We all like the convenience of the Ipod. We like our cell phones. In short, we like small things when we’re on the go. Digital cameras have gotten super small. And now, video cameras have as well.
The Flip Video is a super small video camera that retails for only $150. In fact, it is easily small enough to fit into your pocket. I had an opportunity to give the Flip Video a try. So, is a compact, sub $150 video camera any good?
Specs
What makes the Flip Video unique is that it is super tiny and uses internal memory. This means you have no memory cards to worry about. This is convenient, but of course you have the tradeoff of being limited to only what is inside the camera. But, the Ultra Series (and you shouldn’t consider anything less given the price) comes with 2 GB of internal storage, providing for up to an hour of video footage.
The camera comes with a 1.5″ LCD screen on the back. Yes, this is small and it would be nice to have a larger screen. However, a smaller screen keeps costs down.
The camera records at 640×480 resolution using a 1/4″ VGA CMOS sensor. It records at a full 30 frames per second and records in MPEG4 AVI format. The lens can zoom in only 2X. This isn’t much, of course. But, this is a cheap lens with fixed focus. A camera in this price range just isn’t going to compete with a real camcorder.
The camera’s interface is USB (pictured above). The USB connector simply flips out (pun intended) from the side of the camera and you plug it into your computer. The connector is not connected to any internal cord so there is no flexibility. When I connect the Flip to my Mac Pro, the Flip just hangs out there stationary in front of the computer. You obviously could not easily connect this to a USB port on the back of your computer.
Lastly, the camera runs on a couple of AA batteries (included). This is nice because you can easily just flip any kind of AA battery into it when they die. I have yet to kill off my batteries, but the specs show that it will last 2.5 hours on a pair.
The camera pictured above is in orange (obviously), however the line comes in silver, black, red as well as light green.
Using the Flip
The selling point of this camera lies very much in the software. The Flip is obviously not going to compete with a real camcorder. However, it is meant to be extremely convenient. The bundled software is no exception.
When you plug the Flip into your computer, it is automatically detected just like a standard USB drive. On the drive would be stored your video files, any images you took, as well as the Flip Video software (which comes in both Mac and Windows flavors). Since I am using the Mac, I just dragged the Mac app over to my hard drive and ran it from there. Nice and easy. For Windows, I assume you would need to run an installer.
Once you’ve launched the Flip software, it will interface with the camera and scan for any videos stored on it. You can then save the videos to your computer (in AVI format), share the videos (by emailing, creating a greeting card, or sharing online using sites like Youtube). The software has built-in support for Youtube and AOL Video, but . The software also makes it easy to create quick movie mixes using your video footage. If you want an actual DVD of your movies, you can burn a DVD of your movies or set it up to have a DVD created at a number of retail locations.
The software stores everything in albums under a directory on your computer called “My Flip Video Library”. You can organize all your videos there in whichever album structure you want.
Once you’ve got the footage on your computer, you can do anything you want with it. You don’t necessarily need to use the Flip software except to pull the videos off the camera and put them on your hard drive. From there, they are just AVI files and you’re free to do what you want.
Performance
The performance of the camera is great for a camera this cheap. It has very quick power up so you’re ready to record quickly. It has great sensitivity to light and it picks up good video quality both in high and low light levels.
The 2X zoom isn’t much. When you do zoom up on an object, too, I’ve noticed that the image can get a little bit blurry. Picture quality is definitely best when you don’t use the zoom feature, but it is there when you need it.
Previewing and managing videos on the device itself is self-explanatory. You can flip through your clips, play them (with audio) and delete them directly from the device. The picture quality on the 1.5″ screen is acceptable.
This Camera Is Great For…
Anybody who wants quick access to video. If you’re the kind of person who carried a digital camera around for that “just in case” moment, you might enjoy the Flip Video.
But, we also know that video is big on the Internet. I am a blogger. What is more convenient for a blogger than a simple, slip-in-your-pocket video camera you can carry around and capture video whenever and wherever? And the video quality is more than enough for online use. So, bloggers would definitely be a niche market with definite use for this camera.
In fact, I wanted one bad enough where I actually went out and bought one – BEFORE the folks at Flip sent me their review unit to check out. Call me impatient, but I now have two of these things.
