Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2L8OMPMDIC5QK
I am posting a series of reviews to help people decide between these very similar flash memory camcorders. I was curious if the new Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder (Black) was better than the Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) or the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (Black). I surprised myself after testing all three as well as a few competing devices.
The quality of video and audio captured with the Flip Mino is noticeably better than the Creative Vado, even when it’s at its highest setting. However, for most users, the Creative Vado will probably meet your expectations at a much better price than the Flip Mino. The Mino’s recent price drop makes the decision slightly harder, but there’s still enough of a price difference to make the Vado attractive. While the Flip Ultra offers nice quality and removable batteries, the Vado offers a user changeable battery in a more slender body.
So the ranking in terms of quality goes Flip Mino, Creative Vado and Flip Ultra. But the ranking in terms of value goes Creative Vado, Flip Ultra and then the Flip Mino.
The unit you choose will depend on what your needs are, how much quality matters to you and how much you want to spend. Between these three most popular entry level models, the answer for some people may be, “none of the above.”
Pros
+ Video quality is ok on the Vado, good on the Ultra and much better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Both include ports for AV out connections to TVs, but the Mino comes with the cable and the Vado does not – Advantage, Mino
+ The microphone sensitivity is below average on the Vado and slightly better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Both have a screw hole for attaching a tri-pod or similar stand, but the Mino’s is centered and the Vado’s is off-center (on the lower right) – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino has a slick USB connector that tucks into the body and is released via a tab, while the USB dongle on the Vado is flexible but has a tab that sticks out from the body – Advantage, Mino
+ In terms of looks, the Vado’s body is thinner and wider, and the Mino is slightly thicker but not as wide; the Mino definitely looks slicker, though the black plastic will attract finger-prints; Also, the Vado comes in different colors – Advantage, Mino
+ The built in speaker on the Vado is not nearly as good as the dual speakers on the Mino – Advantage Mino
+ The low light performance is subpar on all three units but slightly better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Ability to zoom seems weak on both, though the Mino does perform slightly better – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino comes with a cheap pouch and a dongle, while the Vado comes with no carrying case or dongle included – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino is presented in a box that is reminiscent of the packaging of Zunes and iPods, while the Vado packaging definitely seems cheap – Advantage, Mino
+ The Vado’s on screen menus are definitely not as nice, and the Vado Central software is not nearly as good as the Flip Video Muvee software – Advantage, Mino
+ Nice indicator shows when either unit is capturing video – Draw
+ While the price is still higher for the Mino (see my first con below) the recent price drop is definitely a *pro* for anybody who wanted the mino more anyway
Cons
- The Price on the Vado is much better (just under $90, depending on color) while the Mino sells for much more (listed for $180, sells for about $150)
- While the Ultra worked with removable batteries and the Mino has a built-in rechargeable battery, the Creative Vado has a rechargeable battery that is user changeable and can be easily swapped for extended recording; So if the Mino’s battery fails, replacing it will be much harder than just buying another one for the Vado – BIG Advantage, Vado
- The Flip Mino controls are touch sensitive (except for the record button); The buttons on the Vado are real tactile buttons that have nice feedback – This is a matter of preference, and both are nice, but I prefer the real buttons on the Vado; The Mino seems to have a lag when pressing the controls – Advantage, Vado
- The included software is self-contained on both units and seems to work fine, but the Mino requires much more software to be installed – Advantage, Vado
- Users who want to use a dedicated microphone are provided no jack on these devices for that purpose – Draw
- Neither unit has a headphone jack for checking audio playback on recorded videos – Draw, but the weaker speaker on the Vado makes this hurt the Vado more – Slight Advantage, Mino
- The Mino’s screen is slightly smaller than the Vado’s – Advantage, Vado
- The Mino only records in high quality mode for 1 hour, while the Vado gives you the option of recording in SP for 2 hours – Advantage, Vado
- The Mino and Vado both have some software issues that will hopefully be fixed with updates – the Mino’s software is still slightly better – Advantage, Mino
- The Vado requires you to install the XVid codec to use the built-in software – Not a huge deal, Draw
- Not as much support for Mac users in terms of software
- Both the Vado and the Mino are easily recharged by USB connection, but the Vado includes an option for quick-charging – Advantage, Vado
- Neither of these has slots for any kind of memory card – Draw
- Neither of these will compete with some of the high-definition flash memory camcorders that are on the market, such as the Sanyo Xacti – Draw
Conclusion
While both of these units are ok, I am in the higher demanding category of users who is only going to be satisfied with the features offered by HI-Def flash camcorders like the Sanyo Xacti. Namely, I want to be able to use SD and SDHC memory cards to increase my capacity and record more than just 1 or 2 hours. I would also like to be able to have a more powerful optical zoom and more jacks for accessories. The high price of those units make them prohibitive for now, though the CG9 models are in the ballpark at around $250. Hopefully the price will come down, or competing units will come out to combine the best of both.
