Review: Flip UltraHD With Image Stabilization Camcorder (Demo Comparisons)

[richardpcrowe]

I have not had problems with image shake using the original Flip Ultra HD.

[georgef551]

@richardpcrowe

You've got one very steady hand.

I envy that.

[CaGunReporter]

my wife and i are looking at all four of the current flip cameras, your video really helped us into what i think will be a confident purchase, the "gen 3" thanks a lot!

[georgef551]

@CaGunReporter

Glad I could help.

[LunchB0XGuy]

ha thats funny

[LunchB0XGuy]

how many other hands does this guy have?

[georgef551]

@LunchB0XGuy

Just the 2. Right hand manupilating stuff, left recording the video.

[EricZoot]

so what should i get im getting one very soon

[georgef551]

@EricZoot

The Gen 3 (I.S.) model, if you don't have the steadiest of hands. Just keep in mind it'll not eliminate most movement, but will reduce its effect on the image.

If you're steady, any Flip will do. If you record often, go for one with 8GB of memory (some have only 4). They record 1 and 2 hours, respectively.

[arman2417]

wait what.. mine is fat like the older one yet it has the cheap plastics sides to it.. idk whcih one i have

[georgef551]

@arman2417

Thin less shiny one = newer model.

[arman2417]

@georgef551 oh got it thanks. i just realized.. i have the 2nd gen yet its less shiny.

[georgef551]

@arman2417

I don't know why Flip didn't think about image stabilization, until it was too late. Could've been a 2'nd Gen thing if they wanted it to be.

[arman2417]

@georgef551 yeah ik.. who knows!

[arman2417]

@georgef551 yeah who knows

[georgef551]

@rtskull13

Five:

Bloggie 3D

Flip Ultra HD, original and 3'rd Gen.

Flip SlideHD (Storage backup)

Sony Handicam

[TheVideosfactory]

i have codak Zi8 but i have one everything is all most perfect pic and video awesome but i have a issue was power charged it and the turn on fine but still freezing mean it do nothing just freezing i want " reset " but i dont know how can u help me plz???? (i may be too much time charged it ) thanks

[georgef551]

@TheVideosfactory

Uhhh....what?



[TheVideosfactory]

@georgef551 i found the problem the battery is in bad conditions  thanks dude

[georgef551]

@TheVideosfactory

Poop happens sometimes. The one on my original Flip needs to be charged the very day before use, or it'll red-bar in a minute or two.

[TheNikarru]

does anyone know how to turn off image stabilization

?????

[georgef551]

@TheNikarru

That's not an option here. It should've been, but I guess it was easier just to posrt the same OS over from the other cameras.

[TheNikarru]

@georgef551 craaaap. do you know if i was to get an opteka flipeye if it would move around a lot?

[georgef551]

@TheNikarru

No idea.

[Fikous]

Very good review. I have a 2nd gen Ultra HD and now I decided not to by a 3rd gen because I'm filming a lot of gigs in a low light level. So I will wait for the next gen Flip Ultra HD and hoping they will bringmore details in the dark :)

[georgef551]

@Fikous

That's the one flaw of this model. (Darkness)

Maybe the next one will have a more sensitive CMOS.



[RachealElizibithDare]

at 1:24. You say that the newer one feels uncomfortable. and the older one fits nice in your hand! Wrong, Thats an opinion.! Like me im younger and i have smaller hands and the newer version of the flip fits Very Very comfertable in my hand.! Thats my opinion, So,! When you make reviews your are sapose to say, My opinion is the older version fitsin my hand better then the newer version because its a bit bigger.!

[georgef551]

@RachealElizibithDare

True, if you're smaller, the Gen3 UltraHD feels better. When you're an adult, it isn't, but it's nowhere near as painful as the SlideHD gets. I went recording with it for 90 minutes straight, and didn't bother me. Once in awhile, I do feel some discomfort, but it's minimal, and goes away.

[SuteUpGrade]

its chromed plastic not solid metal :-)

[georgef551]

@SuteUpGrade

It's been mentioned.

I believe there's an annotiation (unless I forgot to publixh it).

[rizzashizza]

get the 8 gb mino hd versus the ultra. smaller, better build quality, hdmi, everyhting the new ultra does but better

[georgef551]

@rizzashizza

...but no Image Stabilization.

If tyou have a steady hand, you don't need that. :)

[rizzashizza]

@georgef551 theres image stabilization....

[georgef551]

@rizzashizza

I didn't hear of the Mino having that. Could be wrong, I guess.

[rizzashizza]

@georgef551 well, i got mine last month and it had it so yeah. maybe its a new generation or something

[Kingro619]

Do you know what the difference was between the 1st and 2nd gen ultra hd? And what's cisco? I never saw it on the 1st gen?

[georgef551]

@Kingro619

1'st was simply the original. Not sure what was different about the 2'nd one. My guess would be the slimmer design, and dual mics. I think that's what someone mentioned to me before.

