
The only con I have is not being able to edit out scenes from the middle of a video. I can only delete from the start or end of the clip.

This is a great product
the flip video camcorder is so easy to use and the video transfered to the computer is great.
I really enjoy carring a small camcorder compared to the larger ones.
It seemed like the 30 minutes of video would not be enough, but when you use it 30 minutes is alot of time. Try it you will like it.

I purchase this recorder to take on a trip to Europe. It is great. Very easy to use and down load to share footage.For the price, it is a great buy.

I love this. Love this Love this. I have been waiting for this to come out.
I am able to capture little tidbits of my grandkids and send them to friends or u tube. Worth every penny and soooooooooo easy to use.

I bought this camera, thinking, rightfully so that 60 minutes of recording is good enough. I've only taken 3 minutes at a time, so this product is perfect for me. The video quality is surprisingly good.
The Bad? The zoom buttons are too close to the record button, so I have shut off recording accidently a couple of times now.

Saving the videos is simple, the software, which had to be updated but no problems, takes care of everything. It does take a minute on my computer, but it isn't a deal breaker for me.

All in all, for about a hundred and ten bucks, I'm VERY happy with my purchase.

I just got this yesterday and have only dabbled around with it. But, so far I like it a lot. It says something on the packaging about getting DVDs made at a store. I'm hoping that's not the case and I can burn my own DVDs off my computer at home. I haven't gotten that far into it yet.

The downloaded computer program which comes with the camcorder took me a few minutes to understand - at first the playback of my video was in a tiny square, but I kept clicking until I figured out how to get it full screen. And full screen was grainy - especially on the zoomed parts. The "zoom" function is not what I hoped for. All of my zoomed video was blurry so I will probably not use that function much at all. The camcorder seems to adjust quickly and accurately to changes in lighting. I went from a rather dark area in my house to full blazing sunlight coming in through the windows then back to dark and it handled the change nicely. Also, I video taped some outside and yesterday was a very windy day. I heard a lot of wind rush in the playback but, it was windier than usual so hopefully the wind rush sound is not typical.

Overall, it's a nice little gadget. A heck of a lot easier to use than my other camcorder (tape) but I still have more testing to do on it. I like the simple buttons on the back, the screen has great color, and it's pretty much dummy-proof. Lightweight and very easy to take. I have to balance the camcorder on a book when I have it attached via USB port to my desktop PC. As many others have stated, the flip out USB connector seems delicate and I don't dare let it hold itself without some support. My old high-school Spanish dictionary has finally come in handy!

Purchased this after reading fantastic reviews about it in the Wall Street Journal and School Library Journal. I was not disappointed. At the moment I've loaned it out because all the teachers at the college where I work want to borrow it. The lab professor plans to purchase some for his lab. It's because the quality is good and even a fifty-year-old can figure it out. It's that easy. I wish all new products were this simple. I have the first product and would like to try the newer one with the zoom lens but I'm pleased with having such a light-weight easy-to-use video cam that anyone can figure out and use. Audio records well too. I highly recommend it.

The best thing out there for the $$$$. It's easy and simple to use. My 90 year old Grandmother say's "It's a hoot!" If you want HDDVD and all the bells and whistles it's available for a lot of money. If you want easy, fun, fast, and economical get one of these.

I am very pleased with this product , in fact I got 4 other people to buy one.

I love the Flip and carry it everywhere. I bought it to video tape our new born daughter for all her adventures. It is so simple to use. It downloads easily and the videos are very clear. The downside: If you are using a mac, their are not as many features when you want to edit or blend the movies. Other than that, I love it!

Got this little recorder for my wife. She wanted something small. Had it for two weeks and love it. Quality of picture is good. Not difficult to plug in the computer and sent to friends. ( Takes a bit of time) All in all, for the price we are well pleased.

This thing is absolute crap, with even worse support from the manufacturer and Amazon. I returned it, at my expense, to the maker b/c Windows wouldn't recognize it. A month later it comes back to me WITHOUT the accessories I shipped it with. Now it has the same problem again, and Amazon says I'm past the return date--yeah, by one week, and because the camcorder was supposedly being repaired.

Don't buy this piece of garbage.

I have had nothing but trouble with my camera, and what's worse, when I sent my camera back, they lost it! I can no longer get hold of them on the phone. I see the house of cards starting to tumble. Caveat Emptor!

I gave my husband two camcorders for Christmas. One was expensive and complicated and the other was the Flip Video Camcorder. We ended up returning the complicated one and keeping the Flip. He loves to take it along with him wherever he goes and has fun playing back the video on our TV. He also wants to put some of the video on the computer. A great gift for someone that doesn't want to get real serious about recording video, but just wants to have fun with it. We are very pleased!!

Can't remember having this much fun taking movies! I've purchased several for family and friends. Very affordable and oh so easy to use! Even non-techies can use these right out of the package.

I love the Flip Video Camera. I didn't have to read the directions to know how to use it; that's how simple to use this camera is.

This is a great product, it's easy to use, has great picture and sound quality, and best of it's affordable. It actually has better picture quality than most $300+ cameras.

