Flip Video Ultra
If you ask my children at school, they’ll tell you that I like different technology and that I have quite a few different gadgets! Lately, I’ve been hearing lots about Flip Video camcorders, so I couldn’t resist and I ordered myself one (from Firebox, via cashback site Quidco), which arrived today.
The device is about the same size as an iPhone, but quite a bit thicker. It fits in the hand perfectly, with the small screen and controls on the back for operation.
I haven’t had very long to play with it, but it is incredibly easy to use. I don’t generally tend to read instructions (unless I have problems which I need to find an answer for!), but instructions were definitely not needed for this little video camera. There is an on switch at the side, and a big red button on the back which starts and stops recording.
The device has a 2Gb memory, which is enough for about an hour of recording time, and there are also play / delete buttons on the back which are handy. It all runs on 2 AA batteries, so replacing / recharging those is pretty easy too.
One of the major benefits of the camera is that you don’t need extra software to use it with a computer. Just flip out the USB connection (which tucks away inside the unit when not needed) and plug it in to your PC or Mac. I’ve spent a bit of time playing with the Mac version of the software and, again, it’s all very easy to use. There are options to view the video clips you have recorded, edit them (involving basic cropping of start / end points), and then share them. Sharing can be done by saving them to your computer, emailing them, creating an ‘online greeting card’, or uploading them to AOL Video / YouTube / MySpace or other websites.
The uploading options are very straightforward. You just enter your log in details (I tried Youtube) and the software does the rest. My first attempts failed (with no reason why), but the second attempt worked fine. I’ve never uploaded video to YouTube before, but I can definitely see myself using this to share video in future.
The quality of the video is good for such a small device and, whilst it’s definitely not HD quality, it’s very clear. There’s a zoom option, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Here’s a short video which I took this afternoon… not the most exciting content, but it will do!
Overall, I’m quite impressed with this so far. It’s a great little machine which does its job well. I can certainly see myself using it to record clips of video when I’m out and about. It’s also going to be very handy to share video content with family and friends.
Could it be used in schools? Definitely. It looks very child friendly, and I can imagine my class of Year 5s getting to grips with it in no time. I’ve not really used the Digital Blue cameras myself, but this is certainly a good option to use with pupils.
In fact, if I’m feeling brave, I might ask some of my class to try it out and see what they think!
June 25th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
The quality looks great - how about the sound? Was it windy when you recorded as it sounds a little buffeted. Anything that makes it more direct to upload video can only be good. Does this mean the days of searching for that elusive wire is school are over?
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June 25th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Thanks for making the first comment on my new blog!
My garden is very windy, so this wasn’t a problem with the camera. The sound quality sounds great as well, so it’s a good all-round machine really.
For me, the two major benefits are definitely the built-in USB and the on-board software. Just plug in and go. Very handy!
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June 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Hi Mark.
Been thinking of getting some of these for my GCSE classes. Is there any issue with using the video in Movie Maker or Premiere elements?
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June 25th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why not. When it’s connected to my Mac, you can load the pre-installed software, or browse through the file system to access the movie files onboard. These are saved as AVIs on the device, although the software then let’s you convert them to Quicktime etc.
I’ve not used Movie Maker / Premiere… can you import AVI files?
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June 26th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Hey there! I’ve been considering the Flip Video camera for a little while now. I’m in the market for a really portable camera with decent quality for recording life’s random moments. The quality looks pretty good for all this, and the price point isn’t bad at all. Thanks for sharing!
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June 27th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Nice review, Mark. I wrote one too, and have referred to yours:
http://terry-freedman.org.uk/artman/publish/article_1336.php
cheers
Terry
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