Flip UltraHD Camcorder 120 Minutes White

Great Product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This Flip UltraHD is exactly what its supposed to be. A compact, high quality camcorder. No frills, definitely not feature rich, but it doesn’t need to be. Record, connect it to your usb, and load it up onto your computer or plug an HDMI cable directly into it and connect it to your TV.

Exactly what I wanted
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This review is for the non-techies out there. So sick of gizmos with the illusion of a thousand choices. I love that Flip is brave enough — can you believe it requires courage to be elegantly simple? — to be straightforward. I love this thing. I admit I almost liked the non-HD one a little better because it was just so small and could be slipped into a pocket. I appreciate the quality of the HD but wish it was thinner. That said, I can’t believe no one thought of something like this sooner. LOVE IT. There will actually be videos of my kids now.

Great quality, easy to use, terrible battery charging
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have been very pleased with this camcorder. It cannot be emphasized enough how easy it is to use – both the operation of the Flip and the software are very user friendly. Making videos and then e-mailing or publishing to the web is a breeze! Do not be fooled, this camera is still very small (I have not seen a Mino yet to compare) and easily portable.

While the Flip does make hd videos, this still is not anywhere near a professional video camera. It can have significant shake when holding the camera so a tripod is strongly suggested – I use both a traditional tripod and a gorillapod – the traditional is great in a controlled situation and the gorillapod is a great travel tripod for on the fly recording. Image stabilization would be nice as an upgrade to future models however this camcorder does not have this feature.

The microphone is very sensitive, almost too sensitive at times. While recording some nature shots we could hear a low volume conversation that was at least 20 yards away.

The biggest problem with the camera, and the reason for 4 stars, which has been mentioned many times, is the battery charging issue. While the battery pack will eventually charge fully it usually takes several charges with hours of break time in between the overheating messages. It takes a long time to charge the battery which if using a laptop may become annoying to have the camera hanging off the side. While the charging is a problem, the beauty is you can use AA batteries and my suggestion is to get some good rechargeable AA batteries (Sony Eneloop or Rayovac Hybrids seem to be the best rated) and use the Flip battery pack as a backup.

I haven’t yet tried it with high speed sports but I have seen it mentioned before that it may struggle with higher speed scenes due to a possible inconsistent frames per second rate. Overall this is a great easy to use economical camcorder for your family functions or other off the cuff video needs.

Another Great Flip Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased my first Flip Camcorder about a year and a half ago when I was planning my trip to Ireland. I bought a 60 minute basic Flip and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to use and the great quality of the video. The only downside I saw with the original was the fact that it was only 60 minutes. Enter the new Flip UltraHD Camcorder which has a 120 minute capability. When I first received it, I couldn’t wait to try it out. The quality of the video is beautiful and the HD capability really makes a huge difference in my pictures. I love the fact that the camera is smaller than my original camera and that I know can film up to 120 minutes. When I took the camera to Ireland, I found that a 60 minute recording just couldn’t be used for a day’s worth of sightseeing. I found myself taking short snippets, afraid that I would use up the entire capability until I was able to get back to the hotel and offload the recording. The short vignettes really came across choppy and I was yearning for a larger capacity. This 120 minute model, besides having better resolution, allows me the ability to take the camera with me full day to record. I haven’t seen the problem with battery life yet (as I have seen others comment on), so I can’t say anything negative. I just love my new Flip and I highly recommend it for any one planning to take a vacation this year. It fits neatly into my pocket and has the capacity and quality that I am looking for!

Very impressed. Great picture and so easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for mission teams from our church to take with them on their trips. The fact that this camera uses AA batteries was a plus for me, because in many cases our teams do not have the ability to recharge batteries.

It took me 15 minutes to take this camera out of the box, put in the batteries, shoot a little video and then upload video onto Facebook. The process was extremely easy. I shot both indoors and outdoors and have been pleased with the picture and sound quality. I would highly recommend this little camera.

Great mini HD videocam
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Upon first seeing these types of mini videocams through my girlfriends’ dad and brother-in-law, I thought that they were kind of like a gimmicky “toy”, being so small and lightweight. But, as I have discovered by having one of my own, they don’t have to weigh a ton to be sturdy, and it can create good quality video in spite of its miniscule size.

Before I actually purchased mine on -where else?- Amazon, I searched for different brands and read review after review, just as you are doing. I wasn’t able to find any other brand that was comparable in size, features, and, most important for me, price. So, I took a chance on the Flip and I’m quite satisfied with it. Here’s my take.

LIKEs:

Size – small and compact with no cables for charging or file transfer as it has a USB connection that flips out of the body. It’s also quite lightweight, so it’s not fatiguing to hold for extended periods.

Video quality – At the moment, I only have a netbook that is hooked up to a 22″ LCD monitor, and the video quality (clarity) is pretty good upon playback. But, the videos are a little choppy possibly due to the limitations of the video card in the netbook.

Use – Quite user friendly, just turn it on with the power button on the side, press the red button in the back to start recording and press again to stop. There is a directional pad around the red button that scrolls through previously recorded videos (L/R) or to zoom and control volume (Up/Dn). There is also one button on each side (horizontally) of the central pad for playback and delete. Transfer of files and charging is done through a USB connector that swings out of the side of the camera. There is also a (mini) HDMI outlet for watching videos on a TV. Oh yeah, almost forgot about the screen in the back ’cause it’s so tiny (1.25″X1.75″), but it’s not bad considering its size. That’s it.

Battery – I like the fact that it has a rechargeable (NiMH) battery pack that is also removeable so it is replaceable with 3 AA batteries. Not quite sure of the run-time, but at least you could have some AA’s for backup.

DON’T LIKEs:

Charge/Charging – There’s no way to tell how much charge is left until a low battery icon comes on and I don’t really know how much run-time it has after the initial signal. I also don’t really care for the fact that the computer has to be on to charge the camera. I have used my iPhone jack to charge the camera, though I’m not sure if it’ll damage the battery.

Case – This is really minor, but as others have said, the supplied case is just a soft drawstring “bag”, if you will, that is quite snug and therefore a little trying to get on. I guess it’s not bad considering how much the camera cost, and on the bright side, it does double as a wiping cloth.

OVERALL:

I gave this videocam 4/5 stars. The deduction of one star because of not being able to see how much charge is left and requiring the computer to be on to charge the phone. Otherwise, this is a really good compact camera with its highlights being price, build quality, ease of use, and video quality. Another thing I failed to mention earlier is the sound quality, which is quite good. One night I was watching a video I took of my dog who has a couple of tags on his collar so we can hear where he is. As I was watching the video, his collar was jingling and I thought that he was actually in the room with me, but he wasn’t. I guess the sound from the video was so well reproduced and ambient that it fooled me into thinking that my dog was there. Highly recommended.

My favorite electronic device
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought one of these following an advertisement on Amazon. I’m, for the first time in my life, grateful there was an advertisement because it has turned out to be my favorite electronic device. It is so simple, inexpensive, and sleek. The software comes loaded in the device, so it is literally a plug in and share camcorder. We have a high end HD digital camcorder that we love, but the conversion is a bit of a hassle and forget about emailing to people. This is perfect for someone with limited time that likes to avoid hassles. The picture is remarkable considering the price and size of it.

Not worth the Money
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Pros:

Easy to Carry

Cons:

Picture quality is not great.

Zoom is not high.

You can not record 1080p. it can record only 720p.

Great if you keep your expectations in check
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Guys, if you keep your expectations in check, it’s really great. It’s a great little Ultra-portable, Ultra-easy to use HD Video Camera but keep in mind what it was designed for. The HD picture quality is great and recommendable as compared to using my 10mg cannon point & shoot still camera with video option. Now, If you compare the HD picture quality of a regular HD Camcorder then it’s “ok to marginal”.

The ease of video transfer, ultra-portablity & ease of use is outstanding. My only complaint is charging the battery. OMG – If you charge the batteries using the usb connection, it takes “6 hours” for a full charge, no kidding. You can buy an optional charger and cut that in half, so plan ahead.

Bottom lIne – if you keep your expectations in check, if you’re looking for an ultra portable, easy to use with decent picture quality that can be used on the fly then this is for you. Plan ahead and make sure the battery is charged before hand. If you’re looking to make High End HD video’s then this will not work.

Five Stars For Quality, Convenience, and Usability at This Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MC1WUXBJ5G4X This is a video demonstration that is designed to show you the quality of results you can get with this little screamer. I spoke quietly in the background, but did not intend for it to be my Hollywood production review. I wanted to type in my thoughts instead. I shot this on a tripod to create a more professional looking shot. I also shot it at dusk. Ansel Adams used to awake in the wee hours in order to get shots at dawn while the sun was still rising. This was done at dusk, while it was getting ready to set. Taking shots on any kind of camera in the full sunlight produces bleached out results unless you use a filter.

I see other reviewers trashing this HD Ultra because it does not have image stabilization and it doesn’t. I looked up compact camcorders that do and noticed in HD they run approximately 4 times the price. If you notice on TV, less expensive commercials use fixed lense positions without panning, and more expensive ones use 5 and 6 figure devices to create sweeping shots. So I shot this on a tripod, and wanted you to see what kind of results you could get with that. Flip also offers a cool portable tripod Flip Tripod for Flip Ultra and Mino Camcorders which is a no brainer to get with this unit considering the price and the quality it produces. It compacts small enough to fit in your shirt pocket alongside the camera.

When viewed in a high def monitor straight from the camera, or copied in its full size and format into the computer, the picture is great. I wish I could provide you with the original format, full 94 meg file so you can see just what a superb picture this camera produces. In that format, your friends will be impressed and even somewhat shocked. If you see the video with the Flip Ultra HD plugged in, or the video file downloaded into your PC, you can fully appreciate the high def quality. (See the edit at the end of the review about the video I posted in the shrunk down format)

The overwhelming advantage of this unit is its, take it anywhere in your shirt pocket size and price. If you are walking along with it, expect a bumpy shot. It has a very nice full size 2″ crystal clear LCD on the back for previewing and aiming. The included software is loaded with features, covering all of the most popular things you would want to do with a video. It’s also well designed and intuitive, requiring little reading of the instructions. The mini HDMI plug is great for inputting into the devices in your High Def world.

The auto focus is quick, and does a good job of automatically setting light levels, so all you have to do is point and shoot. Mine came with a rechargeable NiMH battery, which is good but since you have to plug the unit into a computer to download videos etc. via USB, which is also the standard method to recharge it, then you are topping off a NiMH battery, which prefers to be run down to empty before recharging. As I understand it NiMH batteries have a memory, and if you top them off, then their charge cycle gets shorter. Lithium Ion would be the best match. Fortunately it accepts standard AA batteries as well.

The biggest advantage of this Flip Ultra HD is its size and price. It is the one that you are sure to have with you when the “event” happens. The best shots are the ones you missed. With the included carrying case, which is silky smooth, and fits the Ultra perfectly, you can conveniently store this in whatever is most likely to be with you.

With 120 minutes of record time, you can go out and shoot, shoot, shoot, and then come back and create your own movie with the included software. You can create snapshots of episodes, include background music, blend clips together, and feel like a Hollywood producer. I’m starting to dream up some scripts in order to create my own flicks. It’s another creative outlet. I was super impressed with the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White) and now this HD version with 120 minutes of record time will give me a lot more flexibility, and refinement. It’s a toy to enjoy and since it is a serious enough exercise into the movie video and audio world, it could become the precursor to bigger and better things to come; something I wouldn’t have normally bought if I didn’t have the Flip UlraHD to lead the way. You can also use the Windows Muvee app that comes pre-loaded with windows to build your movies as well. Get one and get hooked.

Edit: I wanted to come back and comment on the video now that it is published, and I get a chance to see it via the video window in the review. First off this is a 94 meg video in size right out of the camera and into the PC, which looks great, and then I process it with the included software to make it “web ready”, which shrinks/compresses it down to 15.4 megs, making it a 640 x 360 image view, and then Amazon may or may not automatically shrink it further to accomodate a wide range of internet connection speeds. What does all of this add up to? Namely an end result that looks great in the small video window, but when blown up full screen it does not look as good as the shrunk once 15.4 meg file. If you wait until the end of the video and see it finally freeze, that is the quality it looks like on my screen the entire time the video is running. In plain words even when shrunk once by the included software application to 15.4 megs, it is a lot sharper in the focus category, even when blown up full screen the whole time it is EXACTLY like what you see at the end of the video on the last frame when it stops. If you run the video right from the camera, or after downloading it into your PC in the original format, it will more than please you, it will drive your friends to envy. You can even pump the end result directly from the camera from its HDMI jack into a high def TV. I went to a party with the Flip HD, parked it on a table in the kitchen with flourescent lights for illumination, and let it run. The end result once I got home and played it made me cherish owning one of these. The more I use it, the more I love it.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)

BRILLIANT CAMCORDER …. highly recommended.

Although I was in the UK (June 2009) when I ordered this I ordered it from the USA store rather than UK … the reason …. in the US they had the latest 120 min version and in the UK only the 60 min.

The price from the US was also slightly cheaper than UK … even when including packaging and import duty to UK.

The quality is excellent … if you need a camera to take short clips and they maybe stitch together using the Flips easy to use software (works on Windows and Mac) … and then email to people or upload to e.g. YouTube … then this is the camera.

Great for use with students in classrooms.

Only downsides for me …. the zoom …. it is really non existent … very small digital zoom …. it also does not have a macro facility so no close ups.

Very appreciative of the Flip Guys design … although Flip was apparently taken over by Cisco early in 2009 ….

Great except for battery recharging problems
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve really been impressed by the ease of use and image quality of this little gadget. The sound isn’t bad, either. My problem seems to reflect similar ones others have had. When I try to recharge the battery it shuts itself off repeatedly before the battery is fully recharged. I can restart it by ejecting it and then plugging it back in and that lasts for maybe a half-hour, but then it turns itself off again. This is ok if I’m sitting right there at my computer for the hours it takes to charge, but otherwise, it’s not so good. I’m not sure what the problem is, if it’s the battery pack or what, but I think I’m going to try using AA batteries instead, it’s just too much trouble.

What A Disappointment
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’d heard such great things about the Flip, buying the UltraHD was not a difficult decision. The difficulties began only when I opened the box. Contrary to what I’d been led to believe, the software install was a nightmare – requiring significant time and support from Flip. To the credit of their Support team, they were responsive on this issue (though it was a challenge to find someone conversant with the Mac OS) and I finally got the application installed. Next problem…the camera wouldn’t do it’s “plug and play” thing. Here, Support does not get high marks. They admitted they were puzzled and bumped it to the next level, which hasn’t bothered to call me back.

Now that I’m listening, I have heard again and again that the company is about marketing, not about software. IT’s too bad. Such a (nearly) great product, but I’m miserable as a customer.

Flip on Your Camcorder & Capture Memories to Cherish
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought myself a Flip camcorder, because it was inexpensive and got excellent reviews. The only problem I have had is with the jerky video. Basically the operator fails to record a smooth scene. Due to its small size it is difficult to hold steady. I experienced the same problem with the large VCR camcorders.

This is remedied with the use of a tripod if the subject you’re recording is stationary. My primary reason for purchasing the camcorder was to create video to podcast or turn into a You Tube video. It works well for that.

The picture is clear and crisp.The sound quality is excellent. Keep in mind that my review is based on my intended use (a podcast or You Tube video). The recorded files are taken in a relatively quiet environment ad most are stationary.

The camcorder video is easily uploaded through a USB port. Each session is divided into segments by the software for editing (I haven’t used this feature). You can take the video and insert it into a frame for a holiday greeting card. I really like this feature. I wish they had them for every major holiday.

Allin all, I’ve been very pleased especially at this price.

buy this product.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
best purchase i’ve made in years. so easy to use, i have it with me all time.

Practical and handy
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent product for what it is made for. Do not expect a fancy video camera that will work in different lighting situations, you will be very disappointed. There are no fancy buttons to control recording, it is basic and made to be that way, quick and handy in the perfect conditions. You can download the files to a computer, the camera connects as a USB. It is limited to one or two hours of recording. You have to have access to your computer to download regularly if you want to make more videos, over 2 hours. I understand the case sold for it separately is not worth getting. The one it comes with is good and sufficient.

awesome portable camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camcorder! Its very portable and super easy to work. Just click the power button, and in about two seconds you’re ready to record! The size is perfect for carrying around in a jacket pocket or a purse (my jeans are way too snug for it to fit in my pants). The screen is just the right size and the microphone picks up noises pretty well. I’ve also found that it adjusts fairly well in low-lit settings, although filming during the day is generally best (picture-wise). The only downsize is the battery pack that comes with the camera. Mine kept overheating when I plugged it in to charge, which would stop the charge – it was a pain. So I went out and bought some AA rechargeable batteries (I highly recommend the Sanyo Eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger) and my problems were solved! Now I just carry an extra set with me in case my battery life gets too low, and I don’t have any problems. Overall, if you’re looking for a good quality, highly portable camcorder, this one is definitely it. On a side note, if you are trying to choose between this model and the Mino HD, just remember that the Mino does not have a removable battery pack, which means that unlike the Ultra HD, if your battery dies while you are out and away from your charger, you are totally hosed.

Very Happy with This Purchase
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We recently purchased the Flip UltraHD to use partially as a teaching tool for our daughter and to also record videos to share. We are not expert movie makers, but this really suits our needs. We can record short videos and upload them to share with our family and friends. I really like how the display lets you know how much time is left to record on the camera.

When our daughter was born, many camcorders were out of our price range for the family videos that we wanted to record. This is perfect for us. It’s very simple to turn on and record a video.

I’m pleased with the portability. It’s the size of a cell phone, but thicker. I can carry it around in my coat pocket or purse just like a regular camera. Also, when I want to record something on-the-spot, this camera makes it very convenient.

does not take more than an hour of straight video.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Just got the UltraHD and wanted to record my friend’s band at a local bar. Out of the box the battery comes partially charged. Plugged the camera into the USB port and charged it for 6hours and got a full charge. So off the the bar with my new camcorder. Set it up on a tripod and recorded away…oh wait…it shuts off after an hour of recording! This is unacceptable. While the camera is capable of recording 2 hours of video, it won’t record past 1 hour of straight recording before it shuts off. This is crap! Im going to return this thing. Why would the company make a camera capable of holding up to 2 hours of video but not capable of recording more than an hours worth of video at one time? Going to look into the new VADO by Creative Labs.

Pretty good
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great quality, low cost, audio could be better but for the most part I love this camera.

Pros/Cons of the Best Pocket Camcorder to Date
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Out of all the pocket camcorders on the market this one is the best as far as video quality and sound quality. Don’t bother looking at anything else.

Pros:

-Great quality video

-Good sound

-Solid Build

Cons:

-No lens cover so lens can easily get scratched

-NiMH battery instead of Li-ion

-Difficult to film self because you can’t see where you are in frame

Other:

-Saves videos in mp4 (good for macs, not so good for Windows Movie Maker users)

FLIP VIDEO BATTERY AND TECH SUPPORT SUCK!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Bought this from Amazon for xmas 2009. Got it, awesome to use, then battery died and wouldn’t re-charge. Called FLIP. They advised to have Amazon replace it – which they did AT NO COST TO ME AND ALSO 2DAY FREE SHIPPING! New camera arrived, SAME PROBLEM. Emailed with Flip for TWO WEEKS and nothing worked. Called them today – they say send it to them at MY COST and it will take them TEN DAYS TO REVIEW and return it – they suck – totally. Apparently there are a lot of problems with the batteries charging as apparently there are a lot of posts about the same problem. FLIP is expecting AMAZON to continue to replace their faulty products.

Love the Flip camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s perfect for when you want to capture a funny moment or your kid’s first soccer goal without having to pull an entire video camera out of a bag and set it up, there’s a power button and a record, that’s it, point and capture……so easy!

Really easy to use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This little camera is really easy to use. Distance images could be clearer but overall quite a good camera.

Ultra HD has battery charging problems.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got the camera from Amazon. Takes very nice videos. I plugged it into the usb port to charge the battery. With in 30 seconds I got a message on the screen that said”charging paused, check battery pack” The camera was only a week old. I called Amazon and explained what was happening. The customer service rep was extremely polite and said he will send a replacement.The replacement came in only two days. Amazon is a wonderful company to do business with. Back to the camera! This one also has the same problem. I did a search on Google and found out that the Flip Ultra HD does have a charging problem. You get a message saying ” charging pause check battery pack” and another message saying, battery over heating.I didn’t get that message due to the fact my battery didn’t charge long enough for this to happen. I called Flip and got two different solutions. Take out the battery and let it completely discharge and put it back and charge it. I am still waiting for it to discharge. The other tech said,take out the battery,plug the camera into the usb port,wait and then put the battery into the camera while it is still plugged in. That on didn’t work. It sounds as if Cisco which now is the parent company of Flip know about this problem. I feel they should make sure the issue with the Ultra HD is fixed and all the customers with this problem are satisfied with a replacement battery that will charge.

Just right for me.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I needed something easy to use with adequate space and better-than-decent quality, and I got exactly that. No, it doesn’t have image stabilization, and no, I can’t add storage space, but I don’t need either of those! I’m very content with what I got, which is a very portable, simple HD(-ish) camcorder that I love.

Produces really shaky video without a tripod
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I got this item for Christmas 2009 and have recorded about an hour of video clips in total. I took video while at parties and family events for Christmas instead of my old standby, my Sony handycam. The Flip Ultra HD does not have any image stabilization, so unless you use a tripod, expect your video to be extremely shaky. I’m talking about a lot of shaking, almost to the point of being unwatchable. I had gotten this video camera because I wanted to be able to get a small unit that I could use to record in a more casual way. This item does not meet my needs and I do not recommend it to anyone who plans on shooting video without a tripod, such as casual family events. I’ll be going back to my trusty Sony handycam.

Great little camera!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camera because you can carry it anywhere. It is so easy to use, whenever you feel like you can just grab it and start recording something without having too much to think about. It has great image quality, I used to have a Panasonic one, that used those small little annoying tapes and this one is so much better! I just wish it could have an image stabilization of some kind.

Major Problem with Supplied Rechargable Battery
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
First, I never got to put the cam through it’s paces as I could not get the supplied rechargable battery to charge. I got the wall charger for quicker charging and went to charge it the first time. During charging, the record light is red and when charging is complete, it goes out. For the first 30 minutes, everything appeared to be going fine, and then I noticed the light was blinking. I turned the Flip over and on the screen was a colorful RED thermometer and the words saying “I’m too Hot … charging paused”. I felt the Flip and it was only slightly warm. I unplugged it a few minutes and waited for it to cool down for a few minutes and then tried to restart the charging process via the USB port. Almost as soon as the charging restarted, I got the same warning message again.

I Googled “battery heating problems Flip UltraHD” and found several reports of the same problem dating all the way back to this summer. The concensus from those reporting the problem was that Flip customer service had no clue what was going on and requested most return their Flips and that there was no solution ….. other than not using the rechargable battery pack that came with it and use stand alone AA batteries. Flip now has a response to this problem stating that if you see this warning, it’s normal and just leave it plugged in and after it cools off, the charging will restart, but may take several hours (apparently it will start, stop, start, stop, etc.)

Well, anyone who uses electronics with built in rechargable batteries (cell phone, camera, cordless phone, iPod, etc.) knows this is not normal and also knows that during recharge, the battery packs typically get a little, to quite warm. My guess is that they built a large batch of these with either a bad (wrong value) component in the temp sense circuit, or the design trip point it just too low for normal operation.

Anyway, if you don’t mind paying for a recharable battery pack that does not charge, then go ahead and order away. I felt like I paid for one that should work and it didn’t, so I returned mine to Amazon for refund. According to my search on Google for this problem, there have been a very large number of returns for this exact problem. I just wanted all to know if this problem before you made your purchase.

Fun and cheap but not for me
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to replace my old Sony. My problem with it was the lack of video stabilization. The video is crisp and clear but way too shaky for me. I returned it to amazon.

Great video for the price, excellent design
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You can’t beat the quality for the price, and it’s utterly simple to use for shooting video and uploading to the computer.

Power button failed after using it a few times
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Got this item for Christmas and 3 weeks later the power button failed, couldnt turn the Flip on or off. I did return this to the seller and they sent me out a new one. Now that we had time to use is, the zoom on this is not what was expected. We thought that it would have had a better zoom and you could really get up close.

I liked it cause it was small in size and did take good video’s but this is not the product we were looking for.

This video camera is awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I can’t beleive a digital video camera can be so small and work so well. Technology today just amazes me and this camera is at such a good price too. I never thought I’d ever own a video camera because they are usually so pricey and I never wanted to spend the money on one, but this one was too good to pass up. I love it!

Perfect for Weekends and Vacations!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am now the proud owner of both the original Flip MinoHD…and now the new Flip UltraHD! I originally received the Flip MinoHD as a holiday gift back in December 2008 and loved it from the moment I opened the box. As like all Flip Video devices, it was ready to go out-of-the-box at the touch of a button.

I absolutely love the new Flip UltraHD as it is the perfect complement to the way I use the smaller Flip MinoHD, which I use mainly during the weekdays while I’m on the go. While the Flip UltraHD is indeed bigger and bulkier, it comes with 4 very important upgrades that I cannot live without as a weekend warrior when it comes to shooting video effortlessly and at a moment’s notice:

1) Larger Screen – the new 2″ viewing screen is a big time upgrade to the 1.5″ that marked the previous Ultra series and the MinoHD. It captures a much wider and taller scene shot so you can get the right perspective standing up close to whatever your shooting (in my case my toddler son).

2) HDMI Out – unlike the MinoHD and previous Ultra versions, the new UltraHD now comes with the capability to connect the device directly to the HDMI port on your HDTV. In the past, I was critical of the Flip Video devices like the MinoHD, which only has standard definition out to the TV. Simply put, if you are shooting 720p video on the device you should be able to watch 720p video output on your HD family room TV set. Now I can with the UltraHD. The HDMI cable is an accessory sold separately for around $15, but it is well worth it to view your videos the way they were meant to be seen on an HD screen.

3) AA Battery Option – this is a very necesssary and key new feature for those of us who go out on an extended weekend getaway or shoot video throughout the day and can’t get back to a laptop quickly to recharge the device. Of course, the Flip UltraHD comes with a rechargeable NiMH AA size battery pack, which I generally just keep in there. But if that runs out on a long weekend, which it has before, I now have the option of simply changing out the rechargeable battery pack for two regular AA batteries to extend my battery life on the spot without the need to find a PC to recharge the device.

4) 2 Hours of Recording Time – while all of the other previous Flip Video devices only have 1 hour of recording time, now the Flip UltraHD comes with 2 hours of 720p recording time on an internal 8GB memory card. This is particularly useful when you are shooting longer video clips like at a soccer game or wedding or if you are on the go over an entire weekend and don’t have the time to upload the clips to your PC or to the Internet.

All in all – a fantastic device at a great price and a perfect complement even if you already have the MinoHD!

Worst product – DO NOT BUY
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Terrible Product. DONT BUY

- I was looking for a video/camcorder that could record without the overhead and bulky nature of a tape camcorder

- Battery – There are several reviews on the web indicating that battery recharging is a problem. I had the same issues 2 months after I brought this thing. I couldnt even return it.

- Audio Volume – When I play the video on FLIP, the volume sounds ok. Once I transfer it to the PC, audio volume is cut in half. I practically have to scream to get it to have an average volume on the PC.

- Transfer from FLIP to PC – I tried to use their software, but it works sporadicaly. Sometimes it says error transferring and just hangs

- Good things – It serves the purpose of a quick recording with a very small profile and super convenient.

- Customer Service – very responsive, but dont answer any questions.

- Overall – there are other products from Kodak, Sanya, RCA that achieve the same at a much lower cost. FLIP is NOT worth the price.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This recorder is a lot of fun. It is easy to keep it in my camera bag. The software is also very user-friendly and files can be edited in other software for more refined results.

Simple and easy to use, nice quality for under $200
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R15S2LJBBSIC4Q I made this short video using the “FlipShare” program that comes with the camera. It is simple and easy to use. I was impressed with the picture quality of the video I shot, though in low light situations it does become a bit grainy. I found the sound quality to be good as well.

I am having some issues re-charging the battery (like others have reported), and the the metal-like casing does attract a lot of fingerprints and smudges. Also, it does not come with a HDMI cable. But overall I am satisfied with my purchase. For under $200, this camera meets my expectations.

Very Good Video / Poor Computer Interface
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Flip Ultra HD looks very, very good on my HDTV; however, it will not function with my Pentium 3/2.5GHz processor. Therefore, I can’t send video by email, YouTube, or copy to disc without severe degradation of video quality. Amazon does not tell you what the minimum system requirements are. Flip Ultra HD is virtually useless to me unless I purchase a new computer.

Incredible!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This video recorder is incredible. It is so small, but produces videos of amazing clarity. I’ve had other larger and much more expensive camcorders, but this little device is better than any I’ve used in the past. It is portable, so easy to use our 5 year old triplet grandchildren love to make their own videos.

We have a Mac and storage of the videos is extremely easy. Overall, and I’m a tough grader usually, this is a product that performs perfectly.

They got it right
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
They got it right.

Keep it simple.

Most people are not interested in the technical side of photos and videos.

People just want to point and shoot.

Then show the results.

They got it right.

Flip Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
great little camera (video) and takes great video but not good in low light settings – would recommend – easy to use

Point-and-Shoot HD Video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Convenience, ease-of-use, and HD video for under 2 bills. I can’t believe other reviewers returned this item. If I want pro results I grab the Canon GL1 or XL-H1. If I want point-and-shoot results I grab the Flip UltraHD and press the big red button. The only problem is my wife keeps taking it.

PROS:

*2″ screen is big and clear

*Great HD video in normal to bright light

*Better sound than a personal voice recorder

*Long battery life and can use AA batteries in a pinch

*One thumb video shooting.

*Easy uploads and edits – no format worries

*Lickable packaging

*Storage pouch doubles as lens cleaner

CONS:

*Low light shots are grainy (easily solved at price points $1,000 higher)

*Rechargeable battery pack is proprietary instead of a pair of AA NiMH

*Had to manually uninstall previous software on my MacBook Pro

Flip UltraHD is even better than advertised
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Awesome videos, it even zooms, quick to start, excellent FlipShare application, mini-HDMI works great on an HD TV (cable sold separately), USB charges from laptop, PC or optional A/C charger which is the fastest way to charge. And you can use 2 AA batteries to replace the rechargeable pack if you run it down and don’t want to take the time to recharge (must be recharged in the Flip). Holds 2 hours of video or 8GB and we haven’t run the battery pack dead yet even though we bought a spare. FlipShare 4.1 easy to install; be sure to get the 4.5 update from the web site since it offers more and improved features than the included 4.1. Small size, great videos, great sound, and real cool software.

The Flip is the camcorder to travel with around the world!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a video producer who purchased the Flip UltraHD camcorder a few months ago for a mission trip to Hamburg, Germany. I wanted a camcorder that would be easy to take out of the pocket (literally) and record great shots. Hands down, I would strongly recommend this to a beginner or pro in videography – hands down. Of course, you don’t have the $5,000 prosumer perks that you would get with the top camcorders, but it got the job done. (Record, USB to dump video on my MacBook Pro, edit on Final Cut Pro and uploaded to your video blog of choice.[...].

This camcorder is great. I charged it every night and at gives me almost 2 hours of HD footage. Buy this baby!

Great camera but too SLOW to download and send!!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
OMG!! I love the simplicity of use for the Flip. BUT after buying 3 of these, 1 for me and 2 for my grown daughters, we are all disapponted in how SLOW it is to download the video to your computer and to email. It’s been over 1/2 hour and still my 1 video isn’t even 1/3 of the way done being downloaded to an email for sending to my daughters. My 2 daughters also have the same complaint with how slow this thing is!!!!! The Flip company should really do something about this problem! I would have given it 5 stars but I can’t!

Now – I was offered 2 free accessories when I bought this camera on 12/14/09…Amazon is now charging me for them! It took days of calling them and writing ti them to straighten out THEIR MISTAKE! Finally a manager is helping me out. He agreed to refund me $22.00 plus $40.00 for the inconvenience too! Finally good customer service that I have come to rely on with Amazon! It just took a while to get someone to understand what they did wrong!

Flip UltraHD camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is quite a nice camera. Starts up quick, takes great quality video. The software is easy to use and I like the fact that it is on the camera itself. I wish it had software to clean up jerky movements, though.

Plastic Toy
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Be careful, this product is utterly inferior, so much so that I am inspired to do my first product review of any kind. This item is purely a child’s toy typically found under the xmas tree. Really bad resolution, color and contrast. I am quite experienced with photography and video, therefore my warning – stay away! (BTW I am absolutely sure that the product I received was in PERFECT working condition and my operation of it was completely competent.) I returned it (Amazon Prime) the same day I received it after extensive testing.

As good as it gets (for now)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I read all the reviews prior to purchasing this camera. It’s GREAT, no question. BUT, in the future, I believe the software has to be improved. There were some glitches with connecting w/ FACEBOOK and SHARING was slower and more complicated than I was led to believe. Editing is very basic but user-friendly.

The reason I don’t use it more than I do is because one has to stand very close to one’s subject — the zoom ZOOMS JUST a LITTLE closer but not like my standard camcorder.

This camera lives in my purse for quick capture of conversations and faces while sitting around. It doesn’t replace my other camcorder for kids’ concerts and larger, farther distance recording. Wish it did…

Fun, handy and user friendly little toy.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love this thing. Its small enough to tuck in your pocket. The HD video is good quality. It is the most user friendly, idiot proof piece of electronics I own. If there is a con it is the lens does not zoom in too close and you need a somewhat steady hand so as not to get a shakey video because of the lack of image stabilization. But heck, for the price and what you get, its a deal….

Flipped for Flip
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Just as advertised: compact, simple, inexpensive. results are excellent on hi def tv and computer. purely for fun and on-the-go captures. most impressive-low light photography. picks up an awful lot without a flash or other light.

Amazing HD videos in your pocket! Video editing and sharing is also a snap
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RCZSGRNYQ38TY The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is the perfect supplement to larger consumer camcorders. It’s a point-and-shoot camcorder. I carry mine in my pocket and am finding opportunities to spontaneously capture fun moments, like the one in my video here in this review (I was walking my dog at the time).

The only reason that it can’t serve as my primary camcorder is that the zoom is extremely limited as you’ll see in the video. And footage can get wobbly as there is no auto stabilization (you’ll notice that, too, in this video).

This camcorder is designed for upfront and personal footage: parties, family gatherings, etc. I use mine to shoot video interviews for my blog, for example.

The quality of the videos is impressive: true HD! PC users will especially appreciate the intuitive and rather elegant “FlipShare” video editing software. I have a PC and a MacBook Pro. I prefer the FlipShare editor vs. Apple’s iMovie because it’s a lot easier to use.

