Flip Video, which has recently been absorbed by Cisco, commonly releases YouTube-friendly point-and-shoot mini camcorders with the 2009 models being the two updated versions of the Ultra. The higher-end Flip UltraHd Camcorder shoots 720p (1280x720) high-definition video while the less costly Ultra shoots 640x480 Vga video.
This new model sports a 2-inch Lcd display on the back. The buttons are also bigger and the casing has a rubberized, matte finish for an easier grip. The Flip UltraHd Camcorder comes in black or white. This mini camcorder ships with a set of Aa-size NiMh batteries (rechargeable) that can be expensed in the unit by simply connecting the camcorder to the Usb port on your computer. You can also use proper Aa batteries to power this device. That proper battery backup selection is a nice convenience but as proper batteries are heavier, expect to find the camcorder a bit heavier than its Li-ion powered predecessors. A Hdmi yield on the side is ready for Hdtv connections, but this time around has no bundled cable.
The Flip UltraHd Camcorder shoots 720p video at 30fps, H.264 compressed and encoded as Mpeg-4. The unit lacks a memory card slot but its 8Gb of internal memory allows you to record 2 hours of video and if you have a notebook or netbook handy you can offload the excess. Shooting and transferring videos to your computer or uploading them to YouTube and other video-file-sharing sites is simplicity itself. You hit the big red button to record and the play button to play back videos. It comes with 2x in digital zoom but lacks manual or industrialized customization. This lack of selection makes the Flip UltraHd Camcorder excellent for the target audience as it doesn't confuse them but the more tech-inclined may find the settings rather limiting.
Video is quite sharp and saturated for outdoor shots and was exciting without being overly noisy. The audio is clear and loud. While it still can't correlate with the video produced by a real Hd camcorder the video ability have assuredly improved when compared to older models. Overall, the videos were smoother, sharper and have more exact colors.
The Flip UltraHd Camcorder may not be the best-looking Hd mini camcorder in the shop nor is it the cheapest but it does offer relatively good video ability and ease of use. The Aa battery use adds great convenience although you may want to get a tripod to use it with for best results.
Camera Reviews - Flip UltraHd Camcorder
