Camcorder: Flip Ultra-HD

The Flip UltraHD is unlike any other pocket camcorder we’ve reviewed of late. It’s one of the simplest point-and-shoots you can get your hands on.

At 2.19 x 4.25 x 1.17 inches, the UltraHD is bigger and thicker than the average phone, but is quite light for its size. The reason it is more than 2 inches thick: It is powered by two AA batteries rather than the usual lithium-ion. Though our review unit didn’t have one, it does come with a rechargeable battery pack. And at a pinch, AA batteries are easy to find.

The overall finish has a rubbery feel that gives the user a rather good grip on the device. It comes with eight buttons: Power, Play, Delete, Record and a four way navigation pad. It has a 2-inch screen — decent enough to view recorded video, and a unique flip-out USB connector that springs out effortlessly when pressed. The rather stiff USB arm becomes a liability when connecting to some laptops — you’ll find yourself sticking something under the machine to prevent strain on the arm. The camcorder also has an HDMI output, so you can hook up to a compatible HD TV.

It comes with 8 GB of built-in memory, and can record 120 minutes of video. Unfortunately, since the camcorder records only in HD, there is nothing that you can do to increase the overall recording time.
As to features, there is nothing much to fiddle around with other than the Language, Date, Time, Tones and Recording light settings — it can’t get any simpler than this. But the annoying bit is that the only way to access these settings is by keeping the red button pressed when starting the device.

Like other pocket camcorders, the camera comes bundled with the FlipShare software. Aside from allowing you to import and upload videos to sites such as YouTube and MySpace, the software lets you add videos to a list of predefined frames for various occasions, add opening titles and end credits to scenes you’ve shot, and, unlike other bundled software, allows you to trim your videos. For all but the most finicky, that eliminates the need to install third party editing software.

The overall video quality comes second to the Kodak Zi8. Where it falls short: The colours appear a little oversaturated. Nevertheless, the videos are sharp, with minimal visual noise, even under low light conditions. Low light recording is exceptionally good — just as good, in fact, as the Kodak Zi8. The oversized body and fixed recording mode are drawbacks. But at Rs. 9,200, the Flip UltraHD is cheaper than, and definitely superior to the Creative VadoHD, but falls short of the Kodak Zi8.

Courtesy, tech2.in.com