I feel that using the Flip camera was nowhere near as beneficial as using the Sony HDR-FX1, this is because you have far more manual control using the Sony. The Sony is a big piece of equipment and is quite heavy to carry around and you also need a tripod for it to keep it stable and avoid camera shake.
Although using the flip cam has its advantages, it is small and very lightweight but the quality of the final video is not entirely that good.
Sony HDR-FX1 - Pro's - Much more control - More manual features - Better quality of filming -
Con's - Heavy - Not easily accesible - Need to use a tripod
Flip Camera - Pro's - Lightweight - Extremely easy to use - User friendly -
Con's - Less control of manual features - Lesser quality of videos -
At the end of the day it really depends on what you need to use each piece of equipment for and how much quality you need for your final video