Editing your video clips is a snap with FlipShare: there is no learning curve. You can then save your videos/movies onto your computer or share them with friends and family — or the world via FlipShare “icons” that give you the following sharing options:

* E-mail

* “Greeting cards” (cute e-mail themes like Christmas cards or post cards)

* Upload them to myspace, YouTube or other similar sites

* Burn them to DVDs

* You can also capture high-resolution “snapshots” or photos from videos with one click of the “Snapshot” icon.

To create a move, click the “flip” button on the side of the camera to extend the USB arm and plug it into your computer. Then open the FlipShare software and select the clips you want to include. Next click the “Movie” icon. That begins an easy, self-guiding process to:

1) Add an opening title and closing credits (you don’t have to, but it’s an option. You can even add a cute “Recorded by Flip Video” animation at the very end, which I opted to do in my video here).

2) You can leave the default sound, or you can add music from the included library of seven songs (or upload a song (mp3 format) from your computer. You can then opt to play the music as soft (or loud) background music and still hear conversations, etc; or you can play only the music, removing the default audio altogether.

3) Name your movie — then click “Create Movie” and the software does its magic. Done! It’s that simple.

I love this little camcorder and recommend it. Two thumbs up!

Good So Far
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this video camera to add short video clips to my website. It works great for that as the uploading to the internet is very easy using the software that comes with the camera. Like others have said, the video shake is a problem. The camera is very easy to use and my teenage kids think it is great because they like to post videos on “you tube.” If you are looking for a small video camera for internet stuff, this is the one for you. If you are looking for something to capture “big” moments in your life, like your wedding or birth of your child, I would suggest something with less camera shake. You cannot erase and do-over those vows!!

Battery Charging Problems
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It is unfortunate for Flip that there are so many “battery charging problems.” I spent hours trying to fix this. Finally, I got one battery to charge with my tower PC. I cound not charge with my laptop and could not charge with the optional adapter. I sent one Flip back because of this problem. I like the concept of a small camcorder, so I keep trying. I will probably keep this one and carry extra batteries with me.

The video is OK considering the size and cost. Having 2x zoom is a problem. No stabilizaton feature is a problem. The video does not record well in low light. The video is great in the outdoors.

The advantage is the size and ease of use and the standard mpeg4 files.

The files can be put into other editing software which is good. Some vendors use propriety HD files.

The sound pick-up is good. This camera is great to catch random videos of children, speeches, tours, or scenic places. The size and easy controls motivates me to keep working on the battery charging problem.

The support from Flip is terrible. You can view questions at their web site, which are simple answers that don’t help much. You can send in a request for service and their support staff sends an e-mail back within 24 hours and closes the case. If you want to discuss further, you open a new request. The support staff asked for a lot of information to give me permission to return the unit to Flip. It is much easier to just return the unit to the store.

The product has a ways to go, but is still revolutionary.

Cool little toy but has some drawbacks
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Pros:

1. Small

2. Easy to use, just click a couple buttons.

3. The software is easy to use – very simple to save files to your HD or to an online source

4. Convenient to just plug into the USB port.

5. I’ve had no issues with stability or shaking.

6. Very nice video quality, when everything is right (lighting, focus, etc).

Cons:

1. There have been several times when the power has not come on. I’ve had to take out the battery and put it back in to get it to power on.

2. ZOOM sucks – think of it as basically no zoom.

3. Close-range focus sucks. You have to be about a foot away from something before it is in focus. I like to take video notes of stuff that I read in books and newspapers and I can’t do that with this device.

Overall, it is cool little toy that will record good video for certain situations. I do believe that it will be obsolete as soon as the cell phones incorporate better video. Who wants to carry around multiple devices? But for the price and convenience, it is fun to try it and take it out with you – just as long as you know you have no zoom, no close-range focus and you may have to yank the battery once-in-a-while to turn it on.

Not enough ZOOM
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I used this little camera at the beach one day.

The video quality was great.

The audio quality was lacking, only the person holding

the camera could really be heard unless the subject was

very close to the camera.

The Zoom is the problem, there is virtually no zoom and

this means you have to be “on top” of your subject to both

see and hear the movie.

Sorry… it didn’t work for me.

recording issue
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The flip recorder works great, the only thing if you want to record some information to your video when recording the sound isn’t very good

Terrible Experience with UltraHD
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
My first time having such a bad experience with a product that is otherwise so popular.

I got a brand new UltraHD and immediately wanted to test it out with some test videos. Loaded the battery-pack and was up and running on capturing video’s immediately. Connected the Camcorder to my laptop running Windows XP Professional via the USB interface, the software installed and was able to upload the video to Youtube. So far so good. The video quality was really nice. However, when I disconnected UltraHD from my ldaptop, it just wouldn’t power-on. I took the batter-pack out and again connected it to the laptop to make sure there wasn’t a problem with the unit. Same thing happened again. I Googled for the issue and to my surprise, many folks had faced the same problem.

Next day, I contacted the customer support and they gave me 5 steps to follow and promised the issue will be resolved. However, it still didn’t work and that’s when I decided to return the product.

I was really hoping to use flipUltraHD but was completely disappointed by the quality of the product.

Great camera as long as you recognize the limitations.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I film weddings professionally so I own several video cameras. All of my professional cameras still use tape and are too bulky for capturing quick home movies. Since the birth of my son I’ve been eyeing a small, solid state based camera. The Flip UltraHD seemed to be the closest fit for what I was looking for. The Flip series follow the Apple way of design. That is to eliminate things that may otherwise get in the way of a positive user experience. To make something that you just want to pick up and use without reading a manual. You won’t find any controls for adjusting exposure or audio levels which can be somewhat annoying for someone such as myself. Therefore things like backlighting and clipping audio can be a problem. Camera shakiness is a problem especially outdoors since the UltraHD has a fixed 2.4 f-stop lens and no ND filter. The UltraHD compensates for this by boosting the shutter speed. Outdoor footage on a bright sunny day can easily take on a ‘Saving Private Ryan’ look if you’re not careful. Also the lack of a wider angle lens makes it more difficult to use in tight locations. However I forgive the limitations of the UltraHD for it’s sheer simplicity. I used it in conjunction with a Canon Powershot for a recent family vacation. I incorporated both video and stills and created a short home movie. It turned out great with the aid of iMovie 09. I don’t use iMovie 09 for my business but just like the UltraHD it’s easy and fun to use. Importing video can be a concern if you’re using older (slower) hardware. For iMovie users I recommend downconverting the footage to 960×540. You lose little in quality and the footage is much easier to edit. To sum it up: If you can overlook the short comings of the UltraHD then you’ll truly enjoy using it. The quality of the footage is great if you can work with the limitations.

OMG, Perfect New Toy!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was trepidatious when buying this camcorder, it sounded to good to be true. I am now a believer! The recordings are crisp and clear, even when ported to my Vizio 42″ LCD HDTV. The 720p resolution is plenty enough for everyday usage. What really impressed me was the USB port on the unit. I have a WD HD TV box that I use to watch downloaded videos from the net, this DVR plugs right into it’s USB port, and is instantly recognized! I love the versatility. The only downside is that if you want to connect it to your tv via the HDMI plug. The micro HMDI plug on the unit is not the same as a standard HDMI. It would be nice to have had a 6′ cord packaged with the unit. Not a problem really though. Buy this product!

Flip does it again but in HD!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have the older Flip Mino and am very happy with it. I got the HD version because everything is HD these days and the video quality is much better. First, the size of the HD is just a bit thicker than the Mino, still fits in your pocket easily and is just as light in weight.

The finish on the HD is matte unlike the Mino that was glossy. It feels a little nicer and doesn’t feel like it will slip out of your hands. The LCD screen is larger too on this model which is great. It comes with a battery pack that charges via USB but has the capability of using AA batteries if needed. I think that is a great option because if your main battery dies you can easily grab a pack of AA’s just about anyplace and not have to wait to recharge to use it.

The sound / audio quality seemed better than the Mino, the sharpness of the video is definitely better too but I cannot say that its great, just good. For the size of it it definitely exceeds my expectations. The HD is good but not great but again for its size its good.

My biggest complaint on the Mino was no image stabilization and as far as I can tell again they didn’t add the image stabilization. I know they could add it, i’ve seen digital cameras the same size and they have it. The other thing is that you cannot do close ups cause its a fixed focus lens.

The camera also comes with built in software so mac and pc users will be up and running in a snap. It also has an hdmi jack to connect right to your HD tv. (no cable included, only a small pouch case and a wrist strap. It records in mp4 format and says it can capture 120 minutes on its built in 8gb memory.

In my opinion its worth it to get this HD model rather than the Mino or regular Flip. The quality for both audio and video is way better, screen is larger and the addition to use AA batteries makes it the best choice. I just wish it had image stabilization.

Easy, Portable Video (ideal for parents)
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We owned the original Flip, and when I merged video from the old Flip with clips from the new HD, the movie really highlighted the amazing difference in quality between generations.

We use the Flip often–for tee-ball games and other kiddo/family experiences. The Flip fits so nicely in my purse that I can forget I have it. Taking video seems simpler and less obtrusive than using a larger hand-held camcorder. The Flip is built for spontaneity. I have made several movies to send to friends and family–Flip-provided software is easy to use.

My complaints include the relatively short range of the zoom; this recorder is better for close-up shots. The battery life is pretty short. I never made it past an hour of taking short shots of a sports game. The software for editing is easy to use but almost too simplistic. If you have iMovie or another more sophisticated program, I would recommend using that for movies.

Great for work or play
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great way to film everything from interviews to family reunions. I have really enjoyed the ease of use and the quality of the pictures. We have used the Flip UltraHD to enhance our website and have had a great time in making movies of bithdays and family reunions.

Charging is a problem – a fatal flaw for me
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I own a MinoHD (60 mins.) and was interested in getting something that could record a little longer. So based on my satisfaction with the MinoHD, and wanting to see what the Ultra form factor was like, I ordered this from Amazon.

Following the instructions, I plugged it into my PC’s USB port to charge the battery pack that’s included. After about 15 minutes, a message appeared on the screen: “It’s really hot. Charging paused.” Nothing in the user documentation included with the UltraHD mentions this. So, I checked out the Flip support pages online, and found an entry that says this is normal… just leave it plugged in, and when it cools down enough, it will resume/complete charging. So I did. I left it plugged in and left my computer on for 10 hours.

Now, there is no battery indicator on the UltraHD… except when you are in the last stages of a battery charge, about to lose power… (A real shortcoming in design.) So there is no way to tell how much it has (or hasn’t) charged. So I set it up on a tripod, pushed record, and walked away. I came back later, and found that it had stopped (run out of juice) at just 42 minutes. Obviously, it never fully charged after 10 hours.

So, I went back to the Flip support site, told them all that I had gone through, and asked for their advice. They gave me a routine to go through: remove the battery, plug the camera into the USB, insert the battery… (This “procedure” was a genuflection worthy of the most superstitious person. The only thing it didn’t include was turning around three times counterclockwise and sacrificing a small animal.) But I did what they suggested. It still went into the error message, around 15 minutes in. And again I let the unit charge for 10 hours. Set up the camera on a tripod and recorded a whopping 43 minutes. I followed the “procedure” again. Charged it again for another 10 hours (we’re now into the 3rd day.) 21 minutes of recording. The problem was getting worse.

At this point, I gave up trying to fix Flip’s problems for them. This is not what you or I should have to put up with from an expensive tech product… an error message about overheating during battery charge that “is normal.” A suggested routine to work around a design defect – a routine that borders on the ridiculous. And the bottom line: it doesn’t work.

UPDATE: Some reviewers have suggested that you can work around this design defect, and instead use disposable batteries or your own NiMH rechargeables instead. The battery cover is pretty flimsy plastic, so if that’s a “solution” that you’re willing to try, be prepared someday to have the battery cover break on you. I expect to see Flip UltraHDs sporting duct tape “battery cover holders” soon. Clearly, from the thin plastic they used, Flip designed the battery cover NOT to be opened very often… they really expected the rechargeable battery pack to actually work. Well, it doesn’t in many cases as you can see by the many reviews here. End of story: I set up a return for refund with Amazon, and it went smoothly. 5 Stars for Amazon. Zero for Flip (aka PureDigital aka Cisco).

Outstanding little product and value
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have to say that I was highly skeptical, but at that price – it had to be worth a shot. Fixed focus, minimal zoom, no image stabilizer – how useful could this really be.

I got the UltraHD mostly because of the ability to use AA batteries (over the MinoHD) – because, while recharging isn’t always easy or timely, AA batteries you can normally find even in the middle of the bush – LOL.

After a good hour of indoor and outdoor shooting, this device has won me over. For some reason, the lack of stabilization, while not leaving you with broadcast quality, doesn’t cause the problems that I thought it would and the depth of field is outstanding for everything except <2ft.

Colors and clarity are absolutely first rate. If I compare the results that you get with this to those from my regular Canon DV (non-HD), they are truly remarkable. Having this level of resolution at this price and convenience is truly first class.

On the ‘flip’ side, would seem to be the lack of any indication as to remaining battery life – wouldn’t be hard to do I’d think – and the occasional ‘blip’ when filming, where there is a momentary disconnect on the picture. So far in one hour of filming it happened twice and if you blinked you’d miss it. Then again my DV tape camera used to put grainy square “pixelation” on the first few minutes of a tape anyhow, so we are well up here.

A total winner IMHO.

Great Little Video Gadget
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is what I bought for my husband for Father’s Day 2009. Until then, our family videos were taken with either our clunky 10-year-old video camera or his cell phone, both of which produced rather grainy video. It’s been nothing short of a heartbreak to see so many treasured moments captured on video that’s less than memorable. So when I saw the Flip UltraHD camcorder on sale on Amazon, I decided it was time to upgrade.

Boy, am I glad I did! We love everything about this camera, from its recycling-friendly packaging (a heavy paper box reminiscent of that used for Apple’s iPods) to its ease of setup. Within moments of opening it, my husband had the camera up and running as we captured our son’s antics on video. Transferring video to our computer (running Windows XP) was a breeze, and we were both quite impressed with the quality of the picture.

I noted that one disappointed reviewer said he charged his camera for 21 hours but it never worked. I’m not sure why that was necessary: the rechargeable battery pack that shipped with ours was fully charged so getting it to run was a matter of putting the batteries in. Perhaps the other reviewer left that step out???

Anyway, the size of this thing is a bit heftier than my iPhone but still small enough to tuck into a shirt pocket. It’s a bit too bulky for pants pockets, though, so like a lot of my husband’s other gadgets this one will probably wind up going in my purse. Not a big deal: it’s light and small, and considering the excellent video quality I am sure we’ll never leave home without it.

Do not buy this. Buy Kodak instead
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’ve never written an Amazon review before, but this product was so disappointing that I felt compelled to protect others from buying this. It had been so long since I’ve invested in a “camcorder” that I was excited to find and buy this product. However, it never worked properly. It kept powering off or getting a jumbled screen after a few seconds of video. I kept putting it aside and just using my digital camera and thinking I must be doing something wrong. Tried resetting it, changing to regular batteries, different computers, etc. Finally, it was too late to return to Amazon. Called Flip and it was out of their warranty. The guy I talked to said to take out the batteries and let it reset 3 DAYS. Said if that didn’t work, he’d replace it even though it’s out of warranty since it never worked. Did that and it powered up again, but in 5 seconds, jumbled screen. Called back and told nothing they could do about it since it’s out of warranty. I told the girl I talked to that I would just throw away my $200 device then but make sure I made sure that no one else I knew bought one and she said “I don’t blame you.” Since I was on hold 15 minutes for support and with that response, I assume they get tons of problem calls. Anyway, here it goes into the trash. By the way, after it failed, I bought the Kodak Zi8 and that’s worked flawlessly and has a nicer form factor anyway. If you’re going to buy one, get that.

Easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just received this product today-so easy to use!! Opened box and was able to record within minutes. I was able to figure out the software without much difficulty. Its so portable & lightweight, I plan on carrying it in my purse 100% of the time. I would recommend buying a case as the one included is flimsy. I am not sure about the battery life as yet as I’ve only recorded about 5 minutes of video so far. Quality of video is better than I thought.

Flip camera rocks
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this little camera because next month I will be traveling to see U2 in Amsterdam and wanted something small but good enough to capture the 2 hour concert or at least the best moments.

I’ve been trying the camera before the trip and so far so good, bought one for my sister as well and the only downfall is that I also bought 2 underwater cases but they don’t fit the Ultra HD. Before I bought the camera I checked the specs on the Flip website and the size of the Ultra and Ultra HD are exactly the same but in reality the HD is a tiny bigger and therefore won’t fit the underwater case, this is really sad because the case seems to be such a nice accessory.

I LOVE my Flip!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I absolutely LOVE my Flip!! I keep it in my purse so I always have it handy. My girls are 5 and 8 years old…and I’ve missed many things over the years because I always had to find the camera or camcorder. Now I don’t miss a thing. From the time I hit the power button to the time I hit the record button is literally less than 2 seconds! The software is also quite handy…I can freeze frame the video to create snapshots. It’s easy to upload to YouTube or Facebook. The new Flip channel is pretty cool to share with family/friends. It is pretty darn good in low light too…surprised me! Overall, with the exception of the zoom, it is far better than my more expensive regular camcorder. I do wish it had a bigger zoom…but you can’t have everything. I would definately recommend to anyone.

Good but not Great…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Pros: The video quality is very good for a pocket camcorder this size.

Cons: The whole charging only while attached to a USB port is lame. The native format is NOT playable on the iPhone. You have to convert it first with some of freely available software on the internet.

Flip ultraHD camcorder-DOA
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Purchased a new Flip UltraHD camcorder but it didn’t work and the package had no trouble shooting guide to fix the problem. Couldn’t find a product website that offered a fix without paying for a resolution. In process of returning this product to Amazon. In the mean time, bought same item at Costco and it worked perfectly. It was sooo frustrating to get something that’s defective especially when it was bought as a Christmas gift!

Creative with a Flip
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I titled the review this way because I am comparing the Flip UltraHD with the Creative Vado. I literally did a side-by-side comparison so that the footage would be exactly the same. Same lighting, same zoom in and out, same everything.

When I unpacked the Flip, I was surprised to see the lack of accessories. No HDMI cable, no USB extension cord, no software. All of the above came with the Creative. The Flip does come with a soft bag for a case. The Creative came with a rubber cover. I will say that the Flip s very elegant looking; something James Bond would carry wearing his tux. It’s a little larger than the Creative with its chrome metal slides, has a velvety feel on the front and plastic on the back. I’m thinking it’s wider so the USB will match the side port of a laptop. Of course with the metal sides the unit is heavier than the Creative. The Creative has the ability to change resolutions from HD+(2hr.), HD(4hr.), or VGA(8hr.) The Flip has no such options. On the Flip side, it has a AA battery rechargeable pack that can be replaced with AA batteries. The Creative has a internal battery pack only.

The footage was taken on a partly sunny and windy day. I started at the front of the house making a complete circle, zooming in and out on different objects. The first thing I noticed is that the Creative Vado has a slightly wider angle lens so objects don’t appear as close as with the Flip UltraHD. After completing the circle outside I went inside. I wanted to see how the two camcorders would handle the lighting change. Then I walked to different rooms. I shot about 9 minutes of footage on both camcorders.

After watching both footage on the LCD TV using an HDMI cable this is what I came up with. My initial thoughts were that the overall footage on the Flip was a truer representation of the colors. On the other hand, the audio pickup was better on the Creative, especially in the wind. As far as the lighting change both camcorders handled it well. That being said, I was shocked to see so how grainy the Flip footage was when I walked from the outside lighted living room to the dark hallway, compared to the Creative. Also when I entered into a room only lit by a small red shaded lamp, the Flip footage had a red hue that covered most of the room. With the Creative footage, the red hue was mostly confined to around the lamp. Granted, these are not big fancy camcorders, so maybe the graininess is common for the pocket types.

I did a comparison of these two because PC World rated the Creative Vado as having the best video and I just happened to have both. Overall, I don’t think either one would disappoint you. I think it boils down to price, weight, looks and accessories.

Returned MinoHD – Keeping UltraHD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Like many reviewers here I had the MinoHD and ordered the UltraHD because I really wanted the swappable battery feature and the extra 4GB of memory on the UltraHD. The MinoHD is thinner and overall sexier, but I was surprised when I found myself fancying the Ultra much better than the Mino.

* The larger screen does make a difference and it was much easier to shoot with than the Mino. Although bulkier, the Ultra felt sturdier and more solid, but it doesn’t fit really well in the packaged micofiber case. Since the Ultra also has a rubberized body it makes it that much harder to the device in and out of the pouch. I’m looking into a separate case.

* Actual buttons more clearly define your actions when using the Ultra, whereas I found myself accidentally pressing the touch buttons on the Mino. The presence of real buttons was actually better.

* I also found the on/off button much easier to use than the Mino. The Ultra button was easy to push while the Mino required a more firm push to turn it on. While it doesn’t sound like much, it did impact my ability to quickly turn on each device.

* Lastly, the color on the Ultra is better. I was able to take many side-by-side clips and the Ultra exhibited better colors than the Mino. It also performed mildly better in low light; that’s not saying a lot. I wish these things would come with a WB option like what they offer with DSLRs.

* Definitely look into a USB extension since the bulkiness of the Ultra raises the unit from sliding into the USB port in a flush manner. The Mino was no problem.

For me, the UltraHD is my preferred choice over the MinoHD.

Excellent small camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Amazingly convenient. Great picture for its size. First class service from the manufacturer.

Fantastic camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We purchased this camera because our grandchildren were coming for a vist and we thought it would fun to have something simple to record their visit. The camera is very lightweight and easy to carry and simple to operate! The quality of the pictures is wonderful – clear, bright, sharp and we love this camera! Our son has now purchased one as well!

Downloading videos and making movies could not be easier! Although it does not have a lot of the fancy options on higher priced movie cameras, this is absolutely perfect for the average person!

The only “negative” would be that we purchased the camera through Amazon and one week after the purchase, they reduced the price and would not honor the lower price and that was a huge disappointment…so beware that whatever price you pay – will be the final price.

Great camera though! 5 stars all the way!

Simple, Easy, Solid, Quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You aren’t buying this camera to get the highest quality video footage. You’re getting it for convenience with a fairly good quality, often good enough for what you’ll actually use it for. I bought a Samsung and took it back. It didn’t hold a candle to the flip. It records well in the indoors (competitor didn’t). It won’t replace the camcorder that zooms and looks perfect…but it will record a lot more footage because i’ll be carrying it in my pocket. Great camera. I wish it had an SD slot for expansion, but it probably won’t be needed.

So easy my dad could use it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was somewhat concerned when my dad brought this camcorder home a while ago. He’s the sort of guy who still uses an ancient type writer and finds it extraordinarily complicated to use. He wouldn’t know the internet from his left sock.

The one touch recording makes it very simple for him to use and I find myself borrowing it quite often myself because of its small size. I love that it can fit right in my purse or even my back pocket to shoot movies on the go. These days when I don’t have it with me I often find myself saying “I wish I had my Flip…”

The downside is that the picture quality could be better. For uploading to youtube it’s perfect (since youtube doesn’t have the best video quality anyway), but if you are looking to do much more than share with your friends and family then don’t expect too much. I often like to take still shots out of my videos for photo editing, and they come out sort of grainy with this camera.

In summary: This is a great camera for a quick and basic video but is not recommended for anything beyond that. It’s especially perfect for those who find technology intimidating.

support very poor
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like the ease of use ,but the soft ware leaves a lot to be desired, I can’t get the flip channel to work on my computor -and find it impossible to get a response from their support group which is through e mail only -the only response i got after about sending them 5 emails – was them telling me to click on the hyber link below to complete the flip channel process – - but there was no hyber link in their email to me -after trying for a few more times, it became so frustrating to me that I have stop trying to get the flip channel process completed– John

UltraHD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I decided for my birthday that I wanted another video camera, after mine got stolen on a flight to London. The main reason I rarely used my other Panasonic camcorder is that it was a handycam-type, not bulky or anything, but required a separate bag and was a hassle to drag around. Not so with the Flip Ultra HD, which I’ve had for a couple of weeks now. Although it is a fatty compared to the MinoHD, the video quality, in my opinion, is better than that of the Mino.

Pros:

HD quality 720p- absolutely stunning, may not be quality of $400+ Canon HD’s, but I can see in good detail during playback. Motion is good too- no blurring. Mini HDMI on camera is a +.

Screen Size- the screen is around 2 in. I believe it says in the review, vastly bigger than that of the Mino. The screen just makes it easier to view, which in some cases, is a must-have.

Battery- I like how Pure Digital gives you the opportunity to use its rechargeable or 2AA batteries. I am going on a foreign trip soon, and I need disposable batteries for convenience. This attribute and screen size were the deciding factors over the mino. Battery life is pretty long.

Price- compared to other cameras in this price range, it is relatively cheap, especially to the mino. The others in the market may be cheaper, such as the Zado and Zi6, but for the factors listed above, the Ultra ultimately was the top contender.

Simplicity- for people who hate format and technical issues, Flip is the way to go. I don’t mind the formats or technical jargon, but it does make life just a tad bit easier. Flipshare software pre-installed is quite helpful, it can take snapshots and is a breeze to use. Forgot to mention: start up time takes about 2-3 sec. pretty fast for point and shoot.

Memory- It holds 8gb, and 2hrs worth, unlike other camcorders.

Sound quality- it’s quite good, can pick up nuanced details.

Accessories- comes with some useful stuff, though they could add more, but it’s basic and good.

Cons:

Stability- You need steady hands/2 hands to have a really balanced video. One hand is fine too, but it might get irritating during playback.

Size- It is *kind* of thick, but lack of thinness gives it durability. Still quite small, thinner than some digital cameras.

USB arm- some have a beef with its position, & since I have a desktop, it is in a somewhat awkward position, but I don’t think it will break off, but it is recommended to get a usb cable (female to male) for peace of mind.

Editing- on the camera itself, I kind of wish I could pause, and then take it again, but it’s not that big of a problem.

Zoom- This is one of the bad things about it- they sacrificed optical zoom to make it more compact and less complicated and put on digital; the quality doesn’t degrade that badly, but it’s noticeable. The shake on the video does increase though, if you’re holding it. Zoom not that great, but better than nothing.

Pixels- after scouring the net for research on this camcorder, Pure Digital is clever enough to not release the amount of megapixels. Perhaps because it is lower than other cameras? Certainly doesn’t seem like it. For whatever reason, they neglect to mention.

Last word: Some people expect this camera to do a ton of things it’s not supposed to, such as give a $500 picture, image stabilization, 30x optical zoom, etc etc. This is a point and shoot camera, perfect for home movies, impromptu videos for friends, taking videos of something surprising or spontaneous, for uploading on Youtube, and a cheaper HD picture. Buy with these expectations and you won’t be disappointed.

Cisco Knew What They Were Buying: Perhaps the Perfect Gift for Anyone
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The perfect gift for anyone? Hype? Probably. But except for recipients who already have a portable camcorder solution they like, this might be the perfect gift for most folks with access to a USB port. This might be true despite the limitations of the Pure Digital FlipHD. The FlipHD is so easy to use and produces such high quality video that you’ll find yourself wishing you’d had it around to get lifelike video of departed loved ones, (select) former lovers, cars you hated to sell, and favorite pets.

The FlipHD has so few controls on it that you’d be forgiven for thinking your box is missing parts. The device installs its software via a flip-out USB connector. When it connects for the first time, it searches for its native software and will install anew if no Flip software is found. It installed perfectly on Windows XP and Vista Ultimate for me. The software provides several features to post, move and share videos. I simply used it as a USB disk and copied the standard MP4 files. Videos shot with this device have excellent color and acceptable resolution for a camera in this range.

With 8GB on board, the FlipHD can record more than 90 minutes (the manufacturer’s spec calls for 120 minutes) at 1280 x 720. Battery performance, based on a few months’ experience, is quite acceptable. The device recharges over USB. An HDMI port allows for direct connection to an HD display device.

A good way to use the device on a trip is to take a laptop. To ensure the safety of your shoots, you can then upload the video to a website (Flickr, YouTube, or an ftp site). Novices will be surprised by how fast video burns up disk space. An unlimited disk space web hosting plan might be a good idea.

The FlipHD doesn’t have image stabilization. If this is a major concern, check online samples shot with the camera first. Software such as Virtualdub’s Deshaker [...] or a plug-in to a NLE such as Sony Vegas can compensation for these flaws in post-processing to some extent.

Check out my video of the Caribbean shoreline from our Grand Cayman trip:

[...]

This flaw didn’t deter Cisco from offering to buy the Company behind this product for $590M in stock (March 2009).

TIP When viewing copied videos on the computer, be sure that your display controller has full hardware acceleration enabled.

TIP Do your research. The market is changing rapidly. Some photographers may prefer to use a camera phone or DSLR to shoot video.

Great product, very limited options
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Does what it’s supposed to. Great images, good audio. Very very easy to use. Was a little surprised to see so little control over usual filming parameters but that’s not the role that it was intended for. I haven’t played with it extensively but it looks like you can’t use it to directly capture stills. I think you have to use the FlipShare software to capture stills from a video.

Impressed by the ease of the computer connection – switchblade USB that also charges it, software already on the device for whatever computer you choose to connect to. Software makes it easy to download, email and put online (via their service that reduces the quality for these tasks). The software wants to control the environment making it a little confusing as to what’s going where and how to access it outside of the FlipShare software. Help clarified things well.

Only true negative is the lack of battery meter. Maybe, I just haven’t found it yet. So few settings to control, I really think it’s not there.

Good for the money, but not what I was looking for…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera wanting a true HD camera and I was stoked when I saw this camera. I read and watched all the reviews and thought what the hell. I used it for about a week taking a lot of videos of my little girl and my house.

Pros: quick turn on and start shooting for the “hurry, get the camera!” moments, small (about the length and width of iPhone, but thicker), fast file transfer to computer, Mac compatible, ease of controls.

Cons: No auto stability, small view window.

Conclusion: The no auto stability is huge. You have to video very still and even then you’ll notice some shaking. Other than the shaking the video quality for the money is really good. I did return the camera to Amazon though because I was not happy with the stability. That’s me though and I need to do a bit more research. Good luck.

Know what you are getting
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a good camera for simple things. I love the portability and the controls are greatly placed making it very easy to use this camera. My friend has a Sony and it has too many steps to take to start recording.

Pros:

Surprisingly good video quality

Portable size is awesome

Controls are so easy to use

Easy to bring into places as it looks like a cell phone (even where you are likely to get in trouble for bringing a big camera)

Software is simple but it works.

Cons:

The camera produces shaky videos. Be very steady when shooting.

The display should be bigger covering the entire back

It is a stubby camera making it hard to fit in jeans pockets

There is no option for external SD card etc

Charging is a problem. It has a slider bar to show progress, but the darn thing never moves (or maybe it doesn’t move on mine), but it still holds the charge for 2 hours

The included software is easy to use but extremely limited in what it can do. Still it works

Good, with caveats….
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Flip UltraHD based on the good reviews found here on Amazon and a recommendation from an outdoors magazine.

First off, it’s a cute little camera, and I specifically chose the Ultra over the Minio for it’s ability to use regular AA batteries in a pinch.

My trouble started when I first inserted the Flip into the USB port. The software is cleverly included directly on the Flip’s flash drive so there is no need to distribute a CD with the product. I opened the drive that appeared on my desktop (Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard on a MacBook) and double clicked the installer. It prompted me for my password to proceed with the install. I entered it and hit ok. The FlipShare splash screen came up but it would never complete the install. I tried rebooting a few times to no avail. I copied the software installer off the Flip to my desktop and ran the installer. The progress bar refused to move, so I just let it sit for 10 minutes. I had to force quit the installer but it appeared to install FlipShare ok.

I had planned to leave the Flip plugged in to charge it but I soon discovered it wouldn’t charge. I kept getting an error “Check battery pack – Charging Paused”. This happened on the USB port built into the MacBook as well as in my powered Rocketfish USB hub. I googled this error and it seems others have been able to cure it by removing the battery for a day or two, then reinserting the battery and loading the updated version of the Flipshare software.

I was able to successfully install the updated version of FlipShare downloaded from theflip.com with zero issues on my Macbook. Upon putting the battery back in and attempting to load the mew FlipShare firware to the camcorder, I kept getting “Error cannot communicate with the device” whenever the updater would run for the camcorder. However I had no problem pulling videos off the Flip. Weird! and frustating!

I have a Dell laptop for work at home, so I downloaded the updated FlipShare software on the Dell. I installed it without a hitch and plugged in the Flip. Upon detecting the camera Flipshare immediately prompted me to update the camcorder firmware. I hit ok, and after a bit it reported success. Unfortunately, the Flip wouldn’t charge at all on the Dell (wouldn’t even display an error). I suspect this may be due to the fact that on this older Dell, the USB port is NOT powered.

I moved the Flip back to my Mac. Upon plugging it in, it began to charge (maybe that firmware update really did the trick??). I could see the battery meter slowly rise as it took a charge. After about 30 minutes though, it stopped. It displayed an error that the Flip was too hot and charging had been paused. I put my hand on the unit and it was indeed very warm. I took off the battery cover and pointed a large box fan at it. It seemed to fully charge (although I haven’t yet timed a battery discharge on the unit yet).

That is a LOT of work to get something as simple as battery charging done! I should note that it’s performance has been flawless on the rechargeable Energizer NiMH batteries I already have that use their own external charger.

I love the device itself now that I have it working and know of it’s quirks. The video quality is good, especially when mounted on a small Gorillapod tripod. The included software, while very basic, does a goof job of letting you edit out pieces of video and then export the finish product easily. The picture quality was also much better than I expected.

The device does have a few annoyances though:

1) You cannot turn off the viewing display. I put the device on a tripod and pointed it at what I was recording and hit record. I wish I could just turn off the display to save battery life.

2)There also is no battery remaining indicator. If I knew the battery was down to say 20%, I might want to turn off the device and save the remaining battery power for a key event (say maybe singing happy bday and blowing out candles).

All in all, I’m satisfied with my purchase and would buy it again. The tech support responded to my emails with helpful instructions within 2 hours. The website was easy to use and it was easy to download the updated FlipShare program. I also expect as time goes on that future firmware release will continue to work out the bugs on this new product.

For all the initial hassles though, I can only give it 3 stars.

***Update***

I took this to a concert to record a few songs. The Flip has a lot of trouble recording bass sounds. It comes outs really popping and muddy with static. It drowns out all the other audio. Here are two songs I recorded. Note how the acoustic song is pretty clear while the hard rock song sounds terrible. Both songs sounded crystal clear in the club!

[...]

Important video lost when battery dies without warning
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have the lastest HD flip camcorder.

There is no battery life indicator … this is major cause of aggrevation.

The zoom is very limited, if you’re sitting in a class and trying to record a lecture you cann’t zoom out enough to cover a standard class room lecture.

