Flip mino or flip ultra HD to use in imovie and final cut express

None of these cameras are compatible with Final Cut.

Whether the files are AVI or MP4, iMovie will be able to use them but FCE will not. To use them in FCE you would have to first convert the video to something FCE can use.

If you are not completely sure about getting those flip camcorders, I'd recommend reconsidering and getting either a DV, HDV, or AVCHD camcorder because they work with FCE. If you are looking for an inexpensive camera you should try looking into the DV ones, there are many good choices.

The Flip cameras are easy to use and pocketable.
Unfortunately it is their very simplicity that drastically limits what they can do.
They are OK for someone who wants to take daft pictures of their friends and post them on YouTube but for serious film-making they are non-starters.
They record low quality highly compressed video onto an internal memory.When you have shot your 60 minutes of video you can’t use the camera any more until you get it to a computer and download it.
The lens is a small aperture fixed focus with no zoom.
Actually to be correct there is a 2x digital zoom, but as we all know, digital zooms are a total waste of time and only reduce the quality still further. You can get the same effect by enlarging your picture 2x in the computer - not to be recommended.
So what at first sight, to the uninitiated looks like a very cheap camera, quickly turns out to be a very expensive toy.
Much better to buy a proper camera (which won't cost all that much more) like Skalicki suggests.

However, if the only computer you have is the Macbook Air then you don't have a firewire port, so the only one of these you could use would be AVCHD. Otherwise, if you get the flip "camcorder" then you would have to convert prior to editing.

The point of video editing apps is to edit video, period. Not to edit "proper video shot on a proper camera." Apple should understand this better than anyone. The best camera is the one you a) have with you, and b) aren't so afraid of breaking that you'll actually use it.

I own a 3-chip camera and never use it, so I'm thinking of getting a Flip, and would love to edit the footage with something other than iMovie '08. Mandating DV file format in FC/FCE is a huge bug. You don't see Logic/Logic Express mandating uncompressed AIFFs, do you?

You technically can edit the video in FCE without converting it first. You would just have to render it out to be able to play it back first. Whenever you made a change, you would need to render again.

I understand that you don't care for it, but some might. This may help a little as far as the iMovie 08 compatibility is concerned: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1989 . This too is perhaps helpful: http://www.macworld.com/article/134743/2008/07/flipmino.html .

Message was edited by: ComPH1

Message was edited by: ComPH1

I love my Flip mino HD. We initially used them on reality web series where we sent them to the contestants to record their own home video diary packages. The footage was so good that we had to shrink the frame size down on screen so as not to compare with our "professional" footage.

That being said, they definitely have their limitations. -Very Shaky handheld, poor zoom, and 1hr record time, bad low light handling, and no ability to take stills... but for something you can fit in your pocket and costs a couple hundred bucks the thing is pretty amazing. Great simple design and awesome for capturing moments on the fly.

And yes, the footage is compatible with FCP - you just have to render.

The other camera I'd recommend checking out is the Sanyo Xacti, which now comes in HD + you can go underwater!
http://sanyo.com/xacti/english/products/vpc_ca9/index.html

I have a related question. I have a Flip Mino and my FCE (HD 3.5.1) can't read the MP4 created by the Flip. Using MPEG Streamclip to convert the MP4, what are the export settings I need to use to be able to play the file in FCE without rendering? Or is there no way to avoid rendering? I tried DV, works fine but I still have to render it. Also, is there a loss of quality when converting from MP4 to another format to edit in FCE?

Thanks.

My 2 cents on the Flip. YES, it has huge limitations: poor sound, shaky, etc. , but it's hugely portable. Here's a quick review/tutorial on Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/3207870

Don't export to DV. Export to QuickTime using the DV codec.

Thanks Tom. When I export to Quicktime, the list of compression options in the pull-down menu is long.

Which one is it? Apple DV/DVCPRO-NTSC?

And do I keep the default settings?

Thanks.

Lance

Yes to both questions.

In reply to those claiming the Flip is so cheap and pocketable, what about this Panasonic Mini-DV for the same sort of price?

It is a fully featured camcorder capable of good results and is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket.

Panasonic

Message was edited by: Ian R. Brown

Hi Ian,

I'm not too familiar with the Panasonic PV-GS90. I looked at your Amazon link. The price is good, but it still takes mini-DV tape. And from the looks of it, it still a little bulkier that the Flip. In a lot of the places I shoot, I'd rather have the Flip which looks like a phone. I shoot in the subway in New York where you're more likely to be stopped if they think you're shooting "real video" than snapping a 15-second clip on your cell. The sound on the Flip poor to say the least, but I use my H4 Zoom to capture sound.

By the way, I was able to convert the MP4 to a quicktime file but I still have to render it in FCE.

Then you are not doing it correctly. Please specific exactly what sequence settings you're using. What needs to render? Video? Audio? Both? Do a forum search as this been been gone of many, many, many times. You just need to select the correct specifications in Streamclip that match your sequence.

I'll search the forum a little more. You're right Tom: the sequence settings don't match the MPEG Streamclip settings. The audio is fine, but the video needs to render. I think it's because (in part) the frame size setting of my sequence is 720x480 where as the MPEG Streamclip setting is 1280x720.