Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black) Immediately

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 960x240 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.
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