For some reason the recorder stops recording after 1 hour and you have to start a new recording to use the second hour of available recording time.

The the batteries went weak and the freaken flip camcorder just lost my 55 minute video…very POed.

Also, the batter pack is just two AA Batteries taped together.

When charging the batteries I ofter get an error message saying I have an problem with the charger (it doesn’t tell you what the problem actually is though).

I had to replace the brand new battery back with charged batteries to attach my FLIP recorder to my PC.

Frustrating junk.

I should have bought a regular utlra small camacorder…they have much better features, e.g. Zoom range, batter life indicators and more store options.

Dissatisfied customer
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Flip to do a project for school. I videotaped several clips and when I tried downloading them in my laptop, the computer wouldn’t recognize the camera. My computer has all minimun requirements for this device to work. Customer service is taking several weeks already since I reported this problem (by email) and still haven’t gotten a concrete answer yet. Very dissatisfied with this.

Larger, but better than Flip MinoHD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R21ECF3J5Q19F2 This video shows you what you get, and how it compares to the Flip MinoHD. Why should you buy one over the other, when they are similarly priced? Shows a side-by-side comparison of the video, and a feature comparison table.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)Flip Video Battery Pack for 2nd Generation Ultra & UltraHD

Check the System Requirements!!!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
If you are considering buying the Flip HD, check your computer to make sure it meets the minimum system requirements needed to interact with the camera!!

I have a very nice Sony Vaio laptop that was purchased less than a year ago, so I just assumed there would be no problem. My Flip HD was never able to connect, and when I called the Flip help line, I was told that I needed a faster processor. None of the computers in my home or office (and I upgrade almost yearly) met these requirements (Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz processor or faster).

I am now returning the camera and getting the regular version, which will work with my computer.

Funny thing, the help desk guy I spoke with had the same problem when he bought the HD version and had to downgrade. I think they should make the requirements more obvious if even their employees miss it.

Portable and fun!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the camera for my 11 year old daughter and the whole family loves it! It is so easy to put the videos on the computer.

Great quality in a hunk of junk.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This little guy takes great video… incredibly suprising for it’s small package and price, however I’ve come to understand that it’s due to H.264 compression on a mp4 file which almost always keeps great picture. HOWEVER, if you bought this because it’s rechargable, you’ve made a big mistake because infact it is not rechargable. “Check Battery Charging Paused” and “it’s too hot charging paused” are two errors you will see every 20 minutes while charging. You can use AA batteries, if you want to spend a $70 on batteries a week so you can use your $149 camcorder, you can also buy normal rechargable AA batteries that have their own charger and use those… but why should you spend an extra $25 on rechargable batteries because the ones that came with your camera don’t work? I would have loved to have kept this camera because of its quality, but i’m sorry to say i’m not stupid… just because you can use AA’s or buy different rechargeable AA batteries with thier own charger to continue to use it doens’t mean you should keep it… I’ve read many people talk about how they’ve just done that… but I believe you just paid $149 – $200 so you wouldn’t have to buy batteries etc. Take it back… as long as Digital Technologies / Cisco keeps selling these pieces of junk and everyone’s keeping them and just using other batteries, the longer they will keep from fixing the problem… because lets face it, why would they fix something if every ignored it in the first place. This camera really is a nice little machine for the price if only it worked as stated.

Video stabilization urgently, badly needed.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The image quality is great. Size, great. Low light, great. Battery life, good enough. Ease of use – couldn’t be easier.

I love the thing. Two fairly huge gripes: One: the usb, er, appendage sticking out of the thing makes no sense. Why not give us a cable and a mini-usb port on the device instead of something that can be broken off extremely easily? Two: S-H-A-K-Y_V-I-D-E-O. You will NEED, NEED, NEED some video software that will do stabilization. Power Directer 8 is highly recommended. Oh, three: the included software is pathetic, super, extremely pathetic; it’s not meant for “editing”, it’s basically intended for uploading your shaky video to the web.

Nit picks: poor battery life indication, awkward to hold while using, no USB cable included, would be nice to be able to cover the lense somehow, a microphone jack would be nice.

If you can’t afford some video software that will do picture stabilization, the get some duct tape and strap the thing to a brick so it won’t shake as much. And by the way, that really will work. Alternatively, mount it to a heavy tripod and carry it around on the tripod.

Way better then a cellphone camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I asked my wife for a FLIP Ultra HD camera for Christmas and ever since then I have used it nonstop…..I have used it to film my dogs, family & friends and pretty much anything! The best part is all you do is plug it into you PC…and you are done! The software installs itself….and off you go! Ive uploaded some videos to YouTube and the HD quality is amazing for such a small camera….you cant beat the price!

Great video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The quality of the video is amazing; even in the rain flower colors were brilliant and the greens were a true green. The audio is not not as good. There is no way to record at a higher volume so if you are not really close to the subject speaking, it is very hard to hear during a playback in the camcorder. You can increase the playback volume on a pc or tv.

I especially liked the ability to use AA batteries if your rechargeable ones stop recording. All in all, an excellent camcorder for an excellent price.

Compact but error prone
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have had this product for about a month. After the latest software upgrade, I discovered that they have switched the order of the ‘create-by sort’. Why would anyone want to see the last video first !! ( I guess they do not have a good UAT/QA dept ) .. but what really made me upset is the software glitches that keep freezing the unit… I have missed many wonderful moments because the unit just froze … I am beginning to leave it home, and take my old bulky sony camcorder … at least, it never crashes !!

————-

Sept. Update: The product has a 90 day warranty ( they know it will break soon thereafter ! ). The storage ( disk or sold state chips ) soon developed a problem. The unit will only work for a few short videos ( maybe 10 min ) and then it crashes. No luck reaching Flip customer support ( they figure there are enough new buyers that they can ignore the current customers ! ).

So if you are thinking about flip, my advice is, buy something else. The price may be cheap, but so is customer service ( and product reliablity ) !

Great, but charging problems
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)

The good: I have no problems with this camcorder, great price, picture and easy to use.

The bad: I’m having problems with charging the Ultra HD and have had similar problems with the Mino HD. Basically, I was charging the Ultra HD on the optional wall charger (approx 30 mins) and the light started blinking rapidly. I thought the unit was charged and started recording my daughter with it, 30 minutes later the Ultra died. This time I started charging the unit again, but attached to an extension cord so I could see the screen. 30 minutes later the same thing happens again, light blinks and the unit makes a few rapid beeping sounds. I look on the screen and it states battery overheated, charging paused. I let it sit for about and hour and came back to notice the message was still on the screen. I exchanged the unit the next day after the errors for a new unit and wall unit, and got the same results. I even spoke with my friends and pointed out the errors and they started charging their units with the face up and noticed that ALL of their units were having the same errors as well (ALL 8 of my friends!!)

When I contacted FLIP about the issue the CSR stated that she was flooded with similar calls. Bottom line….People just don’t know that these errors are happening because the unit charges with the screen down so you can’t see the errors.

I’m not sure if ALL units are having this problem, but it seems like it’s a lot more widespread and missed due to the fact the unit charges face down on wall charger and USB laptop port….

Hopefully FLIP will recognize this and correct this….

FYI.. Just exchanged my unit for th Mino HD and have the same problems…

Useless if you can’t charge it
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to keep this beautiful little camera. But I am plagued with the same issues so many others have had with being unable to charge it properly or consistently. It repeatedly gets the Overheating error message even when the batteries aren’t even warm. It then stops charging and is supposed to cool down and then resume charging. It doesn’t do this consistently. So it turns what is supposed to be a 3 hour charge cycle into a 10 hour charge cycle since it has overheats, stops charging, cools down, starts charging, overheats, stops charging, cools down,… You get the point. Technical support stated that this is “Normal.”

Finally, technical support is all over the map in regards to why this happens, if it should happen, what to do about it, if it can be fixed etc… The guy at the returns desk said that they are getting a ton of these returned and that they are still scratching their heads trying to figure out a solution.

BTW I tried all manners of charging including using the external charger. I have followed every conceivable bit of advice from others with the same problems. Nothing works. Bummed to have to return this. But its useless if I can’t reliably charge it.

Ultra HD review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Fun and easy to use! Love it! Bought it from Amazon, priced the best!! Great service. Shipping estimates exceeded my expectation and received free shipping in 2 days! Not Bad.

Does one thing, but does it quite well.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This little camera is very easy to use and definitely fits the bill for me as ‘the best camera for the job is the one you have with you’. Due to its size and ease of use it is easy to bring this camera along with me and have it ready for a quick shot if something comes up.

like it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Haven’t had much opportunity to check out all the features, but straight out of the box it’s easy and fun to use.

Awesome camera for an awesome price!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I first saw the flip, I was skeptical about the price at first and the few negative comments on the reviews….and although Im partially worried about the stability of the USB connector (being as though I have a desktop) I think its GREAT otherwise. It takes excellent videos ([...]) and its very user friendly! I have a three year old son so I really wanted a camera to take videos for christmas and this defanitely gets the job done. Plus I love the carrying case and the fact that it comes with rechargables and doesnt require the charger (because it charges itself on the computer and I have a charger anyways). We hooked ours up to our PS3 to watch the videos and it works great!!! I defanitely recommend this product!!!

It doesn’t work properly
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
It doesn’t work properly… The seller it’s not guilty, but it came broken and it has been a problem to exchange it for a new one.

Charging Paused etc etc
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After a good root round and finding the problem of ‘too hot’ error message I did a bit of detective work. The battery pack supplied with this device is the defective piece as far as I’m concerned. Charging the original pack causes the pack to get quite hot (not unusual for re-chargeables) You’ll notice the battery pack has a notch that slots into the camera which closes a microswitch allowing the camera to know whether standard batteries are being used, or the supplied rechargeable pack. I replaced the pack with 2 2450 nimh rechargeable AA batteries and closed the microswitch with a match (be careful if you try this, you may break the switch) and plugged the camera in. It happily charged the replacement batteries. One noticeable thing was the temperature of the replacement batteries. They didn’t get warm at all. I’m going to also run the camera when they have charged fully until they expire. If I get 2 solid hours out of them I’ll make this a permanent fixture. Suits me!

Almost Perfect
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my husband’s birthday. The camera itself is great! It’s easy to use and very handy. My only complaints are that if the battery gets low the camera won’t turn on at all unless you remove the battery and then put it right back. This sometimes happens with 2/3 battery left. Also, there is no cable included to hook the unit to a TV.

Video quality is poor
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Kids won’t mind using this toy but expecting quality video from this is asking for too much. Perhaps I have a defective unit but:

1. Recorded video is extremely grainy in anything except outdoors in bright sunlight – even though the video in the view finder while recording appears to be normal.

2. With no image stablization in the camera you have to be perfectly still or the video jumps around – a lot. Even panning using it with a tripod results in a jittery video. These may be artifacts of the next issue

3. Even when holding the camera perfectly still (no panning, zooming, nothing), moving objects in the video jump around (i.e. skip) which indicates that the frame rate is erratic and not a constant 30fps (looks more like 10fps and with jitters at that)

After taking about 1 hour of videos with this camera I have about 5 minutes that are watchable solely due to the quality of the video that was recorded. The concept is great and ease-of-use cannot be easier but the bottom line for me is ‘watchable videos’ of which this product does not deliver.

Decent
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The product is pretty okay, many existing reviews are on the dot when it comes to reviewing it. One major complaint I have is the defective rechargeable battery feature. You will not be able to recharge the batteries, so you will be forced to either return the product or invest in your own batteries.

Better than expected
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I waited through several generations of the Flip to get lastest version quality. Except for one thing, it’s great. THAT one thing is that it’s too easy to turn it on when it’s being put in pocket. The power button on the side, is a “natural grab” point, and you inadvertently turn it on while putting it away or in pocket.

Great picture…poor zoom
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Great picture…very nice and clear. SUPER easy to operate and great size. Only complaint is it has a very poor zoom. Basically same zooming capability as a cell phone camera. You have to be very close to object to zoom…I almost wonder why they even have a zoom. Overall, like this product alot anyway.

I love my FLIP HD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Flip HD for the main purpose of recording a trip that I was taking to Alaska with my six grandchildren, ages 15 – 20. I chose it because of the reviews saying how easy it is to use and how excellent the quality of the picture is. I found all of this to be accurate. The camera fit in my pocket and I even carried it on my wrist while zip-lining!!! I was able to record during the day and by simply attaching it to my laptop in the evening we were all able to view the events of the day. Of course the video may be viewed immediately from the camera itself. Everyone I have showed it to has been amazed by the quality of the picture. I highly recommend the Flip HD especially for someone like me who knows nothing about taking pictures and/or videos.

simple, great quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I did the research like most people. i wanted a small HD quality video camera that was easy to use. This Flip HD camera is incredible. As one person wrote, simplicity at its best. Very true. Think of this camera as a point and click. There are no cool effects (I didn’t want them), just point and record. Setup was a breeze, software installed easily. Low light is not as crisp as daylight, but I bought this camera for the outside, the beach, etc. The quality of the picture is amazing. No tapes, hold 2 hours of HD video, charges from your USB port. Uploading was very quick. Zoom was fine, but was only about 2x, nothing spectacular. Great camera to carry around, capture in a moment’s notice, superb quality, easy and simple.

Small, portable, good bang for the buck
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my first digital so our last camera was an 8mm. The one before that was borrowed and the size of a suitcase for VHS, remember?

For inside YouTube and short films it will be great but the zoom makes it less than optimum for stuff like sporting events but I’m willing to give that up for the portability. My daughter golfs, so I can film the Tee shot close in-but distance fairway shots wont pick up details. I took my dad flying and he used it from the back seat. The quality was good but again, if you wanted details of something on the ground it would not zoom to your satisfaction.Cockpit pictures were good and the focus is good.

Unless I do not understand the software, when it’s time to edit the film, (btw, everytime you stop filming it creates a film that is saved in backwords order so you have to inverse everything to create a “movie”. that sucks.)you can only trim the end of the short film and not remove any of the middle.

Burning the “movie” created was a little cumbersome because they (Flip)want you to buy their product to burn movies.

Those are the complaints but I am overall happy with the product.

Easy to Capture The Moment
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is by far one of the easiest cameras to use for capturing those moments you want to share with friends and family. The quality of video is great for a small recorder, and the transfer to your computer and then to your favorite website couldn’t be easier.

Flip Phone
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
All aspects of the Flip Cam are good except the time it takes to reduce video size for email. I have tried several times to use the email funciton and have waited 10 to 15 minutes for the video to be reduced in order to send via email

keeps shutting down
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Cannot use the product,

during the charging , stops with an error of ” its too hot”

planning to return the product

never got chance to use.

will not recomend

Excellent
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love it. It’s simple and really works so easily and is the only way I get to shoot my son on video. Everything else is too much work to figure out and too many wires to keep track off. Worth every penny!

Big problems with this camera and Microsoft products and 64 bit computers
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I just bought my 2nd Flip camera, this HD unit. In general, I love the Flip’s, but getting this HD unit to work with ANY Microsoft software was a nightmare. Bottom line: Any HD Flip camera WILL NOT WORK with ANY Microsoft software (Windows Media Player or Microsoft Movie Maker) if you have a 64 bit laptop (which is the newer processor coming on the market today). The key piece of information here is this only affects 64 bit processors. The more common 32 bit processors work fine.

Flip acknowledges this limitation in their FAQ section of their support page. I’ve been told by a Flip supervisor that there’s some discussion on writing drivers to fix the problem, but that’s not in the immediate time frame.

I’m returning this product, but would not hesitate to ordering another Flip in the future. Thank you.

I love this camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have purchased three of these amazing cameras — two for school and one for my personal use. For me, they are perfect. I am not a great photographer, but often have things come up that I would like to grab a memory of. This camera is great. We use them at school for classroom use and for recording events. I have other cameras but this one is so easy to use, so easy to view, and so easy to carry along. I can always have it with me for those moments I would otherwise miss. Amazon has the best prices that I found.

Very good portable camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Overall, this gadget is very good and serves its purpose. The negative reviews published here in Amazon about this camcorder are mostly true but tolerable IMHO.

I also ordered the charger, the Lowepro case and a mini tripod.

One common complain about the Flip HD is that its rechargeable battery heats up during charging. No argument, it really does. I had battery level of about 1/8 of its capacity. After charging more than half of its capacity using a charger (sold separately), “Battery Overheat” message was displayed. I just unplugged it and let it cool for about 30 minutes or so and start charging again till it reached its 100% level. This works for me, I mean I could tolerate this kind of inconvenience. Side note: I highly recommend using USB extender in connecting the Flip HD to your pc or to a charger (just make sure that the extender is compatible to USB 2.0).

I also noticed that the power button is very sensitive. I am pretty sure that most users of this camcorder had somehow unknowingly pushed the power button and turned on the unit. It had happened to me for a few times. Though it has an auto shut-off feature, it would not automatically turn off if you accidentally pushed the record button as well. What are the chances of unknowingly pushing the power and record buttons consecutively? I don’t know but it happened to me once. I always place the camcorder in its case when not in used. This increase the possibility of not noticing that the unit is on. Sometime last week, when I got home, I put my Flip HD on a table and about 30 minutes later, when I picked it up, I felt that it’s warm. I took it off from the case and saw that it’s in recording mode. Of course nothing was recorded but darkness.

If you could live with its flaws and you NEED a good quality video portable camcorder, then this is for you. If you could not, wait for a few months and most likely they will come up with a better camcorder.

Recharging issue solved
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
We had the same problem as some some others here, it wouldn’t recharge, so my husband got out his little electrical engineering tools and proceeded to void the warranty. He found that if the battery is too completely discharged, it won’t come up unless the camera is already booted, so he took the battery out, plugged it into the computer and booted it, and then put the battery back in while it was still on. It started charging immediately.

The application for the camera is on the camera itself, instead of a disk, so in one way it’s handy, but don’t mess around and erase it, because if you lose the memory you have no disk to back it up again and it doesn’t look like it’s protected memory. I’m sure they have a website where you can download something or maybe order a disk, but it seems like it would be a hassle.

It doesn’t do well in low light. Our indoor videos didn’t turn out well. It’s fine outdoors, though.

The size is nice, the quality of the picture is good, the controls are easy and convenient, and the recording time is sufficient.

I only gave three stars because of the recharging thing, not everyone is an electrical engineer or married to one.

This product is great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The first Flip I bought for a couple of friends who were moving out of the country. They loved it. I bought myself one. I love it. So I have since bought another one for a Christmas present for my brother and his wife. The only thing I could really say could be improved is the zoom. Otherwise, this is the best thing since sliced bread. I carry it everywhere.

My first mini digital camcorder….
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After reading all the reviews, both good and bad, I was hesitant to buy this video camera. However, I want to capture video of family and what not, and wanted a small form factor. I must say my experience has been very positive using the Flip Ultra HD.

Indoor and outdoor shots were great with one exception; low light indoors wasn’t that great and the camera took a few seconds to adjust when going from normal light to low light. This wasn’t a big issue for me, it is one compromise I’m willing make because this is a good camera. My sister has been using digital video cameras for years and was very impressed by the quality of this camera; she is now considering purchasing one. One wish, stability controls.

One of the big complaints I read in the reviews was charging; I haven’t experienced any issues with charging or the red light flashing and not charging.

I’m a Mac user and installed the software from Flip and once installed the software updated to the newest version. I personally like the software because it was easy to use and has a few controls for adding background music or removing audio from the film clips and just using an MP3.

I gave the camera 4 stars only because of moving from bright light to low light isn’t that great. This is my only issue with the device and not a deal breaker. Outside of this, I would highly recommend this camera to someone who is new to these devices.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camcorder was a birthday gift for my son-in-law and he

loves it. It’s very easy to use and the video is easily downloaded into the computer. I do believe this middle-aged school teacher will be able to shoot video and download when I get myself one.

I love my Flip UltraHD!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Flip UltraHD because when I upgraded to a digital SLR camera, I lost my ability to record videos on the camera. With a deployed husband, I wanted the ability to take short, family videos to send to him on a regular basis but I didn’t need a video camera that would cost hundreds of dollars.

With two little kids that never sit still, 120 minutes is more than enough record time. I never usually take video that is longer than 5-10 minutes and pull them off the camera and save them fairly often. But still, I don’t think I have ever filled the camera more than half full at a time. The picture is very clear and you can definitely see the HD quality of the camera.

The software preloaded on the camera is very easy to use and saving videos to the computer is also very simple. I use iMovie and iDVD to make my home movies and have never had an issues with compatibility or anything similar.

Overall, I love this little camera. It is extremely portable and is good for what I use it for.

Flip Video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased two of these for Christmas presents. They were the hit of Christmas day! So easy to use, and small enough to carry around in your purse or pocket.

love
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
got this as a bridal shower gift. easy to use. light enough to carry around. quality is fine for posting video clips on facebook.

12 Hour Recharge (per Flip Customer Support)
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Should have known this was too good to be true.

The battery pack on the ultra is a farce (as is the customer service). The camera overheated less than 20 minutes into the charging cycle. After several attempts to charge it, I gave up and started using store bought batteries. Which work fine, but part of the cost of this little camera is that it’s rechargeable — it’s not. And Flip KNOWS this. When I called customer service to see if they could replace the battery, I was told the Flip “engineers” have discovered the solution — leave the camera plugged into for 12 hours. This will allow time for the camera to overheat, shut down, cool off, restart and recharge. It will go through this cycle as many times as needed, hence the 12 hour recharge time.

You’re better off with iPhone for video, it doesn’t take 12 hours to charge.

great little camcorder for on the go filming.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i have had this flip ultra HD for about 2 weeks now and its been great. sound quality is outstanding maybe not the best for concerts with loud music but for everyday use it does the job. picture quality is in HD and it is very impressive captures all the details. not so good with capturing letters or words (no autofocus) but i wasn’t doing those types of videos so not a big deal. i was not able to charge through the usb with the rechargeable flip battery pack but after letting it discharge fully for about 2 or 3 days it starting charging via usb.

iv noticed that not many people buy the white version of the flip. for some reason they only sell the black rubbery flip in retail stores. i wanted to stick out and not follow the crowd so i bought the white version it does scratch much easier than the black since the black does have a rubbery feel it might only get smudges and nothing else but the white is not scratch proof. it will show dirt quicker than the black but just clean it with the cloth and it willl look just fine. i left mine in my bag it got some scratches on the rim of the lens not so noticeable but i know its there. i dont regret getting the white but i should of just stuck with the crowd and gone with the black. for example on youtube theres about 10 vloggers with flip ultra HD’s and all 10 have the black version.

so overall its a great camcorder and i just wanted something small since im going to be getting an nikon d60 with only picture capability so it fine for my uses to have the flip ultra hd.

thanks!

Insert “flipped for it” pun here!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am no neo-luddite (knowing the term probably proves that), but I am no technogeek either. I like my technology to meet my needs and not provide me with an overwhelming amount of options that I do not need. That is why I LOVE the Flip! I pulled it out of the package, charged it up, and used it without the need for any manuals, tech support, or snarky comments from the technogeek I married. While many reviewers would demonstrate the simplicity by saying that a child could use it, that is hardly a comment that should be used in relation to technology where so many children surpass their elders with ease. My comment instead will be that my father-in-law’s 65-year-old wife (who has difficultly understanding text messaging) picked this up and, without any coaching from me, used it with ease. The controls could not be more simple and there is no need for any extras – memory cards, memory card readers, extra wires, chargers, etc. Plus at this price, I would not be worried about dragging it along on various outings. Not to mention that it fits easily in my purse, or in the cargo pocket on my husband’s khakis, so there is no argument over who has to lug the camera. Since the editing software will allow you to make “still” shots, you don’t even have to worry about taking the “regular” camera – sometimes you get even cooler pictures this way. I recommend it not only as a buy for families on the go, but at this price, it is also good for the preteen and teen set.

The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I’ve done the product comparisons for you
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If I’m going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there, I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and, consequently, dodge any potential future buyer’s remorse.

I’ve realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don’t have so I may as well share what I can.

I’ll start by saying that you’ll see my “Verified Amazon Purchase” on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because, obviously, that’s the one I wound up buying and I’ll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I’ll break it down and let you decide what’s best for you via what I found out:

Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:

Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as “F”)

Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “M”)

Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as “CL”)

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as “K”)

Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images, wider images

HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included, 120 minutes if you buy an SD card

MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential, but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.

RESOLUTION:

All 720p which is excellent, just one step below the top 1080p format.

MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono **Update** They are now putting Stereo Mics in the Minos as of 2010.

CL: Mono

K: Mono

SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best stereo sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality. Still not good in winds.

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality

ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it’s 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if, for example, you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.

CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3×2.2×1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5×2.5.0.9 5.6 oz

SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5″ 2.4 lbs

TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don’t need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice), USB extension cable,(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.

SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.

VIEWING SCREEN: All 2″ except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4″

IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan, we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren’t IN the water, we are around the water…on boats, in the sand with sea mist, etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software…just plug in to computer and it pops up. Only one with stereo sound.

M: Colors don’t appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said, this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4″ Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality…same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s’pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.

HOW CNET’S EDITORS RATED THE CAMERAS:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good

And, finally, the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: “Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital’s “Best Pocket Camcorder Yet.” 6-09

USA Today: “New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch” 4-09

Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone, Flip, Kindle, and Zip Car For Answers

There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.

CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me, expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However, keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2″ screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that’s important to you..

Also: No matter which one you get, you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don’t forget those.

Also note: It’s confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders, they do not change the names on the new versions, nor do they change the names if it’s an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the “HD” after the brand name and look for “2nd generation” or “newer version” on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don’t get the older models.

Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me.

simple and esy handheld camcorrder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a simple and easy to use product that makes creating video a snap. Downlowding to a PC and sending the file is easy as well. Excellent quality pictures and videos. Even tech shy people will find this an uncomplicated way to record and send videos or pictures.

Don’t expect this to have the features of regular camcorders or digital comeras as this is not a sophisticated device. Audio is lacking volume and is very tinny to the ear.

A very good deal for what it is.

Best of the flips
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Flips are the best buy for your money. Often they excel the camcorder and are far more convenient.

I make wedding dVD’s and these work great but the UltraHD 120 minute recorder is the best of them all.

We use this on the Mac so we don’t have knowledge of it’s use on a pC but I am certain it is just as easy.

1. The software–NO CD for the landfill!! —you plug the flip into the computer and it asks you to install from the computer.

2. you can do basic editing and upload to You Tube from the app.

3.I chose to use the Iphoto/I movie on my Mac. The new ultraHD uses H.264 codec and you can move the video off from the flip and into Iphoto or Imovie without having to convert or needing special codecs.

4.You can use your own software or theirs( theirs is very good)

5. The ultraHD is a bit bigger than other flips but compensates WAY above and beyond the call of duty.

a.Replacables batteries as well as it’s rechargeables battery.Great for when you run out at a party, you can pop in AA’s and film on.

b.It has HDMI out. No More 4.3 on your HDTV.Plug the HDMI into TV and play straight from the flip, 16 by 9 for the whole widesceen viewing!!!

For people like me, this is easy to use , easy to view, easy to carry and more simple than a camcorder of the traditional vein. It is soo easily portable , you can carry in purse or a pocket.

LOVE IT !!!

The Amazing FlipVideo!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a really cool camcorder. It’s screen has really good definition, it records sound really well, and it easily plugs into the computer with the flip-out USB plug. There are some minor things that could easily be fixed though. Downloading videos onto it is impossible unless you made a video with the Flip Video and loaded it onto the computer. You then have to go to “movies” on the built-in software and move it(copy and paste) into the “videos on Flip Video” media pool. Another thing is that because of the placement of the USB stick it is sometimes hard to plug it into your computer/laptop. Other than that it is a fine camcorder.

Great Mini Video Camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This Camcorder is a lot of fun. Very good vidio and easy to use.

Flip Ultra HD Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I needed a small pocket size camcorder for our annual trip to the Dells. I did research online and at a few stores. I decided to buy the Flip Ultra HD after reading reviews. I needed this camcorder quickly and spotted it at a Walmart in my area. The price was $179.99, it came with a cloth case, carrying strap, and rechargeable batteries.

I charged it overnight in my laptop USB port and put it in my purse. We headed to breakfast before we hit the road to the Dells. I took a 3 minute video at the breakfast cafe, played it back on the 2″ screen, the sound was good, but the video was quite grainy,

We got to the Dells and I took the camcorder to the outdoor waterparks. Very easy to hold and operate, but since it does not have an image stabilizer, you have to keep your handy as steady as possible. Took video the next day at the outdoor waterpark and in the hotel room that night. In all I took about 40 minutes of video. We got back home and I put the videos on my PC. The video taken indoors at the cafe, restaurant, and hotel rooms were horrible. The videos were very grainy, but the sound quality was good.

The video taken at the outdoor waterparks was excellent. The color, the definition, the sound was great.

The videos transfers very easy to any PC by plugging the camera’s USB into the USB port. My 40 minutes of video took about one minute to transfer to my PC.

So, my overall conclusion is that this camera works great in the correct lighting. What slightly disappointed me was the grainy indoor video. My husband who is a technical guru says “What do you want for $185.00?

He swears the camera is not a “true” HD camccorder. It was very easy to use, fit into my pocket and purse, and the 2″ screen is a blessing when recording and playing back the video. I like things that are easy and that don’t require alot of technical ablility to operate. The Flip camcorder is fun and easy to use- and perfect for those spur of the moment events. Just turn it on and press record.

Better than expected
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great compact camcorder. So simple to use and performance of some higher priced units. Wish it included mini hdmi cable for direct connect to hdmi device. Flip just upgraded software for even more ease and convienience.

Great product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love how easy it is to learn and use this product. The quality is great and I love how small it is as well. The portability of it is fantastic! I received this as a gift and am very happy with it. I can’t wait to use it more!!!

You have to be too far from your subject
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
What makes this camera great is its

-portabilty

-video quality

-price

What makes it difficult to use is its

-so-so microphone

-narrow angled lens

I love this camera, so don’t get me wrong, but it’s missing two things. First, I have no problem having an only okay microphone built in, but I’d really like a mic. jack for a better mic. Second, the lens is too narrow. You have to e 7 or more feet away from your subject to get a decent torso shot. The two problems really combine in a public area because you’re too far from your subject for their voice to drown out the ambient noise.

pretty great
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The video Camera is really nice, and extremely easy to use. Buttons sometimes feel a bit cheap, and the picture can be pretty shaky if you don’t have a steady hand. otherwise it is a great product. I highly recommend it as it is so easy to use and small enough to carry with you at all times.

one of the greatest features is the ability to pull still images out of the videos you take (not super High Definition pictures) but good for newsletters and web pages.

Great High Tech Gadget!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Recently, amazon.com just started to ship this fabulous video camcorder to overseas, so I got this gadget at Tokyo, Japan. Easy to rec or play. Quite simular picture quality, sized and price-ranged camcorder available in everywhere now, but also this bundled software is very useful. Almost no need to read manual and instruction. Just plug and play then you can edit, upload and share within a minutes. I can’t say “perfect” but “great” tool. If you want to buy your first camcoder, I recommend this one.

Awesome and so easy to use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great product, opened the box and was ready to use. From the moment we started taking video to pluging in to the computer, it was so easy. Love the product and will have a lot of fun with it.

Easy to use – support is an issue – what am I going to do with all these files?
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Pros: Very portable

My wife and the kids can use it

Video quality is surprisingly good

Cons: Picture is a little jittery – no matter how still you try to be

Microphones pick up background noise.

Customer support is weak.

Summary: It is what it is – a brainless expression that fits.

I picked up the Flip Ultra HD last week after spending time looking into all the options available. The Vado was not sold near us and its feedback was mixed.

The Flip was said to be remarkably simple to use so I got one from the local Wal Mart.

I brought along on an overnight field trip with my son’s 3rd grade class. Big fun.

It is incredibly easy and fun to record the spontaneous moments of life on the Flip.

The kids were interviewing each other and making their own movie without any help from me.

BUT – now we want to watch the video. Andt is basically DIY at this point.

[Keep in mind that this is happening over Memorial Day weekend and it is definitely unfair for me to base my grade for support during a holiday - but I am annoyed because I have grandparents here that want to watch the new fangled HD camcorder footage. So customer support is getting thrown under the bus along with me. I am not going alone.]

The site says the minimum requirements to run the software is an Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz and at least 512 MB of RAM.

Our home PC has an AMD 64 3200+ and 512 MB of RAM. It cannot support the software. I wanted to know if it would be worthwhile to add RAM, or if the processor is too slow (even though the Athlon is closer to 3.2 GHz). Not a question that could be answered. I was read and then emailed the requirements as posted on the website.

So rather than editing a movie – I figured we can watch the raw footage on the HDTV. I have an HDMI cable so I read the minimal advice offered on the website – connected it to our HDTV. Nothing. I have tried every setting on the TV and we are not getting any sound or picture.

I spoke with tech support and they read from the website’s HELP section.

Word for word. Basically said they couldn’t help. Tried to say maybe it was the cable that was the issue.

Couple of problems with that explanation. The cable works fine with other electronics and Flip does not have any of their over priced HDMI cables in stock. And haven’t for a while.

They sent an email saying just that..

“Thank you for contacting us.

While many accessories may be compatible with the Flip, we do not currently recommend any one product specifically mainly due to our inability to test and certify the breadth of products on the market.

We apologize for being unable to provide you with a more definite answer, and we hope you won?t hesitate to contact us further.”

Not sure what I would contact them further about.

I am sure as soon as I figure out the HDTV problem and the system requirements, I will love this thing. But right now everyone is wondering why Dad buys technology that he cannot operate.

so easy a cavegirl could do it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very low tech by nature, and despise reading the manuals that arrive with every piece of hardware, it actually keeps me from buying new things, just thinking about sitting down and going through the usual frustrations. I happened to run across the Flip video line while browsing and it appealed to me because of the easy downloading feature. Immediately downloads, no wire needed. No Way, really? really! I have a video feature on my digital camera (I under use that thing because again, short attention span users aren’t going to read and remember all those functions), but often the video feature just doesn’t start and the moment is lost. I know that likely in the age of iphones, etc, something that performs one function like the Flip video, might not appeal to some, but it’s perfect for someone who just wants to pick up a tool and use it, it’s so simple and has very few controls, you can’t go wrong, yet the quality is fine for simple capturing of a cute or memorable sequence. Turn it on, take the movie, end it, erase it if needed, all so easy. Downloading is as promised, plug the thing itself, from a USB connection that pops out from the side, into a USB port and download. The Flip software was no problem to download either, it pops up when you plug in. I love it. It’s light and portable too, everyone I show it to loves it.

excellent product for the size and money!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own a sony dvd video player and lately after buying flip video I stopped using it due to ease of use and video quality of the Flip video camera.