Driving With the Risley’s
To illustrate usage of the Flip Video, I recorded some random footage (with my wife’s cute review of the Flip Video) a few weeks ago while we were driving back home from an outing. Here you go:
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My MAC Updater downloaded the new QT 7.4.5 on 5 Apr 2008. I have been making movies in iMovie, and then posting them to YouTube. In the beginning I uploaded the movies as MOV files but soon discovered AVI files (larger file and longer time to upload) had more clarity when viewed on YouTube. Once the new QT 7.4.5 downloaded all my AVI files had picture, but no sound! I downloaded the Perian component as posted in QT discussions. The sound returned to the AVI files. However, when I Exported an AVI movie from iMovie the picture quality was worse than the MOV movie. There is something wrong with the new QT 7.4.5 when working with AVI, my AVI movies look terrible. These AVI files were all downloaded from my Ultra Flip Video camera with Flip’s codec 3vix. Flip is aware of this problem and acknowledged it last Friday. Flip says Apple is aware of the problem.
My MAC PowerPc G4 has performed well in the past two months when working with the Flip Video camera. So, at Flip Video’s suggestion I upgraded the operating system to OS 10.5 from OS 10.4.11. Flip Video says their camera works with OS 10.5. Once OS 10.5 was uploaded I soon discovered that iMovie 08 would not operate on my PowerPc G4, 1.86 MHz. The speed requirement for iMovie 08 is 1.9 GHz.
At this point of “spinning my wheels for nearly a month” with this Flip Video camera, I decided to purchase a new iMac. On May 2, 2008, I walked out of the Apple Store in Walnut Creek with the new iMac 20-inch: 2.66GHz. Now the Flip video camera should work and all my video problems solved. However, this was not to be.
When I attempted to Import Flip Video AVI and MOV files into iMovie 08 the files were “grayed out” and would not Import. None of my previous Flip Video files would Import. I tried making new Flip Video movies, they also would not Import into iMovie 08.
At another Apple Store, the tech suggested I download the previous version of iMovie HD. I did this and with hours of working through the different Export options I was able to create movies to post again on youTube. However, the picture quality of the newer iMovies has never approached the quality of my last post before QT 7.4.5 downloaded. Remember my problems started with QT 7.4.5. Well, my new iMac came with QT 7.4.1, I have not Uploaded QT 7.4.5 and won’t until Flip Video fixes this problem.
Examples of my Flip Video movies can be viewed on youTube at: sffoggydays. The last video with excellent picture quality was posted 6 Apr 2008 titled “A Day at the San Francisco Zoo, Chapter Nine, L-Taravel Ride to BART.” This video was made in iMovie and Exported before QT 7.4.5 downloaded. All the youTube Flip Videos made after 6 Apr 2008 have poor picture quality.
It is time for Flip Video camera to stop “passing the buck” to Apple. When manufactures of operating system such as Apple and Microsoft create newer and upgraded systems, it is the responsibility of the manufactures of applications to redo their programs for operating on the new systems. Here is where Flip Video is not accepting this responsibility to Mac users of their camera. The Flip Video application/codex/drivers need to be updated in order to fix the following problems:
- No sound on AVI files in QT 7.4.5
- No Import of AVI and MOV files in iMovie 08
- Poor picture quality for youTube in Export of iMovie HD
I like my Flip Video camera, want to continue making movies for youTube, and recommending the camera to others. The Flip Video camera people need to fix these problems for Mac users. 26 May 2008.
Here is the Flip Video email response on 27 May 2008:
Hello,
Thank you for your response.
We are not authorized to support third party applications, which is why we do not provide specific instructions regarding iMovie or any other third party application. We only support the Flip and the Flip program, while offering suggestions regarding other programs.
The Apple website also offers Perian as a workaround regarding audio on the Tiger operating system with the latest QuickTime. The latest QuickTime upgrade didn’t allow for audio playback of AVI files, which is why Perian is now offered as a work around by us and by Apple.
It seems as though you are able to playback your videos, as well as use them in outside applications. If this is not the case, and you are having issues using your Flip video or your Flip video program, feel free to contact us further.
Thank you,
Consumer Support
Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.
The Flip Video works very well for me!
I use the Flip Video to video tape local bands and then put them on myspace.
Randy
Hello, I have the Ultra HD from Flip… new to me and enjoying it very much. I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to download the video without a computer. For example, on vacation without a laptop and I want to free up space. Does anyone know of a way to download and store such as with a thumb drive or similar device? Is it possible? Thanks! Starr
Starr, did you ever get an answer? We would like to know, too, I don’t want to lug a laptop on vacation.
… it sounds cool my friends tell me it’s cool and it relly is:)