Outstanding video, Drew! I've been shooting with a Flip Ultra since last summer and getting great results. You are correct: embrace the limitations of this camera and away you go. I can get so-so audio by keeping close proximity, but I usually tweak it a bit in GarageBand with some filters too. I am just starting to use Vimeo, but all of our school videos at viddler.com/edisonesa were shot with either the Flip Ultra or Flip Mino (SD).

I'd love to hear what you think of the Kodak Zi6. I picked one up recently but am still putting it through the paces. The Flip cameras are definitely better in low light.

Again, great video. Very informative and excellent production values. Keep up the great work!

Brilliant review on a product I've been wanting to know about. Two things... your cat is good at standing perfectly still. Also, a sleeveless polo in one shot and skiing in the next? Does the camera teleport as well?

Seriously, though, well done. I would also like to see a Kodak Zi6 review. I've heard mixed things.

Adam, great catch on the cat. I wanted to say that he was stuffed, but the truth is he was very thirsty and thus immobile while drinking at the water dish. As to the polo-to-parka transformation; I have the good fortune to live someplace where I can head up to the mountains and be skiing in an hour. So no teleporting, alas.

Anthony, thanks for the feedback. I have at least two more packages I need to shoot on the Flip (best practices for transfer, and editing & distribution strategies) before I think about exploring the Zi6.

Walter I agree that there are some really exciting new small and cheap HD cameras coming into the market. Since the audience never really knows what was used to shoot a story, it is a fair comparison looking at the Flip Mino and cameras like ChinaVision’s 1080p camera. But I think of the Flip, the Zi6 and the RCA EZ300HD as representing a very different type of camera… a shirtpocket camera that even my mom would be comfortable carrying around with her. I am of the belief that the camera is not as important as the story you have to tell. So find a camera that you love and find the story you want to tell. That is the fun part for me.
Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback.

Nice Work.. We love your review!

This is a great little review, probably the best I have seen. While there was no comparison of similar devices and no mention of low light situations, the review was fun and simple - just like the camera. Brilliant job!

you made this camera look incredibly good!

Seriously, this is one of the best review I've seen in a long time! Nice job, Drew!

Thanks for the great "Drew Overview & Review" - good point about the weakness of the audio - portability and picture quality of close-in scenes & people is great but some of the background noise (exacerbated by the wind) was indeed jarring and rather magnified and irritating. A definite negative. Oh well, embrace the Limitations - though I personally would prefer the music of the Temptations while embracing a libation.

Excellent video and review, Drew! Production is terrific. If the Mino and Zi6 would mate, I would buy their love child.

Nice blog, btw.

Thanks for the advice, Now I'm sure I save some more money for a real HD-Cam ^^

Great review: the tips for keeping the shot steady are apply to all small cameras. Most important: two-handed grip and ground yourself by touching something that's grounded. For instance, when shooting inside a train in motion through the window, touch the window with one finger to stabilize the camera. I agree with your comment about the zoom. Avoid it in most cases: Like famous War photographer said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough".

I mostly shoot with my Canon SD-790 which I take everywhere and the macro is a lot better, but the frame size is small. Quick question: did you use a contraption to secure the camera when you were skiing? Thanks.

Good camera.