Flip video comes with excellent software, worth much more than any software that ever came with Sony. With this software you can edit, send email

take snapshots, build dvd etc. Battery life is fine and I own 120m HD unit. It lasts very long time and doesn’t take long to recharge. In total I am

very satisfied with this excellent product and looking forward to taking a little camera anywhere I go on vacations. Thank you Flip video for putting so much into so little

Ultra HD, ultra convenient
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The ultra HD is exactly what it is supposed to be: a hassle-free camcorder for when you don’t want to lug around a big one. You will notice right away that it doesn’t have image stabilization, so if you don’t know how to hold a camera steady, you may be in trouble. That said, the ease of use is wonderful. A child could operate this. Push the side button, and it’s on; push the red button and you’re recording. Clear, crisp video (2hrs worth) and the software loads on to your computer as soon as you plug it into the usb.

The software is as easy to use as the camera, and you can upload movies to the internet, make music videos, take stills from your video, and prep video for use with a third-party dvd creater. The only trouble I had with the software was when making a music video. Fortunately, the people at Flip were very helpful and sent me a patch for it. I was very satisfied.

Another thing I like is that it uses two AA batteries (6hrs of life) and comes with a battery pack (2hrs or so) that recharges when plugged into the computer. If you want to pay more, you can get the Flip mino hd, which is a little smaller and comes with a built-in lithium ion battery.

The only thing to think about when buying an HD is that it WILL NOT PLAY ON A STANDARD DEF TV directly from the camera, although you can still upload high def vids to the computer. No worries, though. Just make a dvd.

There is $1500 HD and $200 HD; for $200, I think this is very good HD.

Great Little Camcorder for the Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this camcorder in September and brought it to Las Vegas on vacation. This camcorder did everything. It took amazing footage of the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. The colors were absolutely breathtaking. I couldn’t get over the quality of the footage. The real test came when I took pictures inside the aquarium. Unbelievable clarity. The camcorder is a snap to use. You can review your footage and edit the parts you want to edit. Battery life is good, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and you can use rechargeable batteries, they work well too.

The one thing I really want to talk about is when I originally bought the camcorder and tried to charge it the charging mechanism was faulty and it would not charge correctly. I immediately contacted the customer service by email. I got a response within hours. By the end of the day they emailed me a return number and address where to return the camcorder. Within two weeks I had received a new camcorder from them. I was totally impressed with their customer service and I will say that anyone looking to buy this product can do so with complete confidence that if anything is wrong when you get the camera the company will back you up.

Research “Charging Paused”!!! Trust me
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
OK, so I did A LOT of research and pulled the trigger on the Ultra HD for all the good reasons: 2HRs, Removable batt, easy to use, reputation, etc. I received the camera yesterday, put the battery pack in, and just like all the reviews said, it was really cool, took video of my baby, downloaded to computer, created movie, sent to father in law across the pond, all in less than 20 min from oppening package.

So far my review would be 5 Stars Awsome product….And then I try to charge it….and the flashing red light comes on and the screen says “CHECK BATTERY PACK, CHARGING PAUSED” after quick look up, sure enough, it is a VERY COMMON problem.

It will be promptly returned. I’m thinking I will get the new Samsung comming out this fall, sounds promising, will see. So in conclussion, yes great little cammera, works like a charm, but you can’t charge it. And while I suppose I could use external rechargeables, that is not the point, I paid hard earned money for this, it should work and work well, Flip needs to own up to the problem and make good on it. This is a problem of Quality Control.

************************************************************************************

Update: Rate 4 to 5 Stars

In my first review I rated this product a one based on problems charging the unit. It was like the proverbial light bulb going on in my head: I was plugging the unit to a peripheral USB port, I plugged it in to the USB in front of the tower, and it charged, no problems. I said I would return the unit based on this problem, well problem solved, so I kept the unit. I did contact Flip and they did respond within 24 hours. Their solution to the problem was very weak. I don’t think they even have a clue. Try this, try that….WHAT???

Now that I have used it a bit:

Function: I have had no problems with the camcorder, works as advertized.

Size:

Yes, I wish it was smalller, yes the company probably could make it smaller, but they don’t, it is not horribly bulky, it will fit in your pants pocket.

Operation:

Very pleased, As easy as theese things can get. I have taken numerous clips of my kids and e-mailed them to family and friends, posted to Facebook, and even created two Flip Channels. A little slow uploading, but that may be my system, it is a bit underpowered.

Quality of video:

Not bad, could be better. You get what you pay for. Does not have Image Stabilization…Don’t start whining about this, you need this feature, buy another camera. Really wish there was even a cheap light source included, forget about recording in dark environments.

Conclussion:

Great product, works as advertized, Amazon Rocks. If you need more recording time and the option to change batteries on the fly, choose this one. If you don’t think you need more than 60 minutes and the battery is not an issue, get the Mino. If you need or want Image stabilization, Lighting, Zoom, etc: Stop whinning and buy a real camcorder. If you don’t like the choices given, don’t buy the darn thing!!!

Excellent Product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Ultra HD is everything that it is advertised to be – it is simple, takes high quality videos and is perfect for use in an instant. The software works very well also and again – it is everything that it states it will do easily. The control on the camera are as simple as they come.

Net net – a truly superb product.

Flip ultra
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
FLIP is easy to use, but short battery life. Newer version has battery replacement available so is better.

The Flip – Simple, with all the good and bad that comes with that
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Just got the Flip Ultra HD and filmed a video interview with a band after a concert, as well as some random stuff around the apartment.

The Good: This thing is dead simple to use, and the quality is really good, so you can’t go wrong there. If you want to film something on the go, or use a tripod for some static shots, and then immediately combine some of the shots you take or just send them right along to YouTube or someone’s email, you can’t go wrong.

The Bad: The software sucks if you want to do anything other than above. Not only that, but if you play around with the videos before deciding what you want to do with them (pull them off the Flip and put ‘em on your harddrive; try to edit in another program; etc.) good luck to you, because you’ve just screwed the pooch. The Flip stops recognizing its own videos. The software can do almost nothing in terms of editing beyond the aforementioned combining of videos. Getting the videos (.MP4 format) into other programs is often a hassle. The HD is enough to require a fairly up-to-date system in order to watch the videos smoothly and fool around with them.

Summary: The Flip’s simple and fun. If you’re a techy, you can probably figure out work arounds for the problems, and if you do so, then you’ve got a formidable portable camera. If you’re not very technologically adept and you have in the whispers of a thought that you might want to do more than just combine two videos (what if a shot comes out slightly wrong, or a random sound screws up what you were going for, or any other number of issues that you want to edit out easily?), then avoid the Flip. There are other options that are more versatile than the Flip.

Helpful Tip: If you do like the Flip, download Google’s Picassa. It may not be the best software ever, but it’s got a leg up in some areas and is pretty easy to get the hang of, as well as being free. Personally, it’s what I use currently, but I’ll definitely be investing in something more robust in the near future. Picassa’s a great starting point though, a hundred times better than the Flip’s own software.

You WILL Flip for the Flip Ultra HD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I originally was going to get the Flip MinoHD but while it was shipping I got an email telling about the new Flip UltraHD with 120 minutes. So I canceled my MinoHD and ordered the UltraHD. What I like about the UltraHD is that it is HD of course but you have to buy a HDMI cable to see HD. The UltraHD has a bigger screen than the Mino version. It holds 120 minutes of movies – you won’t know how nice it is untill you get it. The Flipshare software is nice if you have a newer computer. We have a Windows XP Laptop which we are having problems with with the Flipshare. THIS CAMCORDER IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great camcorder. I have purchased two. The first one was a 60 minutes device and this one is a 120 minutes. Family members have borrowed it and love it too.

Make Sure Your System Can Handle This
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great little product. I’ve only used video cams on my cell phone or digital camera so this is a nice upgrade for a casual user. What surprised me is that according to the package the minimum system requirement in terms of a PC processor is a screaming fast 3.0 Ghz Intel Pentium 4. I couldn’t find this anywhere on Amazon’s product page. Had I known this it would have probably prevented me from ordering this. However, I didn’t have trouble using it with my 1.8 ghz 2 year old pc although I have 4 GB ram and a newer high end video card. The only glitch I’ve found so far is that I could NOT play videos in full screen mode. Just a little caveat- if you have an older computer this little device may give your PC a hiccup.

Super easy to use and great quality images!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We really love this little camera!! It’s SO easy and convenient to use any time or place when you want to capture those moments with the kids without having to rely on a big clunky camera that takes up space. The quality is great and it’s super easy to download and share with others. We would highly recommend it!!

It’s almost there ….
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I read a lot about the Flip Mino and almost took the plunge, and finally did with the Ultra HD. It sounded great, and like several other recent reviewers, I really wanted to like it. I finally do, but it’s taken a good 10 days, and with little help from Flip support.

Right out of the box, my Ultra HD had what I’m starting to think of as the “usual” charging problems that others describe — the “charging paused, check battery” message. More concerning, the camera halted all performance in the USB ports on my one-year-old iMac. This disabled the mouse, so I could never upload the software. There is the peculiar design flaw, too, that the camera charges in the face-down position, making it very difficult to see these error messages.

Eventually it dawned on me simply to use AA batteries (an option that drew me to this camera), and the camera has worked just fine ever since.

I had an extensive correspondence with Flip’s online support. My advice: skip them entirely and just phone Flip. Online support did get back to me quickly … with a whole set of detailed questions about my computer which I wish they’d just asked in the first place (I’d already told them the computer model and OS). This might have been a stalling technique, as there then was silence. Then, in response to my prodding, more correspondence where they seemed not to understand the problem and we pretty much started over.

Phone support was amenable to having me send only the battery pack back for an exchange, though I’m not confident that I’ll receive a functioning one. And, like online support, they seem puzzled, surprised, and much more focused on fixing their battery pack problem than making a customer happy (i.e., interested to have mine for “research” and so “authorized” me to send it, but had zero interest in giving me a pre-paid label or making it easy for me to return this faulty piece). Like another reviewer, I’m not happy to have spent money to have a bad battery pack, but I also have to pick my battles, and decided to keep the machine since it works fine with the AAs. And maybe I’ll get a functioning rechargeable back from Flip.

And it’s a great little camera! Footage is sharp and the sound is crisp. It uploads easily to the Mac. Very portable and sturdy. Really, I love the camera, and had it worked out of the box I would be posting a five-star rave. Also on the plus side, really, is the phone support — they do have it, they answer the phone, and they do respond. So, they are ahead of some other products on that score!

So I hope they do fix this glitch and also develop some online customer-friendliness.

A review from a Mac user’s perspective.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
There’s so much that’s already been written about the Flip UltraHD that it’s hard to relate any kind of new information that hasn’t already been talked about ten times over. So instead, I’ll give a general review plus some insight from the perspective of a Mac user since lots of people will be using this camera with their Macs.

From a usage perspective this camcorder is insanely easy, far easier than even the easiest tape or hard drive-based camcorder could ever achieve. There’s a lot to like in its design; the rubberized plastics to keep a firm grip, the clear and obvious markings on the buttons, the rechargeable battery, the clear and bright LCD screen, the reasonable zoom level, the ability to lock the controls so it doesn’t accidentally turn on, etc. But there’s also a few things that I’m not so crazy about. For example, I’d have liked to see a lens cover on the camera to keep that big ol’ lens from getting scratched. I find the zoom controls (UP and DOWN on the control pad) to be awkward to use when holding the camera with one hand. The video inevitably shakes a bit as you try to move your thumb around. I’d have liked a rocker or slide switch just below the control pad instead. The included lariat, while strong, feels insanely cheap, like one of those plastic necklaces you get for 25¢ at the supermarket vending machine. As a mixed blessing they also make it difficult to delete a video on the camera; you have to press three times on different buttons to delete. On the one hand that makes it harder to accidentally delete a video, but it also makes it a pain to purposely delete a video. I also wouldn’t have minded the ability to use the camcorder as a webcam but that’s not on the menu either.

For the Mac users out there, here’s what you want to know: The camcorder plugs in via USB. It works on both USB 1 and USB 2 ports but of course it’s much faster on USB 2, and given the size of the video files (roughly 4GB per hour) you’ll definitely want USB 2. Your Mac will see the camera both as a USB storage device AND as a camera. For the former, you’ll see a “FLIPVIDEO” volume appear on your desktop. This contains both Mac and Windows versions of the FlipShare software (completely 100% not needed for a Macintosh) as well as a “DCIM” folder (Digital Camera IMages) that contains your MPEG4 video files. You can drag-copy those files from the camera to wherever you want. Alternately, because the Mac sees the camcorder as a camera, you can use iPhoto, iMovie, or Image Capture to copy the videos from the camera to the computer. (NOTE: iMovie HD, the last version of the ‘old’ iMovie, does not see the camcorder. iMovie ’08 and iMovie ’09 both see the camcorder and can access the videos directly.) When you’re done copying you can delete the videos from the camera if you wish, then just drag the “FLIPVIDEO” icon from the desktop to the EJECT icon. If you leave the camcorder plugged in it will charge via USB; otherwise, unplug it and away you go.

At first I was somewhat reluctant to have this camcorder. After all, I have a very powerful (and very large) Sony Digital8 camcorder that has served me well for MANY years. My Canon PowerShot digital camera also takes exceptional videos, and with an 8GB memory card in it I can record for quite awhile. And in a pinch, my cell phone (which also has an 8GB memory card in it) can record a couple hours of video if I let it. So I’m not hurting for video recording. But the UltraHD is the first camcorder I’ve owned which does true high definition video and due to a combination of its size, fast setup time, and insanely easy to use architecture, I find myself carrying this camcorder almost everywhere I go. Because you never know.

New Baby
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
So we just had a new baby in August, and of course Dad had to go buy himself a video cam. I did my homework and looked far and wide for something to fit our needs. The Flip Ultra HD was cool and sleek but I was weary due to the obscure manufacturer. We have had Sonys, JVCs, Panasonics, and Cannons so I must admit I was skeptical at first. However the video reviews on Youtube, and CNET won me over. This is as close as you can get to HD quality for under 200 dollars (if you know where to look). Granted I won’t be filming that Documentary I’ve been meaning to shoot with this thing, but it handeled Thanksgiving swimmingly. The software is possibly the easiest editing software period. All you have to do is attach the camera to a computer wait 5min and you are ready to go. I do have a bit of a problem with Flipshare, it only allows you to add 1 song to a movie, and you have to choose the recorded voice OR a music track you can’t do both. It really wasn’t designed to cut together long bits of video, but for the 2min or less video I don’t think there is better.

Now…some other reviews have poked at the stabilization factor, and yes the video can be shakey at full zoom. With a bit of practice you can shoot fine video, plus it has a reciever for a table tripod which is useful if you are shooting something like a birthday or family gathering if the shakey-ness is beyond your control. I’ve also hear people complaining of the rechargable batteries. I have solved the problem. I have a set of rechargable batts we use for other stuff (xbox, digital camera, remote,etc) so I tossed the pack that came with the camera and just recharge ours in the wall charger that we normally use. Also you can keep 2 copper tops your bag just incase. The HDMI port on the side is awesome as I have already used it at family events to showcase the UltraHD, only thing is it is a mini HDMI (c) port so you need to get a $5 converter from the Shack so it works with a regular HDMI cable. The quality is well worth the price, and it has already been dropped, held over a pot of boiling water (my wife’s idea of homemade Food TV) and thrown in a few diaper bags. They will have to pry my UltraHD out of my cold dead hands!

Greate concept but not very portable
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
My wife and I bought the UltraHD with the water proof case for our snorkeling trip to Cozumel. I was disappointed to discover that the longest video I could capture was 37 minutes before the battery need to be recharged. I wasn’t going to take a laptop with us so I returned the recorder and purchased a water proof case for my Panasonic ZS3.

It is a simple device to use but it wasn’t designed for traveling because you need to charge the device with a computer USB port and the memory is fixed, there are no HDSC slots to add memory.

Highly Recommend!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
OK, I’ll be honest… I bought this for my husband as a gift because i discovered it had a very affordable underwater case FIRST. My husband always wanted an underwater camera but we could enver afford one or the case needed for his cannon SLR camera. I ordered the underwater case FIRST and then worried about ordering the camera second. But I can’t tell you how impressed i am with the camera. Easy to use, better than expected, software easy. Easy, easy, easy and for the price, a camera everyone should have.

I’m in love with my Flip
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Its such a simpel but very effectif item for example holidays.

Easy to work with, light in your hand.

Simply a great camcorder.

The only thing I miss about this product is a light

to make a video in the home .

Excellent, fast, so easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After spending 10 years cutting video from Mini DV (a process that takes hours), I finally moved into the 21st century with this Ultra HD. I have kids at home and the best thing about this video camera is how fast I can get this thing going to record those moments. The HD quality surpassed my expectations looking great on my PC. Emailing the videos downgrades the quality a bit, but what do you expect for something that’s under $199?

I’ve had this thing for two months now, and taken close to 300 video clips. I keep it with me in my coat pocket when I’m out with the kids. Easy, simple, and fast. Bye bye Mini DV.

Awesome little camcorder!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Good quality video camcorder. I purchased it for my company. I bought two of them to send to our stores nationwide to tape how-to videos. They are easy to mail to the stores, so easy to use, and the quality of the videos is excellent. Couldn’t be happier with the product. I’m considering purchasing one for personal use.

Can’t beat the value
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had the flip MinoHD and quickly upgraded to this camera for the 2 hour recording capability and rechargeable batteries. video quality is nice. it is bigger than the Mino, but not cumbersome at all. it is a nice size. i am having mixed experiences with the battery life. I need to test it more. overall, the new flip cameras are great. if you don’t want to spend $600-$1500 on a camcorder, this is definitely a great option for almost anyone. pick it up.

Great little camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this little camera to take on a medical trip to China and so far I can’t find anything I don’t like about it. It’s easy to use, I get about 2 hours of video on it and my battery has not ran out. I did pick up an extra set of re-chargeable batteries just because I will be traveling. So far it’s great and I’m enjoying sending my family short clear wonderful videos!

Excellent picture, no zoom…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I decided to record some vacation shots and got this camera. There are several pluses – it is small, you can carry it without any problem, the picture is very clear and it is a camera you can take to places where video cameras are not allowed (Professional sporting events). The only negative I would say is the zoom lens doesn’t zoom too well, but that is the only thing. It really does the trick!

Video Size an Issue
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I must admit that the quality is much better than I anticipated.. All my videos have been inside and I am very pleased with the outcome. It is a fun little toy and fits nicely in my pants pocket. I also purchased the Power Adapter and have not had any charging issues. The software also worked, but I am disappointed that I can’t direct the software or videos where to save. I only have a work issued PC and wanted to save the software and videos to my external drive. From my experience, I can only export the videos after everything has already been saved to the laptop hard drive. This is very frustrating, but manageable. Ok, now to the worst frustration… I want to send videos from my hotmail account or upload to Facebook. I can only send up to 10MB. In my experience this is only 9 seconds of video. This is very short! I am unable to share any of my videos with family and friends. We sang happy birthday for a dear friend, took 15 seconds – can’t send to anyone.. Does anyone have any advice! I really want to love the Flip and give 5 stars!

Decent Quality, Instant email & YouTube Video posts
Rating:3 out of 5 stars

The Flip UltraHD does take good HD video overall for the low price.

The Kodak Zi6 with the ‘HD60 Mode’ (60 frames per second) does have a

more 3D like look when taking Video images outside.

Go see it in a Best Buy or Walmart powered up if you can, and you see what I mean.

Kodak Zi6 also can handle 32Gigs of SD Memory.

All these low cost HD Video cams will improve over the next few years a

lot. None are perfect at all, and each has trade offs.

Flip Ultra is a good one, but I perfer the Kodak.

Great value for it’s size!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was looking for something extremely portable and easy to use. After reading all I could find about this camera I decided this was the one for me. I have to say it’s an amazing piece of equipment. I love how easy it is to quickly whip out and capture a moment. Unexpectedly the best part is the ease of uploading the videos. It comes with built in software which allows you to easily upload and send e-mail invites to friends to view your videos on [...]. I also love how you simply charge it by using your usb port on your pc/laptop. One of the other things I like is should you be on vacation and your rechargeable battery pack runs out; you simply use regular batteries and you’re back in business. I have a friend who has the mino version and loved how much bigger my screen was. This camera does exactly as advertised and I would highly recommend it for anyone who simply wants to capture life’s precious moments without the hassle of figuring out how to upload them to the web or transfer them to DVD.

As far as accessories…It comes with a carrying case but I would recommend getting a better one as it’s pretty thin and was already tearing on me after a week. As for the wall charger, I don’t like it because the camera hangs on the usb arm, use a usb extension cable and plug into your pc/laptop while laying flat. I did purchase an HDMI to mini HDMI cable so I can play right through my HDTV but I haven’t used it yet (nice to know I can though…lol).

Video on the go!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We love the Flip UltraHD Camcorder. It is so much easier to grab this little camera and take it to the park to film the kids. The fact that it is simple to operate makes my wife and me happy. Video quality is good. Playback on my 27″ HD TV is great. My only wish is that it had image stabilizing and extra long lasting batteries. The video can get pretty shaking as you are moving to follow the action. If you use a tripod quality is great. Battery life could be improved. After 1 hour of recording the battery needs charged. It is usually not a problem because I rarely film for longer periods before I download the images to the computer. It’s a wonderful ultra portable video camera with software to match. It is extremely easy to download and send links to friends and family to watch. For the price it is a great cameraFlip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black) Amazon had the best price. I paid $149 in Dec. 09

Flip Video review – nice product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very good video camera; high quality. Only issues are inflexibility of zoom, and lack of features to allow for filming in darker or dim lighting.

Love my new Flip UltraHD Camcorder!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I originally bought this camera for my business as a real estate agent and thought I’d use it for sending a first “walk through” of homes for out of town clients and for creating virtual tours of my listings. I have used it for so much more! I was invited to a friend’s house for a wine and fondue party and had just got my camera that weekend. I went around her home video taping the various fondue stations, wine bar and the awesome dessert table. Then I caught a few conversations of friends commenting on how nicely the party turned out. When I got home I created a thank you card with the FlipShare software that included the video clip of her party – and she was so excited to see and hear things that as a hostess she may have missed out on.

I send alot of e-mails of family members, partcularly the children – to out of state relatives. What a great way to stay in touch. I have received so many e-mails of appreciation for the video clips. My mom recently had a stroke, and we’ve video taped some of her rehab, and it comforts her family to see that she is making progress every week!

You will find this camera your “go to” camera for everything. I love the small size – it fits conveniently in my purse or a pocket. I always have it with me. Although I purchased the tripod – I find that the camera will sit upright on a table or desk by itself, too. I do recommend using a firm surface or wall to stabalize your hand and thus the quality of your video – unless of course, you are using your tripod.

E-mailing clips was so simple – and I am amazed at the size of video clips that can be sent. It’s practically a one button operation!

I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a simple way to stay in touch with family and friends. Great camera for an awesome price!

Flip UltraHD! Step up?
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased the Flip MinoHD and found it to be an exceptionally useful and powerful device, so when I received my Flip UltraHD I was very excited to give it a whirl. As it turns out, it is both excellent and mediocre.

While functionally superior, the Flip UltraHD it has lost lots of “sexy”. Each aspect of the functional capability is superb but the overall design and presentation is subpar when measured against the bar they set with the previous device. These are main points and observations:

Presentation:

- The UltraHD feels large and clunky especially when compared to its counterpart. It’s over twice the size and it feels like it!

- The sleeve that comes with it is the same size as the one that comes with the MinoHD. It barely fits and I can’t imagine this case lasting very long considering how the UltraHD is constantly straining its extremities.

- The UltraHD has its USB port on the side instead of the top which is not very laptop-friendly. I solved the problem by just using a USB extension cable, but it’s virtually impossible to plug it into my MacBook Pro, especially with anything else connected, e.g., eSATA, external monitor, etc.

Function:

- The UltraHD has HDMI out, so I can play video directly to my HDTV in HD or put the video up on my computer monitor using HDMI->DVI. woot

- The video quality is awesome: after all, it’s HD.

- It has removable rechargeable batteries. I’m guessing that if needed I could throw a pair of AA batteries in there when for some reason I can’t charge it otherwise.

- Twice the video time, a full two hours, is twice as good.

Overall, the UltraHD is very impressive but I would think it was much more impressive if I hadn’t seen the MinoHD first. Aesthetically it has a few issues, but it is a great and very powerful machine!

Bulky, but good quality results
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I really tried to like this video camera, but every time I picked it up to use it, it felt so bulky and awkward in my hand that it wasn’t much fun to use.

Video quality is good, I can’t fault that. Playback and download to the computer are effortless.

I guess I just loved the Mino styling so much that it makes the UltraHD look like the ugly stepsister next to it.

If I were simply rating results, this would be a five star review, but ergonomics and quality feel are just not there.

Ideal for my needs.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I first saw it demonstrated, I knew it would be ideal for the annual quilting workshop(s) that I attend. Then the ideas expanded. How perfect for a visit to a care facility where two relatives are living. There is now 45 minutes of memories stored on the computer. A major attraction for this particular Flip Camcorder is having 120 minutes available. Another attribute is the excellent sound pickup.

Review of the reviews Designed to save you time
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The purpose of this review is to save you time and hopefully money. Prior to deciding to buy this item I read nearly all of the 300+ reviews at Amazon’s Web site. I ordered this item last night and haven’t even received it yet but think I can help. Here’s what I gleaned. If you buy this product here’s what I think will happen and what I suggest you do if you do decide to buy this camcorder:

1. You will probably like it but there’s a good chance you’ll have a battery charging problem of some sort but there’s a work around for that as follows:

A) Remove the battery pack from the camcorder,

B) Connect the camcorder to a POWERED USB port directly on your computer (NOT a mini hub!),

C) when the “Connected” indicator comes on, insert the battery pack into the camcorder,

D) SAFE eject your camcorder from your computer (don’t rip it out!),

E) Reconnect your camcorder to your computer

2. It is unlikely the camera will function satisfactorily for more than six months to a year. The manufacturer warranties the product for 90 days. I think there is a good reason for that.

3. After fifty-five years on this planet and being a significant and regular buyer of all types of items from Amazon for many years I strongly encourage you to buy the two or three year Square Trade Warranty that’s available. I’ve researched Square Trade and believe you can buy this warranty with confidence and when the camera stops working, unless it’s due to abuse or damage, you’ll be refunded the purchase price of the camera in a timely manner. Alternatively if you buy with American Express there’s a good chance you’ll have an extra year of warranty beyond the manufacturer’s 90 days. Check with American Express on this first though as they have several different cards with different benefits.

4. I am not an employee or shareholder of either Amazon, American Express, Square Trade, or Cisco/Flip (I believe Cisco is buying or has bought Flip) so I have no vested interest in any promoting any of these products.

5. Plan on using this item with a laptop computer and make sure your computer meets the video and power requirements. If you use a Mac laptop, you MAY not be able to adequately charge the camcorder with your computer so you should buy the AC power adapter accessory if you intend to put the camcorder to use right away. Also, there’s a good chance you’re not going to like the rechargeable battery pack that comes with this camera so you should either be willing to buy AA batteries regularly or have a good AA battery charger and good AA rechargeable batteries. I’ve never been able to find a satisfactory AA battery charger or AA rechargeable batteries. I’m compelled to add that one person commented on this and said “I’d suggest getting a Powerex MH-C401FS charger (or similar model) as well as some Powerex AA batteries. I’ve had excellent results using their 2700mha AA’s in a Canon A620.” I’ve not tried these rechargeable batteries but in light of this seemingly knowledgeable comment comment will give them a try.

The cost of the three year Square Trade warranty with Tax is about $24. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that amortizes to $8/year, $0.67/month, or $0.02/day; I think a small price to pay for peace of mind.

I will amend this review in January 2010. I am taking a two week cruise vacation and will test the camcorder on that trip and report back. Then again, after six months, or if the camera ceases to operate properly, whichever comes first, I will amend the review yet again. If the camera fails, you’ll also be able to see my review of the Square Trade claims process.

In summation, the way I view this is as follows: My risk is < = $25 to $45. If Square Trade covers only the camera and it fails, then I'm out about $45. If both the camera and the AC Adapter are covered, which I think is the case, then my risk is simply the cost of the warranty or about $24. Even if I get six months of decent fun video, it's worth $45 to me. The industry standard warranty for these types of items is one year. This manufacturer only gives 90 days. I'll be surprised if it lasts a year. I'll be satisfied if it lasts 6 months and only costs me $40 but works well. If it doesn't work as advertised, I'll return it to Amazon and my cost is zero.

It is hoped this review will save the prospective buyer time and money. I’ve learned from experience that any item with less than 35 reviews and less than 4 1/2 stars on Amazon is a risk to buy. I take the negative reviews seriously. Everything I’ve read about the Square Trade Warranty claims process is assuring to me. If it weren’t I would not consider buying this camcorder as I do not expect it will last for much longer than the 90 day warranty the manufacturer provides.

This camera looks so cool and easy to use. If it works and I get some good vacation videos to watch on our nice 55″ LCD I’ll be a happy camper. I’ve also ordered the waterproof underwater case for this camcorder so will report on it as well.

December 4, 2009: Camera and accesorries worked great out of the box. Plugged camera into my desktop Mac and my Dell Desktop and it loaded the software on both machines just fine. As it was plugged into the back of my Mac Desktop the battery charger light was flashing as opposed to just on or off. I’m not sure if this means it wasn’t charging properly or if, because of the placement of the USB ports on the Mac (on the back of the monitor) the connection was not addequate. When plugged into the Dell, it charged just fine (charging light solid on when charging then off when charge completed).

More to come in early to mid January, 2010.

this product sucks
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I ordered it from Amazon.com 2 weeks ago. After I used it once, it cannot be turned on anymore even after I changed batteries, 3 times!

Great for what it is
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was all ready to drop $500 on a video camera for the birth of our little girl. I thought I’d try this out and see what I thought. This thing is great. Go for it.

Very small, Very compact, Great for the money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a Panasonic, I paid over $400.00 for, that takes mini tapes, that can be converted to DVD’s in the computer. It is heavy, it is hard to use, and larger than some. When I bought it, it was on the tail end of camcorders

that were higher priced. I used it a few times,and it is in the closet.

I saw Oprah with this on one of her shows. It might not have been this model, but it was a Flip. I went to Sears, and looked at it, but really wanted it to match my white Casio digital camera, and my white Blackberry Pearl. (Nothing like having all my gadgets match.)

I began to research it, on Amazon, mostly,and decided to try it. I found a white one, like the black one pictured, at Target. It is very small. Look at the specs! It fits in the palm of my hand, and has an excellent screen. The video is sharp,and amazing,and beats my higher priced Panasonic by a long shot. I am impressed, cause the minute I placed the batteries, and set the date and time, and hit the record button, it began recording. I could easily delete it inside the camera.

The video is sharp, and near perfect quality. My model came with a small microfiber bag,and two AA batteries, and a wrist strap. The price couldn’t be beat. I’m taking it to Florida next week, and intend to use it on the dolphins. Never mind the fact that it doesn’t have an SD slot. When it can record 120 minutes of something, who cares? I can upload the video when I get to my hotel. I’ve recorded my dogs, my plants, and accidently my feet with it. I had no troubles with the software whatsoever.

It weighs ounces. It doesn’t take up space, and it’s not something I consider to “lug” around. I take it in my purse, with my other belongings. I’m not sure I’m going to even try to take it to rock concerts. They have too many security on every angle, here in Kansas City. It would’ve been awesome for an outdoor concert, though. I’m going to take it to the skate park, to the ocean, and in fact, everywhere I go. How else can I praise this product?

It has a fast forward, rewind, delete, and record button on it. The USB port pops out,and is protected at all times, until it is popped out with a button. The batteries fit in the lens side, and the cover has a lock mechanism, that I really like, on it. To get more features, one has to spend over $400.00, and risk having something much, much larger. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Flip “fun” camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one of the easiest to use camcorders on the market. I have highly recommended this to my friends and several have purchased one also and

all have been very delighted with ease of use and quality of video’s.

I like it BUT Image stabilaztion is pretty bad without tripod!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this for my wife to take on a trip to India and a skiing trip I will take in January. The packaging was great and over-all it is a quality product. For the small purchase price it delivers your moneys worth but everyone needs to understand its limitations. If you can use the camcorder on a stationary table or tripod it will work perfectly. If you take videos on the go in your hand you will NOT be happy with the results. It does not have image stabilization so it is VERY jerky and a chore to watch. If you move the camera quickly you will also get jerky video like it doesn’t have enough frames per second. Keep in mind this is a very small package and can only do so much. I found the audio to be more than acceptable and the video is excellent when placed in a stationary position. If you can live with this restriction I say go for it. Before I purchased this particular recorder I viewed some videos off the web where comparisons were made between several different camcorders and this problem is normal for all small flash memory camcorders. The Vado was the closest top rated camcorder and it has the same problem. This camera does seem to record in lower light areas better than I expected. It isn’t great and it is a little grainy but to me it was acceptable. You have to buy a wall charger seperately if you want to charge it without a USB port. One other improvement I would recommend in future Flips is external memory card slots. It will hold 2 hours but it is strictly internal memory so if you use it up on a long vacation you have to take your laptop and download the videos off the camera to shoot some more. If it had external memory slots you could just slip in another card. 2 hours is a lot of video so for me I believe it will be fine. I love the fact that is powers on in a matter of 1 second and is ready to record right then. No waiting just point and go. I also like the fact you can use regular AA batteries if you can’t wait to recharge the main battery pack. This can really save the day if you forgot to do a recharge and the baby is putting on a production or that tornado is in sight. The flipshare software is very easy to use and if you upload to myspace,youtube or facebook it can’t be any easier than this. For the money and on the go tripod recording I say buy one and enjoy!

Built in Software
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love the flip. Very easy to use although the built in software was not up to date. When I downloaded new software a message popped up each time I plugged into my computer saying it could not update. I have been writing to Pure Digital and they have asked me many questions regarding my flip, computer etc. Then NOTHING!! No answer to resolve the problem. I am able to use the Flip and having fun. You do have to have a steady hand though.

Good value for money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a simple, “No frills” high-def recording device. You don’t get auto focus, you don’t get optical zoom (digital zoom); what you do get is a very simple to use product that records MP4 movies (implying that there is no conversion needed, just copy over the files and play in quicktime) in impressive enough detail to be viewable in glorious detail. Much better than you’d get on a miniDV (tape) device and I’ve certainly been able to splice together acceptable material for YouTube/Vimeo.

The usability is as simple as it gets: switch on, record, stop; you can view back, delete, that’s it.

Ideal usage would be general scenes, landscapes, cityscapes, etc. Do not think about taking close-ups since the focus is fixed. The aperture is a wide f2.8 giving you very good coverage, but again because this is fixed you are not going to get very much in the depth of field. The Canon 50D MkII it is not, but then again you are paying $180 for a simple, straight to the point HD recorder.

