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Flip Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black) OLD MODEL
See it at Amazon.com for $92.99Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
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Good for quick record and spur of moment recording
(4 out of 5) by richman on Nov 19, 2007Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RSSDPOAQGUTZ I like it because it's small and easy to carry with me and just take out and capture the moment and upload to computer in a few seconds (longer if the program has to convert avi to wma format for utube or email).
I would be interested in hearing others that have tried the rca model, and the aiptek a-hd model, so we all can get user experiences comparing all 3 video camera's. RCA is 99dollars, aiptek hd is 119 dollars on sale.
At first, I thought something was wrong in uploading clips to computer (converting files to email format) because it stayed at 99 percent done for 8 minutes. And I unplugged camera and got message that is was still in computer mode. If I just upload to computer without converting to email or utube it goes a lot faster because no conversion of formats.
Second time, I opened the folder on computer that file was downloading to, and when software hit 99 percent done , I saw that the program was still completing the download because file sizes were getting bigger, and it finally finished. I write this because others may think the computer is hanging but it isn't, it sometimes takes alot of time to convert regular avi format to wma format for uploading to email. So your camera is not broken, you may have slow computer or BIG file to convert.
As others say zoom is not that good, but for quick shots and face shots it can't be beat, because I have camcorders but never used them because I had to make sure the special battery was charged, and it was a lot bigger, and I couldn't put in pocket, and I had to have special tapes, and special software, and it was a pain to take spur of moment shots.
This camera takes 2 AA batteries that last over an hour, and you have 1 hour record time on camera. My style is take 15 second clips, or 30 second clips of stuff, and then mix them together. TV shows switch camera's every few seconds so it keeps peoples attention, and I try to do the same! So 60 minutes for me gives me 120 (30 second clips) or 240 (15 second clips)! And I'm always around a laptop or computer to upload everything I just shot. :)
p.s. I went to park today and made a 2min film using only ultra flip and software on the ultra flip.
I would be interested in hearing others that have tried the rca model, and the aiptek a-hd model, so we all can get user experiences comparing all 3 video camera's. RCA is 99dollars, aiptek hd is 119 dollars on sale.
At first, I thought something was wrong in uploading clips to computer (converting files to email format) because it stayed at 99 percent done for 8 minutes. And I unplugged camera and got message that is was still in computer mode. If I just upload to computer without converting to email or utube it goes a lot faster because no conversion of formats.
Second time, I opened the folder on computer that file was downloading to, and when software hit 99 percent done , I saw that the program was still completing the download because file sizes were getting bigger, and it finally finished. I write this because others may think the computer is hanging but it isn't, it sometimes takes alot of time to convert regular avi format to wma format for uploading to email. So your camera is not broken, you may have slow computer or BIG file to convert.
As others say zoom is not that good, but for quick shots and face shots it can't be beat, because I have camcorders but never used them because I had to make sure the special battery was charged, and it was a lot bigger, and I couldn't put in pocket, and I had to have special tapes, and special software, and it was a pain to take spur of moment shots.
This camera takes 2 AA batteries that last over an hour, and you have 1 hour record time on camera. My style is take 15 second clips, or 30 second clips of stuff, and then mix them together. TV shows switch camera's every few seconds so it keeps peoples attention, and I try to do the same! So 60 minutes for me gives me 120 (30 second clips) or 240 (15 second clips)! And I'm always around a laptop or computer to upload everything I just shot. :)
p.s. I went to park today and made a 2min film using only ultra flip and software on the ultra flip.
393 of 417 people found the following review helpful:
Insurmountable Computer Interface Problems
(1 out of 5) by Sir Charles Panther on Nov 23, 2007 (Alexandria, Virginny, USandA)I can't give a video review, as I can't get the videos out of the flippin' camera!
There are two major parts to this product: the camera, and the capability to manipulate and move the videos it takes. I give Part 1 a B-. Part 2 is a complete and total F, the camera's video manipulation software failing each and every time I attempted it. My recommendation: do not choose this product, as you can't get your videos out.
Part 1: The Camera
Overall, this is not a bad little piece of kit, and I do mean little. It's about the size of cell phone. As an adult, I found it a bit too small, the buttons a little bit too close together. The record button especially is indented a bit too deeply, making it hard to start and stop with just one click. Also, the play and delete buttons are not differentiated enough by feel from the case, and are too close to the main controls.
It runs on two AA batteries, and was easy enough to battery up and put into use. The controls, while small, are simple and intuitive, and you don't really need the instructions (which I found to be surprisingly scant).