We got this camera at Christmas and love it. It's easy to use and upload, and it is small and light so it can be slipped into a purse or pocket. My six-year old son enjoys using it as well -- giving us an interesting little kid view of the world through his videos. We can also easily delete video we don't want to keep. The picture quality and sound is good. Battery usage isn't unreasonable. You don't even need a cord to connect it to the computer, it has a USB plug right in the camera.

This is one of my go-to cameras - have used it for Christmas, and out with friends, and just playing around - it's easy to use, long enough to record whatever you want, and with the technology you can post your film online!
It's a great price and a fun little gadget to have on hand. Small enough to put in a pocket or next to the cell phone for film opportunity -
Fun!

a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3ABOC4ETXDOXZ"Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3ABOC4ETXDOXZ/a The Flip Video Camcorder is a nice piece of electronics. For many people this may be the only camcorder that they will ever need. However, while this version is pretty good - I would recommend considering the newer models (see video review).
br /
br /Pros-
br /
br /- Handy little camera - easy to carry around
br /- Decent movie quality - while it is not great it is certainly good enough for YouTube
br /- Included software is pretty intuitive
br /- Competitively priced
br /- Holds a full 60 minutes of video
br /
br /Areas to improve-
br /
br /- Like all of the Flip Video camcorders the video can be a bit jerky/shaky
br /- This model requires Double-A batteries and is not rechargeable
br /- Cheaper finish and look compared to the Flip Video Minis
br /- Nearly twice the size of the Flip Video Minis
br /- I had some quality problems when turning it on (it didn't always come on).
br /
br / Final verdict- not bad camera, but the world of Flip Video has progressed and I would strongly recommend you choosing either Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black) IF you are going to post things to the internet. Or I would recommend the Flip Video MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black) IF you are going to burn the movies to a DVD or watch on a TV (preferably HD).
br /
br /3 Stars for this model
br /5 Stars for the Mino versions

The Flip is an awesome innovation. For about 90 dollars, you can't go wrong. It's easy to use, has nice resolution and is very convenient due to it's size and no need for mics and other add-ons.
br /
br /The one draw back is that getting vids off the Flip requires downloading software from the web and following several steps. For a computer novice, it might be a roadblock. They need to figure out an easier way to do this with newer models.
br /
br /But once we figured out how to get the vids off the Flip, everything was great. It's a really cool video camera and I highly recommend it.

We used it to film my daughter's wedding and it was easy to use, great video quality and even easier to upload to TV screen or to pc to make a disc. Best gadget I bought this year!
br /Not a big learning curve.. just point and shoot and ya gotta love that!

I really like my new flip video. I use it when visiting friends homes or on other trips. (We just got back from Cape Cod) I download the videos into the Flip Video Library, then I move the clips into Windows Movie Maker. From there I edit,add music (my only complaint is that I can't use most of the music from the ipod music I saved,I have to rip an old cd and put it into mp3 format)....Then I put in transitions (which are really fun). I burn everything onto a dvd and send it as a gift to the person we visited. My entire edited version is usually about 12 minutes. If I go longer than that, I don't have enough ram memory to handle it. The quality of the picture is good enough to show the dvd on a 56 inch tv. The zoom doesn't show up nearly as clear as the regular shots.

I was pleasantly surprised by this product. This is a great camcorder if you want something small and convenient. The picture is very clear and it's easy to use. I highly recommend this product.

i got this camera and have returned it because it didn't work. don't know when the money will be returned to me! there was a software glitch that they keep telling me that they can fix. however, it only played sound with no video. i have a an i book and wanted it so i can do things quick and easy... not with this product! try something else.

super simple functions. quality is nothing to boast about but it does what it supposed to. capture video and upload it. and when you use youtube as a personal video library you can share it with all your family and friends.

For an inexpensice video recorder, this is really COOL!. It is light weight, easy to use, transfer the movies to the computer by the built in USB connector.

Movies can be uploaded to YouTube easily and compression features are available.

This is such an easy piece of equipment and can take it anywhere!

What do you do when your filmmaker is 9 and your video camera ran you $650?

Hand them a flip.

It's simple to use and reasonably priced. My kids are able to use both hardware and software independently, they create their own shows, upload it to the computer and then they're able to edit it themselves.

You are not going to get perfect quality, it's low resolution (grainy even) and zooms without precision.

What you do get is hours and hours of pleasure and quick results, it's durable and easy to store.

At this price point it's the only Digital Video Camera worth owning.

Who knows, maybe your kid is the next Steven Spielberg?

This little Camcorder is easy to use and will probably become my only camera. I was able to record video clips, capture still images, and make a short movie with music and effects on the first day. I love it.

Arrived in great condition... I just don't think the zoom quality in the camera is all that great, but I enjoy the product...

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White)

This is such a samll camera but takes good video and the audio is good too.
It is so handy as you can carry it in a pocket or purse and be ready to take video at any time.
I am very pleased with this camera. Mine takes an hours video.

