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Introduction
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01.Design
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02.Product Tour
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03.Performance
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04.Color Performance
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05.Low Light Performance
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06.Motion Performance
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07.Sharpness Performance
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08.Sample Videos
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09.Usability
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10.Ease of Use
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11.Handling
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12.Controls
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13.Features
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14.Recording Options
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15.Hardware
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16.Other Features
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17.Sony MHS-CM1 Comparison
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18.Flip MinoHD Comparison
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19.Kodak Zi6 Comparison
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20.Conclusion
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21.Photo Gallery
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22.Specs & Ratings
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23.Comments
Flip Video Flip UltraHD
Previous: Page 5
Low Light PerformanceNext: Page 7
Sharpness PerformanceMotion Performance
Motion (5.95)
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the motion on the Flip UltraHD isn’t great. The camcorder records video using a 30p frame rate, so moving subjects are a bit slower and choppier than a standard 60i camcorder would capture. The camcorder had less artifacting than we expected, which is a very good thing, but the motion didn’t look very smooth. Note that the YouTube clips shown below are heavily compressed, even in the larger HD versions. Still, they should give you a good idea of what these camcorders are capable of—especially since most users of these products are probably going to want to upload video to the web anyway. More on how we test motion.
There was a bit of juddering and choppiness in the Flip UltraHD’s motion test. The image was strong—there was less artifacting than the Kodak Zi6, Flip MinoHD, and Sony MHS-CM1—but the motion didn’t appear all that smooth. Trailing wasn’t bad when we paused the video, but there were some noticeable issues when we watched moving footage (i.e. the train showed some trailing as it crossed the front in our test).
Overall, the Flip UltraHD captures motion better than the Sony MHS-CM1. The MHS-CM1 has smoother motion, but it has a lot of artifacting. Specifically, the colored pinwheel on the right showed multiple splotches of pixelation, artifacting, and discoloration. We don’t have videos for the Flip MinoHD or Kodak Zi6 because they were tested last year, before we added the motion test to our repertoire.
Shop for the Pure Digital Flip UltraHD
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