Sporting the same quality as its predecessors - the highly popular Flip Ultra and Flip Mino - we all knew that it was just a matter of time before fans of these, pocket-sized video camcorders were going to get the opportunity to capture videofilm in High Def.

With a identical design to its non-HD brother, the Flip Mino, this HD version feels no larger in your hand than the average sized cell phone but weighing in at a considerably less weight, just 3.3oz.  It’s the perfect camera for putting in your pocket if you’re off on a day trip.

With a cool but simple design there’s not much in the way of confusing controls or menus, but that’s the beauty of it. Press the power button on the side of the device and it’s up and running within a couple of seconds. After that, it’s a case of “point and click.”

You can’t miss the distinctive red button on the front of the Flip Mino HD body which acts as the main control for the device, especially as the other touch-sensitive controls lie flush against the body.

Of course, as with any shiny black gadget there’s always going to be a problem with fingerprints, but the protective pouch that thoughtfully comes bundled with the camera does a good job of both housing the Mino HD and acting as a handy cloth. There’s also a wrist strap to secure the device whilst you’re filming.

With an impressive 4GB of built-in flash memory the Flip Mino HD is capable of recording up to 60 minutes of video. If the device is powered on and ready to go you can always keep tabs on the remaining memory storage space with the ‘Time Left’ counter that appears at the bottom of the screen.

A battery life icon sits next to this, although it’s worth bearing in mind that you can only charge the device through the built-in USB arm as there’s no power point. This can be a little annoying if you have to boot up your computer just to charge the device.

It’s easy enough to record multiple video entries on the Flip Mino HD and every time you press the red button a new chapter will begin. To stop recording you simply press the red button again.

The Flip Mino HD’s LCD display is fairly small, measuring around 1.5 inches, but thanks to the crisp quality and bright graphics it’s easy to compose your film, navigate through your captured movies and play back recorded video.

Of course, as the screen is smaller than your average mobile phone screen it’s not really practical to get all your friends and family to gather round and view recently shot videos, but nevertheless the sound that comes out of the device on playback is absolutely superb. Speakers built in either side of the LCD screen amplify sound that’s both good on volume levels and has a crisp quality.

With a video camera that has HD capabilities it would be a travesty not to be able to connect it directly up to your TV. Good news, then, that a TV-out socket is built into the side of the body and a 1.5 metre TV connector cable is included.

Capable of capturing 720p resolution (1280 x 720) in 16:9 cinematic widescreen, it’s pleasing to see that the video captured by the Mino HD is very sharp, although being so sensitive the camera did seem to over-dramatise the slightest movement. This could pose a problem if you’re not careful with your panning or zooming. Take a look at the base of the Flip Mino HD, though, and you’ll see a tripod thread so you can troubleshoot this potential problem by attaching any standard tripod for extra support.

If you’re interested in capturing punchy, colourful and heavily saturated colour with your video camera then the Flip Mino HD might disappoint you a little: the colour seemed muted and it drastically washed out even the most vibrant of details. On the upside, though, this is good news for skin tones as the effect is quite flattering.

A slider control on the top side of the Flip Mino HD releases the in-built USB arm, cleverly housed within the device. Once you plug the Flip into your computer’s USB port the device automatically installs itself and gives you the option to add the indispensable FlipShare software. Here’s where the Flip Mino HD really comes into its own.

Once plugged into your computer, FlipShare automatically scans for newly captured videos and displays them within a dedicated ‘Camcorder’ interface. Once videos are successfully spotted, you’re free to quickly preview thumbnail animations, scout for the rushes you’re after and then save them to your hard drive.

If you want to get a little more creative you can have fun making simple movies using the ‘Create Movie’ button. It’s not an exhaustive tool for editing film and those experienced in dabbling with software such as Adobe Premier Elements may find the options limiting. However, the ease with which you can create simple sequences, add start and end credits as well as set an ongoing soundtrack, means you can put together a quirky, entertaining video and export as an MP4 file without much trouble.

Most people will probably want to stay clear of the supplied soundtracks as they’re cringingly naff, but there is scope to add in your own MP3 file. If you want to take a quick still sample of your video you can also export out as a JPG file.

Sharing your videos is easy too, with scope for sending videos via email, a Greeting Card or simply uploading online. If you already have YouTube or MySpace accounts set up then you can cut out the hassle of uploading your videos using the dedicated Online Sharing feature with a fuss-free interface. Not many video cameras give you the opportunity to shoot, save and share within a matter of minutes.