Pure Digital Flip UltraHD Camcorder Reviewby Jeremy StamasPublished on May 12, 2009 4:18 PM |
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| Introduction | ||||
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Update: The Flip UltraHD was ultimately selected as our 2009 Ultracompact Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other 2009 awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards. |
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| (Page 1 of 17) | Product Tour | |
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| Section | The Good | The Bad |
| Product Tour | Simple, rugged aesthetic | Less sexy than its MinoHD cousin |
| Color & Noise Performance | Very low noise and better color accuracy than MinoHD | Isn't great compared to most consumer camcorders |
| Motion & Sharpness Performance | Less artifacting than the competition from Sony; sharper than MinoHD | Only records in 30p, so all video has a slower, choppier look; 30p on the Sony ultracompact is smoother |
| Low Light Performance | Excellent sensitivity—much better than the Sony Webbie HD | Color accuracy is a little worse than the MinoHD and the Kodak |
| Compression & Media | Editing software is incredibly easy to use, Windows- and Mac-compatible | Internal memory can't be upgraded or swapped out like memory cards |
| Manual Controls | Lack of manual controls make operation incredibly simple | Absolutely no image controls available; no optical zoom |
| Still Features | Nothing of note | There aren't any still photo capabilities on the UltraHD |
| Handling & Use | Camcorder is very easy to operate, rugged, and portable | Battery life isn't great and the supplied pack takes a long time to recharge |
| Playback & Connectivity | HDMI cable is a nice perk | No thumbnail view in playback; no standard AV port or cables |
| Audio & Other Features | Stereo microphone is an upgrade over the MinoHD | No way to adjust audio, no other features |
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After releasing an HD version of its Flip Mino camcorder late last year, Pure Digital has finally provided the same update to its larger Flip Ultra models. The Flip UltraHD, which features a new video compression engine, 8GB of internal flash memory, an HDMI output, and 720/30p HD video recording, is currently on the market for $199—that's $30 cheaper than the Flip MinoHD if you're taking notes. The camcorder also features the same, easy-to-use uploading software that has made Flip camcorders the favorite of YouTubers and video bloggers alike. With YouTube now firmly supporting HD video, the Flip UltraHD is arriving at just the right time for novice users to catch onto the high definition bandwagon.