The video tech specs are MPEG-4 format at 30 frames/sec; I had no problem with it. The zoom is pretty good, understanding that it is only 2x; this is an economy camera, after all. I found the sound capture surprisingly good; I shot parts of 8 Nov Dweezil Zappa show, and in a very loud environment it captured both highs and lows surprisingly well.
Playback on the camera is very easy to do, but it's on a screen only 1.5", so you're not going to see any detail at all. It's easy to delete a video by mistake, as there is not "do you really want to delete this file?" warning; it's just gone.
I like the on-screen display showing me how much recording time I've got left, and how long each video is when I view them there. But there is no battery strength indicator, which I think is important given that you're working with commercial batteries. Why no rechargeable battery? Cost, I guess.
Part 2: The Flip Application
My problems with this product began when it came to actually do something with the videos I shot.
I'd taken about a dozen videos, the shortest being 18 seconds and the longest at 6:32. The camera told me I'd shot a total of about 14 minutes all together, less than ΒΌ of the storage space on the camera's 2GB flash drive.
First, the USB slot on my PC's (running XP) monitor didn't activate the camera. The "Connected" screen on the camera illuminated right away, but there wasn't the promised autostart. The instruction booklet was of no help whatsoever. After punching around the Flip website for far too long I finally got some info that helped. I plugged the camera into the front of the computer, and the Flip icon came up. I opened it and followed the instructions to download the program and get it synced to my PC. Only then AFTER all of this process did the software check for an update, and whaddaya know, there was one. But not just a software update, but a completely new installation. So, I had to manually uninstall the from-the-box original version of the Flip software and then download and install the new one from the site. That's bad product support, right from the start.
I managed to name my videos without too much effort, and watched a view on the computer. The Flip software does not offer them full screen, just in thumbnails of about 3" and a larger view of about 6". Then I went to transfer my files to my PC, but the application locked up during transfer. It took over ten minutes for the non-responding Flip application--which resides in the camera and never loads to your computer--to close, even after using Task Manager. The camera's "Connected" screen stayed on, unresponsive to the on/off button, and I had to pull a battery out to get it to shut off. I restarted my PC to try again, and it happened consistently, another five times. I tried another few attempts where I tried to save only one video--the shortest one--and the application locked up once again, unable to save to my computer a video of 18 seconds. I tried to save a few as email versions; this locked up the application as well. I got very good at pulling the battery cover off to yank a battery to get the camera to turn off.
I tried it on the other two desktop PCs in the house, both of them running XP, and the exact same thing happened on all three. I tried it for the last time today on my Vista notebook, and the exact same process occurred. So, the problem is not with my computer(s); it's the product.
Bottom line: this is a relatively sophisticated and capable little camera, light on the bells and whistles, which hits a nice mark between high-end and economy. It needs a bit more design work for ergonomics, but this is a nice start. But this product's total computer interface failure dooms it absolutely and completely; I do not recommend this product for purchase.
--------------
Update, 3/9/08
After posting this review, FlipVideo contacted me personally, and invited me to a site where I downloaded all-new software for the camera. This totally new software has, as far as I can tell, corrected all file transfer and other internal problems noted in my original review, above.
I thank FlipVideo for taking the time to make this right, which I believe was their obligation from the beginning.
I now believe this to be a good product, and I do recommend it for purchase. It's not great, as I've noted some of the ergonomic features, above, but good. Its price is good, and I will recommend this to friends. I point out, however, that what appears to have been a headlong rush to get this product to market--and to market it highly aggressively--prior to Christmas 2007 resulted in the shipment of many units that were fundamentally flawed in their software. This should not have happened in the first place.
There are two major parts to this product: the camera, and the capability to manipulate and move the videos it takes. I give Part 1 a B-. Part 2 is a complete and total F, the camera's video manipulation software failing each and every time I attempted it. My recommendation: do not choose this product, as you can't get your videos out.
Part 1: The Camera
Overall, this is not a bad little piece of kit, and I do mean little. It's about the size of cell phone. As an adult, I found it a bit too small, the buttons a little bit too close together. The record button especially is indented a bit too deeply, making it hard to start and stop with just one click. Also, the play and delete buttons are not differentiated enough by feel from the case, and are too close to the main controls.
It runs on two AA batteries, and was easy enough to battery up and put into use. The controls, while small, are simple and intuitive, and you don't really need the instructions (which I found to be surprisingly scant).
