Pure Digital

A USB connector pops out from Flip Video to connect to a computer.

Flip Video, a new pocket-size video camera, works surprisingly well for such a simple and relatively inexpensive device.

Flip Video has a basic lens on one side and a small color view screen on the flip side, along with just four buttons and a four-way selector.

Simplicity is the key; hit the power switch and then press the red button to start recording.

Your video is stored on an internal memory chip in TV-quality resolution. There is no option to expand the 30 or 60-minute capacity (depending on model).

Flip Video lets you view your recordings three different ways:

• On the built-in screen

• On a standard TV set, using the included audio/video cable

• On your computer

Moving the content to your desktop or notebook (Windows or Macintosh) couldn't be easier. Release a catch on the side of Flip Video and a USB connector pops out. Plug that in to the corresponding port on your computer and you have a whole range of options because all the necessary software is built-in to the camera.

Each clip appears on screen as a separate entry with a thumbnail view to guide you through the contents. The software lets you do some rudimentary trimming of each clip, but traditional editing isn't supported.

Flip Video does, however, incorporate an automated movie-maker program: tell it which clips you want to include and it will produce a video based on that content, with either its own musical score or a music file that you designate.

If you want more control, the video clips can be imported into more capable manual editing software, including Windows Movie Maker which is supplied free with Windows XP.

The audio/video cable is also handy for copying your Flip Video content to an old-fashioned VCR or a DVD recorder.

And while Flip Video doesn't take snapshots, you can use its software to "grab" still frames to be printed. Resolution is only 640 by 480 pixels, but the results are quite acceptable for small prints.

But perhaps Flip Video's most outstanding feature is its ability to upload Web-ready clips to online sites like YouTube and Grouper and to send along with e-mail messages.

•  Click here to watch a sample clip on YouTube

The idea here is to make it as simple to share video content as it is to share photos. The Flip Video software takes the guesswork out of converting the moving pictures into a Web-friendly format.

Flip Video comes in two models; if 30 minutes of shooting time is enough, the price is $120; a 60-minute model is $30 more (however, I didn't have to look very hard to find sale prices starting at under $100).

I've tried using a lot of "budget" still and video cameras, and Flip Video shares some of their shortcomings.

It has no optical zoom lens (there is a way to digitlaly zoom in on the scene, but I dismiss that feature due to its poor results). That means it's really best used in places where you can get in close to the action.

And like most digital cameras without an optical viewfinder, it can be difficult to see what you're shooting in bright sunlight.

On the plus side, the picture quality and color are quite good for a camera in this price range, and it runs on regular AA batteries, which are inexpensive and easy to find.

So if you're looking for a totable and easy-to-use video camera that you can slip into a pocket or purse—or if you're looking for a simple solution to share video via e-mail or on the Internet—Flip Video is worthy of your consideration.