This is wonderful gadget to have in a bag to carry round, maybe a bit too bulky to have in pockets, but small enough to carry in laptop bag, backback, etc. You are not going to be able to produce feature films (although I would not put this past someone to try). You are getting what you pay for so for my money this is good value.

Great Video and Super Convenient
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camcorder and take it everywhere! The quality is excellent for my purposes and I shoot lots more video now. The software that accompanies the Flip is easy to use … you won’t be sorry if you use this item for what its design intended.

Junk… Get a better Camcorder
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This thing will not charge… ive got the same messages everyone else has… Its a shame, cool trinket, cool video, but it does me no good if it wont charge… had it 2 days, and its going back… ive talked to customer service, and no help there.. im done with it

No need for an instruction manual!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Wish the zoom was a little better, but my only real ‘wish’ of this product. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It fits nicely in a purse (or phone bag) and practically operates itself. Transfering, emailing, creating a movie, all VERY easy. I bet a slightly trained monkey or service dog could do it.

Gift of the year, IMO!

not much
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
don’t sweat your decision.

just buy the kodak Zi8 – a truly great HD vid cam.

Flip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the second Flip we’ve owned. The camera is outstanding. The software makes it easy for anyone with a PC to edit, share and make movies. We don’t even use our expensive video camera anymore. The only feature that I wish it had was a higher powered zoom.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The product is great, esy to use and very well priced. My only concern was that the product had been used before I got it. It had some private videos on it that were definitely not left there by the manufactured.

Fun to Carry and Capture
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
When placed in proper perspective it is very practicle and fun. It is not a replacement for larger camcorders but very portable and capable of quickly capturing good quality video for the spur of the moment event.

Easy to use.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera to use with my kids. We like to take short little videos of the cute things they do. We did this with my oldest son and love to go back and watch them now that he is older. It is super easy to use and upload. Emailing them to family members is easy and everyone loves seeing what the kids are doing now. I haven’t tried to play it on our bigscreen tv so I’m curious to see how the picture comes out.

Love this camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I wasn’t too sure that such a small camera would do an adequate job but many good reviews lead me to buy it. I’m glad that I did. It takes surprisingly good video and does a fine job with sound. The software makes it easy to make movies and do screen captures as well as email your work to others. One downside is that I have yet to figure how to change the videos to a more useful format. I understand that it can be done with third party software but I’m still working on it. Also have a steady hand or use a tripod for best results. I haven’t had problems along this line but some people do. In sum, the Flip has a few minor drawbacks but not really enough to matter. I do love the ease of use and the high quality results…good price too.

Absolutely Amazing!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is a real Gem! To think that you have an HD camera the size of 2 card decks!! It is 720p which is beautiful Hi Def Most people can not tell 1080 from 720 and that is the real truth at 42 inch sets and below and you have to look hard on larger sets. The colors are beautiful – lens is sharp with very good white balance! It comes with replaceable batteries which makes it a little bigger. Has an HDMI and the software is easy to use. Just wonderful for the whole family.If it only had image stabilization!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got my Flip Ultra HD video camera today. Right out of the box it is easy to setup and use! I was looking for a product exactly like this that is easy to use and portable. I do not need a fancy, super expensive video camera and if that is what you are looking for, you may be disappointed. The FlipShare software is also simple to figure out and provides lots of great editing options.

Overall, you will like the Flip Ultra HD if you want something simple that provides great quality and allows for lightweight portability so you can take it anywhere!

Better than a phone with movie mode
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
First impressions:

Ok, i know this is an inexpensive “camcorder” with “hd” capability. But there are a couple of things that would really make this camcorder shine. First of all, let’s address the “HD” claim. I’m not sure where it is that 720p is considered to be HD. In my world, 720p is “near HD” and 1080i or p is true HD. Nikon made the same claim with their digital slr. The frame rate is set at 30 fps, according to the literature which is acceptable to me, however it’d be nice if you could select frame rates.

So far my results have been as i would expect. nice clear, crisp image. Probably very acceptable by most users. There are a few items i’d like to address, though.

The claimed minimum focus distance is 1.5 meters. For those who don’t know and don’t want to look it up, i did: 1.5 meters = 4.92125984 feet. I’m of the opinion that the minimum focus distance is less than that. something in the range of about 2 feet. Even still, what that means is that if your into macro-videography, forget it.

I can imagine a whole slew of after-market lens attachments to address that issue as well as provide for more customizable options. 2x teliconverter, fisheye attachments, close up lenses, specialty filters, etc. BUT!! I don’t know how you’d attach anything like that because of the shape of the lens mount. There is no way to attach anything with threads. Which leads me to my next “gripe”. no lens cap. gawd i hope i don’t scratch that thing!!

Other shotcoming have been discussed, such as the lack of a battery life indicator, etc. I’d like to add to that. One thing i’d like to see on a future generation flip is a headphone jack and an audio level meter. It would be nice to actually be able to hear what you are reviewing in the field as well as a larger, such as kodak’s 2.5″, lcd.

I’m a mac user and have been able to import files without a hitch using either iphoto or the included flipshare software. No complaints there. But, i will note that i’m currently using an 04 power pc g4 mac with 1 gb of memory and experience pretty sever stuttering in playback mode. On my newer macbook pro with 4 gb of memory, that’s not a problem. Also, I’m glad that flip decided to include the mini hdmi output jack. Makes unedited review of footage a snap.

So far, i’m satisfied with the fit, feel, and finish of this product and will add more later as i’ve put this baby through it’s paces. I will also add a focus chart video that demonstrates min focus, zoom feature, and a color chart later.

For now, “Flip Out, Brudda!”

Flip Ultra HD
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
If you are going to use this camera with a Mac, do not buy it. I spent hours trying to solve 2 issues. When I try to open the FlipShare Software it ask if I want to update it, I click OK then I get a message that it couldn’t update the software. And lately when I connect the camera to my Mac, it just doesn’t want to open the FlipShare Software. I googled the issues and it seems that a lot of folks out there are having the same problems without a fix from the company.

Flip Ultra – Great!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this direct from Amazon – great experience and great product! Easy to use. We had a more traditional video camera and it always seemed to be a bit complicated to charge it up, break it out and film vacations, special events, the kids, etc. With the Flip – it’s like using a camera. Highly portable, point and click. We got the high def version with 120 minutes. So far, very pleased.

WOW..1st. HD movie in less 5 minutes
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’t know what I was expecting but this little Gift has already exceeded my expectations. Hands down Flip has changed the video world with this little baby…..Good Job Guys.

I timed it and no lie…… within 5 minutes of opening the box I had created a short HD Movie, uploaded it and sent both an email enclosure and the coolest Video Greeting Card …….Now that is what I call easy, and slick. I am not a novice with either digital or video cameras but this is so easy even my elderly relatives could be shooting Good video within minutes. The quality of the picture is very,very nice. I viewed it on my 1080P Samsung HDTV and it was sweet.

The camera came with a soft pouch to protect the lens and the LCD screen. This little thing will fit most any pocket or purse. It also has a non-slip , matte finish ( I have a Black one))…. I was pleased that the batteries come at least partially charged After doing my little video test run I plugged it into the USB of my laptop and away we go. Uploaded the software and VIOLA.. we are all set

Now this can’t be any easier and to get this quality of video is just amazing.. If you don’t have a HDMI connection between your computer and a TV invest in the HDMI adapter.. what a picture improvement you will see.Well worth the extra $25.

Can you tell I LIKE this little thing ?? YES .. your right. This will provide a lot of fun for all members of a family. Everyone will want to get their hand on it..

****** Update:

Well I have had the opportunity to try out one of the competitors sm video cameras…….well Hands down the FLIP is soooo much better. I was surprised at how hard they made their camera to use vs the simplicity of the FLIP…..Their buttons didn’t response easily, the ports on the sides of the camera were so small that you need a COIN to access them and I have small hands. The sound quality was so poor.. Nothing like the great stuff I get on this little Flip. and the software was very difficult to use…….. OK can I give this FLIP something higher than a 5 STARS….if so I would easily….Oh and my technophobic friend even wants one now..

What else can you say but that it is that easy to use !!!!!

Great little camera.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I wanted to get into video-blogging, but didn’t want to use my mom’s video camera for it so, I asked for this one for Christmas.

Pros:

-Shoots great quality videos with amazing audio too.

-Very easy to use, a completely tech newbie could figure this out.

-Simple design, nothing flashy or complicated.

-Great customer service, answered my question within 24 hours.

-Easy to hold, exterior is soft and “grippy” feeling.

Cons:

-Lens is exposed; I keep it in the pouch at all times when I’m not using it to keep the lens from getting damaged.

-Power button is too easily pushed; Sometimes I go to pick it up or put it in my bag, it turns itself on. Thankfully, it cuts off after a minute.

-Mine wouldn’t turn on after I disconnected it from the computer, I had to take the battery out and put it back in to make it work. Just hit a button to light up the screen before disconnecting and it’s fine.

-The FlipShare editing software isn’t very good. It might be if you only wanted to cut some off the beginning or end of the video, but if there’s something in the middle of the clip you want to cut, too bad. Windows Movie Maker decreases the video quality considerably, invest in better editing software like Sony Vegas.

All in all, I really love this camera, it’s light weight and easy to use. The few cons are easy to overlook (or fix) with all the great things the Flip Ultra HD has to offer.

Fun camcorder!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Flip is a pint-sized camcorder with a surprising feature set given its compactness. Though is it not a full-featured camcorder and I would not recommend it for serious recording (special events or production material), it is excellent for on-the-go shots and for spontaneous recording when opportunities present themselves.

The Flip is small – a little smaller than an ice cream sandwich. It may be little, but there’s tremendous convenience in being able to drop your camcorder in your shirt pocket or your purse and have it at the ready. This compact size holds everything you need to start recording – batteries, flash RAM and all. Without tapes or DVD media on which to record, there’s little reason for this device to be any bigger.

It is a solid little thing and feels durable. That doesn’t mean it would do well if dropped or stepped on, but it likely will be ok if jostled a little.

Recording is simple. No, I should be more clear – recording with the Flip is trivial. There is no real science to using it: turn it on, point and press record. Press the record button again to stop recording. Even technological novices, or people afraid of electronics will have no trouble using the Flip to record. Playing back is equally simple – once the recording is finished, press the Play button.

There are + and – buttons, used for Zoom. The Flip doesn’t have a particularly capable zoom, so shooting from a distance will not yield especially great results.

I tested this camcorder in my basement on a bright, sunny day, and I wandered about recording and chattering to myself. When I played back what I had recorded, I made a pleasant discovery – it does some light balancing and deals with changes in light levels so that the video is still clear. The sound is also good, better than I expected. When I walked down a dark hallway and into an unlit room, it had tried very hard to accommodate for the lack of light but it was unable to completely overcome the darkness. As there is no light on the camcorder to come on when it is dark, this is understandable, but it did surprisingly well in spite of that.

I attached the Flip to my computer to pull the video to my hard drive. FlipShare installed itself and started up, seeing the video I had made. It allowed me to pull it over and even gave me the option to delete it from the camera. Once finished, I was able to play the video through FlipShare. Instead, I decided to hunt it down and use a different application to play it.

I found the file and tried to open it with Windows Media Player. I got audio, but not video. When I switched to QuickTime, my video came up and filled my screen. This is the point at which I made an unfortunate discovery. Every minute move I had made while recording was now plainly obvious, as there is no anti-jitter built into the device.

The video, on a 1440×900 resolution screen, looked clear. It records at 1280×720, which is not that much smaller, so I was a little surprised. I would have expected a little pixelation, but this actually was not an issue.

There are few settings that can be adjusted on the Flip – language, date, time and recording light.

The Flip is a nice camcorder that provides tremendous convenience and fun. It is very easy to use and very compact. It is important to remember that it has some limitations which make it a less-than-ideal choice for more serious application, but if those limitations are not an issue for you then the Flip is a fun and affordable way to capture things on video.

Overall great!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got the flip Ultra HD as a gift and I was suspicious of a cam that could fit in your hand but I was happily wrong. It has remarkable resolution (720p) and great sound and the embedded software is versatile and easy. I took my Flip on vacation and hooked it to my brother’s laptop and it installed with zero effort. Nice. Point and shoot and NEVER worry about focus or glitches ( I shoot sports and my kid chasing the dog).

The only con to this gem would be the moderately short battery life. You can’t use anything other than a computer to recharge it via the USB. I have tried using a car adapter USB as well as the one for IPods but no success. I suggest you have some extra AA’s on hand just to be sure if you want to shoot over 35 minutes at a time.

If you want a HDMI cable your best option is to buy one from Amazon since they are twice to three times more expensive everywhere else. I paid about $14 for mine. It hooks up wonderfully/easy to TV’s and has adjustable sound on the camera. The controls are so simple a kid can use it so even the tech-timid won’t have a hard time with it.

I love the thing and the Flip software (VLC does too) has a screenshot function to grab pictures from the video. This is a good testament to the video quality because if it were garbage they wouldn’t have put this option in there. I have been able to get decent pictures from video scenes when the action was not too much. The USB arm “flips” out and is long enough and study enough to hang at angles without wussing out when you hook it up or recharge it. All it takes is a few minutes of playing with it and you want one which might explain why my friends end up buying one after seeing mine.

It makes great home movies where you combine various scenes and clips and you can add title screens to each movie. It is not as professional as Adobe Pro but more than adequate for home use. Once movies are finalized they are in the correct format for creating DVD’s via Microsoft DVD maker. This cam rocks and the family get nice home DVD’s mailed to them.

Perfect for getting quick videos
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So far I love this video camera. So much easier then having to set up my regular camcorder. Very easy to use and has great video quality.

Beware…I had a Flip and upgraded to UltraHD. This product is awful.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I got a no frills 60 minute Flip recorder last spring and loved it. The software installation was perfect, the videos were uploaded immediately. Then the UltraHD arrived. This new device has 120 minutes and zoom, what could be better? Wrong. This HD camera is AWFUL. I sent the first one back after the battery wouldn’t charge. I am having the same issue now with the second. I have lost video, including of my five-year-old’s birthday. This unit is so disappointing. I don’t know what’s gone wrong with the design, but even dealing with email customer service for Flip is very frustrating. Save your money. This product is junk.

Who thought of this design???
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Received my Flip UltraHD 2nd gen today along with a wall charger. Connected it to my Sony laptop, which recognized it, installed it and started charging it. At least I guessed it was charging because I couldn’t see the screen as the way it has to be inserted into the USB port causes the screen to be face down, so I would have to saw a hole in my desk, crawl underneath, and peek through the hole to see the screen. What an ingenious design. That’s where the Flip lost its first star. You can see the record light, which doubles as the charging light when the Flip is connected to a computer or the wall charger, but you can’t see the charging status or progress on the screen. I then safely removed the Flip and…nothing. It wouldn’t power on. I removed and reinstalled the battery pack and then it powered on fine. I shot a couple of short videos, which were almost as good as I get with my hideously expensive Sony camcorder, and the audio was better. I then tried the connect to the laptop and safely remove activity a few more times with the same results – wouldn’t power on unless I removed and reinserted the battery pack. That’s where it lost its second star. So I called Pure Digital “tech support” and got Tracy. I told her the problem and without asking a single question, she immediately said the unit was defective and I should return it to Amazon. Bummer, so before I boxed it up for shipping I decided to do a bit more Googling and discovered that there is a problem with the Flip battery pack. There are some steps that other Pure Digital techs who must be more, what’s the word? Helpful? Competent? Interested? gave other customers to resolve a pause charging issue. Even though that wasn’t my issue, what could it hurt to try so I did the steps. After about the 3rd time, the Flip started powering on most of the time when removed from the laptop. Coincidence? Luck? Not sure but I called tech support again to share this latest update, hoping to get someone other than Tracy who might have more troubleshooting tips. I just hate returning something and getting a replacement that has the same issues because of an inherent design flaw. I know people are reading reviews to research the quality of a product, not to read stories, but this story is too good not to share. This time I got Scott, at least I think that was his name, hard to tell because there were all kinds of clanking noises on the line, like when someone drops the phone. Equally distracting and confusing, another person was also talking, a woman. When I got tired of yelling over the noise, I asked where it was coming from. Must be static, Scott said. The 3 of us then continued a very disjointed conversation in which it was impossible to tell who was talking to whom. I finally asked, “Who is that other person?” The woman snapped, “We’re training.” Ahah – the clanking noises were the trainer’s and trainee’s attempt to connect to each other while also being connected to me. Scott then asked what the problem was and, now knowing he was a trainee, I meticulously explained. He then asked for the model #, date of purchase, whether it was purchased new, blabla. He then asked what the problem was. I reminded him that I just explained what the problem was, to which he replied, “I forgot.” So I explained again. After a long pause followed by more clanking and some hushed conversation with the woman, Scott said this was an “out of box” issue and I must return the Flip to Amazon. I asked to speak to someone else, at which point amidst more clanking, the woman took over. Guess who? Tracy, who explained that their supervisor told them that new items must be returned to the vendor. To cut this short, let’s just leave it at that after a completely futile conversation and seemingly no supervisor on board to speak to, I hung up on Tracy. I’m 100% convinced that this is not a defective Flip but that the Flip’s OEM battery pack has a serious design flaw, as does the Flip itself. First of all, is the battery pack supposed to get so hot?? Second, if you’re not going to provide a USB cable option, how about designing the flip-out usb connector in such a way that it locks in place and doesn’t let the Flip wobble around when it’s connected to the laptop or the wall charger? And how about designing it so the Flip is not lying upside down when connected to the laptop? Yes, you can use an extension cable if you’re lucky enough to find one that will let the Flip charge, but why should we have to lay out more money just to make what we already bought work? And speaking of batteries, it’s preposterous that there’s no on-screen battery indicator. Also, I knew when I bought it that the Flip would not take stills (you can create stills from video frames using the Flip’s software) so I’m not deducting stars for that but really, it should take stills. And then of course, there’s the stellar tech support, which might have brought this review down to 2 stars if not for the fact that the Flip really does produce good video and very good audio (no, not professional quality but you can’t expect that at this price). All in all, I think the Flip is a great idea and may have its competitors beat in some aspects but its design is in serious need of improvement.

3 stars that should be 5 stars
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
First off I just want to say I love this camera, it is so easy to use that anyone should be able to use it with no problems at all. The quality of the video is fantastic, the audio is excellent, ease of use is supurb, the software is built into the camera and is really not bad at all.

Now for the reason for the 3 stars instead of 5. There is a serious problem with the supplied battery pack, and/or the charging system. I had not done the proper research before purchasing this unit, all the reviews i read were nothing but praise, so I figured that this is the camera for me. I got it home and plugged it to charge, it began to charge then the dreaded “stopped charging, check battery pack”. I checked it and found nothing wrong so tried it again. It began to charge then the same thing. I started to do some research and found that there are a huge number of problems with either the battery pack or the charging system itself, not sure which though. I contacted customer service, if you can call it that, and did get some things to try, which I did. It still gave the same system error. I found that there may be a problem with the battery pack itself, so I tried the solution that is going around the internet, again plugged it in and, well the same result.

I decided that the problem is with the battery pack and I just put in AA batteries and decided to use them instead of the supplied pack, and have had zero problems with the camera at all. I am going to invest in some quality rechargeable batteries and just continue using it in that manner.

If it were not for the battery/charging problem it would be a five star product. I like it well enough to just forget the charging problem and keep the camera. My problem is that for the money the charging system should work and I should not have to get additional batteries when they are supposed to be included. The battery problem is not just a few isolated incidents, just google “Flip Ultra HD charging problems” and check out the flood of complaints and potential fixes.

I am going to cantact the company again and try to get some “customer service” from them, if I can get this problem fixed, I will re-evaluate my review and give it the 5 star review it should get. Sadly in todays world manufacturers don’t seem to care about customer complaints, hopefully this is a case that will be different, we shall see.

I really like this camera and it deserves a great review, but I cannot in good faith give a product a 5 star review that has a widely known flaw. I believe that I should be fair in the camera’s performance, but honest in the problem with the charging system/battery pack.

I use this camera everyday, and I carry it with me all the time. It really is alot of fun to use. Fix the problem and it will be perfect.

If you are willing to just forget the included batteries, get the camera, you won’t be dissapointed, it really does deliver in quality video, audio, and ease of use. Just be prepared to use quality batteries, and have extras with you, and let the good times roll.

Great for the technically challenged
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I can’t stress enough how easy the Flip is to use! Turn on, record, plug into your computer/tv, and play! That’s literally all you have to do.

I chose to purchase this UltaHD Flip over the Mino because of the reviews saying the resolution was better on this one. Please note that if you’re used to the Mino, this model does seem a lot bulkier.

This is a great little camera to have around – perfect for recording your kids’ birthdays, taking a quick youtube video, etc. Please keep in mind that the “HD” on this is meant for computers, it’s not the same quality as HD tv. The videos are grainy when I play them on my 42″ HDTV, but way clearer than any videos I’ve taken with my 10 megapixel Canon Camera or my Samsung phone. No complaints about the audio, everything is very clear. The zoom feature definitely has room for improvement. I haven’t used this for more than 30 minutes at a time yet, so I can’t say anything about the battery power, although many reviews on here have complained about it.

If the camera cost anymore than $200, I wouldn’t have purchased it. It doesn’t come with any accessories, and even a basic HDMI cable is an extra $30. You don’t NEED anything other than what it comes with – you can plug it in directly to your computer and charge it/load videos – however, the cables and the charger do come in handy. Luckily Amazon was having a deal ($150 for the camera + 2 free accessories), so I took advantage of it.

It does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a great portable video camera to catch moments in life that you might otherwise miss. It doesn’t shoot professional video quality and it doesn’t take still pictures. It is what it is, but I think it’s well worth the price of $150.

HD Flip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest items I have ever purchased! The HD Flip does perfect videos, so clear. Recommend to everyone!

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I read a lot of reviews on this before I purchased and the only complaints I found were about the battery recharge system and there is no anti shake built in. Note if you have a computer with AMD processor it does not work well with this system. My laptop has this and the replays are quite jerky. But my wife’s laptop with Intel processor and my Apple desk top are not a problem. This unit does have recharging problems. I decided early on to just use AA batteries and not mess with the rechargeable ones. And it works well for me. The camcorder has a very good quality picture and sound isn’t to bad either. It will pick up wind noise. I thought that for the money I paid for it that it was a great deal. I bought this from Amazon and I got a really great deal on it there. I really like the portability of it as well as the great quality video. I would recommend a small mini tri-pod for it. I found a nice one at wal-mart for 6 bucks.

Got what I wanted for a great price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Christmas gift for my wife. Very intuitive out of the box. Hard to believe that something so small and inexpensive provides such high quality video. I didn’t even know it had a zoom. This is my first product review, but I had to say I am impressed and after all the reviews I read, I knew it would be a great deal. It is worth the money to upgrade to HD. Amazon beat the local retailers by $50 and gave me two-day free shipping in time for Christmas.

Best so far
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this Flip HD. I’ve tried many other camcorders (DXG, Samsung, Kodak, Sanyo, Panasonic) in this same category and NONE have compared to the video quality of the Flip HD. Each time I tested a different camcorder, I made sure I did it in the evening with the lights on in my livingroom. Each time, the others were dark, grainy and had difficulty adjusting to the lamps – took several seconds to focus again. The Flip HD had no issues, and provided clear and bright video. I should mention that my livingroom is painted a rose color with burgundy furniture, so I feel this was a true test of video quality. By the way, the reason I kept trying other camcorders was that the FlipHD is video only, whereas the others took photos too. However, it wasn’t worth the compromise. Besides, I can always create photos with the FlipShare software that’s built into the unit.

As far as the battery, I too had the problem with the battery pack erroring out when charging. So, I got rechargeable batteries to use and have had no issues. I recently used this to record my grandson’s first birthday. I was able to capture all the important moments of the day on a single charge.

Bottom line is that I am very pleased with this camcorder and recommend it highly.

Great camera for people who don’t want a hassle.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Although I am a tech geek I wanted a good quality camera that was simple and easy to transfer the data from without a bunch of proprietary software to bog down my PC. This Flip is perfect. You don’t have to load any software is you don’t wish to as you can go into the flash memory like an external drive and copy the files to your PC to save or edit etc. The mic is not phenomenal but very good for such a small camera and it works great on a tripod as well. Love it! Simple, excellent video qulity, very good audio and a good price. Can’t beat it!

Fun, easy-to-use Christmas, birthday or anniversary present
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Here’s a great Christmas present for your spouse! It is light, portable, easy-to-use, easy-to-understand and, most importantly, fun. The Flip UltraHD fits perfectly in a purse or a pocket and delivers quality HD video at a great value.

Amazon’s special holiday offer included two accessories with the purchase of a Flip UltraHD Camcorder, so I chose the Flip Tripod for Flip Ultra and Mino Camcorders and the Flip Video Power Adapter.

I purchased this for my wife’s Christmas present (she wanted to upgrade from her four-year old digital camera) but the Flip UltraHD never touched wrapping paper. Instead, my wife is running around the house recording videos of our sons – decorating the Christmas tree, wearing reindeer antler hats, in the pool at their YMCA swim class, and practicing their songs for the school Christmas program.

The pre-installed FlipShare software is intuitive, making file organization and photo sharing simple. My wife enjoys sending videos to friends and uploading them on Facebook.

In summary, the Flip UltraHD is a fun, easy-to-use camcorder – and a great value. I highly recommend this as a Christmas, birthday or anniversary present for your spouse, especially if you have a vacation planned in 2010.

Rating: Five stars

Flip Video truly portable
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Wanted a small simple camera to carry on motorcycle trips.

It works great and has the benefit of being able to use regular batteries.

More zoom would have been nice.

Overall it delivers excellent performance.

camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a “second hand” review as it was a gift for a young family member. The ease of use has made it easy for him to use and he’s very pleased with it..

a grandfather’s delight
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Incredibly easy to use: point, press, zoom or not – your choice; hooks up to my Apple and just downloads my exquisite, expandable videos into their own file on my desktop. Just buy it. I’m guessing that my grandchildren will appreciate it in 10 or 15 years. There’ll be some way to play them then, right?

Convenient
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love the flip for its convenience. When I need to film something, I take it out of my bag and literally 3 seconds later I am filming. The flip is fun and certainly worth the money in my opinion. One thing that disappoints is the lack of image stability. Even if you hold it fairly still, the footage still turns out shaky. That is the one con I will mention. Other than that, I am very happy with the product.

Great Little Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have now used my Flip Camcorder a number of times, and have found it to be well worth the money.(By the way, Amazon’s price was $50 cheaper than another superstore.)

First, it is easy to use: simply aim the camera so what you want to capture appears in the screen, press the red button, and it is captured.

Second, all of the software you need is built into the device and is downloaded the first time the camera is used.

Third, for someone who has never really used a camcorder before, the Flip made me look like I know what I’m doing.

One con: the camera fails in low light situations, but that’s where your flash digital camera comes in.

Overall, this is a decent camcorder, easy to use, and certainly as portable as anything I’ve seen.

Thanks, Amazon, a great deal.

Very versatile and fun to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love the versatile and lots of fun to use. I got this for capturing my two kids that are always moving and the camcorder allow for quick capture of the moments. The best part is the kids don’t get in front of the camcorder like my old one. They think it’s an old cell phone or something so they don’t bother me as I video them. This alone with the price.

Flip Ultra HD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am very technically challenged when it comes to electronic equipment but the Flip is the easiest video camera to use. It’s size makes it convenient to carry wherever I go and I can start shooting in an instant. It’s also simple to share videos via email. The Flip program categorizes and stores videos for easy access. I would highly recommend this product.

Small & Easy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Easy to use and carry around. Enjoyed the picture quality which will be good for what we want to use when we travel.

Good convenient HD recorder with some downsides
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is ultra covenient – we already had a camcorder which has better features and video taking. But we bought this because it was always too timely and complex to get the other one out, switch it on and get it going – always miss the moment. With the flip you can pick it up, on and start recording. It’s small enough to take anywhere with you.

The downsides I would say are:

- zoom – none – only digital which if used diminishes the picture quality. So taking video of anything further than about 8ft/4m isn’t recommended

- lack of hdmi cable – don’t understand for the money why they didn’t include one – it’s a hassle and extra cost to have had to buy one

- screen on the back of the flip – it’s pretty small – there seems to be plenty of real estate on the back of the flip – they should make it bigger.

Flip Video Cam HD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The flip cams are a great product. For under $200 you get several hours of HD quality video that is easily transferred to your home computer and across the internet. Great for the casual user and someone who relies on it for business ads on the internet.

Ultra Simple, Ultra HD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Some of the other reviewers have written some really great reviews. I just want to add my recommendation to the others. You can use this camera right out of the box. Press the red record button and press it again to stop.

I saw Katie Couric on Jay Leno using footage from a Flip that she took in Iraq. Just today I saw a CNN reporter who said this was her favorite piece of technology. It’s about the size of a cellphone, so you can carry it anywhere. Plug it in to your USB to recharge and download and upload your videos. It’s no wonder this is the best selling camcorder in the US.

If you buy this you won’t be sorry. When you consider the quality and the cost, you really can’t go wrong. I can recommend it without any hesitation.

FLIP ULTRA HD BATTERY CHARGNG PROBLEMS
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
[ASIN:B0023B14TK Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)]]

I purchased a FLIP ULTRA HD on July 17 and received it approximately 3 days later. Upon receipt, I immediately attempted to charge the unit by connecting it to the USB port of my computer. During the charging process, the device stopped charging on numerous occassions and displayed “Check Battery Pack – Charging Paused” and “It’s Really Hot – Charging Paused” error messages. The charging process was unsuccessful. Thinking I might have a battery problem, I ordered a second battery and was unable to charge that one as well with the identical results. I then ordered the optional Video Power Adapter and gave it another try. After approximately 20 minutes, charging would pause with an “It’s Really Hot – Charging Paused” error message. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to charge the battery, I contacted FLIP technical support for assistance. This was a total waste of time and effort so I decided to send the unit to the FLIP repair center for either repair or replacement. This was done on July 23. Additionally, I wrote a letter to the FLIP CEO explaining the problem and conveying my suspicions that FLIP had either a design, manufacturing or quality problem. I also conveyed my concerns that the unit might present a potential fire hazard due to overheating. The letter was sent July 24. This problem appears to be wide spread as it has been reported in numerous reviews on this site. I also plan to contact the product safety group within Amazon to report the symptoms and problems that I have experienced with this unit.

I love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love my new Flip Ultra HD. It’s super easy to use, software is easy, great picture quality. I can have it out of my pocket or purse and be filming in a matter of seconds. I also love that you can make still photos off of the video. It’s so much better than carrying around a bigger video camera.

Great indoors and outdoors so easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Got this for our 14 year old son. It is so incredibly easy to use and it works great no matter where the filming is being done. I indeed made a great choice with this. I would suggest getting a pouch for this that will fit the camera and whatever gear you wish to use with it.

I think I am going to get one for me!

Really easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Flip, super easy to use personal camcorder on the go. Just as promised its point and shoot. Even in low light or dark setting the flip will auto adjust on its own. Battery life is ok, super awesome you can just throw some AA batteries in there and not be stuck with the rechargeable on the go. The software and usb built in is pretty cool. The only drawback is having to unload 2 hours of video on to your laptop or pc. Not a bad thing but if you are on a vacation chances are you didn’t haul your laptop with you. Haven’t really messed with the software to edit and change video but I will soon. Have a ton of clips from recent trips. One button does it all. Got a great deal and have recommended this camcorder to everyone in my family.

Simple, one trick pony.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The Flip UltraHD is the simplest video recorder I’ve ever seen. After charging it up for the first time, the setup menu has 2 settings. Language, and date&time. That’s it. There are no software or driver disks. The software installs from the camera when you connect it to the computer. The camera has 8GB of storage built in, with no options to increase it. The camera itself is compact and does one thing. Takes HD 720p video. Pretty much it’s all point and shoot. The results are good. The biggest negative is lack of image stabilization. Your image will only be as steady as your ability to hold the camera still. All in all, I find the “Flip” good, but there are other options out there. For the same price or little more, you can buy a pocket point and shoot digital camera that has HD video and image stabilization.

Update 7/03/09:

After taking the “Flip” to Las Vegas with me, I have to admit it has grown on me. I found myself using it more than my digital camera. While I still find its limitations such as no image stabilization somewhat frustrating, my opinion on it has improved. I would now give it a solid 4 stars, and recommend it to anyone who’s only looking for a small video camera.

Easy to Use Except Record Start Issues
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The product is easy to use, has good video quality, but when the record button is selected, it may have record start issues.

Several times we turned the device on and selected the record button and the device would not respond to anything except the power off. We missed two speaches our daughter gave because of this challenge.

If you get the device, it will be helpful to practice starting, stopping, and recording video. I’ve checked with other owners and they have had the same issue.

Flip is simple to operate, good quality, and great value!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Flip UltraHD is well worth it!!!!!!!!! It’s simple operating features make taking video fun and easy. Video’s or still photos can be put together with easy to use flip software. This video camera is so compact, it can be placed in your pocket. The 120 minutes of video is more than sufficient. The battery holding charge is good, and you can use regular batteries if needed. There is also a convenient electrical outlet adapter charger available.

Convenient and fun
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the best little video recorder I’ve ever used. The quality of the video is amazing for such a small device. It is extremely easy to use, with just a couple of buttons to navigate: record, play, zoom, trash. My only complaints would be navigating on the device itself. I wish that there were more options within the device itself, like checking the battery life or adding the date to videos. The only way that I can see the battery life is when it is plugged in to be charged. Other than that, the software is really great that it comes with, very easy to use. I would highly recommend this product if you are looking for a compact, easy to use recorder. It’s simplicity is wonderful!

Great Portable Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am not going to write an extensive review about the tech. specs nor gonna put a video here (see youtube for plenty of flip ultra hd review vids). However, what I wish to tell is this little camcorder is amazing. The video quality and sound quality are stunning. For $150 you cannot go wrong with this.

If you want to shoot HD videos and not send these to TV channels for professional competitions do not spend more money on bigger and complicated products.

HD point and shoot, wow!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’tunderstand some of the critical reviews on this product, it renders perfectly on my 40″ LCD. Works well with my MAC os X system. The flip software that downloads from the camera did not work so I downloaded it from the web site and then contacted customer support. Immediately they sent me a link to correct the software on the camera. It works great with iMovie. The pictue quality is awsome, even at night, as long as you don’t use the zoom feature in low light. At this price i can’t say you could do any better. I have seen some $500.00+ video camera videos that are the same or only slightly better. True, no SD card, but I have found that 2 hours of video between down loads is more than enough for home movies of this high quality. Buy it!

Great camcorder for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this Flip after reading reviews from every store that sold them and I love my Flip HD! It records beautifully inside the house in low light or outside in bright light. I even got a shot of the Shuttle launch at midnite! I was a long way away and it picked up the shuttle in the nite sky! I find the audio to be just fine, very satisfied w/it. The only wish I have for the Flip is a better zoom feature. Other than that I love it! This is not my first camcorder either. The battery lasts as long as I last although I haven’t tried it on a trip yet…but I film everything else! Easy to download to Facebook and all the other sites. Sending videos is really easy using the Flip share site. Buy it!