The video tech specs are MPEG-4 format at 30 frames/sec; I had no problem with it. The zoom is pretty good, understanding that it is only 2x; this is an economy camera, after all. I found the sound capture surprisingly good; I shot parts of 8 Nov Dweezil Zappa show, and in a very loud environment it captured both highs and lows surprisingly well.
Playback on the camera is very easy to do, but it's on a screen only 1.5", so you're not going to see any detail at all. It's easy to delete a video by mistake, as there is not "do you really want to delete this file?" warning; it's just gone.
I like the on-screen display showing me how much recording time I've got left, and how long each video is when I view them there. But there is no battery strength indicator, which I think is important given that you're working with commercial batteries. Why no rechargeable battery? Cost, I guess.
Part 2: The Flip Application
My problems with this product began when it came to actually do something with the videos I shot.
I'd taken about a dozen videos, the shortest being 18 seconds and the longest at 6:32. The camera told me I'd shot a total of about 14 minutes all together, less than ΒΌ of the storage space on the camera's 2GB flash drive.
First, the USB slot on my PC's (running XP) monitor didn't activate the camera. The "Connected" screen on the camera illuminated right away, but there wasn't the promised autostart. The instruction booklet was of no help whatsoever. After punching around the Flip website for far too long I finally got some info that helped. I plugged the camera into the front of the computer, and the Flip icon came up. I opened it and followed the instructions to download the program and get it synced to my PC. Only then AFTER all of this process did the software check for an update, and whaddaya know, there was one. But not just a software update, but a completely new installation. So, I had to manually uninstall the from-the-box original version of the Flip software and then download and install the new one from the site. That's bad product support, right from the start.
I managed to name my videos without too much effort, and watched a view on the computer. The Flip software does not offer them full screen, just in thumbnails of about 3" and a larger view of about 6". Then I went to transfer my files to my PC, but the application locked up during transfer. It took over ten minutes for the non-responding Flip application--which resides in the camera and never loads to your computer--to close, even after using Task Manager. The camera's "Connected" screen stayed on, unresponsive to the on/off button, and I had to pull a battery out to get it to shut off. I restarted my PC to try again, and it happened consistently, another five times. I tried another few attempts where I tried to save only one video--the shortest one--and the application locked up once again, unable to save to my computer a video of 18 seconds. I tried to save a few as email versions; this locked up the application as well. I got very good at pulling the battery cover off to yank a battery to get the camera to turn off.
I tried it on the other two desktop PCs in the house, both of them running XP, and the exact same thing happened on all three. I tried it for the last time today on my Vista notebook, and the exact same process occurred. So, the problem is not with my computer(s); it's the product.
Bottom line: this is a relatively sophisticated and capable little camera, light on the bells and whistles, which hits a nice mark between high-end and economy. It needs a bit more design work for ergonomics, but this is a nice start. But this product's total computer interface failure dooms it absolutely and completely; I do not recommend this product for purchase.
--------------
Update, 3/9/08
After posting this review, FlipVideo contacted me personally, and invited me to a site where I downloaded all-new software for the camera. This totally new software has, as far as I can tell, corrected all file transfer and other internal problems noted in my original review, above.
I thank FlipVideo for taking the time to make this right, which I believe was their obligation from the beginning.
I now believe this to be a good product, and I do recommend it for purchase. It's not great, as I've noted some of the ergonomic features, above, but good. Its price is good, and I will recommend this to friends. I point out, however, that what appears to have been a headlong rush to get this product to market--and to market it highly aggressively--prior to Christmas 2007 resulted in the shipment of many units that were fundamentally flawed in their software. This should not have happened in the first place.
114 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
Small, Fun and Simple Personal Camcorder
(5 out of 5) by J. A Carty on Nov 6, 2007 (Charlotte, NC United States)Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2Q0D5R9PBKW2O This is a great little camera. It is perfect for quick little movies of your kids etc and would be a nice compact item to take on a vacation. The camera is ridiculously easy to use and the built is software loads straight from the camera.
I only have two issues w/ the camera: One is that it doesn't take stills as well. That would have been a nice feature but hey for $149 and having a camcorder to fit in your pocket w/ decent video? I'll take. The second is that w/ out any external light source it would not take good video in low light. It is essentially a really nice cell phone camera that allows you a much easier way to get your videos onto your computer and uploaded to other people.
For convienence, size and ease of use I'll still give it a 5.
