Pure Digital Flip Mino and Creative Vado: First Looks

Consumers expect more and more from smaller packages. Two new camcorders, the Flip Mino ($180) and the Creative Vado ($100), have joined the Small Wonder EZ101, EZ201A, and Flip F160B on the list of models that can fit in your pocket.

The pair have much in common. Both are lightweight, about as large as an iPhone, and run on a rechargeable battery. Both feature a 2x digital zoom lens (as opposed to the preferable optical zoom), a speaker, a color LCD display, tripod mounting, and flip-out USB ports for connecting directly to a computer. And both are solid-state devices that record onto 2GB of built-in memory, meaning that no memory card or disc is required. The Mino comes with a 90-day warranty on parts and labor. The Vado's warranty lasts one year.

Both camcorders are easy to use, but the image quality is below that of our lowest-Rated full-sized camcorders (Ratings available to subscribers). Recordings might be good enough for posting online—YouTube aficionados being a target audience for these devices—but most people are better off paying more for a full-sized camcorder.

Here's what else you can expect from these devices:

Recording capacity

The 2GB of internal memory can hold up to 60 minutes of video. The Vado can record up to 120 minutes when set at the lower-quality, standard-play mode, though video quality suffers, especially in low-light conditions. You can't expand the memory in either camcorder with a memory card or other external device.

Color LCD screen

The Vado's 2-inch viewer is easier to view than the Mino's 1.5-inch screen, and the Vado's zoom shows a wider-angle field.

Controls

The Mino's buttons are touch-sensitive and lighted, so they're easy to read in dim light. The Vado's controls are poorly labeled and more difficult to read. Both models have the standard functions (play, pause, delete, fast-forward, and rewind).

Video transfer

Transferring video to a computer is easy, because the flip-out USB port means that no cable is required (except for the Mino with some computers whose USB ports are difficult to reach; no cord is included with the device). If you have Windows Vista or XP (with service pack 2 or higher), both devices have built-in software that can be installed on your computer, letting you save, playback, e-mail, or delete your movies. (Both manufacturers claim Mac OS X compatibility, though we didn't test for it.) Straightforward connecting makes the Vado or Flip handy if you regularly record and post videos to Internet sites such as YouTube or Photobucket.

A quibble: the location of the USB on the Vado makes the device tricky to mount on a tripod.

Video quality is underwhelming

Images from both camcorders were overly soft—as in lacking sharpness—when played back on a standard-definition TV. When panning, both had a stop-motion effect similar to video recorded on a digital camera or cell phone. Recording in low light softens the video considerably. The Mino handles exposure and color reproduction well enough, but video recorded on the Vado loses detail and contrast even in full daylight, and colors tend toward a bluish hue.

Bottom line

The Mino and Vado are notable for their low prices, size, and plug-and-play capabilities. But poor video quality is a deal breaker for any camcorder, unless you're planning to use it only to create videos to post online—where compression will all but eliminate differences in quality between the best and worst home videos. The smallest full-sized camcorders, though not able to slip into a pocket, are only a little bigger and offer features these peewees lack, such as image stabilization and, in some cases, still-photo capability.

Keep an eye out for a First Look on the Kodak Zi6 camcorder. This mini-device is among the first flip-types to offer high-definition recording.