Used to be jealous!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My parents had one BEFORE me! I was so so jealous, I wanted to make memories and ‘home videos’ for my son (who is 2) to remember the younger years and thought the Flip was the perfect thing for us to do that with.

It fits in practically any purse I use and has a nice carrying case so the lens doesn’t get scratched. I can get it out quickly and it turns on so I don’t miss that ‘magic moment!’

could be a *****
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
A few changes would certainly earn this a 5 star rating from me. Quality of recording and ease of use are high positive plusses. Also being able to use regular AA batteries is a great touch.

If I were to design this camera, I would have had removable flash media instead of the installed memory to remove the recording time limit, you could use as many flash cards as you wanted instead of being limited to a 2 hour session before having to unload or transfer to a computer, nice on a vacation.

I do not care for the fancy USB arm that swings out, seems to put stress on the USB port on the computer, would be happy with just a simple USB port and hooking up to the computer with a USB cable.

Would also like a battery status monitor to give you a rough idea how much battery power is used or left.

Would also like a lens that had threads on it to mount various filters, magification, polarizing, etc.

A/V Out jacks would also be nice.

These additions or changes to the camera would have very little, if any, impact on the price. Without these changes the camera is still a good value, with these changes it would be absolutely perfect.

great camera, limited software
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great camera which is extremely easy to use. The software is also really easy to use but very limited in what you can do. The software only takes video clips and adds them together to make a movie. You can add photos and entire MP3′s, but that is it. You cannot add any special effects or play with timing or volumes. I need to find a better software to edit and create my movies.

Useless without a tripod
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera because of its simplicity and portability. But what’s the point of a device being so portable if you need to keep it on a tripod to get a steady shot?

I opened it up and made a couple of quick test shots. One sitting down, barely moving at all and the other walking around my apartment. Both videos were shaky to the point of distraction.

The picture quality is good so long as you remain absolutely motionless. But without some sort of image stabilization picture quality is irrelevant.

I returned it.

Too dumb to use. Cannot replace your camcorder.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The camcorder has a lot of issues as other reviewers said.

(1) Low light performance is very poor. No LED light during dark condition.

No night vision mode. In fact, it does not need to be very dark; in door shooting is not very good.

(2) Zoom factor is very limited (I feel it is about 2x).

(3) Cannot take a picture.

(4) Cannot extend your storage by external flash card.

(5) No image stabilizer. The video is shaking all the time unless you use a tripod.

It is almost impossible to use. The quality is like shooting from a cell phone.

(6) Auto focus may fail if you move fast.

(7) The video will look like a clear HD only when all the conditions are perfect.

(8) Very limited features and controls. Very inflexible.

Other traditional camcorders or even camcorder function in cameras work much better

than this one. This one is more like a toy for young people. But for those who cares

video quality and want to keep your memory by video should avoid this product.

I return it after trial. It is disappointed.

Needs Image Stabilization
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I think most everyone agrees the video quality is superb. Most people that see the video cannot believe it come from such a small device. I would like to buy a couple more for my Kids to take grandbaby flicks and send to us, but…..

The only real problem I have is image stabilization. The size of the device that makes it so portable and useable also makes it very hard to hold it steady. I work for Cisco and reccomend to all that ask that they wait until Image Stabilization is included in a future release. But then, Cisco just bought the company 7 months ago, I know they’ll get it right.

Should Have bought Zi8…
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Read the other reviews about the flip’s charging problems… A friend got the Kodak Zi8 and it is sweet. I will be trading in!

LOVE IT!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hello! I recentlt bought this for my boyfriend as a Christmas gift, and we really just pulled out of the box popped the battery pack in and started using it, it was so easy! Great picture and sound quality easy and light to hold! Remember those old home camcorders back in the 80′s yikes! This was awsome and both of us totally recommend it!

17 Again
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So when I was 17 (and convinced that I would someday be famous) I really wanted a video camcorder to try my hand at making movies, or to film myself to see whether I had what it took to be a TV reporter, but never could justifying spending $500+ on one. Over the years I moved onto other tech cravings and ambitions. Then last year a friend showed me the Flip Mino – and I had to have one. It was super easy to use and fun, and I started getting great videos of my own kids – and captured moments that otherwise would have been fleeting, including my youngest child’s first steps. I wish this had been around when I was a kid. Anyway, the Mino is great, but it’s tiny tiny tiny. That’s convenient when it comes to having a camcorder on you at all times, or when trying to get into events that prohibit cameras, and the screen is really small. So I just picked up this new Flip – the Ultra HD. The screen is wonderfully large. It comes with a rechargeable AA battery back, which works through the USB, but it looks like you can throw in regular AA batteries in a pinch. Sound quality is great, video seems even better than the Mino. Only drawback with both the Mino and Ultra is you have to keep your hand steady when filming – but I find that easier to do with the Ultra than the Mino. Also, it’s not ideal for filming kids’ concerts, because the zoom is only 2x. But for capturing otherwise fleeting moments in great quality, the Ultra HD is now my standby. The software that comes with it makes it easy to email videos to family and friends, or to upload a video to Flickr or wherever. Bottom line is I’ve been carrying this thing around nonstop since I got it. Hasn’t made me famous yet, but I love my Ultra.

DOA: It’s really hot! Useless, but stylish
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Purchased as a gift on Amazon. It only stays on for about a minute at best before getting the message that “It’s really hot.” and shuts off.. Tried connecting it to the computer to fully charge the battery, same thing. Then let it rest for two hours, fully charged… we get about 10-20 seconds of use then “It’s really hot”, again. Waiting to hear from Pure Digital, but I have a feeling that this is going back and will post review on Amazon so other’s don’t have the same problem.

Can I rate this 0 stars?

Sweet camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We bought this for our son and he absolutely loves it! It was a really good price (Amazon rocks!) and I love how small it is and how easy it is to use. The quality of the video is quite good, I mean, it’s not going to knock your socks off, but for what you are paying, it is pretty great.

Flip ultrahd camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The picture is misleading. It looks like it is a shiny black finish, but it is a flat-black finish. It should indicate this in the color section. However I do like it, but found that it is easier to operate it if the tripod is attached to be used as a handle in the hand.

Ultra HD Rocks
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What a great simple no frills camcorder. It does everything you want it to do. Record! In exceptional

clarity

Flip UltraHD–Great with Exceptions–Worth Buying
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Flip Video UltraHD. 8 GB/2 hour 720p pocket camcorder. I wanted an HD video camera but cannot now lay down $600+ for a larger, more traditional camcorder type. Notwithstanding price, I also wanted something very portable for spontaneous videos. That’s not gonna happen with anything you can’t put in your pocket (i.e. $1000 bag-cam).

Pros:

-Daylight HD image quality is outstanding

-Very nice, simple interface that is quick to use for reaction to situations that arise demanding video

-Comes with rechargeable battery pack and you can also use AAs (2)

-Mini-HDMI out port

-Low price

-Beautiful industrial design, high quality build

-Incredibly attractive packaging for you gadget buffs (me included)

Cons:

-Grainy and flaky in low light (as is just about every sub-$1000 cam)

-Sometimes sketchy battery life

-No memory card slot

-No image stabilization makes for shaky cam unless held pretty still

Overall:

Definitely worth buying for those everyday HD videos you want to take. Won’t replace a nicer camcorder but is great to stick in pocket for all kinds of events, or just carry all the time. The ONLY thing the minohd has over this is size. If you want replaceable batteries, better control interface, and HDMI out in exchange for just a little more size, this is the pocket cam for you.

The world will change when somebody comes up with a pocket cam with the following features:

-Sub-$200

-Great image stabilization

-Low-light performance

-Memory expansion

-External mic jack

And don’t tell me that the Kodak Zi8 fits this because it does not (read the reviews).

Until then, I’ll go with the Flip UltraHD which is a good approximation.

Love this camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This camera is absouletly the BEST ever. You can carry it anywhere – make snapshots and put the movies to music….wish I had it years ago – go nowhere without it….LOVE IT!!!!

Quality control problem?
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Within 30 days of purchase, this Ultra HD began displaying the oft-reported error “It’s really hot – need to cool down” every time it powered up. Occurred even after sitting in a cool room for over 24 hours. Apparently this is a known problem that the Flip people deal with fairly often. They were very ready to address the issue, but unfortunately the unit has to be sent in for repair, which is “two to three weeks after we receive it”.

I appreciate their willingness to fix the device on warranty without complaint, but I think that they should just send a new camera rather than make the customer wait while they try to fix the old one.

Disappointing quality control, disappointing customer service.

Flip mino HD
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Would never recommend this to anyone. DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!! Many, many, many people report the same problem online. Check the reviews and problems elsewhere. This is a piece of garbage product. After 6 months of using this product, which we were happy with up until one day it just would not turn on. No matter how long we charged the camcorder it still would not turn on. Turns out the company can’t fix it and we can no longer use it. PIECE OF CRAP!

Great unit; a few small bugs.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
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.

Wonderful Portable Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have not owned a video camera in 10 years, they sure have changed. I hated to carry a bulky camera around. Well now I can carry a camera in jacket where ever I go. Truly wonderful. The picture is superb. Highly recommend it, except for the software, I would use a 3rd party software like iMovie, etc…

flip
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
the only problem i have with this camera is that it takes an incredibly long time to turn on, which can be a problem with action videography.

flip camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
flip camera is a great product..love the convenieence of using it…small and takes good picture…only problem is the audio…it is sometimes hard to hear unless right on top of subject!!!

Good inexpensive and easy to use, lightweight camcorder.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Just bought this and read the pros and cons and comparisons before making a purchase so it was no

surprise that this little camcorder didn’t have a zoom. Fine with me – just wanted it for spur of the moment shots. When I played it back and couldn’t hear anything, I hoped the sound was better on the

Mac and it was.

We live very close to the ocean and the microphone picked up the sound of the wind better than it did my voice. Will have to remember to hold the unit still, too. Very sensitive to movement.

I think their software needs improvement. Been e-mailing back and forth to them about their ‘channels’ – says it was sent to the recipients but they weren’t. The people that have been e-mailing me continue to ask me the same questions – the size of the video I sent, their e-mail providers, etc. After tiring of

responding to these questions a couple of times, I asked if they had anyone there in their customer service unit that could provide assistance. I didn’t want to become e-pals with them – just wanted an answer.

Didn’t get the answer so now I simply e-mail the videos to friends and family, with a copy to myself, so I know for sure that they have been sent. I think their software needs some improvement.

I am sad that I HATE the flip
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I had my flip not even a week and the lense cracked. I contacted customer support and they said it was an act of god and tuff luck. So now I spent 150 on something I have to throw away. Support said they wont even sell a replacement part. I didn’t do anythign to the camera that is not advertised.

Excellent Value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Hi. I love this thing. It is perfect to carry everywhere so I don’t miss capturing a thing. My kids are in all sorts of events (Plays, Sports, etc). This is perfect to have in my purse and use. Great value.

FLIP needs a steady hand…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The still pictures that can be gotten from the videos are very good. But unless the camera is held very steady, the action seems jerky. Maybe that is the problem of a high shutter speed. If one examines regular movie frames, they are quite blurred if there is any action going on. A slower shutter speed makes for much smoother action shots, but that is not an option with the Flip camcorder. Use a tripod, or at least pay attention to being very steady if you want good movies. Avoid panning shots – let the subject do the moving rather than you moving the camera.

not so hot…or is it?
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The camera works okay of course I cannot see the video clearly on my computer because I don’t have HD. The big problem is the charging of the battery, it would never charge because it got too hot. I sent one back to Amazon for a new one because even one of the pixels was bad, then I sent one back to the manufacturer, bad pixel and not charging! It still didn’t charge without getting hot so they told me to take the battery out while plugged in and then put it back in to charge. Haven’t tried that yet but I did set it near a fan and that kept it cool enough to charge but the green never did get to the end of the little battery icon so don’t really know if the battery was really fully charged. Lot of work for such a small camera.

So easy, even a caveman could do it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Easy and ready to use right out of the box. The editing software loads up on your computer the first time you plug it in. I love that you can seamlessly merge different videos together to make a movie, even adding your own soundtrack. So easy, even a caveman could do it. Highly recommended!

Flip Ultra HD. 8GB. 120 Minutes.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Perfect for a novice like myself. great to take on vacation and sporting events.capturing all the little moments with our 4 year old son has made the flip pay for itself 10 times over already. its extremely easy to use and the quality is fantastic. im very happy and my wife loves it. so enough said. buy it!

Love my flip!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We purchased our flip video for our real estate office after learning about this product at a continuing education class. The instructor couldn’t say enough good things about the flip and he was right. Great tool, not to mention fun toy.

Great for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased one of these right after our first child was born. For the price, I wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The quality of the video is quite good, and it’s easy enough for anyone to use.

The few downsides I’ve found:

1) The USB connector seems fragile. I happened to have a USB extension cable sitting around, so I use that; however, I could see the connector breaking off from hanging off a USB port for awhile. If they would build a cable and retraction device in, it would be much more convenient.

2) If you erase all images, the file numbering resets. So every time you wipe the pictures you have copied to your computer off the Flip, you will end up with new videos with the same file names as existing ones. Support says there is no way to change this behavior.

For the price, I don’t think it can be beat.

Lovin’ it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
A very cool gadget! Fits in your pocket, great video quality, good sound quality. A definite plus is the software that comes with the device. Installs quickly on Windows and works smoothly. You can even make your own movies with it.

I only have my doubts about de quality of the battery, last time it was empty too soon. And charging it takes a long time.

Won’t charge! Save yourself the money….
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I wish I’d read the other negative reviews before purchasing. Very cute, and took good video of the school play–before shutting off after only an hour! We’d thought we’d charged it before taking it out — but then realized is wasn’t charging through the USB. Tried on another computer — still no charging. Wrote to customer support-got back canned advice that didn’t work, as if they’d never heard of this problem. Then saw all of the reviews talking about the same problem. Very disappointing.

Easy and nice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got this camera as a gift for my geeky boyfriend. He LOVES it and carries it around all the time (unlike the photo camera he had before)! He loves that you don’t need any extra cables to carry around – not for charging, not for copying/saving files. That’s the main thing he loves about it. Besides it takes a decent quality movies. Not as good as some big camera, but it’s portable. The files are huge (i.e. not for posting online), but that’s HD, so what fo you expect?

Overall – great buy.

Great Idea; Poor Implementation
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This product is a great idea, that just does not cut-it in real world use. The camera shake is just unbearable. I am returning it, and will find a small camera that does video with image stabilization.

Good Product
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I really like my flip. It’s great for youtube videos. It also fits nicely in my pocket which makes it easy to do my video blogs. The video quality is high deff, but not true high definition. But being high def you need a computer with a lot of ram if your going to do editing. Here is a video if you want to see the quality- [...]

Kind of boring!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camcorder does what its supposed to do quite well, and that’s to take videos, and make it easy. That’s great..

But for people like me, who are total geeks, its kind of boring actually, there is not one setting to adjust, no menu, nothing.

At least give me a setting to adjust the video quality if I want to shoot in HD or SD.

So its a great camcorder if you don’t want anything complicated, but I would appreciate a little bit to figure out in my gadgets.

Flip UltraHD Model U2120B
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Awesome out of the box experience. I had the Flip Ultra HD unboxed and recording in about 2 minutes. Very simple, user friendly controls. The rechargeable battery had enough charge to make a few short videos. The video quality is outstanding.

My only complaint is that it needs charged by a PC. It was not clear in the advertising that you needed to purchase an optional wall plug. It charges by USB.

The built in FlipShare software is very easy to install and use. I made a 5 minute video of my two cats running around and put their antics to the Benny Hill Theme. The process took a whole 5 minutes. Again I love this camera

Works as advertised!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I use this for my real estate business and find it a great tool. My business relies on visual advertising to get the point across to the consumer. The Flip really does the job without any fuss. And the photographic results are excellent. I bought this model because you can use either the battery pack or regular AA batteries, a real plus!

Sweet Easy Nice Recorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Really nice recorder: Easy simple – No brainer – I own Sanyo Xactis and they are good cameras and simple, but also take pic’s…this Ultra HD Flip really rocks for simplicity…the only thing the FlipUltra lacks is a great holster and it can be found at: [...]

Sorta Great
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great for capturing the kid moments that disappear quickly. Camera itself is flawless, genius in its simplicity. It may have cut a little too close, eliminating key basic features, like a battery charge indicator.

Still exploring the software – install went fine on XP desktop, video transfers went fine. Have not played back on large screen yet to judge image quality. Biggest plus of this camera: simplicity.

good item
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camcorder is very easy to use. It’s great to just pick up and go with it. The only thing I would like to see is that the battery lasts a little longer.

Flip Ultra HD – Disappointing
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I wanted to love this product with everything I had. Small, lightweight, affordable, HD – what more could you ask for. But I find that I can’t.

I am considering whether to try a third time or not. My first Flip Ultra HD exhibited charging problems from the first time I set it up. I then confronted the permission problem with FlipShare not allowing me to update the firmware. After about half a dozen emails with support – I gave up and returned it to Amazon.

Flip Ultra HD #2 finds me in the same boat. Error when trying to upgrade the firmware. The battery suffers intermittent charging problems again with a cycling:

“Check battery pack: Charging paused”

Another 6 emails to support. I’m sure they have a computer algorithm spitting out standard template answers. On 3 separate issues I received the same support response.

When I use normal AA batteries, the camera works grFlip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)eat, but I didn’t pay near $200 for the device not to work properly.

Ultra HD camera – 9/10

Ultra HD battery – 1/10

Flip support – pathetic

Great Christmas gift for son and his family!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this gift for my 34yr old son for his Christmas day Birthday. He loves it!!! He said it is so easy to use and the picture is phenominal!!! Also states that it is so easy to use to catch those cute pics of his 4yr old and 10mth old. Definitely would recommend to everyone that this is a great purchase for self or for gift.

Easy to use, Great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve always secretly wanted a camcorder but have never bought one because I usually associate most with the idea of my dad shooting family vacation videos. Camcorders seemed large, cumbersome, and difficult to use; overall more hassle than they were worth. The Flip was perfect — easy to use, lightweight, great video product and most importantly easy to fit in my bag. I was able to start using it as soon as I took it out of the box and could easily download the videos. I now take it everywhere I go. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Everything it’s cracked up to be
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am more than pleased with this product. My aim was to purchase an easy to use camcorder with good quality video, and the Flip Ultra HD fits the bill. The moment it arrived, I took the Flip out of the box, inserted the partially charged battery, and shot video without reading the instructions. Piece of cake.

It was evening, so I shot in low light, and I was a little concerned with the quality. Later I shot daytime video, and I could tell a big difference in clarity (lack of noise) and color richness. But it wasn’t until I picked up a mini HDMI adapter for $9 from my local Radio Sh_ck that I witnessed the true quality of the video on my 47″ LCD … WOW! (I already had a standard HDMI cable, so I just had to purchase the adapter.)

My other goal with a camcorder was easy sharing — grandma is driving me nuts for video of her new grandson. This is where the Flip REALLY shines! The software is built in to the camcorder, and installs easily once the Flip is connected to my PC. (Warning: pay attention to the minimum processor/memory requirements for your PC — only 1 of the 3 computers we have in the house is new/powerful enough for the software.) The user friendly interface has easy choices for saving/copying/sharing video, so I tried the email version right away. The software reads the video off the camcorder (or your hard drive), compresses it for upload to the ‘net, and sends it to YouTube or Flip’s web site with just a few clicks. I chose to email video to Grandma, and literally within 3 minutes I was done. Grandma got the email, clicked on the screen shot of the 1st frame, and BOOM she was watching her grandson online. Awesome! (Plus, her computer is nowhere near powerful enough to watch the video file created by the camcorder, so the web version is perfect for her.)

The stereo microphone seems to produce excellent audio quality as well.

For my next try, I took 8 video clips, combined them, added a soundtrack (from an mp3 file), and added a (rudimentary) title page, all made easy by the Flip software. No fancy stuff, but just enough editing power to cut out the mistakes and share the video.

Now for the drawbacks:

While we’re focused on the software, I was disappointed that the post-edited video file was in a .wmv file format, and the camcorder CAN’T READ WMV!!!! So, I couldn’t play one of my neat “creations” on my HDTV through the mini HDMI port.

The camcorder itself does not have zoom, which will limit its usefulness in certain situations. And the Flip Ultra HD is just a bit thicker than I’d like, but I expected that from the review’s I’d read prior to choosing it, plus I appreciate the fact that it can use AA batteries (I’ve already used this feature as a ran out of juice during a family outing and switched to the backup AA’s in a flash.) The size ultimately means this camcorder is NOT pocket sized — I can fit it in my pants pocket, but I wouldn’t recommend that.

Overall, unless you are shooting scouting footage of your kids playing sports and thus need zoom, this is a fantastic camcorder: great video/audio quality, easy to use, easy to edit and share, and just plain cool. Pick it up, and enjoy it right out of the box!

Excellent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This was a gift for my older sister and she loves it. After playing with it, my brother-in-law is getting one for his job to aid with interviewing. Wonderful product, thumbs up all the way!!!

Excellent Product and great fun
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Flip after reading a review about a good value HD camcorder that produces excellent pictures and sound. I was not let down. It is all of those things and the upload to the web and email is easy also. One downside is that a HDMI cable to the HD TV is not provided. It would not cost too much to include that in the package but they are easily bought on-line anyway.

Very Surprised
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The price on this camera is well worth it. We were very pleased at the sharp picture and resolution on the playback screen. from my perspective this camera is by far the best value for this price range. can’t wait to upload to U tube.

Easy to Use and very portable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Right out of the box this will probably be the easiest camcorder you’ll ever use. As with most camcorders, you just have to have a steady hand and pan slowly. The audio picks up your subject “ok” but will really pick up your voice as you’re the closest to the camera. So talk softly. The biggest problem I’m having is trying to figure out how to save these video clips and movie projects to DVD. I used the Flip software to create a DVD, which then conveniently displays an icon on my desktop, but my DVD software won’t recognize the file. I must not have the correct DVD burning software? I burn DVD’s of my digital photos just fine. Perhaps I can find the solution in someone else’s review.

Other than not being able to burn the videos and movies on DVD, this thing works pretty slick. I put together a 6 minute movie — with music — VERY EASILY, then attached it to an email. My recpients received the movie quickly and had no trouble viewing the attachment. So much better than just sending digital photos. I was pretty excited about this.

I love how small and light this camcorder is. I just carried it around in my pocket at a recent party and pulled it out when I wanted to use it. Much better than lugging around the big heavy full size camcorders! I would say if you just want something to take good quality video but don’t care about adding titles, faders, etc., then this is the camera for you. I whip out this tiny camcorder whenever my grandkids are around and get the greatest moments of their childhood on video for a lasting memory — this is especially nice since mine is fading!

Very nice, but kinda thick
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve used earlier Flips (non-HD) and have been amazed at the size to quality ratio. I love the 120-minute capacity, but this one is just a bit too thick to be considered mindlessly portable. The toss-it-in-your-pocket-without-thinking-about-it factor is so desirable to me that I almost considered returning it. But I just returned a Kodak ZI6 since it died after 3 days, so I’ll work with this one.

Again, other than the thickness, a great product.

Really great but too didn’t last very long
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I purchased the flip and ALL the accessories for my son’s xmas gift last year. We LOVED using the flip; the quality of the audio and videos were super. Everytime we played it back we made the same wonderful comments until one day for no apparent reason we couldn’t plug the flip into the computer. The computer would not recognize the device. We googled the problem and everyone reported the same problem. We called the manufacturer in hopes that it was under warranty but they said they can get the videos off for us but we’d have to pay to get it fixed. We’re disappointed that we will have to pay to get it fixed…when we called them it was only 6 months old. Recommendation is to purchase an extended warranty if you’re considering the flip

Flip Ultra Camcorder
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
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!

Amazing Value For Great Quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Early last year, when I started thinking about making comedy videos again, I thought to myself, “When HD camcorders get below $1,000, I just might have to get one.” At that time, I didn’t really do any research, or I might have discovered that those existed. And now, there are dozens of cameras below the $500 mark, which is ideal for amateur comedians like me.

After completing the last cycle of the Detroit Second City Training Center (actually located in suburb Novi from 2004 until its 2009 demise), my friends and I were itching to bring some of our semi-scripted bits to YouTube. I hadn’t done any video production since some friends and I made a short series of sketch shows in early high school in the mid-1990s. I was mind-boggled by the array of affordable camcorders on Amazon, and after weighing many quality-vs-value criteria, I placed an order for the Flip UltraHD, which arrived in 2 days as ordered. With this camera and some self-taught iMovie skills, my weird comedian friends and I can do everything we want to do.

The Flip UltraHD is so small and so fun to use. You can fit 2-hours of 720p video on the built-in 8 GB card, and a battery pack that can last for the entire shoot. (May need to swap out batteries once if you’re doing an hours-long start-stop type of shoot.) The video quality and color accuracy are great in most lighting, as long as you don’t have a lot of bright light behind your subjects. Haven’t tried much night shooting yet, but in natural and artificial light, the picture looks awesome.

The built-in microphone is good, not perfect. You can’t be loud very close to it, or the audio will distort. The sound can be slightly “tinny” sometimes. Otherwise, it’s a good condenser mic, and for amateur creative projects, it will definitely get the job done.

The camera’s built-in USB allows you to plug it right into a laptop or PC. (The built-in battery pack charges while plugged in, and can be replaced by 2 AA batteries if need be.) The FlipShare software allows you to review and simply edit videos. I haven’t extensively used FlipShare, because I prefer to edit with iMovie HD. Furthermore, I run Mac OSX 10.3.9 on a PowerPC G5, and FlipShare software requires 10.4 (Tiger) or higher, so it won’t run on my machine. I can still extract the video clips using the Mac Finder. I have used FlipShare for reviewing clips on my girlfriend’s Vista-based laptop, and it’s pretty user-friendly. Although my understanding is that the editing features are quite limited, especially in terms of audio.

For a 720p camera under 200 dollars, this has been an amazing toy/tool. I look forward to many stupid YouTube comments as a result of having it.

Good Idea Lousy design
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Received it as a Christmas gift. Plugged it in my Vista computer and it blue screened! Tried it on an older computer and it Saud it was working but battery pack would not charge. Put in a couple of fresh AA batteries and recorded some Video. Pictures were very dark and fuzzy. I tried to upload them to my computer and it wouldn’t. Also entire weight of camera has to hang off the end of a stick to connect it to a computer! Whoever designed this camera must have been drunk. Nothing about it works correctly. It is too light to use as a boat anchor but I believe it would make a better boat anchor then it does a Video camera.

HD video as simple as it should be
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my 5th flip video camera. I bought two for myself and two for my kids, not I had to have the new HD version.

What makes the flip so successful and so much fun is the simple and easy use, it’s small size and of course the built in USB connector.

Let’s be honest, we don’t want to shoot a Hollywood movie, we want a simple way to capture precious or funny moments without having to figure out a fully featured camera and we want decent quality. That’s exactly what the flip does best. It’s so small and compact that I keep it with me almost anywhere. It starts up instantly, it records instantly and 2 hours of recording time is more than enough. The quality is decent in low light and really good in any normal daylight. For such a small device the sound quality is surprisingly good. Sound issues is what most cheap/digital video cameras struggle with. At the end of the day I plug it in my PC and copy the movies over. It really couldn’t be simpler. Once plugged in the battery recharges automatically.

Although the resolution is not full HD but only 1280 x 720, the quality you got from such a little device and such a low price is really really good. I have a much more expensive HD camera that hardly delivers a better quality.

I have been working for several TV stations and have used all sorts of professional cameras and to a degree still do. I know very well that there a many better cameras out there, but for the flip the ‘less is better’ concept is really true. Even my 6 and 7 year old kids figured out how to use them in no time. For me it’s the simplicity and to know I will get a good video out of it without having to think much.

A few things about this model:

it comes with a rechargeable battery that recharges through a USB connection. This is very handy because you never have to open the cover and replace batteries. Charging takes a while though. But you can always use normal AA batteries.

Sometimes when the camera gets warm it refused to charge saying it’s too hot. Letting the batteries cool down is a good idea (prolongs their life). Don’t leave it plugged in, because it will never resume charging. You have to unplug it and cool it down, then start over.

This model has a neat feature to save battery life. Should you forget to stop recording and put the camera in the bag, it will recognize that there is “nothing to see” and turn itself off! Very cool! Downside is you can’t use this camera to shoot a long static scene.

Overall battery life is about 2 hours which matches the storage capacity.

Overall this camera is more responsive and quicker than the previous models. I like it a lot.

Really you can’t go wrong with this camera if you are looking for something simple to use and still want decent quality videos.

Crashed my system
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This product destroyed Windows Explorer, meaning I had to restore my copy of Vista. Windows explorer crashed every time I rebooted once it installed the device drivers. This also happened to a friend of mine. I have an XP PC and it did not hurt it. My copy of Vista is legit and I have updated my PC in the last year. Be very wary of this on a Vista box!!!

Compact, fast and great videos! Perfect for videos on the fly
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a number of sites (including a weekly news site) and recently decided to start video blogging the Italian products and services I offer. I needed a video cam that was above all, compact, fast and made great videos. That’s where the Flip came in.

There are a couple of popular misconceptions about this video cam that have been making the rounds on the Net. One is about the battery charging problem. It’s not a real “problem”. It’s a small & ridiculous flaw that can be resolved once and in under a minute:

Quoting exactly from Flip Support:

1) Remove the battery pack from the camcorder,

2) Connect the camcorder to a POWERED USB port directly on your computer (NOT a mini hub!),

3) When the “Connected” indicator comes on, insert the battery pack into the camcorder,

4) SAFE eject your camcorder from your computer (DON’T rip it out!),

5) Reconnect your camcorder to your computer,

The battery pack should now begin to charge within the camcorder. If it fails, try again keeping close attention to Steps 2 and 4. This should be a ONE TIME operation. It was for me. I think it goes without saying the included battery pack should be used as a backup only so, go out an buy 2 or 4 Energizer or Duracell rechargeables.

The second problem is that the Flip is not up to quality par with other popular HD video cams such as SONY. That’s because it wasn’t meant to. It’s a $150 video cam with a sole purpose of taking FAST, FUN and GOOD videos. If your intentions are to get super high quality movie productions, then spend the extra $300 and buy a SONY…this video cam is not for you.

This thing is great.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I think that this is one of the greatest things that I have ever bought. It is so easy to use. To move the pics or videos to the computer is so easy.

Faulty equipment & bad customer service
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Unfortunately, I have had a bad experience with this product. The device is wonderfully easy to use, but within 2 weeks (despite very careful treatment) it inexplicably stopped working. I wrote to puredigital/flip support centre with a very detailed description of the problem and got a set of troubleshooting steps sent back that had nothing to do with my problem – as if they hadn’t bothered to read it properly. Since then I have been writing asking for more help but received no reply. Meanwhile, I have stumbled across COUNTLESS forum threads online that have expressed similar issues with faulty equipment and dodgy customer service.

Order at your own risk – the warranty only lasts 90 days!

Perfect for emailing video clips!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
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!

Cant use on my computer
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bought this camcorder. Looked great. Screen too small to view on so want to get onto computer. Downloaded program as directed. Could not get video from camcorder to computer screen. Can’t call for help as there are no phone numbers available. Tried the support on website. Useless. Little help[ and waited 3 days for a response. Packed up camcorder and sent it back Can’t get to view on computer. Not worth the hassel.

What is the fuss over this camcorder?
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I am not sure what everyone is raving about when it comes to this product. I have a 2 year old HD camera from Kodak that takes far superior video. It also has the handy feature of optical zoom, which this one lacks.

I am aware that this product sells itself on the convenience factor, but it does not take much effort to use or transport a HD pocket camera.

For $200 dollars, you can get a HD camera that takes pictures and far superior video than this product. No matter what you do with this product, the videos are grainy and unacceptable for HD quality.

I have never written a review on amazon before, but this poor product has compelled me to write one and save others the trouble. This product is being shipped back immediately!

Fun to use!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Flip UltraHD Camcorder after seeing it being used at a costume party several months ago. We used it on Christmas to record all the present opening activities. The younger children thought it was really cool that they could view the video on the computer immediately and forward it to all their friends. This camera is extremely user friendly and fun to use!

Great portable “HD” solution with decent results
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Originally I went in to Best Buy to pick up a Mino HD so I could record studio and location “behind the scenes” photography shoots for my business. The employee I spoke to handed this to me saying “it doesn’t come out for another week, but its cheaper than the Mino that is on sale”. It was a no-brainer for me to pick up.

Its a nice little unit; compact, fits in my back pocket if needed, and the controls are very basic – click da big red button to record. Click da big red button again to stop. Simplicity at its finest.

I love that the unit has a USB built right in, but I still use a USB extension because I’m using an iMac, and since it ends up hanging upside down, I don’t want to add stress to the USB prong.

I haven’t used the built-in editing software, as I’m importing my files into iMovie and editing from that.

Quality wise, I’d say is pretty darn good considering its about the size of a box of Necco valentine sweet-hearts candy. However, I must insist that it is to be used as a stationary “fixed” lens, and not to use the digital zoom. Once that digital zoom is used, the quality, like *any* digital zoom, suffers greatly. To circumvent this, I’ve super-glued a step-down ring to the front of my Ultra HD so I can screw on a wide angle and a telephoto lens. If you don’t mind Frankenstein-ing your Ultra HD, then go for it.

I haven’t done much low-light shooting with it, but I have a feeling that it could get somewhat noisy and grainy. I’ll see more results soon when I start using this inside the studio.

I’ll be mainly using my Ultra HD on a tripod to record behind-the-scenes footage of my photography sessions, so I’ll have a way of keeping the camcorder static and not moving around a lot.

Overall, I feel this is greatly worth the $199 I paid. You have to remember that this is a dinky little device with a tiny sensor in it, so the quality won’t be as good as a larger dedicated video camera, or one of the newer DSLR’s with the built in high-def. Apples to Oranges.

With a little extra cash and some super-glue, you can get more reach and wide angle out of the unit.

[...]

Great little unit. Don’t come in to this expecting a goose that lays golden eggs. For what it is, it does well.

Recommended.

:: edit – people have been asking about the wide-angle mod you can do. I picked up a Sunpak 37mm .5x video camera lens that comes with a set of step-up/step-down rings. I glued one of the rings around the lens on the Ultra, let it dry, and it allows me to screw the wide angle lens over the existing lens. I picked the wide angle lens up at Best Buy. Can’t find a link here for the item.

Flip Ultra HD
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Ultra HD quality is amazing on my 42″ plasma TV. Camera should have image stabilizer, too small and light to hold steady without a tripod.

