Pure Digital Flip UltraHD Camcorder Review

Manual Controls Summary
• Good auto controls work well for the most part • Better auto exposure and white balance than previous models • No manual controls or features are available on the camcorder, other than 2x digital zoom.
	Compression & Media	(Page 7 of 17)	Still Features

Auto Mode (5.10)

There aren't really any "modes" on the Flip UltraHD. All recording is done with automatic controls doing the work and there are no manual features or special settings. Since the lens is fixed on the Flip UltraHD, there is no auto focus mechanism. Subjects and images should be in focus as long as they are 1.5-meters away or farther from the camcorder. There are no special scene modes or low light modes on the Flip UltraHD—all you can do is point, shoot, and use the 2x digital zoom.

The Flip UltraHD features updated video compression and some additional tinkering under the hood compared to the Flip MinoHD. In our testing we noticed the Flip UltraHD had much better white balance, as our bright light color results clearly signify. The Flip UltraHD also has better exposure adjustment compared to previous Flip models. Shooting side-by-side with the Flip Mino, the Flip UltraHD made exposure adjustments a bit faster and more smoothly. The Flip UltraHD also didn't blow out overexposed images nearly as much as the Flip Mino. Overall, the Flip UltraHD's auto controls performed very well.

Zoom (3.00)

The zoom on the Flip UltraHD is the same old 2x digital zoom that is featured on all Flip camcorders. The zoom toggle features real, pressable buttons, rather than the touch-sensitive modules featured on the Flip Mino and MinoHD. This makes the zoom a bit easier to handle, although we're only talking about 2x magnification here—the quality of the buttons isn't all that important.

The 2x digital zoom is operated with the + and - controls on the 4-way directional pad.

One significant advantage of the Sony MHS-CM1 is its inclusion of a 5x optical zoom, which is controlled by a traditional sliding toggle on the top of the camcorder.

Zoom Ratio (0.0)

The Flip UltraHD has no optical zoom, but it is equipped with a 2x digital zoom. The Sony MHS-CM1 has a 5x optical zoom and it is the only camcorder in this set that doesn't have a fixed lens.

Zoom Comparisons
Wide Angle	2x Digital Zoom

Focus (0.0)

There is no manual focus on the Flip UltraHD. In fact, there are no moving lens elements for automatic focus adjustment either. The UltraHD instead utilizes a fixed focus lens, which is capable of capturing subjects from 1.5m to infinity.

Exposure (0.0)

Exposure is handled automatically by the Flip UltraHD. There is no way to manually alter brightness.

Aperture (0.0)

There is no manual aperture control on the UltraHD: just a fixed f/2.4 aperture lens.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

The user has no manual control over shutter speed.

White Balance (0.0)

There are no white balance presets and no manual white balance option on the Flip UltraHD.

Gain (0.0)

Unsurprisingly, the Flip UltraHD handles manual gain the same way it handles all the other manual controls: by omitting it.

Color & Image Controls (0.0)

There aren't any manual controls for altering color or other image qualities. There are also no additional color modes or settings, like x.v.Color.

Other Manual Controls (0.0)

Nothing else to write about, really. The Flip UltraHD is a nightmare for manual control enthusiasts... and a dream come true if you want everything handled automatically.