This is the perfect camcorder. I have been looking for something that did not take a rocket scientist to figure out how to take pictures, and this fits the bill. Thank you so much for thinking of us "older" generation that aren't geeks with something so easy to use. However, I wish that I had looked further down when I got it. I love pink and noticed after I ordered the white one, that there was a pink one. But, the camcorder is perfect.

Didn't expect much when I purchased this item but it ihas exceeded my expectations. Videos are pretty clear for such a small unit. It does everything it claims to do and more.

This camera may not be super high quality, but for a everyday point and shoot video camera it can't be beat for ease of use.
There are only a few buttons - power, record, delete, forward and backward. Takes fine video indoors.
The best features are the built in software and usb connection.
I used the camera for 2 months (a few times a week) before it ran out of power. I was thinking it would take a few hours to recharge... until I remembered it takes batteries! So easy

This is so easy to use and easy to download to your computer. Great for family and friends. Not great for long distances i.e your kids football game but still quite good.

Though I have not used it that much yet, as little as I have used it I know there is nothing like this on the market. Its ease of use and simplicity is exceptional. A small two page 'how to' brochure is all you need. As others have said, stick it in your pocket and bring it with you almost anywhere. Party's, Bars, weddings, etc. I know you'll have fun with it.

This is a great little video and still camera. Light weight, easy to operate and fun to use.
Runs on batteries, so you can carry an extra set with you and not have to worry about 'recharging' in the middle of an event.
I highly recommend it. Also, easy enough for 'techno-twits' to master!

I love this camera. It is perfect for filming short clips that I can then put on my blog. The software even allows you to make movie mixes which turn out great in my opinion. It's very simple to use, and the sound and the picture are great.

Alright well, first off, I'm not Kimberly, but her daughter. I came upon this camcorder for Hanukkah, and I thought it was amazing. Although the zone isn't the best, it's really easy to record things and easy enough for my friends to figure out. =P I would recomend it to anyone who's tired of plugging their cameras into a charger time after time, while with the Flip, you only have to replace the batteries, which are AA. I hope you enjoy this product, it's really great.

Lame Lame Lame.
After I read about this in the NYTimes I thought I HAD to have one.
Got one, went out and shot some classic footage. The recording is super easy, and the quality looks fine on the devise. However... I can't get it to work on my mini-mac, so tried on my PC. Again, no go. Tried the update and the update just failed, quit with no error msgs. Now my computer doesn't even recognise the device.
I read the fabulous reviews on this thing, and I'm totally jealous. I want it to work. ButI read on other message boards that problems are more common than not, so I'm tossing in the towl.
It's going back, and my videos are gone. Ugh...crappiest product I've ever bought...even worse than that Ford Cavalier I got when I was a teenager. Trust me, that's really really bad.

Compact, efficient, people friendly, economical, light weight and saves time. Downloads easily and deletes instantly.

This Flip Video Camcorder is extremely easy to use and is small enough to keep in your shirt pocket. It can be used indoors or outside without the need for an external light source. Don't expect professional video quality, but the quality is perfect for viewing on the PC and satisfactory for viewing on the TV. PC viewing is very simple - just plug the unit into a USB port on the PC and you're in business. Everyone that sees it expresses a desire to have one. Instead of telling my wife "Hey, guess what I saw today", I can show her.
It's great for recording those unexpected moments with your grandkids, pets, etc. The only thing I'm having difficulty with is realizing that the unit will record 60 minutes of video and I don't have to worry about limiting the amount of time I record something. I highly recommend this unit.

The Flip is a very cool idea. Camcorder in your pocket! And it's pretty fun when your out with your friends and want to catch some footage of one of them making a fool of themselves. But that is about where the cool factor ends. You cannot take stills, which now causes you to carry two cameras. I also had SEVERAL technical problems with the built-in software. I am still unable to edit on the supposed movie maker it comes with because it didn't automatically install and when I try to manually do so following the directions given in the troubleshooting section, nothing. If this camera were, say, $50-60 bucks it would be worth your money. But you are better off putting your money towards a decent digital camera that takes video.

My 14 year old son has an older version and he is already trying to steal this one from me.

I purchased this item for a Valentines Day gift for my hubby. We both love it! Have used it several times, very user friendly.

I bought myself a 30-minute Flip for Christmas and have really enjoyed it. Being so small -- and without all the cords, tapes -- it stays in my purse. That way, it's there to capture all the fun things in life. The other day, my daughter and I caught the horse down the street smiling. I whipped out my Flip and got a great YouTube-quality video! I'll admit the sound quality can be frustrating, but I just remind myself of the price.

I purchased this product for a gift for someone else, but also received one as a gift myself, from Amazon, so I will do a review. This is a marvelous innovation in video. The Flip Video is easy to hold, operate and small enough to fit into a pocket. The videos come out crisp and clear and the sound is marvelous. I remember years ago, video taping was a bulky, heavy job, but no longer. The Flip Video makes it a breeze. The USB connection on the Flip Video plugs right into the computer to download videos and the cable connects the Flip Video to your TV to watch home videos in full screen color. Also, it does not require expensive batteries. I'm very impressed by this Digital Technologies camcorder. It's a great product.

