Do You Own a Flip Camera?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

09 Jan 2008 08:20 AM

About 300 fans of "The View" can now answer that question with a hearty "YES!" On Monday, the ABC daytime chatfest gave Flip cameras to everyone in the audience.

If you are a parent of a teen or are part of the YouTube generation yourself then you know the importance of having one of these snappy pocket-sized video cameras with the stylish exterior.

The basic Flip video camera retails for about $120 and can hold about 30 minutes of video. It features a one-touch recorder that allows instant playback of video on your TV or PC, with no required software installation or customization. Which means if you are a tech challenged parent you don't need your kid to hook it up for you.

The feature I love the most about The Flip is that it's easy to pick and turn the video frames into stills. This is a huge bonus if you have an athletic child, but you don't possess the agility, timing or technique of a professional photographer to capture those winning moments.

Another reason why this camera is revolutionizing the world of camcorders is because of its size. Who says bigger is better? Apparently, not the makers of The Flip. This device is as small as a standard disposable camera, yet it offers all the features found on camcorders four times its size.

When The Flip first came out experts touted it as a camera that could fundamentally change the way we share moments in time. They were referring to the camera's easy functions and the fact that someone finally designed a camcorder that could fit into a shirt pocket.

According to YouTube, The Flip was voted the camera of choice by its top posters and some critics have commented that in five years, we'll all wonder how we all got by without it.