Flip's Ultra HD- Small, Sharp, Handy Videocam
We’ve taken a look at a Flip before- the Flip Mino- and have used a few other models as well. So we knew what to expect from the fairly new UltraHD model- it features the same ease of use, pop-out USB adapter, and handy portability of all Flip models.
Now owned by Cisco, Flip has continued to build on their previous successes- the software is cleaner and sharper now, with better editing capabilities and a more intuitive interface. The body is thicker than the Mino, but feels a bit sturdier and is easier to hold steady, and you gain four times the memory. However, because of the greatly increased resolution, you end up with about double the recording time (120 minutes). You also gain an HDMI connector (cable not included), truly excellent for those with HDTVs, and a larger screen.
You sacrifice a bit of battery life (via a rechargeable but removable battery pack) and the cool touch-sensitive buttons (which were sometimes too sensitive ). And, of course, you still don’t get a real optical zoom- the zoom is still digital, and greatly degrades video quality. Overall, we found the Flip UltraHD to take videos of reasonably good quality, as long as it was held steady or placed on a tripod, and the colors fairly balanced. It handled low-light situations better than the Mino and the audio was actually surprisingly good- better than many other larger audio recorders we’ve tried, though wind was still annoying.
We would’ve liked the ability to change resolutions, or even simply to record audio. Uploading to YouTube or other video sharing sites, even saving stills, are fairly simple operations, but the editor can’t quite compare to iMovie or other more fully-featured editing programs. True close-ups, macro shots, were also harder with the UltraHD. Ultimately, it’s a great value- around $200- and the choice should be based on price and features- the Mino HD is smaller but more expensive and offers less recording time, the regular Mino is cheaper and lighter, but offers less resolution and recording time. And if HDMI is important (and it’s pretty great), then the UltraHD is the Flip of choice. Available in black or white, online and in stores.