This is a great fun product. I don't think it's necessarily very sturdy, and if you want to do a lot of editing, this isn't for you. But it's super easy to use, and small enough to carry anywhere. For the cost it would be great to take almost anywhere.

When I was introduced to the Flip Video camcorder at a conference, I was a bit skeptical that you actually could get decent videos from such a small and handy device. So, after reading all the reviews I could get my hands on, I purchased mine. It does all that is says it does which, although limited, is quite outstanding for its size. The only negatives that I could find were 1.) the limited zoom on it, and 2.) the mounting and strength of the USB connect, which is readily remedied by using a USB extension. The limited zoom is to be expected in such a small device. Overall, I am completely satisfied with the device, its user-friendly simplicity and the rather impressive quality of the videos it produces. Great price for another hi-tech toy! ...and I like to play!

This camera is so easy to use that my 7-year old plays with it (now, most of the shots are somewhat less than useful, but he has fun). The only limitation is its date/time stamping gets loopy when you change the batteries.

I contemplated returning mine because the installed software did not work as described. Sound preceded the video by about 2~4 seconds. Picture in frame was not the same as when viewed on the computer and it cuts off the end of the video. However it does work with Apples Quick Time. So I will keep it and make it work. It is very handy and all I want it for is for when I do not have a better camera with me and want to record some event. The sound from the playback, on the unit, is way to low to be of any use if you want to view the video and hear the sound.

We needed a camcorder to make short clips of our 2-year old to send to the grandparents over the internet. This is the best camcorder for this task and the quality of the clips are good enough to watch on our hdtv. No tapes or mini dvds to buy. Highly recommended!

Great camera. I am still trying to figure out the software, but if you just video for a few minutes, it is wonderful!

Basically you just take this camera out of the box, insert batteries and it's ready to record! The Flip camera fits easily into my purse and I have captured some awesome video moments that otherwise would have been missed!

Sometimes if you are recording a large group the sound quality is not as good as with a traditional video camera, but the picture quality comes out great!

I am a "techno-idiot" and managed to hook it up to my computer and download the videos within a few minutes. Very easy to hook and play on a t.v. screen as well.

I just bought this item and have already made two movies with it. It is so great for the price and very easy to use. I love it. It is small enough to throw in my purse and works easy and has great videos. It is very easy to load on my laptop and share with my friends and family!
I would recommend this to everyone!

The camera is easy to use and I would give it a great review except it broke once right before the end of the very short warranty period. I could not get any computer to recognize it. I tried three PCs and two laptops. Nada. I sent it in for warranty repair work. they sent it back saying nothing was wrong, enclosing a DVD of the video on the camcorder. A few months later -- and outside the warranty period -- and -- it is no longer working. Same problem as before. This thing is a dud.

Got this for my son in college. Now I get frequent photos and videos, cuz it's soooooo easy to use and plugs right into his Mac computer!!!

I love this thing! The Flip Video encased all of the wonderful memories I had in Vermont, and when I uploaded the videos onto my laptop it only took a few minutes each section. Though, there was a glich on the first upload, but I when I plugged it into my main desktop and was connected to the internet, a prompt came up and it was fixed within the half hour.

It's a great addition to the family as well, for those impromptu home video moments!

I am ready to return this as it will not download to disc or computer. I called customer support and they were supposed to call me back but never did. Great if it worked, but very frustrating when it doesn't.

I bought this for myself and think it is one of the most awesome video cameras ever. It is small, easy and takes excellent videos. I have since then bought some for gifts for close friends and family. I would recommend it to anyone for local usage, you need to download the images to clear space. It does not work with a chip. Lynne

I don't know what lense or video camera they used to make the promotional videos but I believe that it was the Flip High Definition which wasn't offered by Amazon at the time that I bought the Flip Ultra.
br /
br /Unlike the fantastic shots of the fireworks in the promotionals,
br /The videos that I'm getting are grainy and
br /any movement (especially of mouths)
br /further than about ten feet is distorted.
br /
br /The picture and sound quality within about eight feet is good.
br /I bought because of the video presentations made in the ads; in my opinion it was a bait and switch.

This product is ok if you don't want to hear the other people in the room. Also, when I clicked on zoom, I could hear the clicks on the computer playback. (you have to push on the play button, more than once, to have it zoom in on whatever you are taping). It would have been ok, if not for these 2 things.

I bought one the Flip for my vacation to Jamica. For the price I had little expectations and figured I would make a quick video of the beach and never use the camera again. Turns out I would fall in love with the camera and never let it out of my sight.
br /
br /First off I am not a tech nerd. I can figure out how to turn my computer on and that is about it. This camera is so easy a monkey could use it. There is a button on the side for on off and a button to start recording. To delete something (which i end up doing all the time since I am always taping in antipaction of something great) is another button. To download is to simply hook up to the computer. Tech geeks I am sure can figure out how to edit and add sound effects i have never tried. The video is clear and pretty stable considering I am always moving when I am taping.
br /
br /I am ordering several for Christmas gifts and can honestly say that I think everyone will enjoy the Flip Video Camera.