But if I have to draw a conclusion, as of now I would say that the Mino is definitely better in terms of quality. With the recent price drop to around $145, it is almost as good of a value when you consider it includes the AV cable, pouch and lanyard that the Vado doesn’t. That’s still not enough extras to justify the %40 price difference, but it definitely shrinks the gap.
So is the Mino good enough to warrant the higher price than the Vado? Many people will still choose the Vado. The fact that they made it easy to buy additional or replacement batteries and swap them out yourself is a HUGE plus. And since this is still a point and click camcorder, saving a nice chunk of change doesn’t hurt either.
While all three are good devices for what they do, I am still searching for my perfect digital camcorder to come out at the right price.
Enjoy!
*****
Note: This video sample was taken with the Flip Mino. I filmed this from the upper deck of Yankee Stadium during a night game, which were much more difficult conditions than the sample I took for the Creative Vado. Still, even under these tough conditions, the video and audio quality of the Flip Mino is noticeably better.
Conversely, the Vado sample video I took was recorded in my friends living room less than 8 feet away from the TV. Even after turning up the volume very high the microphone on the Vado still captured audio very faintly. In addition, the video is set to HQ yet is somewhat grainy compared to the Flip Mino. Check out my review of the Vado to see the sample for yourself.
I will eventually update these reviews with more pictures and improved samples.
Rating: 4 / 5
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2L8OMPMDIC5QK
I am posting a series of reviews to help people decide between these very similar flash memory camcorders. I was curious if the new Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder (Black) was better than the Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder (Silver) or the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (Black). I surprised myself after testing all three as well as a few competing devices.
The quality of video and audio captured with the Flip Mino is noticeably better than the Creative Vado, even when it’s at its highest setting. However, for most users, the Creative Vado will probably meet your expectations at a much better price than the Flip Mino. The Mino’s recent price drop makes the decision slightly harder, but there’s still enough of a price difference to make the Vado attractive. While the Flip Ultra offers nice quality and removable batteries, the Vado offers a user changeable battery in a more slender body.
So the ranking in terms of quality goes Flip Mino, Creative Vado and Flip Ultra. But the ranking in terms of value goes Creative Vado, Flip Ultra and then the Flip Mino.
The unit you choose will depend on what your needs are, how much quality matters to you and how much you want to spend. Between these three most popular entry level models, the answer for some people may be, “none of the above.”
