Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes OLD MODEL
- Simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoom
- Holds 30 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 1GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required
- Convenient USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharing
- Built-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL, and capture still photos from video
- Watch videos instantly on TV with included cable
Product Description
The Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder is a revolutionary new way to shoot and share videos. Its portable, simple-to-use design makes it incredibly easy to create high quality home movies. The camcorder’s built-in software provides a convenient, seamless way to save and share memories: email videos, make custom movies, capture still photos from video clips, and upload videos directly to popular video-sharing sites, including AOL Video and YouTube. Flip Video Ultra is the ideal, affordable choice for capturing everyday moments that happen anywhere, and sharing them with family and friends everywhere. This next-generation version of the original Flip Video line features a new sleeker design, premium no-glare LCD screen, and improved video and audio quality. Flip Video Ultra comes with a TV connector cable, wrist strap, soft carrying case, two AA batteries, and a quick start guide. Specs: Flip Video Ultra incorporates 1GB of built-in flash memory which holds u… More >>
Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes OLD MODEL
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5 comments
P. A. Giantomenico on November 30, 2009 at 8:55 am
Rosie O’Donnell has nothing but high praises for the Flip Video. She has shared with all of her bloggers what she can do using the Flip Video camera. Just recently she used the Flip Video, in it’s waterproof case under water and the quality of the video is just awesome.
She even plans on doing an online help desk for some of the bloggers having difficulty uploading the video.
Rosie currently has a bunch of Flip Video of “Shady” a squirrel that visits her home daily It’s so great to see her creativity to challenge the squirrels to get their walnuts etc. She captures scenes that can’t be seen to so many of us. She even took a video of an inguana in Florida walking along the ramp.
The best of them all is of the dolphins with the most recent shot of the dolphin under water in Florida.
Many of her bloggers trusted her word and bought the Flip Video for Christmas presents and the feedback to her is awesome.
I don’t have one as I have to save up for one, but I know I will enjoy it once I get it!
Jerry Saperstein on November 30, 2009 at 9:52 am
I’d love to do a video review of the Flip Video Ultra, but there’s so much detail to be covered, I think the video format might get boring.
First, the Flip Video Ultra is in a class all its own. It is purely a highly portable video recorder for casual use. It will not replace your $12,000 Sony prosumer model or even your $800 Sony, Canon or Pansonic.
Rather the Flip Video Ultra is an extremely portable unit, measuring about 2.25 inches across by 4 inches high and a bit more than an inch thick. Powered by two AA cells, it can record 60 minutes or – surprise – more of video. In my experiments, I recorded almost 2 hours of video on a Flip Video Ultra. There’s no big secret here: if what you are recording has relatively little movement, you can stretch your recording time. Thus, for recording lectures of your version of “My Dinner With Andre”, the Flip might work out better than you planned.
The 640 x 480 VGA video is surprisingly good. Not theatrical quality sharpness, but far better than your cell phone camera will produce. Action is recorded smoothly with little, if any, artifacting. Exposure capability is excellent. I tried it on scenes ranging from a brightly lit sunny outdoor street with wide contrasts to a dark highway lit only by passing cars. Good detail under all conditions with little blocking. Quite surprising, really.
Incidentally, another reviewer complained that the lens could be easily scratched. That’s not true. The actual lens is recessed and protected by either a glass or plastic cover. So far, it shows no susceptibility to being easily scratched. If it is, it appears to held in place by a metal fitting. Whether that permit user replacement, I don’t know, but should the lens cover become damaged, I am sure it could be replaced.
The unit has what appears to be about a 2x digital zoom, which is a nice touch.
The Flip Video Ultra is a very nice piece of design. The battery compartment latch is on the bottom and is highly resistant to accidental opening. There’s also a tripod socket on the bottom. It is mounted off-center, which I consider unfortunate because this camera would be a perfect fit for the Quik Pod Pro+ with All Accessories Including Tripod Legs, a handheld camera mount that allows you to include yourself and a companion or two in your own videos. It’s really a very clever gadget, but the off-center tripod mount on the Flip makes it a tiny bit difficult to use.
From the back, on the right side, is a sliding switch to power the unit on and off. Again, the switch is very well designed and very difficult to trip accidentally.