Great price and great camera , my only complaint is that amazon recomended that we buy a tripod to go with this camera and when we did the camera has no threaded hole for the tripod to mount too very dispointing we had to return it the tripod , they gave us credit but really would have liked a flip camera with a threaded hole for a tripod , other that that it works good , goes thru batterys pretty fast found that its best to use rechargeable batterys target had the best price on those rayovac hybrid recharable ,

I had been searching for an inexpensive, small video camera to use to film motorcycle trips. The Flip is ideal for that purpose. Even from the back of the bike, the shaking is minimal and road noise is not overwhelming.
br /
br /What amazed me most though, is that shortly after buying the camera (on its first few uses, while I was on a bike trip) lines began to appear across the LCD view screen. The lines got wider and interfered more with the image seemingly every time I used the camera, although they never appeared in the final video once it was uploaded to my computer.
br /
br /I contacted Flip through their website. After 2 or 3 emails back and forth, trying to troubleshoot the issue, I was given an RA number and asked to ship the camera back.
br /
br /I did so, and waited for it to be repaired. To my surprise, the UPS notification email came less than a week later. I was sent a brand new unit still in the clamshell packaging. I was very impressed with the service and I am very happy with this camera.

So far, for the money, this is the best camcorder I've ever had. Easy to use, so it gets used.

Very easy to operate, uncomplicated controls,so small you can carry it in your shirt pocket. Does exactly what it's supposed to and does it well. I take it to dance classes and then save the session to my computer. Pics taken from video look better than some still cameras. I love this this little recorder.

We love this flip. It's cheap, easy to use, light, and has good built-in software for posting videos to Youtube. It also has a great microphone. It picks up sound from the person taking the video and everyone around it. The other thing that I like about it is that is uses 2 AA batteries. It's nice to have a piece of electronic equipment without a charger to plug in!

My 12-year old Daughter wanted a video camera for her birthday because I had recently purchased one for myself. I didn't think she was ready for a camcorder, plus I didn't want to spend $300. This was the perfect solution. I paid just over $100. and this thing is amazing. The picture and sound surprised me at how crisp and clear they were. We went to dinner and then to the mall and she was shooting bits and pieces here and there. At the end of the day, she used the 'Classic' selection to edit it all into one video clip. We were blown away by the finished product. It turned those clips into one beautiful video with music playing in the background. It's as if the camera had a mind of it's own as it seemed to highlight the most important scenes. She absolutely loves it and I was so impressed, I may buy my older 2 kids their own for Christmas. Great product and a great price!

I bought this for my 6 year old grandson. Even he can work it. Easy, small, great overall.

I have an animal rescue and I have been looking for an inexpensive video camera that would take great videos and this is the one. It is a no brainer to operate. If you want a good quality, inexpensive camera get this one.

Great little gadget that will get the job done. SUPER easy to use and really handy. Quality of film isn't extra clear, but good enough. Make sure and hold the camera as steady as possible. It has a tendancy to be quite shakey. Overall, exactly what I was looking for!

My band bought this Flip video camera as a back up for our recent tour and it worked even after dropping it in the toilet! We shot over 35 hrs of video and now we're putting together a mini-movie of the tour with five girl bands...maybe we'll post it here if it's not too XXX. We love our Flip camera so much we're buying 3 more so each band member has one!
br /
br /Flip Video Camera - f@*#+! rocks!
br /
br /XOX,
br /America's Sweetheart

Great product. Purchased it on sale for $89. Bought it to record my baby son growing up. Its light weight and I bring it everywhere i go.

This little recorder is so much fun to use. The controls are very simple and the quality is great. I lost the first one I bought and replaced it right away. Great product

The camera is great fun for those in close moments. Definitely not the camera for all of your family memories to keep forever. The quality is ok for the price you pay, it actually within about 20 feet of shooting, the quality is just fine. In trying to use it for anything further out in distance it gets pixelated and begins to blur.
br /
br /Overall it really makes a great present for your young teenager and actually can serve as a dual purpose parenting device. Because just like with Girls gone whatever, kids seems to still do the same stupid stuff even if there is a camera on them and sometimes only because there is a camera on them. So its funny (and concerning sometimes) to see the videos and audio of whats being done when your not around.
br /
br /This produces pretty good quality youtube videos and actually looks good when plugged into the tv directly. Like I mentioned before, the only knocks against this are videos taken for long distance viewing, and low light gets a little grainy. But what do you expect for less than hundred.

I recd the package right away. We took it on vacation to the beach and it was so easy to use and it took great videos. So light in weight, we had people asking us all the time what type of camera was it and where could they get it. Would recommend to anyone that wants a reasonable lightweight camera to take on vacation to film the kids.

We purchased the camera for our son to videotape his cartoons. He has done several projects and is very happy. We have used it to record trips and events, especially for his grandmothers who were unable to attend the events. The camera has done a great job for us. The sound is a little bit tinny but the picture was great. We are very pleased.

