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.
Get more detail about Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black).
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