On the back of the Flip is a 1.5″ transflective screen that you can see even in quite bright daylight. It is more than sufficient for casual videomaking. There’s a 4-way rocker switch under the viewfinder. This four way has a big red button in the middle that controls recording. It is on the difficult side to use, requiring you to use a fingernail to depress it to stop and start recording. They obviously made it this way to prevent accidental starting and stopping, but they did their job too well. It’s a bit of hassle to cleanly start and stop recording. But at least you won’t be making any accidental recordings with this unit. The rocker switch is multi-purpose. Playback volume is controlled from here as is the digital zoom and, in playback mode, moving from one clip to another. There’s a play button to the left of the 4-way and a delete button to the right. Couldn’t be simpler. My only complaint is that the recording start and stop function isn’t as snappy as it could be.
Response time of the unit is excellent. Once you do get that pesky start button pressed, the unit begins recording almost instantly. Audio quality, by the way, is excellent. The built-in microphone is sensitive and nearby voices are recorded without distortion.
Some people fail to see the utility in the Flip Video Ultra, pointing out that their digital cameras also have video. Yes, many do. But few offer the capability of recording an hour or more of 640×480 video at one time. Most can’t hold an hour of video on a single card. And few are as small and compact as the Flip Video Ultra. So the comparison of the flip with digital still cameras doesn’t fly.
The Flip is the kind of thing you can carry with you all the time and whip into action reasonably quickly (but thanks to that pesky record switch, not quickly enough) to capture some cute thing the kids are doing or something that is going on around you. Bloggers, blossoming independent journalists and artists of many kinds will love the Flip. Parents who are into recording their kids’ cute moments will also love it. And, frankly, it’s a nice thing to pop in your pocket when you’re travelling. The Flip is one of those rare gadgets that can appeal to many different kinds of people for many different reasons.
The real beauty of the Flip is in getting the video off the camera and onto a computer.
Just plug it into a USB port.
That’s it.
The USB connector flips up from the Flip.
Truly slick design, reflective of very innovative thinking.
Plugging it in brings up an idiot proof interface for getting the video onto your computer. (There’s an option to save it to DVD through authorized dealers which I did not try.) It’s two-step process to transfer. Simplicity personified.
Flip also includes a trial version of Muvee Autoproducer which can more or less edit your video clips into a presentable format by applying machine intelligence. It works, sort of, and for many people may be all they need or want. Be forewarned: there’s a sales message included that promises you 20% off the full version of Muvee Autoproducer. But guess what? The “special deal” gets you Version 5 of the product, not the currently shipping Version 6 to which you can upgrade for $39.95 more. Guess what? That brings you to the full suggested retail price of the current product. This kind of “special offer” has an unsavory aroma to it. I’ve written to both Pure Digital, makers of the Flip, and Muvee to see if this is just an unfortunate mistake (i.e., the offer was embedded in the software before the new version came out) or is just a plain attempt at a rip-off. Should you be attracted to the “special offer” on the Muvee software, I suggest you check it out for yourself.
I’m obviously a quick convert to the Flip. I think it’s a great gadget and a more than adequate substitute for heavier equipment in appropriate situations. I’ve been thinking of doing some video blogging for a project that requires one-on-one interviews. I can see buying another one or two Flip Video Ultras, some lightweight 4-SECTION Tripod with Grounderand with a portable light or two, having a more than adequate two or three camera setup. The quality would be more than adequate for web distribution and, depending on circumstances, even for DVD distribution to a business audience.
I am obviously impressed by the Flip Video Ultra. It has not only a very high cool factor, but a very high utility factor as well.
Jerry
B. Nickerson on November 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm
This product is such a great idea…. but that’s as far as it goes. My husband bought this for me for my birthday and we went through 2 of them that didn’t even work and didn’t load on either of our computers. Finally we gave up and just got our money back. One of them wouldn’t even save the videos we were recording. What a bummer!
J. Payne Jr. on November 30, 2009 at 1:27 pm
It was bought as a Xmas present and it’s only Dec 12, so I have no opinion yet…it looks nice?
J. Kotvas on November 30, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I had a friend download my video and burn to a dvd. I couldn’t play dvd on my new Sony dvd player. Took it to a friend’s home – wouldn’t play there either. Help???