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The Equipment Shed, Issue 2: The MinoHD Flip Cam
As Journal Register Company newsrooms across the country move forward with new CEO John Paton’s initiative to cover more stories using multimedia, Montgomery Media wants to be ahead of the curve.
In fact, we began using video coverage as an added aspect of our news coverage back in May 2009, however, now the entire Monty newsroom is pushing to cover stories with video more frequently and preferably in HD.
That’s where the MinoHD Flip Cam came in.
The MinoHD Flip Cam shoots in 1280 x 720 pixels and holds 8GB of video, thats nearly 120 minutes of footage. Below is a list of this Flip’s pros and cons.
Pros:
Durability-
During the snow storms earlier this month, I was able to walk the neighborhoods of Plymouth Meeting shooting HD footage even as the snow continued to fall. No other camera (at least that I own) would be able to withstand the wet and icy cold climate of this month’s snow storm without suffering some kind of defect due to moisture.
Compact Size-
Since the size of this Flip is no larger than an iPod, I can carry it in my pocket as if it were a cell phone. So whereas my Canon SX20 IS would be a hassle to carry around all day (often times, my camera bag is mistaken for a purse...), I barely even notice that I have the Flip with me.
Easy to Use and Dummy Proof-
Flips are the definition of a "point-and-shoot" camera. Any writer, editor, even the receptionist can learn to use a Flip. You simply press the red "record" button and action! I've also heard of some users who are a little worried about deleting their footage since the trashcan button is right there on the touch-sensitive device. Actually, users have to press the trash button a number of times to actually get the camera to delete your footage and therefore the MinoHD Flip Cam is practically dummy proof.
Cons:
The Zoom-
The zoom on this Flip is very weak. The Flip’s creators say it has a “smooth multi-step 2x digital” zoom but the last thing I would call this zoom is smooth. Users will never get that cool zoom-action shot they get from any other video camera. Instead, they will have to suffer from the camera’s spastic pulse zoom which looks incredibly unprofessional, especially in a news video.
In addition, do not expect to go to an event and cover a speaker from your seat. Try to catch as many one-on-one interviews as you can before the speaker takes the podium so that you do not have to rely on the bad quality zoom and it’s pixelated recording.
White Balance and Light Sensitivity-
During the recent snow storms, I enjoyed taking walks at night when the snow reduced to flurries. What I found was that I could capture almost everything in the dark landscape without having to find a streetlight for help.
However, go to any concert venue with stage lighting and forget it. The white balance and light sensitivity is completely automatic. I once had a friend tape a concert I played at World Cafe Live and the entire recording went in my trash bin because even with color correction, my skin was so bright that the definition was lost and so came the distorted pixelation.
Lack of Image Stabilization-
My intern showed me his method of holding the Flip so that users don’t get the “Blair Witch” effect but even with his method, the Flip’s shaky nature can get kind of ridiculous. Be sure to tell newsroom Flip users about the lack of image stabilization so they can prepare themselves to stay as stable as possible.
The Flip does have a a standard thread for tripod use but the whole point of the camera is that it is a hand-held device for users who are not interested in carrying a heavy camera bag or in this case, a bulky tripod.
Labels: canon, flip, minohd, montgomery county, philly, sx20 is
posted by Andy Stettler at
12:00 PM
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