This camera is the coolest! Not only is it easy to use, but the picture quality is actually superior to the camcorder I own. Not to mention the ease of uploading videos, to Youtube, Facebook, or just to share with friends. There are no complicated cords or software - just plug into a USB port and go! The camera does all the rest!

I bought this for my brothers birthday. He absolutely loves it. It's small enough to carry around and capture life's moments on the go.
br /The only complaint is that once you upload the files onto your computer, they are too large to email out to friends and family. Otherwise, it's been perfect. I highly recommend it. The price was right.

I absolutely love this little video camera - I admit that I am not big into electronics so this works great for me - I use it a lot when I'm visiting the grandkids as it's great to whip out for a few minutes of cute stuff and you can get a lot on in the 60 minutes allowed. My granddaughter loved sitting with me and watching herself on it so it really made for a nice sharing time for the two of us.

Very convenient and the quality of the video is alot better than I expected.
br /Im very happy with my purchase

... everyday like for projects, video sharing or even memorable events that dont need a lot of zooming, this is for you.
br /easy to share and save videos for your collection.

Considering our use of the product it has worked flawlessly and up to expectation. The cameras produce quality video, perfect for capturing "at the moment" clips of life happenings. Such freedom enables the editing in of various clips to enhance any video project. They could also be used for families on vacation or for a special event. With no tapes or recorders necessary simply plug the camera into your computer, copy and paste the video clips and you are ready to share them. How cool is that!

This is the third flip video purchased this year. All recipients are thrilled with the clarity of the video and the quality of the sound.

I love the Flip Video Camcorder! It is so easy to use and also easily plugs into my computer to view my video.It can also be used to watch video on my TV with the cables to do this included but I have not used this feature yet. I am not an expert in camcorders but I can tell you that I am very happy with my purchase and the quality of the video I've taken at special events is quite good. I would highly recommend this product to everyone!

The FLIP Video ultra is so easy to use even I can do it! It's small and compact and features easy access to unload files to my computer. The only drawbacks I found were the audio pickup and having only 60 minutes of time on it. I had a ball taking video with it, and just shortly after I got it, I put together a video presentation for a co-worker who was retiring. It got rave reviews. Again, a great investment for the money.

I bought this for my daughter BD, she used it once on that day, and once more the next 3 weeks, only about 3 minute-used, suddenly the Flip stop working, thought it just batteries, changed fresh batt's, but NO LUCK!
br /
br /SHE WAS VERY VERY DISSAPOINTED! NOT-RECOMMEND!

Overall it works great - I wish I was more into doing videos, I take it with me and forget to use it half the time - LOL.
br /
br /The only negative is that the movie-making software that is comes with really sucks - very limited.

Flip is ok for what we need, it was alittle concern that no software came with the product and we are not high-tech people. we just wanted something easy to use which this is easy to use, wasn't so easy to download to the computer so we could play with the video.

I assumed this would have a connector for a tripod, which is very important to stabilize during shooting. I am teaching my kids to make their own films, but their hands are very shaky. I was truly annoyed that a simple connector was omitted on this model. I hope it is on the other ones, but it is hard to tell. Why do they sell a FLIP tripod if you can't use it?
br /Otherwise, everything is great about the FLIP. We've gotten great little movies made out of the supplied software, and the sound quality is great. A good value, but try to buy a model with a tripod connector if you can :(

This is a great camera for short recordings. It fits right in your purse and is easy to use. It plugs right into your computer for easy downloading. If you plan to post to You Tube with it, as it is compatabile, make sure your videos are no longer than 10 minutes each as that is all You Tube allows. Stop recording and then start again for easier downloading.

I read David Pogue's review of the Flip in the NYT and that clinched it for me, particularly at Amazon's price. I know the rechargeable model is now out, which may explain the deep discount. Don't shy away from the battery operated model, however; it's not like early digital cameras that ate through batteries rapidly. It is as easy to use as smart guys like Pogue claim. I love it, my wife loves it, my kids love it. The image quality is only good but having something this small and easy to use makes up for a lot.

Small, simple and super!
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br /Great camcorder that plugs into the pc to immediately share videos on the web or to store on your pc using the USB port.
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br /Also playable on tv with included RCA jacks.
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br /Software automatically loads from camcorder to pc.
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br /I carry it in my pocket everywhere. We were shopping for a refrigerator and recorded pictures and sound for review to compare at home.
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br /Operates on AA batteries. CD's made at CVS (and others) for $12, or you can make your own if you have editing software, etc.
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br /Buy a male/female USB cable extension (about $9) to connect camcorder to pc. More convenient than plugging camcorder into USB port (which you can do).
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br /Probably the best $105 I ever spend on audio/video equipment.

I bought this item because Clark Howard raved about it. He was absolutley right. The Flip is so easy to use. Sound quality is better than I expected. It even has a zoom feature. The Flip is just fun fun fun.