Great Product – Here’s how to charge it out of the box!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This product is great, especially considering the price that you can get it for on Amazon – I paid $149.99. You’ll notice alot of folks having issues with charging it out of the box, I’ll tell you how to fix that issue – information that I learned from another Amazon review from someone who was kind enough to post the solution – thanks a bunch to them!!

With the Flip cameras, you need to keep in mind what you get, and if you understand that, you’ll enjoy using this product. With the Flip Ultra HD, you get a simple to use, well constructed, portable HD video camera – and most importantly – it’s easy to share the video with your friends and family online with the Flipshare software. HD video files are large and having a software solution that helps you share online easily like Flipshare is key!!

I looked at the Kodak Zi8 and, although that is a nice camera with some additional features, I didn’t think I would have used those features (macro switch, 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps). Nice camera, but for me not worth the additional price – plus you have to buy an SD card which raises the price even more.

***HERE’S HOW TO FIX THE BATTERY CHARGING ISSUE THAT LOTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT***

The Flip works fine! It’s a small & ridiculous flaw that can be resolved in under a minute:

Quoting exactly from Flip Support:

1) Remove the battery pack from the camcorder,

2) Connect the camcorder to a POWERED USB port directly on your computer (NOT a mini hub!),

3) When the “Connected” indicator comes on, insert the battery pack into the camcorder,

4) SAFE eject your camcorder from your computer (DON’T rip it out!),

5) Reconnect your camcorder to your computer,

6) The battery pack should now begin to charge within the camcorder.

If it fails, try again keeping close attention to Steps 2 and 4. This should be a ONE TIME operation. I did it twice just for good measure!! I think it goes without saying the included battery pack should be used as a backup only so, go out and buy 2 or 4 Energizer or Duracell rechargeables.

you can do better
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This product is quite disappointing. First, the video quality is grainy. It looks absolutely no different from my old digital camera’s videos. I don’t know how this is “HD”. Second, the zoom has almost no range at all. If you want to take video of somebody, you have to stand a good 20 yards from them or you won’t get them in frame. Third, every time I try to charge this thing, after about 2 minutes it says it’s too hot and stops charging. So it takes absolutely forever to charge it. The only good thing about it is the amount of memory. Otherwise, just use the video function on your digital camera, or dish out the money for a serious HD camera.

Flip Ultra
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I actually got this camera for Christmas. I was a little surprised, I got it from a family member that doesn’t normally buy things like this, so I’m like, “oh great, a piece of junk video camera to stick in a drawer or closet”.

Boy was I wrong.

I started playing around with the camcorder while opening Christmas presents, and got great videos. It’s easy to use, you can stick it in your pocket, the sound quality is great for such a small camcorder. You don’t even have to deal with trying to figure out where the wires are to connect it to the computer, it has a flip-out USB so that you can plug it right in! I was looking for the CD for the software I was sure I was going to need, it was on the camera and installed itself when I plugged the camera into the computer. The FlipVideo software is great. I made all my little movies from the day into one big one with seamless transistion from one to the next, added a title and credits screen, music, and was even able to take still snapshots from the video that are excellent quality.

I have used larger camcorders in the past and have never had the ease of use and with playing with them on the computer like I have with this one. This would be great for people that are not sure they want to put the money into a larger one they’re not sure they’re going to use, it’s great to travel with due to space saved, and I am seriously thinking about buying one for my technologically unadvanced parents. They bought a bigger one and have used it once because they could not figure out how to get their movie off the hard drive and into the computer. As easy as this one is to use I am positive they would be able to make movies, pictures, and all in all enjoy using electronics for a change, something they are a bit scared of. The controls are very easy to use, I think this is the most non-confusing camera I own.

USB connector is too big to fit a PC or Mac!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have the previous model (60 min) and loved it. I bought two of this model (120 min) for my daughters for Christmas (I live in Seattle). After Christmas one daughter heads home to New York City and one goes on a month study abroad program in Morocco. Guess what? The USB connector on the camera is TOO BIG to fit into ANY Mac or PC! How could this be? Took it to the Apple Store and they said “known problem.” What do my daughters do now? Without a funtioning USB connection you can’t install the software or charge the camera. It does not work.

A handy utility
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this for the purpose of capturing clips to make Youtube video. It fills the bill. It is easy to use. The software is intuitive. And the HD image is quite acceptable.

It is for people with limited requirement.

However, if you want to take family video or other more sophisticated applications, this unit will be quite lacking. It doesn’t have image stabilization. Without a tripod or monopod, the video is jumpy. The 2x digital zoom is very limited

easy to use pocket-sized camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased this as a gift to replace a larger Sony camcorder that died waaay too prematurely. The recipient is someone who has zero patience to read user manuals, is not overly intuitive when it comes to electronics, and is easily frustrated. She was up and running with this in under three minutes – no lie. For her the ease of use and the size/portability of the device outweigh more features and a better zoom. That this plugs directly into a USB port without another cable, is rechargable through the USB connection and does not need a charging cable, and does not need an additional memory card is a big bonus since she is also prone to losing cables, chargers, memory cards, etc. For what this device is – a small, easy to use, self-contained basic camcorder – it fits her needs very well.

GREAT VIDEO FROM SUCH A SMALL PACKAGE
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This was a christmas gift for my son-in-law & daughter. Talk about envy when they opened it up and started using it. The quality of sound and picture is amazing. Its so easy to use and you don’t have to worry about carrying a hook up to download video’s its all right there. It holds 2 hours of video. Can’t say enough I’m so impressed with this little camera that fits in the palm of your hand.

great little camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i haven’t had this camera very long or used it that much yet but i’m impressed so far with its ease of use and a decent quality picture…i’m ready for my close-up!

Not perfect, but for the $, and for my purposes, it’s fantastic
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Yes, image stabilization, expandable memory, a thinner profile, and snapshot ability would be nice. That being said, I live overseas and in the past year have found myself in a couple different incidents where it would have been VERY helpful to have been able to record someone vandalizing my property and threatening me. Being a foreigner, the police then totally dismissed my side of the story.

Finding something with the ability to record high-quality audio and video without fumbling around a microscopic control interface, has since been a mission of mine and I finally found it with the UltraHD. For my purposes, the UltraHD is vastly superior to any other video recording device on the market because the design of it makes it easy to either a) disguise the fact that you’re recording video (Easy to turn off the record light in the set-up menu and use the camera inconspicuously-harder with a traditionally designed video camera), or b) Make it obvious you’re recording (by the way you hold it, plus using the record light).

Depending on the situation, either one could be useful and combined with the remarkably simple operation of the camera and quick start-up, this is clearly the camera I’ve been looking for and I won’t ever leave the house without it.

Great camera if you have realistic expectations
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought two of these as Christmas presents. Overall, this is a great little camera for the money. Shooting on it is so simple that my technology challenged parents picked it up in no time. The image quality on it is pretty good. In low light situations, the video quality is pretty grainy. In natural light situations, the quality is really excellent. The zoom feature is cool and very easy to use. Transferring videos onto your computer is also simple with the included software. However, be prepared to use a lot of hard drive space. Overall, I would highly recommend this camera. It made a great gift.

Very happy with ease of use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this because, with kids, you never know when you’ll want to capture some video. This camera makes it very easy to pull out and start recording quickly.

Advantages

Camera is easy to use. The buttons pretty much consist of record, play, delete, or digital zoom.

Software is easy to use. Makes it easy to take clips or snapshots out of the video and post on blogs or facebook. Also easy to make a video from multiple clips.

Easy to transfer video to hard drive.

Rechargeable batteries that charge through the USB port.

Good quality video and audio for a mini camera.

Light and very portable. But still easy to hold with the rubberized outside.

Disadvantages

Doesn’t seem to have any anti-shake software/hardware, so video can be shaky if you don’t keep fairly still.

No optical zoom (2x digital).

Can easily be knocked out of a USB slot because the weight of the camera is not ideal for hanging in a USB slot. I would suggest getting a USB extension cord, and hooking it up that way.

Low quality junk . . . bad customer service . . . zero integrity
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Do not pay money for this product. Come to think of it, if someone offers it to you free the answer should be an immediate no thanks.

Type “Flip video screen frozen” into Google and you’ll find abundant evidence of how quickly this flimsy piece of technology becomes a flimsy piece of garbage. The manufacturer, rather than acknowledge what is clearly a product defect, dispenses weak advice and then points to the 90-day warranty (how about that for confidence) and says tough luck . . . in typical mushy corporate speak:

“Thank you for your continued patience as we work to resolve your issue.

Pure Digital warrants Flip Video camcorders for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase.

As you are beyond the warranty period and our troubleshooting efforts have not allowed us to regain power on your camcorder, we are unable to further offer or suggest any means by which we can repair the camcorder or retrieve the videos; and our warranty policy does not allow for replacement of the camcorder after the 90 day warranty period.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Inconvenience? What about my money?

Oh well, at least it won’t take up much room in the landfill . . .

great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
just as advertised, very easy to use. basically take it out of the box and start shooting video. quality very good for the price. amazon shipped very quickly. completely happy with purchase

Excelent Camera, but has problems in Charging
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought a Flip HD its very cool till the end of the first shot and the waste of its battery pack, because of the problem of charging.

You may have to charge 3 hours and a half using the optional wall adapter or 6 hours using the USB port, but unfortunately it does not go to the end, stopping (PAUSING) charging in the first 15 minutes, because it gets too HOT.

So, to me to charge I have to put it out and in so many times to get it recharged, because of that. Some times it works more time other times gets hot so quickly and simple hangs in the “HOT” screen, so you need to move on batteries sold separatedely.

**** 4 Stars in general.

great cam only in day light
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
great cam as long you shot at full day light.. when it is getting dark the picture looks realy bad. but apart from that great cam

Great HD, Bad Stabiliztion
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Don’t plan on letting this camera leave your tripod, because it videos are shaky to the point that they are useless. The HD is very clear though which is why I gave this 3 stars. My suggestion, get a gorillapod or portable tripod if you plan on picking this up/

Very good. Easy to use and good quaity.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I would give the video quaility a 8/10. The audio is great. The zoom is not that great, but similar to most small cams. I would buy this one again if I lost mine. Good product.

Great little camcorder but be sure your compute is up to speed
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camcorder for my daughter for Christmas and it is a great product. The only problem is that Amazon does not tell you what the system requirements are for your computer to work with this camcorder. Unfortunatly my daughter’s computer is a 4 year old Dell running MS XP. After talking to Flip’s coustomer service I learned that the camcorder requires a 3GHz or greater CPU and at least 1GB of RAM. My daughter’s computer has a 2.53 GHz CPU and only 512 MB of RAM and thus the camcorder will not work with her computer.

We are getting my daughter a new laptop for her birthday in a little over a month so that will take care of her problem.

I recommend the camcorder BUT make sure you have a computer it will work on!

Love this camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have 2 small kids and I love this camera! If you just want quick, easy video than this camera is perfect. I can keep it in my purse and just pull it out whenever my 2 year old is looking super cute. Also, it is the easiest thing I have ever learned how to use. It is perfect for what I wanted it for. I ended up not using the rechargeable battery and just used 2 AA’s. They don’t last too long but I didn’t feel like charging it all the time.

Does what it’s supposed to do, but awkward connection/charging options
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The camera is perfect for portable recording. The only complaints I have are with the connection/charging options. First, I wish the unit came with the AC adapter for charging. Second, I think the rigid flip-out USB connector is a bit awkward. It not quite placed right to hook up with my laptop and it requires some unusual positioning for it to work with the Flip AC power adapter I purchased separately

Flip UltraHD Camcorder is portable video coolness
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3G4TVNCTO54KS I got this Flip UltraHD Camcorder as an upgrade from the Flip Ultra 2nd Generation Camcorder. I’ve had the Flip UltraHD for a few weeks now. I gave the old Flip Ultra 2nd to one of my sisters. Both the UltraHD and the Ultra 2nd look almost exactly the same on the outside except the UltraHD has a shinier chrome on the sides and the bottom. Another almost obvious difference is the UltraHD has a HDMI port for connecting to a HDTV while the Ultra 2nd has a plug for connecting a dongle to a regular TV set.

When you view the video on the screen on the back of the UltraHD, you can see the the video picture is 16×9 HD widescreen (on the UltraHD’s 2-inch 4×3 screen which is the same size screen as on the Ultra 2nd). The video itself is better on the UltraHD since it is 720p HD while the video on the Flip Ultra 2nd is just SD (Standard Definition). The video that it records are in .MP4 files which you can edit in iMovie on a Mac if that’s the type of computer that you have. As with the older Flip Ultra 2nd, you can record up to two hours of video on the Flip UltraHD because the Flip UltraHD has eight gigabytes to store two hours of HD video. (The older Flip Ultra 2nd has four gigabytes to store SD video.)

I like the Flipshare software that came with the Flip UltraHD this time around since it has improved since the last time when I last tried the Flipshare software when I previously got my old Flip Ultra 2nd Camcorder. Now with the Flipshare software, I can specify in the settings where on what drive and which directory folder where you want Flipshare to save the .MP4 files that you are transferring from the Flip. I use Flipshare to transfer the video (.MP4) files from the Flip to my macbook and to also view those raw videos. And then I may use iMovie to edit the videos.

The video that I’m posting here is a test video that I took at the local neighborhood park. Since Amazon doesn’t take .MP4 files, I had to put this in iMovie and save it as a .MOV file that Amazon can accept for reviews here. Then Amazon processes the video. I may post a better video later in the future. Anyways, I had the Flip UltraHD on a tripod and did a pan of what I was looking at and also did a 2X zoom to give you an idea as to the digital zoom on the Flip. Don’t expect much from the 2X zoom because it is only digital zoom and not a real optical zoom like with a much more expensive camera. And if you don’t know this already, there is no stabilization built into the Flip. When you handhold the Flip camcorder, you are bound to have shaky video. If you want less of a shaky picture, you’ll either have to use a tripod or sit the Flip on a flat surface or you will have to somehow stabilize your hands and arms while holding the Flip. Some people say to hold the Flip with both hands in front of you while also holding your elbows inside against your body to try to have some sort of stabilization. If I don’t use the tripod, I would use a neck strap (like those neck straps that are used to hold identification badges) connected to my Flip with the lanyard where the wrist strap goes and hold the Flip and the neck strap tight to try to get some stabilization. It takes some practice although it’s not perfect. If any shakes that you have in the video are not too bad, then you can try using the stabilization in the iMovie ’09 software on the Mac to make the video more steady. It’s also a good idea to try to hold your breath if you are not talking or narrating when making your video because the built-in microphone on the front of the Flip may pick up your breathing while you are behind the camera.

I like this Flip UltraHD. The picture is simply better than on the Flip Ultra 2nd. The Flip UltraHD comes with rechargeable batteries that recharge via the USB. You can still use regular batteries with the Flip UltraHD, but I’ll probably get an extra set of the Flip rechargeable batteries. FYI, from what I’ve read, only the official Flip rechargeable batteries will recharge via the USB.

As with my previous Flip Ultra 2nd, I got the Flip UltraHD that was white in color to match my white Macbook. I think of the Flip as an Apple device because the Flip is so simple and easy to use although the Flip is actually made by a different company.

FYI, here are some extras that I got for my Flip and that are available here on Amazon:

short 6-Inch USB Extension Cable (great if you have a laptop, notebook, netbook, macbook)

longer 3-Foot (1-Meter) USB Extension Cable (may or may not work depending on PC’s USB)

Flexible Mini-Tripod (but you can always sit the Flip on any flat surface)

full standing 57″ Tripod (always great to have a real tripod)

Clear Silicone Skin Case for Flip UltraHD Camcorder (you may like -OR- not like)

and

Neck Strap (similar to Neck Strap with Swivel Buckle) that I picked up at a 99-cent store

Thanks for reading and viewing this review.

Easy to use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m not sure what exactly ot write for this little doo-wah. Loved the size, the portability (especially the velvet carrying bag that’s included), and the extreme ease of which it operates. I suppose I was hoping for a better zoom, but this thing barely captures 6 feet in front of it. You really can’t beat it for it’s color and definition, but for events that are further away, get your old monster camcorder out and plug away. For quick little things, this guy just can’t be beat. It fits easily into a pocket, purse, you name it, and you can turn it on with a flip of a button. Loved it for the size, but again, I was hoping for more. Great item, and I recommend it, especially since you can bang it around in your purse and it holds up exceptionally well. Fabulous for travel and for “sneaking” those shots in places that won’t allow flash. Great idea but can it zoom more? Recommend!

Only good part is portability..Battery…not that great…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Bought the Flip Ultra HD after doing a lot of research on various portable camcorders. The thing, which I was looking for was portability, ease of use for my wife to use it and straight forward operation.

I found everything as mentioned above but the battery charging.

As read in other reviews, while putting the Flip to charge through the USB, after a couple of hours I see a message saying that its superhot and then it pauses charging. Opened a ticket with Flip support and they provided a series to steps to follow and I did that. But the result the same. Waiting to hear back from them on what next.

I am a casual user of this camcorder (5/6 videos in a day each not lasting more than 5 mins) so it has worked out really fine for me.

Also bought a mini HDMI cable so that I can hook up this Flip to my HDTV and the clarity was as expected @ 720p and I have a 1080i tv.

The pre-installed software is not that great. I would suggest to rather use any other available video toolkit.

Overall for the type of use I have, I would recommend this camcorder as a nice gift.

Very Cool
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little video camcorder is very cool. Easy to use and great videos in a small package. Quickly download your videos to you computer, and the software that comes in the Flip make editing your videos easy. Amazon had free shipping and it arrived at my door in just two days.

Bulkier than the MinoHD – but great for Vacations
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
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

Love, love, love this!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love my flip ultra hd! It is incredibly easy to use right out of the box, takes nice video, and easily downloads to your computer. This is perfect for us to send short video clips of daily activities to Dad in Afghanistan. I don’t think it will replace our camcorder, but for life’s daily moments, here’s the perfect video camera that you will actually use. Highly recommend.

Flip Video HD Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Everything about this camcorder is wonderful except the battery. It takes a long time to recharge the battery, and it is hard to know when the battery is about to run out while you are using the camera. The battery life icon sometimes comes on, but not always. Except for the battery, this is a terrific camera. High quality videos with great portability at a very reasonable price.

Excellent value for the money…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Given the small size, the Flip UltraHD is outstanding at what it does. The only negative is that with HD there is an implicit demand to hold the camera very still – the extra resolution seems to amplify small movements. Probably a small monopod is the answer here.

I also just recently cut together a 20 minute movie – straight from the UltraHD on a Macintosh Mini. Again, no problems.

Enjoy!

P

not at all impressed, returning
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have a Canon G9 which is an excellent still camera, but I thought it was only a so-so video camera.

So I thought I’d try this Flip. Oops.

+ I was not at all impressed by the low light behavior – very noisy.

+ It does not focus up close well at all (does it even focus?) – not good for baby shots.

+ The FlipShare software, which the description seems to imply is built right into the USB drive, did not work for me (Windows XP) – I had to install FlipShare directly. So, when at a friend’s house, am I supposed to ask them to download/install FlipShare? No thanks.

+ The USB flip-out thing sticks directly out the side of the camera, so when I plug it into my laptop, the entire weight of the camera is leveraging downwards on the USB port and the flip-out thing. (Why not have something flexible?)

I’d much rather just stick with my G9. I will return this Flip.

Great!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We bought this to record our 10 month old twins precious moments and it is serving it’s purpose perfectly! it is a point and shoot that is small enough to allow you to hold it steady and simple enough to upload it’s content in 10-15 min.

Flipvideo
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It is a very good cam, easy to use…… I’m very happy of my purchase

Flip HD – Great Video, Low Price – Highly Recommended
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We have a daughter who is now 15 months old, and I’ve had a Mini-DV based Sony camera for a few years, which produces great quality standard definition video, but its size, use of tapes, and comparitive difficulty of exporting video causes it to be left in its case most of the time. As a result, we haven’t really caputured video of our daughter in her early stages, other than the major moments.

The FlipHD camcorder has changed all of this. We just leave it sitting on our kitchen table, and whenever she starts doing something funny, cute, etc… I just pick up the Flip and start filming. We’ve already capture countless moments that we would have missed with the standard, tape-based camcorder.

As for the video quality, the more light, the better, but even in low light, the video still looks great in HD. My only recommendation is to not use the zoom, as it is purely digital, and therefore affects the quality of the video.

Moving video to your computer is as easy as plugging in the USB cable. It comes pre-loaded with some basic editing software that allows you to piece clips together into movies, add music, etc…, or you can just access the camera like a disk drive.

For $160, this is unbeatable.

A great little camcorder, soooo easy to use!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
*I also own the Flip Mino so my review is based on a comparison between the Flip Mino and the new Flip UltraHD.

*The original Mino is more compact, and feels a little “plastic-y.”

*The Mino HD has some heft to it, but it also makes it feel a bit sturdier.

*The original Mino has an all-plastic outer shell.

*The Mino HD has a smooth silicone/rubberish gripper material (which I loooove).

*The original Mino? 9 seconds of video = 4.53MB

*The Mino HD? 9 seconds of video = 10.1MB

*The original Mino is rechargable via USB only.

*The Mino HD is rechargable via USB and replaceable AA batteries (says the description, although to be honest, I haven’t read the instructions, and I can’t easily see where/how the battery compartment works).

*The original Mino has a TV out jack.

*The Mino HD has an HDMI out jack.

*The original Mino has touch-sensitive buttons (which I find somewhat confusing.)

*The Mino HD has actual buttons (which I find easier).

Both versions work well in low light (and do an amazing job compared to my Canon SD600 digital camera).

The HD version powers up a smidge quicker (maybe 2 seconds), but that can be a lot if you’re trying to catch a kid or a pet in action.

The only reason it gets 4 stars is because I am not fond of the USB connection–as I said, the unit has a bit of heft to it, so when I plug it into my laptop, I feel like I need to brace the camcorder so it doesn’t weigh on the USB. I am sure it’s strong enough, but I worry about it.

Overall, I can highly recommend this camcorder…it is just up to you to decide which features are most important (item size, file size, battery charging, etc.)

Product Review: Flip UltraHD
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this product based on the value proposition. The cost seemed reasonable for what was promised. Having used it I find it to be a unbelievably easy to use. I like how its all ready to go, including the USB plug built in. The video is 720 as promised, but it can be a little grainy, especially in low light. It does not capture true HD quality, but then again it does not cast $1,500. For the price it does quite well. The size of the package is a bonus. You can carry it with you at all times and capture video at a moments notice. The buttons are simple and easy to use.

Just What I Wanted!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My order was processed very quickly and I got my Flip UltraHD Camcorder in only a few days. I purchased this as a gift for my 13 year old grandson for Christmas this year. It will be his first camcorder and I chose it for the advertised ease of use and the compact size. The discounted price was an added bonus.

I found it to be extremely easy to learn to operate. I had to check it out for myself (of course!) and I wanted to have it ready for him to use at Christmas. The camera is so easy to use, it’s actually fun. It’s a sturdy, pretty little piece of equipment and I plan to buy another for myself. If you’re looking for a cool, easy-to-operate, high quality camcorder for yourself or someone you love, then this is the one for you. I also highly recommend the cool little Flip Tripod. I later purchased it to add to the versatility of his camera. I won’t be with him at Christmas this year, so I’m giving it to him early and I can’t wait to see his first videos! Thanks, Amazon, for great service and superior, high quality products!!

HD? Well depending on what you think HD is…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1F0YJYXWGHCRJ This camera only shoots in 1280 x 720 which ends up being 720p. It does not do very well in dim lit situations and in bright situations it has a hard time with lens flare. Also I found video to be impressive for such a small device. But I ended up taking it back to the store. I am instead getting a digital still camera that also does video in “HD”.

Buyer beware! Don’t drop it!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
We have an HD Flip Video which we bought at the end of July 2009 for $200 from Best Buy. It worked fine for what it was, HOWEVER my husband dropped the camera and cracked the lens cover (NOT the lens itself) Best Buy said to contact the Flip Video company since it was past the 90 day warranty. We did contact the manufacturer and were told that there were no parts available for repair. A lens COVER!?! Not available? We have a $200 throwaway camera in other words. Even if we had the extended warranty, it would not have covered an accident, according to the Flip Video company. So people, be very aware that a mere cracked lens cover will be the death knell of this camera. You would think that something at this price would have repair possibilities.Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black) Not so. You break it, it’s history. We will replace this camera but will NOT consider a Flip and will warn any and all of the lack of technical support as far as repair is concerned.

Flip Ultra HD – Fantastic!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an absolutley fantastic product. My wife uses it every day to record short videos and we could not be happier with the quality. The HDMI commections is great. Wish is came with the cable (HDMI mini to HDMI).

Missing two key features…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
My older and cheaper RCA could 1) take still photos and 2)pause while recording a video and restart without having to start a new video. This camera lacks both of those features. Very disappointing – I will be sending back.

Mostly awesome with a few disappointments
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I never had a Mino model, so the UltraHD is my first exposure to the Flip. My previous camera was a Canon PowerShot SD 630, which somehow managed to go through the washing machine leaving me in a position to look for a new device. Before that, I had a standard-def camcorder with 60 minute cassettes.

First, the AWESOMENESS:

* Instead of being the size of a camcorder, this thing easily fits in my hand.

* 720p resolution video at a reasonably high framerate!

* Great picture in daylight; Good picture in indoor lighting.

* HDMI output (HDMI supports both audio and video).

* Replaceable batteries, and a re-chargeable one is included.

* Good video tracking (i.e. moves well from left to right without losing a bunch of frames)

* The device software and physical controls are easy to learn and easy to use.

Then the SO-SO:

* My MacBook Pro is thin and the UltraHD is too tall for it. I need to use a USB extension cord to connect it reliably.

* The software is OK, but I’d've rather seen them write plugins for iPhoto and iMovie instead (for the Mac version of the software).

* Uploading directly to YouTube is cool, but there are better video services out there (e.g. Vimeo, Viddler).

* Only a little thicker than my 160GB iPod classic.

Lastly, the DISAPPOINTMENTS:

* It doesn’t take photographs; Only video. This is a big missing feature for me.

* The vertical orientation feels odd to me. Sure, it makes it easier to reach up over people’s heads with one hand to record a conference or a concert, but I don’t do that kind of stuff. I prefer the horizontal orientation and a larger screen (the Canon PowerShot SD 630 had a huge 3-inch screen on the back). I’d rather hold it horizontally with both hands to track my kids running around than to hold it up over my head and look at a small screen. I can’t believe the old model had a screen that was even smaller.

And to CONCLUDE:

All-in-all, I’m very happy with the device. If you’re looking for an inexpensive, consumer-grade, hand-held video camera with HD resolution, this is a fantastic device. If you’re still hanging onto camcorders from 5+ years ago, you can now give them away as the size-to-quality ratio of the UltraHD is fantastic.

However, if you’re looking for a digital camera that also does video (or a video camera that also does photos), this isn’t it. The Canon PowerShot is a great camera that also does SD-quality video if you’re willing to trade HD video for photos.

good picture quality but skips during playback
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Clear picture but if you move the camera while shooting the picture skips. The key is to hold it steady and not move it at all

idiots
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Eventhough it shows that this item is in stock, my order for Flip Ultra HD from GraphicInkBooks has been cancelled after a couple of day with no explanation…idiots!

Innovative and Simple
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product is outstanding; the only comment I have regarding improvement is that the frame of the video is a bit tight when objects/people get close to it. It is a video camera that is amazing to film the “big picture” – close ups are limited by the video frame of the camera. Otherwise, I am extremely happy!

OUR NEW FLIP
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We bought the black FLIP. It holds an hour of pictures. I had considered it and other small camcorders for a long time but one evening at Scouts, one of the parents was using one. I asked about it and he said they’d had it about four months, loved it, used it all the time, no problems. So I went home and ordered it. We haven’t downloaded anything yet but our ten year old grandson is having a lot of fun with it and we expect to work with it over the summer. Thanks!

Marge Wood

Ultra Great HD Ultra
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is one nice camcorder. Do not hesitate to purchase this camera. Best I’ve every seen.

A Web Video Tool That Covers The Basics
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The new Flip Ultra HD Camcorder comes in with a few new upgrades over the original Ultra. Notably the internal memory jumps up to 8GB. Image quality is much improved via the new installed software package. Like earlier models, it accommodates both Mac and Windows operating sytems.

The non-glare LCD screen is re-sized from 1.5″ to 2″. Also the control buttons are slightly larger. The sliding power button has gone away in favor of the push button. This unit is also slightly larger then the original Ultra. The UltraHD comes in a rubberized matted black or white finish with a plastic, chrome trim.

Simplicity at its best, the UltraHD shoots 720p (1280×720) high-definition video at 30fps, H.264 compressed, and encoded as MPEG4. As with all Flip gear, shooting and transferring videos to a computer or even uploading them to file sharing sites is simple. Buyers should not get all caught up on the on board 2x digital zoom. It is a limited add on at best. Newbies be warned, manual, advanced or still capture settings are no go. However, the preloaded software package easily allows stills to be pulled from video.

Overall, the Ultra HD produces above average video with good results as long as one views it via the programmed format on a monitor or TV. Enlarging to full screen will not only distort the image, it will also bring on the noise demons. That said, colors were well saturated, sound was good and low light performance was average at best. Buyers should keep in mind that a steady hand is paramount to good video. Think tripod.

Powered by (2) AA NiMH rechargeable batteries that are re-energized by simply connecting the camcorder via the flip out USB connector to the USB port on the computer. In a pinch, the rechargeable batteries can be switched out with standard AA alkaline batteries. There is an HDMI output on the side for HDTV connections, but no bundled cable included.

Without a doubt, the Flip UltraHD Camcorder ranks at the top of its class in convenience and simplicity. For those not wishing to drop the bucks on a top of the line mini camcorder, this system will more than cover the basics for web based video. Like all equipment, knowing its capabilities and limitations is paramount to getting the most bang for your buck. This model is a keeper.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Awesome little video recorder. Easy to use, easy to set up, compact, fits in your pocket.

Con, recharger must be connected to the device with the battery in it.

Device not recognozed by computer
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have an older version. All time, when I used this device was a problem to transfer films to computer. I exchange it, but got the same problem. Finally I throw this peace of junk away, because Flip refuse to return me money (too late). I saw on web that many users has the same problems. Do not think their new devices are march better. The video quality and sound were good when I was so happy to get video on my computer. But it is very probable that you will see the same message: “Device is malfunctioned and can not be recognized …”

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera for a Christmas present. After more than 20 years in the computer industry, I knew enough to set it up before Christmas and test it.

It would not download videos.

I contacted support. And called. And emailed. And called again. Over and over adding updates to my issue online. After the initial response, nothing.

After one cursory response, they have not responded to my issues. No calls back and no emails. I cannot return it to Amazon, you have to got through Flip.

You will not get support despite all their pledges. Too bad Cisco purchased them. I have been a certified Cisco tech for too many years to think about and their support even for business products as dropped so much so we are looking to other vendors.

Save money and go elsewhere. Don’t make the same mistake I made.

Big improvement
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It’s a big improvement over it’s predecessor. Pleasantly surprised by the high quality video and audio. Works well with iMovie.Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)

Uploading to youtube
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Is there a way to upload HD footage onto youtube from Flip UltraHD? Someone mentioned that the automatic upload doesn’t include uploading HD footage.

Also, when you are doing a background roll, the mic doesn’t pick up the narrator’s voice clearly. Is there a way around this? Or does the Flip editing software have any audio correction feature that will make the narrator’s voice louder and clearer?

Thanks!

Killer HD, totally portable and convenient
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love this camera! I keep it in my bag and take it everywhere I go because it is small, durable, and fast. When something funny/awesome/ridiculous is going on, I can count on the Ultra to document it in gorgeous HD video. The convenient USB connection makes uploading video easy and the software included is pretty great, though I found it can bog down some older computers and operating systems. Considering how often I’ve been sorely disappointed in the video capabilities of other small devices (cellphones, digital cameras, etc.), it was worth ever penny to have a dedicated video camera that delivers.

use a fan whilst charging to stop it getting hot…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Have had the flip ultra HD for a couple of weeks now. Really love how easy it is to use and i am pretty sure my old panasonic mini DV camcorder is now going to be collecting dust in the corner. Although the quality on the panasonic is far superior, it was just too much hassle to download the videos and to edit and convert them into a smaller file on the pc, which meant i rarely shared my videos of the kids with anyone.

I have read other reviewer’s comments about issues whilst charging, but i decided to go ahead with the purchase anyway since i also have rechargeable AA batteries that i can use. i thought i’d add my experiences so far. I have had issues with the unit giving an error message that it is getting too hot whilst charging, and so i now take off the battery cover and have a fan blowing on the device whilst it is charging, which keeps it cool. not the most elegant solution, but it works!

It seems to take a couple of hours to recharge fully.

Very portable and easy to use.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I purchased this video camera mainly for the purpose of creating videos of homes for sale. For that purpose, it is just OK. The capture lens is wide enough, but it doesn’t get floor to ceiling at the same time, so it is awkward to film an entire room.

We have also used it for a variety of other purposes, and found it to be just great. The only flaw I would have to say is that the zoom capabilities are very limited. The upsides to this camera are ultra-portability, and ease of use. It can go in a pocket or purse, and be ready in less than 20 seconds if you see that “must capture” moment. The software that comes with this product is super easy to use, and will publish a video in a matter of minutes, so for these purposes, I would give it a 5 out of 5. The video quality is excellent.

Great product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great product, I had a little trouble with the battery pack (no big deal) it takes double AA’s also.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this flip Video Camcorder, it’s awesome. Takes great video. What I love about it the best if I can bring my DSLR Sony camera along and pull the flip video camcorder out of my pocket without weighing me down with all my camera’s. We’ve had a lot of fun with this. I highly recommend it. It’s worth the price. I paid like over $500.00 for a digital camcorder a few years ago and it’s now out of date. I will never pay that much again for a camcorder. As soon as you buy an expensive camcorder something new comes out. So that’s another great thing about the flip, it’s reasonable price wise as well.

The Leanest Cam on Earth
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My next review will be a video review. For now I will just share my preliminary thoughts on this little work of art.

Just received it recently, used it just once, realized my laptop’s processor was not powerful enough so bought a matching laptop. What I mean by matching – the leanest laptop on Earth for the leanest cam on Earth.

Of course, the Mac.

Why lean? Buy one and see.

Ps. I mean the cam :p

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I was soo looking forward to get this camcorder because it is supposed to be portable and functional since I am a realtor and would use it a lot to record my activities. Unfortunately I am very disappointed in it. The reason:

1. It does not have a STABILIZER, so the images were jumping all over the place and a tripod would desperately be needed. What’s the use of having a POCKET camcorder if you have to carry a tripod in order to take videos? It is not portable and handy any more. You might as well have a regular handycam.

