Flip Video Ultra Camcorder Review

A New Trend, But Not For Everybody

The Flip Video camcorder from Pure Digital has been a popular solution for simple, unencumbered video recording. It doesn't get any simpler than this: only three buttons, no frills, and an intuitive software package that makes uploading clips to sharing sites like YouTube exceptionally easy.

Easy YouTube Videos!

Pure Digital Flip Ultra (2GB)

Pure Digital Flip Ultra (1GB)

While the Flip's uncomplicated presentation is refreshing, it's important to understand that this little gadget isn't exactly a miracle worker, and to attain such ease-of-use, a consumer has to make some concessions.

Design

The Flip Video Ultra has a boxy, rectangular shape that upon first glance would seem uncomfortable, but in fact is quite pleasant to hold. Compared to some other camcorders and their allegedly ergonomic hand-shaped design (like Sanyo's Xacti line), the Flip's slightly-curved squareness is better than one might expect.

The camcorder is extremely light, owing to an entirely plastic body design that makes the Flip feel more like a toy than a video camera. Most of the body is devoted to the battery compartment which accepts two AA batteries.

On the back of the Flip, there are three buttons (playback, record, and delete) and a four-direction navigation pad that allows users to scan through previously recorded clips (left, right) and make use of the very small 2x digital zoom (up, down). That's it. There are no menus, settings, or other functions or features.

Performance

The difference between the Flip Video Ultra and the plain old Flip Video camcorders is an upgrade to the internal flash memory that the gadgets used to save their video. The old Flip Videos came in 512MB and 1GB models; the new Ultras come in 1GB and 2GB models (the latter of which we used for this review). However, Pure Digital has not added the extra memory to allow for longer video clips: the max recording time on the 2GB Flip Video Ultra is 60 minutes, and half that for the 1GB.

The extra memory is being used to increase the quality of the videos, and in general, it appears to have been successful. Now, the videos taken by the Flip will never compare to the quality of standard-definition MiniDV camcorders, but it's not meant to compete with those. The Flip Video Ultra's output is perfect for sharing with friends via email or for posting to the web, and fairly good for watching on a regular 4:3 aspect ration television. Pure Digital has aimed squarely at the emerging niche of young videographers with specific online needs and hit the target.

Downsides

The downside is that if you're not in that niche, the Flip Video Ultra could be pretty frustrating. It's not a very powerful camcorder. It feels funny even referring to it as a camcorder because it hardly resembles its peers in any way. It lacks any optical zoom, making users depend on the fake, 2x digital zoom which can result in distortion and pixilation. The LCD display is very, very small (1.5-inches) and low-resolution. In bright sunlight it is completely washed out, which can be irritating as it's the only way to frame shots and interact with the camcorder.

Additionally, for what it does, the Flip Video Ultra (especially the 2GB model) seems a little expensive. The video quality is on par with a digital camera's movie mode. The Canon A470, for example, is a7-megapixel still camera with a comparable video mode and form factor, and can be purchased for just over $100. The Flip Video Ultra will cost $50-70 more than that, and it can't even take still photos. Part of the Flip's popularity and appeal seems to be due to its association with the new online video trend, even though its capabilities are available in other, less obvious places as well.

One surprising downside came from the flip-out USB plug that gives the camcorder its name. Touted as a convenience, the integrated USB connector doesn't have enough clearance to fit into a USB port on a computer if a neighboring port is also occupied. You'd have to unplug your other USB devices to make it work, and even then it's a little annoying if your computer is under a desk or table.

Conclusion: Have Reasonable Expectations

If quick and unfettered video recording is what you want, the Flip Video Ultra does exactly that, and nothing more. If you want to recording family memories like birthday parties, graduations, and other special events, this camcorder is probably not enough. Though Pure Digital is doing an excellent job getting their product out in the public eye, consumers should realize that while it is an exciting and interesting new angle in the camcorder market, it's just not for everybody.