This is an amazing product, in particular the great audio that this hand held recorder produces. Thanks, Roland Ledet

So I saw this reviewed in the newspaper, under handy gadgets for college students. It got a good review, and I thought the design was neat, so I begged my boyfriend to get it for me for my birthday. I excitedly opened up the box and fiddled around with it, only to be disappointed. First off, the camera is very light. Not in a "Ooo, neat" way, in a "this is so cheap and plastic-y" way. Second, it was much larger than I was expecting. It was referred to as "pocket sized" in the review I had read, so I was expecting something the size of an old school ipod. No such luck.

This camera is for the extreme amateur. I'll give it credit for being extremely easy to use, but that's about all the good I have to say about it. The video quality is extremely poor (think old webcam), heck, my 5-year-old point and shoot digital camera takes higher quality video.

I would only recommend this camera for as a gift for kids who just want to hit the record button and mess around.

I would not recommend buying this no matter how tech-challenged or skilled you are. Too bad this site doesn't allow a no star rating because that's what this deserves.

I purchased this as a gift for a technologically challenged friend as it seemed very simple to use, and in reality it probably should be, but isn't.

The "zoom" feature is very difficult to use, its actually much easier to just move closer. The control button is small and does four things, or at least is intended to. Pushing the top zooms in and the bottom zooms out but more often it does absolutely nothing and your picture gets shakey from struggling with it. The volume adjustment uses the same button and is also very difficult to adjust and makes recording and playback a true hassle.

We were not able to download and install the necessary software from the camcorder to his computer running Windows XP. We tried multiple times, restarted the computer and tried again and were still unable to install the software. You can not view the videos without this specific software. The clips play as windows media sound files but not video. The website offers no alternative way to download the software and the FAQ section is useless.

So what's the bottom line? This is a camcorder that does not zoom in or out easily or efficiently. The sound adjustment is useless. You can't get your video clips out of the camcorder and view them because the software won't install. There is no tech support. Still thinking about purchasing this? Really???

Nice for quick video on the fly - certainly easy to upload and share. Not the best quality - but then again - it's really not meant for that.

This is an awesome little camera for capturing those "oh I wish I had a video camera!" moments. Not for recording once-in-a-lifetime occasions like a wedding or anything, but for everyday use you can't beat it.

Cons: Not great in low light or indoors under regular room lighting; Audio quality not the best; Memory capacity not expandable; No video light; USB arm can be a bit difficult to fit just right in PC.

Pros: Super small, one-handed size - fits in pocket or purse; Buttons so easy a child can operate it with no problem; Software is on camera - no loading a cd - just plug the camera in to your computer - it loads the software automatically and checks for web updates; Easy viewing of videos on camera and easy deletion; Plug the camera into your computer when you have videos on it, and it automatically loads them to the software; Easy to view videos within software, save them to hard drive, email, edit, delete, or upload to a website; Ability to save still snapshots within a video - great for those action shots; With software you can create special themed "movie mixes" automatically, like "playdate" - it adds cute music and cartoon characters running across the screen, or "vintage" - adds old timey music and makes the video sepia colored with the little crackly black spots like you see on old movies, as well as several other themes to choose from - really cool; You can choose to add your own music to a video; Ability to email themed "cards" that look like picture frames with your video playing in the frame; Ability to go to certain stores like CVS Pharmacy, plug your Flip into a special machine, and directly create a DVD of your videos; Comes with a cord to plug directly into a TV to view your videos on TV.

As you can see, for my part anyway, the pros well outweigh the cons. I've always left my video camera at home when going on vacation because I didn't want to lug around a separate camera case, even with my small mini-dv camera. However, the Flip will definitely be accompanying me on every trip from this point on! And who needs more than an hour of video anyway - just get the good stuff! :-)

I received one of these as a promotional. Functionally, it was totally cool. I dropped it. It broke. Done.
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br /It was a small drop. The type of drop my regular camera has experienced multiple times. The type my mobile phone has experienced multiple times. Etc. Nope. Dead.
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br /If you do buy one, buy yourself a case for padding - but the plastic is pretty thin stuff. Or buy yourself a camera that can do all these things and not break after a little wear and tear.

The hype is just that. Used mine twice and it locked up. I uploaded the software update, their idea of customer support, and it still doesn't upload all the video to my computer. What's worse, when you remove it from the USB port, you can't get the "connected" screen to go off unless you remove the batteries. Don't waste your money or your time.

We are on our second camera. Both cameras were faulty causing movies to be trapped inside and lost FOREVER. The customer service is SLOW and ineffective. It takes days to get a call returned and the problem still doen't get fixed. We would not reccommend going with this brand; not sure if the company is just too small or just don't care. Either way, the customer loses. We will be going with a nationally known company for qaulity equipment and better customer service from now on.

if you want a video camera for everyday use, and is small enough to carry anywhere, buy this! you will take more videos simply because it is so compact you will always have it with you.

how often do you buy a product that greatly exceeds your expectations? this camera will do that and more!

It's a great video camara with awesome quality considering the size. We have a 55" screen tv and we can plug it in and the video looks great. One thing I have discovered is not to record in zoom too long the picture is a bit more grainy. That aside, very simple to work, handy to carry along for unsuspecting camera moments. The only disappointment was that it does not hold an actual 60 mins of filming time more like 49 mins. That's why I don't rate it a 5 star. Otherwise great!

