Pure Digital Flip Ultra Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Sep 25, 2007 4:04 PM 
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (2.5)
For its price, the Pure Digital Flip Ultra (Specs, Recent News, $149.99) has a surprisingly adequate auto response to most changes in shooting conditions. The auto exposure was the best, showing an ability to shift very quickly from light to dark environments. We should preface this all by repeating that the picture never really looked good, but the adjustments themselves were quite decent.
The auto exposure was not always where we would have liked. The camcorder seems to be employing a metering that reads the entire frame and adjusts accordingly, rather than using a center-weighted metering. Unfortunately, there is no way to manually adjust the exposure. This creates some problems during shooting. For instance, when shooting a subject between two sources of strong light, the Flip Ultra left the subject in shadows. Even when we pushed the camcorder closer and closer toward the subject, there was no change until the subject’s lighting filled at least 90 percent of the frame.
The auto white balance adjustments are not as good, but ultimately they get the job done. The problem is the transition from one color temperature to another is not smooth; you can actually see the step-by-step shift, like a color temperature staircase as it makes its way up and down. It’s not pretty, but the adjustment happens.
The Flip Ultra has a fixed focus lens, which means there is no internal adjustment. You’ll need at least 9 to 10 inches between the camcorder and your subject. Anything closer is a blur. This is a stark contrast from most camcorders, which can focus all the way up to the lens. After 10 inches, the Flip Ultra can focus to infinity.
Overall Manual Control (0.25)
The Pure Digital Flip Ultra has no manual controls beyond a 2x digital zoom. There is no white balance, no exposure, no anything remotely resembling a manual control. For a segment of a population, this is the camcorder they have been waiting for. For everyone else, set your disappointment level to kill.
By comparison, the Sony NSC-GC1 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $199.00) Net Sharing Cam offers exposure controls, multiple white balance settings, and several Scene modes. For a little more money, there are much better equipped MiniDV camcorders like the JVC GR-D750, Canon ZR800 (Specs, $199.00), Panasonic PV-GS80, and Sony DCR-HC28. Not only do they have more manual controls, they also offer better interface, menu navigation, and handling.
Zoom (2.5)
The Flip Ultra has no optical zoom, which is just one of the many ways they managed to keep the cost down. Optical zoom necessitates moving parts. There is a 2x digital zoom. Rather than a simple jump fro 1x to 2x, there is a gradual transition, a feature we appreciate. To enable, push the plus and minus buttons on the directional-pad. When zooming, a progress bar appears on the right side of the screen. It is not possible to control the speed of the zoom with varying finger pressure. It takes about two seconds to transition from 1x to 2x.
Zoom Power Ratio (0.0)
There is no optical zoom. The digital zoom extends to 2x.
Focus (0.0)
There is no manual focus on the Pure Digital Flip Ultra.
Exposure & Aperture (0.0)
There is no manual exposure on the Pure Digital Flip Ultra.
Shutter Speed (0.0)
There are no shutter speed controls on the Pure Digital Flip Ultra.
White Balance (0.0)
Sorry, there are no white balance options on the Pure Digital Flip Ultra.
Gain (0.0)
Once again, there are no gain options on the Pure Digital Flip Ultra.
Other Manual Controls (0.0)