Flip Video MinoHD (Second Generation) Pocket Camcorder

The second-generation Flip MinoHD is the sexiest and most solidly built pocket camcorder we've seen yet, and it backs those refinements up with very good video quality.

Just in time for the holidays, a new Flip HD pocket camcorder has come to town. And boy, does it ever look good.

The second-generation Flip Video MinoHD ($230 as of 10/13/09) doesn't represent a huge jump in specs and features; notable changes to the previous MinoHD include a doubled storage capacity (from 4GB to 8GB), revamped video software, an HDMI-out port, and the end of the line for the Pure Digital brand (Cisco bought Pure Digital in March, and "Flip Video" is now the brand name).

But the stars of the show are the vastly improved build quality, the best-in-class low-light video, and the sheer aesthetics of the device. Without a doubt, this is the sexiest HD pocket camcorder to date; it'll go well with a tux or cocktail dress. Not only do the brushed-metal faceplate and redesigned USB connector make the new MinoHD look like an Apple product, but also they make the device feel a whole lot sturdier.

Unlike the plasticky, slightly cheap feel of previous Flip camcorders, this one feels like it's built for serious business. It's a bit heavier, too, tipping the scales at 4 ounces while the first generation weighed 3.3 ounces. The new model's internal 8GB flash drive holds 2 hours of video, up from the first-gen model's 4GB, 1-hour drive. You also get a bigger LCD screen than on the previous edition: The second-generation MinoHD has a 2-inch-diagonal LCD screen, as compared with the previous model's slightly puny 1.5-inch display.

Video quality has improved a smidgen, as well. Like the first-gen MinoHD, the new model shoots 720p high-definition video at 30 frames per second, saving them as MPEG-4 files with H.264 compression. Footage shot in bright light no longer has the yellowish tint we've seen in video from previous Flip camcorders, nor as much of a blue tint as in the footage we shot with the Flip UltraHD. That said, the new MinoHD still adds a slightly blue cast to its bright-light footage--just not as much as the UltraHD does.

Below is a scene shot in bright light with the new MinoHD, followed by footage shot in the same conditions with the Kodak Zi8 (still the league leader in overall video quality) and the Flip UltraHD. (Click the "HD" button at the bottom right of each video player to see the highest-quality footage from each camcorder.)