Flip UltraHD Camcorder 120 Minutes Black
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder combines Flip Videos signature shoot-and-share simplicity with the power of vivid, vibrant HD video. Power on and press record to start capturing incredible HD video in seconds. When its time to share your video, use the flip-out USB arm to connect to any PC or Mac and launch built-in FlipShare editing and video-sharing software.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Great unit; a few small bugs.
This is a sweet little unit. I was very surprised at the picture quality and delighted with the small size. Another reviewer’s suggestion of using an extension USB cable is essential, as many computers just don’t have room, or the USB ports are difficult to reach, to allow plugging the camera in directly.
It works seamlessly with iMovie on the Mac, making the editing process a breeze.
However, my unit was unable to update its software when connected to a Mac. Flip tech support suggested I find a PC and see if that worked; an unacceptable response for a unit which is supposed to be Mac and PC compatible (reluctantly, I did try that, and it, too, failed.) In addition, when charging with a USB port, I got frequent “check battery – charging halted” error messages. Without a real battery level indicator, I suspect that we’ll compromise and use alkaline batteries instead of the furnished battery pack. At least then I’ll know how fresh the battery is every time.
It is great fun and its size will allow filming in places where a full-size camera would be cumbersome, if not impossible.
1 Star Flip Ultra Camcorder
Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)
When I first tried out the small camera, I was impressed. I do a website for a snowmobile club and was looking for something like this. However, I could not get the software/firmware to download to my computer. After contacting their tech support and trying everything they suggested, I had to give up and return the camera. My 30 day grace period was about to expire!
5 Stars Great little HD camcorder that goes everywhere with you
The Flip UltraHD camcorder is the epitome of easy-to-use, convenient HD camcorder that doesn’t pack a lot of bells and whistles, but does a very good job of taking HD video (1280×720 @ 30fps). Everything about the UltraHD camcorder screams convenience and portability: The built-in standard USB connector for downloading videos that doubles as a battery charger; included rechargeable batteries while maintaining full compatibility with regular alkaline AA and NiHM AA batteries; the FlipShare software that is installed from the camcorder; simple and easy-to-use control layout.
When you power on the UltraHD, a splash screen appears for about a second and then the live view on the screen is ready for shooting. Pressing the red record button as soon as the power’s on will cut short the splash screen (if you hold the red button down, it’ll take you to the setup screen). There are two buttons–playback, delete–and one four-way controller with the record button in the middle. The up and down controller takes care of digital zooming in and out during recording, and volume up and down during playback. The buttons and controls are responsive and you can optionally turn off the confirmation beeps (and the red recording light).
The video quality is pretty darned good, certainly much better than what I’ve gotten from my digital camera that can also shoot HD at the same resolution and framerate. You can record up to two hours of HD video on the included 8GB memory; there’s no option to add extra memory, or replace the 8GB internal memory with larger capacity card. The included rechargeable battery at full charge easily lasts past two hours’ of recording time.
The included Flipshare program lets you view, make movies from, capture screenshots, and trim video clips. One very handy feature I appreciate is the e-mail sharing. You bring up that component of the app, select the video, and specify the recipients. The application uploads it to the Flip server, processes it, and sends an e-mail link to the recipients when the video is ready. For a 30-second HD video clip, the FlipShare program takes approx. 1.5 min to send it. A short while later (the delay depends on the size of the video; for the 30-second video (approx. 35MB), it took 2 minutes), the recipient(s) receives an e-mail with the link. The fullscreen quality of video shared this way is very good.
All in all, I am very pleased with the Flip UltraHD camcorder. It doesn’t try to do too much, but what it does, it does very well. Highly recommended for those who just want to shoot HD videos without dealing with a multitude of options available to other, bigger camcorders.
4 Stars Perfect for emailing video clips!
I use this often to send video clips to our family who is scattered all over the US. It is great to be able to share clips easily and quickly. The software is pretty easy to use. Nice screen size. A monkey could operate the unit… so easy. Great!
5 Stars Bulkier than the MinoHD – but great for Vacations
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12A5ZQYO9LY6L Flip is known for making greater highly portable camcorders. The UltraHD is another great option for highly portable cameras. In my video I compare the UltraHD to the Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black) and compare-and-contrast the options. I will say that both cameras are great options, but depending on how you plan to use it one is probably a better choice than the other.
Benefits of the UltraHD
- HDMI port for connecting to your HD TV
- 2 hours of storage (compared to 1 hour on the MinoHD)
- Roughly 50% bigger video screen
Benefits of the Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Black)
- Smaller and lighter – will easily fit into your pocket.
- More sleek and stylish in looks.
Benefits of BOTH
- Great video capture – not quite the same seamless capture rate of a high quality camcorder but they are still very good.
- Great internal software (although it works much better with PCs than Macs)
- Easy to learn to use – very simple devices to learn
Improvements for both
- Would be nice if they offered the ability to video in standard definition… HD videos take much longer to load onto YouTube and other internet sights.
Final Verdict -
The UltraHD is a great camera for families going on vacation. While it is much larger than the MinoHD it does offer 2 hours of video storage. In addition, the HDMI output (cables are NOT included) is a much better option that the standard jack that is offered with the Mino. However, if your goal is to have a highly portable camera for spur of the moment videos you may want to choose the MinoHD since it is lighter and more portable.
4 1/2 stars
Buy/More Info
