FLIP Video Camcorder by Pure Digital Technologies Review

Based on the positive reviews in the press and on Viewpoints I bought a Flip Video Camera this weekend at Best Buy.  I purchased the newer model that is smaller and rechargeable. The hall mark of the Flip is that it is incredibly easy to use.  Within minutes of taking it out of the box I was creating shooting fun simple videos of my kids.  It is so simple that my young kids two of whom are 9 and 7 figured it out instantly. 

I plugged it into our iMac and my Dell Laptop and in both cases I was able to install the software and download the videos within minutes.  The software allowed me to save the video in  a variety of formats and combine clips in different ways.  It also had the option of saving the video in a WMV file so that I could e-mail it to someone. 

I used the included cords to plug the video directly into our television and it worked like a charm.  Video and audio came through perfectly.  The quality is just OK and the zoom range is limited.  However, if you want a cheap, easy to use, portable and durable video camera that your kids can use and you can slide into your jeans pockets where ever you go, then you should get the Flip Video Camera. 

If you are a videophile or really want to save your video on tapes, then get something else.

I will add that I mentioned this purchase to a friend who said that he just used the movie recording capability of his digital camera.  I had not really thought of that but I guess it is true that you could do that.  I just purchased the Canon G9 and it does have good zoom and movie taking ability.  However, what I don't know if how long I could record on my digital camera.  The Flip can store up to one hour of video on the 2GB drive.  I have an 8 GB card in my Canon G9 but I don't know how much video it can hold.