Pros
+ Video quality is ok on the Vado, good on the Ultra and much better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Both include ports for AV out connections to TVs, but the Mino comes with the cable and the Vado does not – Advantage, Mino
+ The microphone sensitivity is below average on the Vado and slightly better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Both have a screw hole for attaching a tri-pod or similar stand, but the Mino’s is centered and the Vado’s is off-center (on the lower right) – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino has a slick USB connector that tucks into the body and is released via a tab, while the USB dongle on the Vado is flexible but has a tab that sticks out from the body – Advantage, Mino
+ In terms of looks, the Vado’s body is thinner and wider, and the Mino is slightly thicker but not as wide; the Mino definitely looks slicker, though the black plastic will attract finger-prints; Also, the Vado comes in different colors – Advantage, Mino
+ The built in speaker on the Vado is not nearly as good as the dual speakers on the Mino – Advantage Mino
+ The low light performance is subpar on all three units but slightly better on the Mino – Advantage, Mino
+ Ability to zoom seems weak on both, though the Mino does perform slightly better – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino comes with a cheap pouch and a dongle, while the Vado comes with no carrying case or dongle included – Advantage, Mino
+ The Mino is presented in a box that is reminiscent of the packaging of Zunes and iPods, while the Vado packaging definitely seems cheap – Advantage, Mino
+ The Vado’s on screen menus are definitely not as nice, and the Vado Central software is not nearly as good as the Flip Video Muvee software – Advantage, Mino
+ Nice indicator shows when either unit is capturing video – Draw
+ While the price is still higher for the Mino (see my first con below) the recent price drop is definitely a *pro* for anybody who wanted the mino more anyway
Cons
- The Price on the Vado is much better (just under $90, depending on color) while the Mino sells for much more (listed for $180, sells for about $150)
- While the Ultra worked with removable batteries and the Mino has a built-in rechargeable battery, the Creative Vado has a rechargeable battery that is user changeable and can be easily swapped for extended recording; So if the Mino’s battery fails, replacing it will be much harder than just buying another one for the Vado – BIG Advantage, Vado
- The Flip Mino controls are touch sensitive (except for the record button); The buttons on the Vado are real tactile buttons that have nice feedback – This is a matter of preference, and both are nice, but I prefer the real buttons on the Vado; The Mino seems to have a lag when pressing the controls – Advantage, Vado
- The included software is self-contained on both units and seems to work fine, but the Mino requires much more software to be installed – Advantage, Vado
- Users who want to use a dedicated microphone are provided no jack on these devices for that purpose – Draw
- Neither unit has a headphone jack for checking audio playback on recorded videos – Draw, but the weaker speaker on the Vado makes this hurt the Vado more – Slight Advantage, Mino
- The Mino’s screen is slightly smaller than the Vado’s – Advantage, Vado
- The Mino only records in high quality mode for 1 hour, while the Vado gives you the option of recording in SP for 2 hours – Advantage, Vado
- The Mino and Vado both have some software issues that will hopefully be fixed with updates – the Mino’s software is still slightly better – Advantage, Mino
- The Vado requires you to install the XVid codec to use the built-in software – Not a huge deal, Draw
- Not as much support for Mac users in terms of software
- Both the Vado and the Mino are easily recharged by USB connection, but the Vado includes an option for quick-charging – Advantage, Vado
- Neither of these has slots for any kind of memory card – Draw
- Neither of these will compete with some of the high-definition flash memory camcorders that are on the market, such as the Sanyo Xacti – Draw
Conclusion
While both of these units are ok, I am in the higher demanding category of users who is only going to be satisfied with the features offered by HI-Def flash camcorders like the Sanyo Xacti. Namely, I want to be able to use SD and SDHC memory cards to increase my capacity and record more than just 1 or 2 hours. I would also like to be able to have a more powerful optical zoom and more jacks for accessories. The high price of those units make them prohibitive for now, though the CG9 models are in the ballpark at around $250. Hopefully the price will come down, or competing units will come out to combine the best of both.
But if I have to draw a conclusion, as of now I would say that the Mino is definitely better in terms of quality. With the recent price drop to around $145, it is almost as good of a value when you consider it includes the AV cable, pouch and lanyard that the Vado doesn’t. That’s still not enough extras to justify the %40 price difference, but it definitely shrinks the gap.
So is the Mino good enough to warrant the higher price than the Vado? Many people will still choose the Vado. The fact that they made it easy to buy additional or replacement batteries and swap them out yourself is a HUGE plus. And since this is still a point and click camcorder, saving a nice chunk of change doesn’t hurt either.
While all three are good devices for what they do, I am still searching for my perfect digital camcorder to come out at the right price.
Enjoy!
*****
Note: This video sample was taken with the Flip Mino. I filmed this from the upper deck of Yankee Stadium during a night game, which were much more difficult conditions than the sample I took for the Creative Vado. Still, even under these tough conditions, the video and audio quality of the Flip Mino is noticeably better.
Conversely, the Vado sample video I took was recorded in my friends living room less than 8 feet away from the TV. Even after turning up the volume very high the microphone on the Vado still captured audio very faintly. In addition, the video is set to HQ yet is somewhat grainy compared to the Flip Mino. Check out my review of the Vado to see the sample for yourself.
I will eventually update these reviews with more pictures and improved samples.
Rating: 4 / 5