I only have two issues w/ the camera: One is that it doesn't take stills as well. That would have been a nice feature but hey for $149 and having a camcorder to fit in your pocket w/ decent video? I'll take. The second is that w/ out any external light source it would not take good video in low light. It is essentially a really nice cell phone camera that allows you a much easier way to get your videos onto your computer and uploaded to other people.
For convienence, size and ease of use I'll still give it a 5.
108 of 111 people found the following review helpful:
Great Video for Dummies
(5 out of 5) by Shawn Collins on Nov 26, 2007 (Berkeley Heights, NJ)Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1XDNM03C1X5OW I am an avid Internet video creator, and I typically use more elaborate video cameras, but I loved the Flip Ultra for the quality, ease of use and very light weight.Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black)
192 of 203 people found the following review helpful:
Fun and Simple Video Camera with Great Sound
(4 out of 5) by Lisa M. Hendey on Nov 10, 2007 (Fresno, CA United States)Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3PMMFQG8ZSXMK I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder for review from Amazon, who offered the product to frequent reviewers to promote their new Video Review feature. Since receiving the Flip Video a week ago, our family has had a blast playing with this diminutive little camera. Like most other families, we own a regular sized video camera that gets pulled out for the occasional school play, Christmas, or major trip. So I wasn't convinced that we would actually use the Flip Video very much.
Wrong! Since owning the camera, we've shot over thirty video clips in a variety of lighting and sound situations. The biggest fans of the camera, of course, are my teenage sons who are a part of the You Tube generation. They love the immediate gratification of being able to shoot a video, flip the USB arm from the side of the camera, plug it into the computer, and use the camera's on board software to upload directly to You Tube in one step.
Here's the blueprint for the Flip Video: the dimensions are 1.2 x 2.2 x 4.2 inches and the camera weighs 7.2 ounces, less than my cell phone. I have a small camera bag, and this little guy fits neatly into it with my still camera, making it easy and accessible - which means that you will actually carry it along on outings. It would easily fit into a pocket. The camera comes with a hand strap and small drawstring bag (not too useful). With 2 GB of memory, the camera can hold up to sixty minutes of footage. All the software you need is loaded onto the camera, which enables you to do some minor editing, file organization, upload clips to the web, or email, and string clips together to make a longer movie. The Flip Video also comes with a cord to connect to the television and watch videos there, but we have not as yet tested that feature.
On the down side, the Flip Video is not the perfect camera for taking far away videos, since it only has a 2x zoom level. I found that it is great for shooting at close range, but when I tried to shoot video from a great distance (as you might do at a school play or sporting event), the results were not great.
I'm looking forward to using the Flip Video to capture those "spur of the moment" situations with my kids that seem to come up in day to day life. Since the camera is so small and light, it easily fits into my small purse and is ready at a moment's notice. We've had a great time playing with the Flip Video and would highly recommend it for families on the go like ours, looking to capture memories without a lot of hassle. Have fun!
Wrong! Since owning the camera, we've shot over thirty video clips in a variety of lighting and sound situations. The biggest fans of the camera, of course, are my teenage sons who are a part of the You Tube generation. They love the immediate gratification of being able to shoot a video, flip the USB arm from the side of the camera, plug it into the computer, and use the camera's on board software to upload directly to You Tube in one step.
Here's the blueprint for the Flip Video: the dimensions are 1.2 x 2.2 x 4.2 inches and the camera weighs 7.2 ounces, less than my cell phone. I have a small camera bag, and this little guy fits neatly into it with my still camera, making it easy and accessible - which means that you will actually carry it along on outings. It would easily fit into a pocket. The camera comes with a hand strap and small drawstring bag (not too useful). With 2 GB of memory, the camera can hold up to sixty minutes of footage. All the software you need is loaded onto the camera, which enables you to do some minor editing, file organization, upload clips to the web, or email, and string clips together to make a longer movie. The Flip Video also comes with a cord to connect to the television and watch videos there, but we have not as yet tested that feature.
On the down side, the Flip Video is not the perfect camera for taking far away videos, since it only has a 2x zoom level. I found that it is great for shooting at close range, but when I tried to shoot video from a great distance (as you might do at a school play or sporting event), the results were not great.
I'm looking forward to using the Flip Video to capture those "spur of the moment" situations with my kids that seem to come up in day to day life. Since the camera is so small and light, it easily fits into my small purse and is ready at a moment's notice. We've had a great time playing with the Flip Video and would highly recommend it for families on the go like ours, looking to capture memories without a lot of hassle. Have fun!