Before I start, I want to ask, do you fancy camcorders? The reason I do not like having one is because it’s too big to bring around all the time. Did you know that the best selling camcorder at Amazon.com right now isn’t a model from Sony, Canon or even Panasonic? It happens to be this gadget called Flip Video Ultra. It’s a simple plug and play video camera that features a hideaway USB connector and built-in software that makes viewing and sharing your videos incredibly easy. But wait, there’s more! It maybe surprising to some, but this camcorder won’t even leave holes to your pocket.
Design
If you’re into spying your ex or something, the Flip Video Ultra won’t let you down. It’s small, it’s portable and it fits perfectly in your small bag or even in your pocket. It measures 4.17 inches high, 2.6 inches wide, and has a depth of 1.25 inches. It’s got a 1.5 inches LCD screen and transflective which is good for bright daylight, and it weighs 5 ounces. It’s got a built in speaker, microphone and it even lets you output your captured video into a bigger screen as long as your TV has composite video input. It has a built-in-flip out USB arm which is located on the left side. One of the great design of this camcorder is the battery type. I hate hate a gadget that has a unique battery, because you don’t have other option specially if you forgot the charger. But this particular camcorder, has a double AA battery type. Which is good, because you can find that kind of battery anytime and anywhere, and it won’t make the camcorder that heavy. You can also mount this camcorder into a tripod if you want a still capture. You also have the privilege to choose the color style, if you want black, white, orange or pink. It comes with a protective case that you have to really use because the Flip Video Ultra scratches easily. A great plus for the cam’s accessory, is the underwater case.
Features and Performance
Now before you shoot me when it comes to video quality, Flip Video Ultra is a low-end digital camcorder, just so you know. It means it doesn’t capture great resolution videos. You can thank Sony and Canon for the high-end ones. But, for a low-end camcorder, the Flip actually captures decent video resolution. It looks sharp and vibrant. You’ll also be impressed with its low light performance. Like when you capture a raw footage, for example here in the booth, and we have a low light, it would still look well lit in the video. Its resolution goes up to 640×480, which is expected. It has a constant frame rate of 30 frames per second. Video rate is an average of 4.5 Mbps, it’s got mpeg and avi video format. It comes with 1 gig and 2 gig internal memory. No SD card expansion slot, you’re stuck with 60 minute video capturing, and that is if you have the 2 gig memory. The cam only offers smooth multi-step 2x digital zooming. Or you can just do manual zooming by simply moving closer–or farther away–from your subject. The battery life, if you use powerful double AA battery can last up to 6 hours of juice. The Flip is compatible with windows and macs. The Flip has the software called MuVee which lets you edit your videos, and it also has a one touch video uploading to YouTube and AOL video. But this software is only compatible with windows, so mac users would be disappointed. I know I am.
The bad:
-No SD/MMC card expansion slot;
-don’t expect video quality to match that of a MiniDV camcorder’s.
-The Muvee editing features only work with PCs, not Macs.
The good:
- With its Flip Ultra series, Pure Digital has upgraded the design, video quality, viewing LCD, and software of its lightweight video camera
-Ultra is compatible with Macs.
Cost:
The 1 gig storage is around 149 dollars or 7000 pesos, and the 2 gig storage is 179 dollars or 8500 pesos.
Credit to cnet.com for the review! =)