Overall the Flip was easy to use and very compact. However the sceen was hard if not impossible to see in bright daylight. Batteries quit prior to using up the 60 minute of recording time.

Its better than a picture camera considering the people i hang out with. I just want video and sound and this product produces just that :D

But the arm doesn't fit on my laptop unless its hanging of the edge of a surface. I didn'te really get into it as of late because i'm so busy, but so far so good.

Its not the extreme professional quality that your looking for, but if you just want to capture hilarious moments with a very easily handled device, this is the video cam to do it with :D

Go ahead and get the 60min, the 30min is probably useless.

Takes great movies, is so easy to put on the computer. Love that it's so small. You'll be glad you bought this one.

LOVE this little camcorder. Easy to handle when videoing my baby. I always have a hand free to steady the baby and still get the video I want.

This is my second one; the first one went hay-wire after a couple of weeks. I got a replacement in time to take some really great shots but then it dropped from my hand to a table, maybe, six inches and wham! it won't play now.
br /I think it needs to be a little more resilient and able to withstand a minimal jostling around.
br /Otherwise, it is really easy to use.

I find this video camera to be the 'easiest' thing to use EVER. You don't even need instructions on how to use it. It's super easy and mine will hold one hour of video which can be transfered to your computer 'easily' then deleted in the camera itself. Radio talk show host Clark Howard recommended this on his show and I am a faithful listener to Clark, I tried it and LOVE it, i recommend it myself. Walmart sells this camera for $149, and you can order it here at Amazon for $110 including shipping. Make sure you get the 1 Hour 2 GIG camera not the 30 Minute 1 GIG, 30 minutes isn't enough for the price they're pushing on it. I totally recommend this camera 100%, especially for the electronically challenged people out there. The software that comes with it is easy to use and sets itself up for you to just plug the camera into the usb port, hit the button and the program downloads it for you where ever you want it to go within the software program, you have 3 options, email, hard drive, and burning to dvd, it's so easy to do...really...can't say enough about this product....LOVE IT....

The Flip Camcorder creates AVI files which iDVD and iMovie can not read. I had to purchase QuickTime but I am still having problems. The UI that comes with Flip does not work with Leopard. The camera is user friendly and takes nice quality video. Removing video from camera to MAC is also a challenge. Flip needs to provide better support to MAC users.

The camera is great but it's not working well with MAC.The worst thing about it is the package.It's not possible to open it to a point that a hurt my self really bad trying to open the product..Good camera but for a PC users.I hope Steve Jobs will come up with something simular that will fully work with MAC b/c we all know PC is s..t.

If you want to post amateur porn on the web, this is the absolutely best product. It needs lots of light, but when used in proper conditions, it is awesome. You can hide it on a nightstand or hold it while you are banging. Either way, it is fantastic and provides great resolution.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1TOPLV9WSQAMU I love the iFlip but I do have one small complaint.

DO NOT BUY. I bought this only to make some Halo 3 Machinima and it sucked. I asked a guy at Best Buy(where I bought it) if it has the attachment for the tripod and it didnt. Almost every time I recorded it fell off. And if you recorded something on the cam and deleted it,it took off that time. As i kept deleting I only had 26 mins. left. Not to mention how bad the quality was. And it was also hard to put the videos on YouTube. It wont save to a folder to upload. Bottom line DONT BUY.

Flip Video Camcorder: 60-Minutes (White), Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (White), Can someone please enlighten me? I see 2 flip Video Camcorder 60 min. (White) posted here on Amazon, one for $119.99 holds 60 min. video on 1GB memory, model F160W. The other one is higher in price $ 149.54, it holds 60 min. of video also, but has 2 GB memory? It is called Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60 Min. (White), model F260W. Does anyone know what is the difference between these 2, other than the price and difference in GB memory, but both hold same amount of time video? Now I don't know much about computers, tech or electronics, but doesn't the memory determine how much does it hold? Why are these 2 different memory but hold same amount of video time? I would appreciate if I get an answer to this question since I would love to order this as soon as posible, but unsure which is best. Obviously would prefer to buy the cheaper one but is the other one better? I really don't see extra features for the second one. Would any of these work the same on my Apple OS X without having to get extra cables or software?, I need something easy to save videos of my babies and send them to grandparents in Mexico. Thanks, any info would be GREATLY appreciated......

I thought it was great when i first bought it for my wife. I figured it would be great for all the kid's activites that we're always attending; but 2 weeks later my 2yr. old daughter got a hold of it and bent the USB connector. Now I can't use it to connect onto anything. I called and emailed the company, but their response was: "at this time there are no parts available to repair your problem."
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br /Bottom line, it's not kid friendly so take care of it!

for the price its ok-

but no still photos, and the zoom is horrible- the usb gives a lot of weight to it when its plugged in. you get what you pay for.

I ordered this product so I could take it on vacation with me. I paid for overnight shipping and it was supposed to arrive on the 8th of November. I left for vacation on the 11th of November. I never received this product.