2. The SOFTWARE needs improvement! When you take a video you want to EDIT the frames and delete what you don’t want to show. You CANNOT do that. First of you should be able to SPREAD OUT the frames in the workspace so that you can pick those frames you want to delete and not show when you play the video. The software only allows you to choose the starting and end points and therefore you cannot MIX or intersperse videos taken at different times to form one video.

3. For portability (think pocket) maybe I should have bought a mino but they don’t come in HD and 120 minutes at the time I bought it.

4. I am so sorry but I have a hard time understanding the customer support persons because of either strong accents from a different country or communication connection.

5. I would like to return the camcorder but then I was told that I will be charged shipping and handling so I am stuck with it. I think Amazon should allow returns in good original condition if they are dissatisfied with the purchase without penalizing customerss with shipping and handling. So folks, watch out…make sure it’s an item you want to keep before ordering from Amazon.

Amazing machine
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bit the bullet and bought this fairly impulsively after reading a few reviews and one endorsement from a colleague. What a great decision! Am amazed by the quality of the picture and the ease of function. Back to simplicity – Flip learned the Apple lesson. I always want to shoot movies of my two toddlers, but it’s too much hassle to get the regular DVC camera, make sure it has a tape in, make sure it’s charged, etc. etc. Then, it’s so big relatively speaking, that it’s too obvious to the kids, so they start focusing on the camera and stop doing whatever they’re doing. So I end up not filming very much because by the time I get it set up, they’re not doing whatever was so cute.

Enter Flip. This machine fits in your pocket and is easy to charge on a laptop (I have not bought the AC charger, but may do that soon) and you can just point and shoot immediately for beautiful HD quality film. I haven’t downloaded anything yet, but I have no doubt it’s a piece of cake. It also tells you how much time you have left, also very useful.

Only drawback is the near-absence of zoom (only x2, practically imperceptible). All in all, a fantastic product and only half the price, with twice the recording capacity (in HD!) of a regular DVC camera.

It’s portable, it’s cheap, it’s good looking, it’s incredibly light, it takes beautiful film, extremely easy to operate (truly idiot-proof), easy to download and charge – What’s not to like??

I’m sure it will evolve and subsequent generations will only get better.

One slight downside: the USB plug forces you to dangle it from a USB connector on a computer – sometimes it can be supported, sometimes not – I worry about the weight of the camera (such as it is) all on the usb plug.

Good things, bad things, but overall fun and easy to use
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had a really hard time trying to review the new Flip UltraHD camcorder. I bought the “regular” Flip last year and generally loved it, with a few small quibbles. The UltraHD sort of resolves these quibbles, but there are things I still don’t like.

The record button on my old one was too small and a bit hard to press. This isn’t an issue on the UltraHD. It’s bigger and easier to use. Also, the view screen is bigger, which is nice.

The other issue I had with my old one was the picture quality in low light–sadly, that still seems to be an issue. This is especially disappointing considering it’s supposed to be “HD” quality. Overall, I don’t see much difference in quality between the two. I haven’t yet used the new one in bright natural light, but it does fine outside or in bright indoor settings.

One new issue is that the usb arm doesn’t click into place when open. This means it flops around when it’s plugged into your computer. For some people this might not be a big deal, but my cat seems to think it’s a new toy. I have doubts as to how long the arm will hold up.

So what’s the bottom line? I love how easy it is to use and its portability. I can toss it in my purse and take it everywhere. The software is easy to use even if you’re not very tech savvy. The picture quality is good, but not outstanding. I love the fact that while it comes with rechargable batteries (it recharges through the USB port), you can also use regular AA batteries in it–that’s a nice feature I’d like to see more products have. It does take a while to completely charge, so having the option of using regular batteries when I can’t wait is great.

I like the fact you can turn of the sound settings–not more little chirp when it comes on. Good idea if you’re trying to film sleeping cats. Two hours recording time is ample for my needs. While you can’t use it as a still camera, you can capture pretty good still shots via the editing software. The only real downside is the price–it seems a smidge high for the casual user given the quality (e.g. the floppy USB arm) and the not-truly-HD quality.

Flip UltraHD 120
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For me, this compact video recorder is the most convenient little device to come along in a long time. It’s simple to operate, the video & sound is excellent quality, & it’s so easy to upload & share your videos.

Disappointed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
When the Flip worked it was amazing. Incredible quality video, easy to use, helpful software and just all around great. Then after three weeks – dead. I returned it. I will get another hoping for a better experience.

Pretty underwhelmed
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m pretty underwhelmed by this camera. By far, the biggest problem is lack of image stabilization. I knew about this before I bought it, but it’s way worse than I expected. Even when trying to hold the camera as still as possible, the video still comes out very jittery. There’s nothing you can really do. Unless the camera is sitting still on something, it’s going to shake like crazy. In my mind, it’s so bad it’s almost unusable because I’d rather not be forced to watch a video that’s so shaky. At this point I’m going to buy a cheap tripod. But that’s not really what I had in mind when I bought this camera. I want something I can carry around.

Next problem is the “HD-ness” of the video. If you’re outside on a sunny day then yes, the video is what I’d describe as HD. In fact, I’m surprised how great outdoor, sunny-day video is (shakiness notwithstanding). Move inside, however, or wait until the sun goes down, and picture quality degrades quickly. It’s grainy and there’s a lot of artifacting.

There are some positives. I’m surprised how good the sound is. The screen is nice. The camera is easy to use. None of that stuff matters, though, if the ultimate result is crappy video no one wants to watch. I understand this is a “budget” option as far as HD camcorders go. Still, I’m thinking we should have saved our money until we could afford something that’s actually worth owning.

I’m surprised how many positive reviews there are for this. For me, it was either going to be a 5-star product or a 1-star product. Either it would be “good enough” considering its price, or it would not be worth anything because of how disappointing the results are. In other words, if this camera cost a penny it still wouldn’t be worth owning just because of how shaky the video is.

I would NOT recommend this camera to anyone.

hope you don’t need tech support
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product does exactly what it promises, which is saying something these days. Underneath its basic simplicity, though, is an apparently complex system for managing video files. I used the Ultra HD for a short-term project which required managing about 60 hours of video. I ran into a file management issue that Pure Digital’s frontline tech support staff couldn’t handle, and it took about 2 hours on the phone to reach someone knowledgeable enough to help me resolve it.

This is the easiest to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the next generation for sharing pictures with friends through email, web sites, social networks. With high quality HD pictures. Easy to use hook up to your computer and download or transfer to any of the above sharing modalities. Easy to use. The microphone is very small and the audio is OK, but not great. I wouldn’t use it to record a concert, but it is fine for most other uses. The fun factor is major with this small handheld video camera. Highly recommend.

I love the Flip
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little camcorder is wonderful! I had it operating in less than a minute after I opened the box. I love how easy it is to use. One of the greatest things about the Flip is its ability to combine videos to make a movie. I filmed my family at the hospital awaiting the birth of a baby. When I got home I was able to combine the videos into a film, and email it to family members. The software is simple to use, and I am no expert! I highly recommend the Flip camcorder.

Nice camera, needs a VERY STEADY grip for good video
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I like the flip – it’s very easy to use and you don’t need to fiddle with any controls. Just grab it and start shooting.

Picture quality is pretty good. It looks a lot better in bright light, the overall quality starts to drop off as the light level decreases. You can get a usable picture even in a dim environment, but there will be a lot of noise in the shadows and darker areas.

My only real complaint is that if you hand hold the camera the video can be anywhere from a little shaky to completely unwatchable. It works great when you lock it down on a tripod or if you have VERY steady hands.

Another gadget that will gather dust in my drawer
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I experienced some charging problems. Needed to play with the USB connector to enable it to charge correctly. It is HD as advertised but I didn’t get a jolt of WOW or anything. Seems to be like any other Camera. At $200, it’s too expensive to be a throw-away device but I can’t recommend it over any other digital camera. The plastic has a cheap feel to it. Seems troublesome to post the videos onto the internet. Avoid this camera is my advice.

Awesome product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this for my wife, who already had the original Flip and loved it. She is ecstatic with the HD version. Easy to use, great video/sound and plays back easily on computer or TV.

Best Video Camcorder – HIGHLY RECOMMEND – Love it!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this video camera. It is SO easy to use. It is worth every penny. The quality and ease is so amazing. Brilliant that the USB is attached and pops out of the camera. Easy to change the battery and the quality of the video is amazing. I love, love, love this video. It is so easy to quietly take video of your kids, to show them how cute they were when they were young. I’m actually videotaping my kids teaching each other about math as I type this review.

Highly recommend this video camera.

Piece of junk
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Worked long enough to do 20 minutes of video. On third session message “It’s really hot, need to cool down” and I can’t get it to stay on long enough to even start the video. Video image is good, but what good is it if it doesn’t work. Received return authorization today for repair. Wonder how long it will take? Seems I’m not the only one to have this problem. Can’t say enough good things about Amazon, I do all my online shopping here.

Ultra flip
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Inconsistent audio and video frame rate. Difficult to transfer to computer and Facebook. Obviously some major “bugs” in device or software. Probably went to market with too little “beta” review. Would not recommend purchase

Nice Basic HD Video
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very basic so my kids and wife can take videos. I don’t like an extra charge for the AC power adapter.

Flip Ultra
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this item, its so easy and fun to use and the quality is very good, I put together about 25 video clips into a movie and it came out great. I have a white one and purchased a black one as a gift, the only thing i wasn’t crazy about was the matte finish on the black one.

Don’t Buy if you want to Edit video
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The pros to this device are the small size and portability. I would not recommend it though, because there is not any kind of expandable memory for one. Also, there is no battery life indicator.

But, my main issue with this device is the lack of compatibility the MP4 files have with every video editing software that I have tried. If you want to make a nicely edited video with cut scenes ect, then you will need something other than this. I can edit MP4s with my software, but not if they come from this device for some reason…if anyone has a solution to this please let me know. I’m using Adobe Premiere Pro.

All-in-all the product is okay, but do a little research before you make your final decision because you can do better.

Flip ultraHD 120
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very easy to use. Just wish the screen was a little bit bigger but overall would recommend it!

Vado HD Versus Mino HD and Flip HD (and Kodak)
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Quit looking at the other products. The one to buy is the Vado HD, not Flip, Mino, or the Kodak one. It’s really the only one at this price, with this functionality, it truly blows away the competition. We have tested 4 camera models, Flip HD, Mino HD, and Kodak’s late entry and on a seven category test, Creative Vado HD bested the competition by a margin so high, it’s not really a competitor to anything.

In our final rankings (and this is internal), the Vado HD received 9 out of 10 points, Flip and Mino received 7 and 5 respectively. The Kodak received a 6, but only because it’s waterproof. Hopefully the 2 other manufacturers will look into creating a better product, rather than a more attractive product.

Greg Raaum is an IT entrepreneur and software architect specializing in digital asset management (DAM), content delivery, file sharing, e-commerce, rights managed licensing of stock photos and video. He is currently CEO and Founder of Lush Technologies, Inc., a Las Vegas Nevada based software and hosting company powered by renewable energy.

Lush Technologies’ software products are used by 147 Universities, 12 Government Agenecies, and 90 Forture 500 companies. In addition, software developed by Greg is used daily by millions of Internet users. Lush Technologies has 13,500 software licensed customers worldwide.

To sum it all up, just take a look at the videos on [...] (Greg’s latest development) and also search YouTube for “Vado HD”. One I find particularly funny and mind changing at the same time is this one, which contains horribly bad language that is used to get the point across. We got it Chris. Take a look:

[...]

Wonderful addition to my camcorder stable
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have a love / hate relationship with camcorders, and have for the decade or so I’ve been buying them and breaking them. I’ve burned through 3 or 4 of the tape varieties, and never had one last longer than a year or so before needing repairs that are nearly as costly as the camcorder itself.

While I’ve only had this little guy for a bit over a week so can’t speak to its durability yet, it has a lot going for it. Fewer moving parts greatly reduces the likelihood of mechanical failure, I should think.

It’s important to note that I also still own and use a canon vixia high definition camcorder that has worked quite well for me. I bought this to carry around with me for more impromptu filming; creating short youtube movies is a bit of a hobby for me right now, and that’s exactly what this guy is cut out for.

Video quality is a bit diminished from my vixia, but quite impressive given its price and size. Sure, the Ultra HD is a bit bulkier than it’s thinner breatheren, and certainly thicker than your iPhone, but remember when you had to rest a camcorder on your shoulder? Size is all relative, and I find this to be a comfortable fit in both my hand and my pocket. If you wear those super skinny pencil-leg jeans (you hipster!) this isn’t going in your pocket. But neither is your milk money. Dress more practically and you have nothing to worry about here.

Operation could not be easier. There is a giant red button, and that’s about it. Once powered on, push the red button and you’re recording. Push it again and you’re not. Push the playback button for playback. My 4 year old can work this, and while it’s a bit too pricey to be her toy, I could almost trust her with it. It’s pretty fool proof.

Audio quality is where you miss out a bit, but I feel that way on most cameras. There is no substitute for an outboard microphone, and I wouldn’t expect the sound quality to be much better than it is given Flip’s price point and profile. Where I dinged the Flip Ultra HD one star was in its lack of a microphone input. Add a mini jack for me to plug in a lavalier mic and this would be complete homerun.

I find myself using this more and more each day that I own it. Uploading clips to my computer is simple once you have the unit connected to your computer. I find that to be the most difficult part of operating the Flip Ultra HD; the “flip-out” USB connection makes it a bit clunky to maneuver the camera into tight spaces to connect to the computer, and if your USB jacks aren’t near ground level you have to engineer some way to properly support the camera for fear of it plummeting to its death. I use a USB extension cable, which greatly eases the connection process but loses the ability to charge the camera while you upload, apparently.

Battery life has been good. I’ve not tried to push it to its 120 minute maximum, but have never run into a situation to date where I was lacking juice to capture a moment. Other reviews will likely test the threshold and give a much better representation of what to expect. I suggest a second battery for anyone actually depending on having a set amount of filming time for critical shoots. But on that note, I also recommend a backup camera for anyone with those requirements

Good stuff, this camera. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy yourself one, knowing that what you will get is a very fun and very usable, albeit not professional-grade, camera. Videophiles. . . trying to get something that you usually spend 5k or more for, for under $200, just isn’t going to happen.

Awesome little Devil
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product rocks ! Great Videos, easy to use and easy to share. If the battery life is improved a little, this product is a sure market sweeper. Be realistic with your expectations on zoom, night shots etc. This is not a professional camera – it is a great device for family videos and is easy to use. I would surely recommend the product.

Easy to Use..Great Pictures
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Instructions for using this camera were easy to follow. Video and audio clear. Easy to post link to others.

No. Please don’t buy.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I’m sorry to write a negative review. Here are my beefs:

1. The battery dies after 1 hour of use. However, this makes no sense as the drive holds two hours of video.

2. The images are very jittery due to a lack of image stabilization.

Those are my two main beefs and the reason why I think this is a bad choice for a portable video camera.

Is addition, the only way to charge the batteries is by hooking it up to your computer (which is why it’s so strange that the camera holds two hours of video. It seems to me that the battery life should be comparable to the amount of video one can shoot.)

As well, the Flip software is not great. I’ve had other cameras and software that is much more user friendly. The software is clunky and cumbersome.

Also, I’ve shot videos in a well-lit kitchen only to see that the faces of the people in my video were dark and hard to see until I moved the camera right up into their face. This was during the day with the lights on as well.

For $200 or so, I think there may be better options out there. If you can find this camera used or refurbished for a much lower price, then I’d go for it. But even then, you have to be able to live with the limitations. My iPhone takes better video!

TEST FOOTAGE OUTDOORS ON BEACH LOOKS GREAT! SOME CAVEATS, THOUGH.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I shot some test footage with my new Flip Ultra HD (8 gb storage — 120 mins. of footage). As you can see, the clarity is very nice. The movement when panning is slightly choppy but it’s a camera about the size of an iPhone (thicker and heavier, of course) so you can’t expect everything. Here’s the test shot, on the beach in Morro Bay, California, USA…

[...]

Looks pretty good, huh? Check the brightness of the whites on the birds, the clarity of the rock and the fog, and colors of the parked cars. And the sound is GREAT. (but omni-directional, so picks up all noise around the unit)

As others have said the design of the usb arm is a big pain in the ass, it makes no sense at all. To plug it into my desktop pc, the charger in the wall socket, AND my laptop, I have to use something to prop it up and stabilize it, otherwise it won’t line up straight and it looks like the weight of the unit will bend the usb arm. And the screen faces down, which is odd. Hopefully they’ll fix this design issue with the next model. Also, for some reason my pc does not recognize the unit when it’s plugged into the usb port, but my laptop does. But that may be just my machine.

I will use this camera primarily for first-person “how to” videos so it should work just fine for that application (I also bought the flip mini-tripod; tests so far look good, very stabile, although it doesn’t wrap around things as easily as demo’d).

If you’re looking to shoot a lot of moving shots, “action” shots then I’d probably say it’s not ideal for you. Otherwise, it’s pretty darn good and you can’t beat HD video at this size and price. Not sure if video purists would say it’s “true HD” but again, it’s probably good enough for 99% of casual camcorder users.

Charging problems, a bit shaky
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Update 12/26/09: After originally giving this a favorable review (below) I changed my mind. It has a charging problem, exaclty the same as many others are writing about on the discussion forums. Also, many of the videos come out to be very shaky – way more shaky than any other video camera I have ever used before. So I’m lowering my rating to 2 stars.

My original review: Why choose Flip UltraHD vs. traditional camcorder vs. digital camera with built-in video? One of the reasons my old Sony Hi-8 Camcorder was sitting in the closet is because there were so many things to think about before shooting a scene; I’d have to check make sure the right tape is inside, etc. Meanwhile my Canon camera has video capabilities, but at 640×480 the resolution doesn’t capture much detail. The Flip UltraHD, on the other hand, is super easy to use. I love being able to fill up the whole screen with vivid HD detail. It also has one of those tripod screw mounts at the bottom so you can use a mini tripod; recommended if you want to keep it smooth and steady. There is no image stabilization so it ends up being pretty shaky. Being so simple to operate, even my gadget-fearing parents can take video without having to explain to them the buttons for an hour. The included software has a nonstandard user interface so even though I’m a computer pro, I couldn’t quite figure out how to edit videos (without looking at the instructions first). This would be a perfect little device if they could fix the camera shake with some optical stabilization and write better software for editing/exporting videos.

Excellent audio, good video quality
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Pros:

The product is very well built. Looks solid. Audio is excellent. Very good microphone sensitivity. Good video even in low light. HDMI output. PC recognizes it as an external drive so very easy to transfer video files. Come with software for editing video as well as taking snapshot images from the video.

Cons:

No stabilization and no optical zoom (I wouldn’t expect these features in a $150 product). Only record in 720p format, cannot do SD format. Cannot take a picture. Mini-HDMI connector so regular HDMI cable does not fit.

Portable and Fun but needs a tri-pod for help with stability.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Although small, the video quality is excellent. maybe its just me, but I now try to use my tripod to help with stability. The flip USB adaptor is ingenious. Transfers video quickly, and I have yet to run out of battery life, or storage.

Point and Shoot Camcorder – Elements of Simplicity
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
PROS

All in one device

Simple operation

720p resolution

Lightweight/Convenient to carry just about anywhere

Built in software

8 GB of built in memory

Rechargeable battery or Conventional AA battery use

CONS

1x Optical Zoom/Only 2x Digital Zoom

Rechargeable only through USB

No HDMI cable included

No protective lens cover

No battery life indicator

OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE USED:

Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 (Used to capture video)

Samsung MX-20 (YouTube compatible)

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

Camcorder

User’s guide

Carry strap

Rechargeable battery

Drawstring bag

CONSTRUCTION

This is a lightweight plastic unit with a matte black antislip grip. It is lightweight and one handed operation is possible. The bottom of the unit has an off-centered tripod mount and battery cover lock. The right side of the unit has a small power button, and the left side has an uncovered HDMI port and spring loaded USB plug. The back of the unit has a 4 way multidirectional keypad and central red enter key, allowing the user to adjust 2X digital zoom, volume and navigation through the menus. A delete key and play key are to the sides of the keypad. A single speaker in the back of the unit is clear. A microphone is adjacent to lens. This has a 2 inch glossy glass 960×240 LCD screen which is very clear.

OPERATION

This camera is so easy to use. Just turn on the power and push the red button to record and stop recording. The startup time from the off position is about 3 to 4 seconds and recording is almost instantaneous. The play button allows you to review the video, instantly. Video playback on the screen is crisp, as is the sound. This is a point and shoot camcorder, allowing for digital zoom during video clip acquisition. Digital zoom has a smooth transition. The microphone is a stereo microphone but the speakers are mono.

Although accompanied with a rechargeable battery, I chose to use rechargeable Energizer Alkaline Batteries to get started with its use – I like the flexibility that this has to offer. The manufacturer states that you can get 2.5 hours out of the accompanying battery. The camera can be charged with its proprietary battery only through a USB port – no separate power cord.

SOFTWARE

Connecting my camera to the Macbook Pro is seamless. Just click on the camera’s icon and select the software to install from the camera – no disks or painful installation.

The Software is simple but versatile. You can trim clips, add clips to a movie, send a clip by email, post to Youtube or MySpace, or send a clip to DVD. The interface is user friendly and intuitive. Videos can be saved directly onto the computer’s hard drive and vice versa. You can capture stills only using the software.

COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

MAC

1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, OS X Tiger 10.4 or Leopard 10.5, and USB 2.0 port

PC

3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or faster processor, Windows XP SP2 with 512 MB of RAM or Vista with 1 GB of RAM, and USB 2.0 port

VIDEO QUALITY

Video quality is very good in sunlight and ambient indoor light. There is no supplementary light, such as a flash. Very low light (where is barely enough light to read a page out of a book, for example) is quite grainy but I am impressed how well this works with slightly dark settings. If you can see detail with your naked eye, you can record with this camera. The manufacturer notes that this is equipped with “ultra low-light sensitivity (>1.4 V/lux-sec) with automatic low light detection”.

There is no anti-shake feature or wind reduction but this is a simple point and shoot camera; no more, no less. This uses built in 8 GB of memory and no option for accessory flash memory. As you record, the duration of your clip is indicated. The amount of time remaining for the unit is also shown. No battery life indicator is built in.

Because of this unit, I will probably do more Video Reviews.

SUMMARY

Overall, this is a great device for taking quick movie clips and publishing them online. If you publish videos online, this is one of the most convenient devices to utilize.

If you can deal with certain limitations, this camera is a very good buy.

PS

If you need more zoom (for sporting events) or need additional recording time, consider the Samsung SMX-F34 (34 X optical zoom).

Samsung SMX-F34 Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Memory & 42x Intelli-Zoom (Blue)

UPDATE JUNE 1 2009:

I took this camera everywhere with me this weekend, including a boating trip. This unit is compact and very lightweight. The only negative is that this has no zoom beyond 2x digital zoom. It works well in low light, action shots, and casual shots. It was so easy to just connect the built-in USB connection to my notebook and upload the videos to Facebook, that I am taking this everywhere I go from now on.

Battery life on rechargeable AA batteries is very good. I estimate that I had about 6 hours of use on one charge.

A great easy camcorder
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What a handy little device. It’s great for taking video of unanticipated special moments. User friendly and the software is built-in to the camera so you can just plug and play on your usb port. I know that there are other more sophisticated versions of this flip camcorder, but this point and shoot is just right for my daily use… especially with 3 kids.

I bought a second one for my 11 year old.

great product, terrible customer service at flip
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
they sent me a bad battery pack – one of them had 2 negative ends. i called them (a few times) and was rudely told i wouldn’t get one for at LEAST another 3 weeks – they wanted me to send the battery pack in, wait 3 weeks for them to inspect it. then wait another 2 weeks to get a new battery pack.

i didn’t buy a product to be told that it won’t work for the first 5 weeks. so i complained to amazon and they set me up with a refund for any battery pack i bought. i sent them the receipt and they credited me back the difference.

flip was AWFUL! customer service was rude and unhelpful and gave me the run-around more than once. amazon was amazing as usual.

Too bad the warranty expires after 6 months
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought the Flip Ultra HD Camcorder for my husband last year for Christmas. He absolutely loved it and was seldom at without it at family gatherings, on nature walks, etc. I was glad to see how much he used it; he posted clips on Facebook, and sent videos to family. Unfortunately, the device stopped working in June, and the company refuses to repair/refund/address the problem, asserting that the item is no longer under warranty. It’s too bad. I’ve read reviews of this camcorder on several sites, and many users have this same complaint: device stops working and no reasonable response from the manufacturer.

This Christmas I’ll purchase another camcorder, but it won’t be anything produced by the folks producing the Flip.

Very fragile lens glass
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
It is a good product but is very fragile.I should have bought a case to protect it ! The lens glass broke after just a light drop ( it was inside a small backpack that dropped 3 feet ), and there is no way to repair or replace the glass.

Before that, I had a great 3 hours experience !

Great product but AWFUL customer service
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love this camera – totally suits my needs and lifestyle. However, good luck trying to get help if you need it. I have yet to reach someone on their Support line. I repeatedly wait well over 10 minutes. They give you an option to leave a voicemail, but then I was told that box was full so I couldn’t leave a message. So frustrating.

Flippin’ Frustrated!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased my Flip HD Ultra directly from the Flip site and bought accessories from Amazon. While recording video is flippin simple and the unit is so flippin compact–trying to get their mp4 into any other software for editing is flippin frustrating. I’m so ticked that they advertise the format as mp4 as in truth it should be mp4a or mp4b so that you know it is NOT the typical mp4 format that so easily imports into all other video software editing programs. The flippin MP4 that FLIP uses is absolutely proprietary and only works in their flippin’ limited software.

I’m flippin frustrated with their customer support and no solutions for what I consider to be misleading advertising. If they had advertised they were using a proprietary version of mp4…I NEVER WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THIS!

Buyer Beware
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Cute little toy. Major battery problems as has been reported by many. Picture quality is good in sunlight(you must have a very steady hand) but really gets grainy indoors, very poor. Customer service is marginal at best.

MAJOR PROBLEM–Description on Amazon “DOES NOT” set forth minimum computer requirements for the HD and the Flip share software to function.

When I first rec’d the camera and made my first uploads to my computer everything was just fine, BUT after I rec’d a msg that there was a software upgrade and I upgraded the software the next uploads were jerky(start,stop,start,stop,etc,etc). When I contacted Flip Customer NON-service, all they would give me was that my computer didn’t meet Minimum CPU speed of 2.0GHz. They would not tell me why everything was OK before the software upgrade nor provide a way that I could revert to the previous software version. I asked several time and all I would receive was “your computer does not meet minimum requirements” over and over.

Battery Issues and Ext Charger: Took me 2 days to finally get the batteries (bought an extra battery) to take a charge. Every time I tried the ext charger they would overheat and stop. They still will overheat even thru the USB port.

Never did try it thru to my HDTV–Flip didn’t have HDMI cable in stock and I never even tried to find universal cable.

Again, be sure that your computer meets the minimum requirements.

The following is from Flip Customer NON-Service:

Users Running Microsoft Windows Computers: The FlipShare program requires the following minimum hardware and software to be installed correctly on your Windows computer in order to function properly:

Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz processor or faster(Mino HD requires 3.0 GHz)

Windows XP SP2 with 512 MB of RAM, or Windows Vista with 1 GB of RAM

USB 2.0 port

SVGA display monitor and video card, with display set to screen resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels or higher and color quality/depth set to 24-bit or higher (to check/change setting, open Control Panel > Display > Settings)

Windows Media Player 9.0 or later

Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or later

Great Idea but I am returning to Amazon

FUN, but Vista beware
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
There are plenty of great things to say about this version of FlipVideo. They’ve improved the picture (HD!), loadability, and overall portability of the unit. However, they didn’t talk to Microsoft (Nobody really does, do they?). Thus, the unit is great but I had to personally armwrestle Paul Allen to get the thing to load into editing software. Why? Because I was one of the retards that bought Vista. Buy this camera and use it in good health (buy lens paper, trust me), but get Windows 7 to go with it.

Go Filp Video!

Great camera – cheaply made
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I first purchased the MinoHD in black and it took great videos but the case showed every spec of fingerprint and looked really bad. I traded it in for a white UltraHD to get the longer record time and the replaceable battery and really like the camera. However, I just returned from a fishing trip and must have had DEET or something on my hands because the plastic case on the camera is ruined. You also have to be very careful of the fragile viewing window. It is not glass and scratches VERY easily. Invest in a good padded case to help preserve the camera. Otherwise it is a fine piece of equipment and we got some wonderful videos of our trip.

Flip Camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I received a Flip HD for Christmas. I love the compact nature. While tubing down a hill, I was able to hold and video and it took great pics and no blurry sections, really retained the pic quality. So easy to use, my four-year-old and six-year-old video each other while putting on “shows”. The only thing I do not like is that you can only zoom in and out a very small amount, but other than that, a great product for the price!

Does everything it should – easily
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Takes great quality with no muss or fuss. OK, its not for videographers – no fancy camera settings, etc; but for those of us who just want to capture moments with our family without the intrusion of a big heavy complex device – this is it!

We bought an original Flip two years ago and enjoyed the convenience. This, our second, lets us enjoy the quality of HD too. Looks great on the computer or TV.

Something else! Imagine being able to flip thru an hour-long “burst mode” and save the stills you like. VERY cool and easy to use software ships on the device. Editing and uploading to YouTube (and other web posting) couldn’t be easier.

HD? Well depending on what you think HD is…
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This camera only shoots in 1280 x 720 which ends up being 720p. It does not do very well in dim lit situations and in bright situations it has a hard time with lens flare. Also I found video to be impressive for such a small device. But I ended up taking it back to the store. I am instead getting a digital still camera that also does video in “HD”.

Great Video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This thing is great. I looked around and got all the spects. Well worth it for any busy parent and so convient too.

So simple a caveman could use it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This camcorder follows the Apple formula: sleek design, very simple interface. Even the packaging rather blatantly borrows from Apple, with dividers and cute little “Enjoy!” like messages.

I previously owned a 30 minute non-hd flip camcorder. This model is almost identical in form and function. The difference in having 120 minutes as opposed to 30 minutes transforms the usefulness of the camcorder. No longer are you reluctant to record something for fear of burning through your time.

The recordings look great blown up onto a standard computer screen. Sound is clear, although wind is an issue. The zoom is practically worthless, I wouldn’t mess with it.

The controls are as simple as can be. Instead of the previous switch on the side, the new flip ultra has a button. You turn on the camcorder and then simply press the red button to start and stop recording. Playback on the device is simple and intuitive.

To transfer video to your computer, you just pop out the built in USB connector and stick it into your computer.

The software, smartly built in to the device, is also simple but effective. There are several websites that upload is supported to, including Youtube. (Myspace is included as well, who uses Myspace these days? Maybe they should include support for Twiddeo next.) If you select upload to the web, non-specific, your videos are converted into .wmv format. This is very convenient even if you are not interested in uploading to the web, since it is a non-proprietary format.

There’s been some discussion here about the technological downfalls of the Flip camera. Also that some digicams do the job just as well if not better.

This misses the point for me. The demographic of the Flip camcorder is anyone who finds technology more complicated than a remote control to be a challenge. Or, put another way, someone who would like to record things but doesn’t want to worry about making the camera work while they are doing it.

The camcorder comes with a rechargeable battery pack, but it doesn’t last two hours. You can use standard AA batteries in a pinch.

Recommended.

Update: Since my flip was just stolen, it’s a good opportunity to consider whether I would buy it again. I think I probably would. I understand there are some credible alternatives out there, but the snazzy design, excellent end result, and easy to use software are winners for me. Just keep your eyes on it. The downside of having Apple like sexiness is that people do get covetous around it.

Amazing!—Use it to record lectures at school
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this little camera. It is so easy and convenient. I stand it on its tripod and use it to record anatomy lectures at school. Even when I sit a few rows back I can hear the lecturer with no problems. The quality is incredible—I can see everything on the slides down to the laser pointer used during class. People in my class usually ask for copies to study from. This is a very easy task because they can just use the USB and copy the video straight from the camera to their computers.

I highly recommend this product.

Good picture quality, ease of use but cheap manufacturing and bad customer support
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Pros:

* High resolution image

* Built in software makes it easy to transfer images to your PC.

* Fast boot-up time. You won’t miss anything.

Cons:

* It is not easy to stabilize the image while recording.

* There are so much cutting in the video if there is to much motion in the scene.

* If you have a USB port which is at a bad angle on your computer, the solid USB output of the camera is hard to fit. It would have been nicer if it was a soft cable.

* I was trying to playback a video I have recorded and show a certain time to my friends but the fast forward is not really fast. Also you have to hold the right button to fast forward and if your finger just slips a little it will skip to the next video and you have to come back and start fast forwarding from the beginning. Bad firmware design in that sense. It took me 5mins to show it. I could have just played back without fast forwarding.

* It only has mini HDMI video output port. Now I need to buy a mini HDMI cable to connect directly to my TV. I had regular HDMI before.

* The battery life is pretty short.

* The lens glass is very fragile. Mine broke in the first day of usage. It was inside its soft fabric case, and accidentally it touch my pocket where I had my cell phone in. Voila, it is broken. These little glass is not replaceable which I am having a hard time understanding because it is just a simple glass glued in front of the lens. The customer support is not helpful and not understanding.

Overall, I am not completely happy with the product. 200 is a lot of money and what you get is not giving you the feeling of a durable material. Looks like the cheapest materials used and glued together. I would say their encoder needs a little more work in terms of picture quality. Their firmware is good enough except it needs some enhancements such as easier navigating and faster fast forwards and rewinds. Their customer support is not very helpful.

Thank you

Simple but highly functional
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Flip is very simple, but I believe that is one of the reasons it is so successful. The quality is really good.

I have made a dvd out of the video, and am impressed by the quality. Weirdly, the video actually looks better on the HDTV than on my computer monitor.

I’m using Roxio Creator, and highly recommend it to burn DVDs from the video.

Anyway, I love this little guy, and would recommend it!!

Flipping Out
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Easy to use, fun to use and really good video. I bought 3 (2 more for my sons) and they love them also.

You will have problems with it at some point!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This is a great idea but in actuality it’s a wasted of money. You WILL have problems with this video camera at some point. I googled my problem and it seems most people have had it too. I called customer service and they have inexperienced staff that read to me off a preestablished list of steps that I had already done and ended up wasting my time. Now I have videos that I can’t get and money down the drain. Google it and you will see that everyone else has problems with the flip video camera.

Great for the price!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got the Flip to video our home remodeling. After reading the few pages of instructions I started recording. Very easy to use – I enjoy it so far.

Great camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Love the camera-very portable and compact. It does not have a great zoom—I am sure it is the trade off for the portability. Love having it available all the time becuause of the size. Easy to work with.

Great Product so far!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My son loves this – it was a hit Christmas morning. Very easy to use, great picture, would recommend to friends.