Pure Digital Flip UltraHD Camcorder Review

Color & Noise Performance Summary
• Much better color accuracy in bright light than Flip MinoHD, although the results still aren't great. • Overall image has a slight green-yellow tint. • Noise levels are very low in bright light.
	Product Tour	(Page 3 of 17)	Motion & Sharpness Performance

Color (6.46)

For a cheap, ultra-compact camcorder, the Flip UltraHD did rather well on our bright light color test. The camcorder registered a color error of 5.42 and a saturation level of 114.5%. While these scores are no match for a traditional HD camcorder, it is roughly on par with the Sony MHS-CM1 (Webbie HD). This color error is a significant improvement over the Flip MinoHD, which measured a horrendous 15.76 color error in our test. (More on how we test color.)

Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed in 2008 and before. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the 2008 comparison models below (the Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6) has been recalculated using the new formula.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The Flip UltraHD produced a color error of 5.42 and a saturation level of 114.5% in our bright light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

In the color error map above, you can see specifically what colors gave the Flip UltraHD the most trouble. The camcorder did well with greens and yellows, but had a lot of trouble blues, purples, and reds. The camcorder's entire image in this test also appeared to have a slight greenish-yellow tint. Since there is no manual white balance on the Flip UltraHD, this discoloration is likely due to the camcorder having difficulty compensating for our bright light setup. Below is some sample color footage taken under the same 3000 lux light setup as our color test.

Flip UltraHD Color Sample Footage
Auto	100% Crop

As you can see in the comparisons below, the Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-CM1 captured far more accurate colors than both the Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6 in our testing. The MinoHD and Zi6 have very warm, orange tones that are likely a result of an inability of the camcorders to properly white balance for our testing lamps. The Sony MHS-CM1 slightly edges the Flip UltraHD as far as color accuracy is concerned, but it isn't that much better.

Flip UltraHD Color Comparisons
Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1
Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6

The close-up color comparisons below give you a better idea of the color reproduction each camcorder is capable of. The Sony MHS-CM1 may have the best color accuracy, but its color squares are full of artifacts. Here, you can also see how much of an orange tint the Kodak Zi6 and Flip MinoHD have.

	Close-Up Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1	Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6
Red
	Ideal	Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1	Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6
Green
	Ideal	Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1	Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6
Blue
	Ideal	Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1	Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6
Skin Tone 1				No data available	No data available
	Ideal	Flip UltraHD	Sony MHS-CM1	Flip MinoHD	Kodak Zi6
Skin Tone 2				No data available	No data available

Whether it's from new processing or an enhanced auto white balance system, the Flip UltraHD represents a strong improvement in color accuracy over the Flip MinoHD. The results still aren't great, but for a cheap, ultra-compact camcorder this is a decent color performance.

Color Performance Scores

* Scores for these models were recalculated using the new 2009-2010 rubric.

Noise (10.86)

The Flip UltraHD measured very low noise levels in our bright light testing. The camcorder registered only 0.51% noise, which is lower than the numbers we got from the Sony MHS-CM1 (0.6725% noise). For this test, we don't have hard data on the Flip MinoHD or Kodak Zi6 as they are camcorder's we tested last year (before this test was implemented). (More on how we test noise.)

Noise Comparisons
Flip UltraHD 100% Crop	Sony MHS-CM1 100% Crop	Flip MinoHD 100% Crop	Kodak Zi6 100% Crop

Above, you get a good look at each camcorder's video quality under bright light. The Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6 clearly have color issues and the warm, orange tones are especially visible in these 100% crops. The Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-CM1 have decent images in their crops. The Sony shows a bit more detail and sharpness, although the Flip UltraHD has more contrast. You can see some mild discoloration on the Flip UltraHD as well—its image appears to have a slight greenish tone.