[Kingro619]

Which should I but then? The original ultra hd seems better in this video. :/

[georgef551]

@Kingro619

The original is better in lower lighting, but you only get 30fps, and a grainy image, with no image stabilization.

It all depends how steady you are, and whether or not you shoot in lighter or darker places.

[FreewayBrent]

I just purchased the 3rd generation, Flip Ultra 8 GB (2 hours of recording time). I'm VERY satisfied with it, thus far. If anybody wants to get an idea of how good the image stabilization is, check out my time-lapsed freeway video that I recorded today. Keep in mind that I drove on a BAD stretch of pavement, and the video still came out great. youtube.com/watch?v=jxYruyq9Ll­Q&feature=recentlik

[georgef551]

@FreewayBrent

Image Stabilization definately helps with driving videos.



[PerplexityStudios]

i got the older flip ultra hd and it came with regular AA batteries. Is there special rechargable batteries for the flip ultra hd that they sell in stores?

[georgef551]

@PerplexityStudios

You can get a replacement AA pack for the UltraHD, or for this 3'rd generation one, a AAA pack. The latest Ultra is one that uses 3 AAA's.

Whichever version you have, it's a good idea to have a set of backup batteries with you, just in case.

[xRandomAccount123]

Even though YouTube converts all videos to 30fps - You can see a difference between the 60fps and 30fps when it comes to motion blur. You should make a test to show that, just hold both camcorders next to each other and start moving them around and then edit your video so you can see those videos you just took side-by-side. That 60fps helps capture movement a lot better. Therefore even when dumbed down to 30fps, there is a noticable difference.

[georgef551]

@xRandomAccount123

That is true, also there is less shearing with the 60fps videos.

[xRandomAccount123]

@georgef551 I just bought this camcorder today, and I must say I am loving it! Looks great! Just thought I would share that :P

[georgef551]

@xRandomAccount123

Glad you like it.

[cobr3n]

Nice review. Kinda wish I found this before my in-laws got us the 3rd gen flip video. The image stabilization is nice but the low light enhancement on the older one is good also.. I wonder if there will be a firmware update to get that low light enhancement on the 3rd gen?

[georgef551]

@cobr3n

Not sure. My guess will be that the image will still be terrible in the dark, just easier to see the lack of details.

[TonyBlackgrave]

hm i really want to put the money for the overall better video quality since i don't really record in the dark, and slimmer profile plus that image stabilization but what i really want is a wider range of view. from all the flips the only thing i hated was that the angle of view was always pretty small.

The Slide HD seems cheap to me. sure the headphone jack,bigger screen and better speakers are nice but it looks so fragile and I actually don't like the whole touch sensitive buttons.

[georgef551]

@TonyBlackgrave

Flip is suposed to have an attachable Wide-Angle lens for the UltraHD, which can easilly be removed when not needed. This was one of several acessories Cisco is suposed to roll out, if they didn't already.

[DJ17Nario]

Excellent review. :)

[georgef551]

@DJ17Nario

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed.

[gavinwizard]

thanks thats a great review

[georgef551]

@gavinwizard

No problem.

[ngvgnDOTcom]

Good review but on most camera 60p your files will be bigger. 60p is only really used for slow down or speed ups in video and some people do convert 60p to 24p to get a film look.

60 frames have half the time with in a second so each frames will have less light then 30p would.

I really wish Flip kept 30p and just let you pick what you want to use.

The only way to view 60p is on the computer.

Other then that I love the audio and the colors are very good on this new Flip.

Thank you.

[georgef551]

@ngvgnDOTcom

Actually, depending on what you shoot, there's occasions the 60fps Flip will make a smaller video file, than the 30fps counterpart does, but in general, you are correct.

In this demo, it was one such case, where the 60fps file was 2/3'd the size of the 30fps video, both started and stopped at the exact same time.

[taya786]

Hi I just bought one from radio shack.. And it was on sale... But I have a huge problem on there website the model number is u32120b but the one they sold me is u2120b... And it has the chrome look.. What should I do.. And should I keep the older 1 or get the new one...tks for ur advice in advance:))

Btw really nice review just wat I was needing

[georgef551]

@taya786

I'd send it back, but contact customer service first.

Never had this problem. Lucky, I guess.

I bought this in-store, at a Best Buy, and had them verify the model number having the Image Stabilization. That might be a pain, but it helps get what you want.

Anyhoo, if you're using a tripod, either Flip (or any) will do, but if it's hand-held at any point, the I.S. one will be better.

[albinrhinnooable]

brushed steel? it's friggen Chrome!!! Chrome attracts fingerprints which is why they changed to plastic.

[georgef551]

@albinrhinnooable

Several people thought it was steel, including some videophiles, due to the regid construction.

[MrCooldude225]

wow taht was a pretty fast response

[MrCooldude225]

fater hahahaha that was actually kinda funny when u said that no offence

[georgef551]

@MrCooldude225

Okay.....

I tend to throw in the occasional bogus word or two, and not realize it.

[iforgotwatitis]

What was this filmed with?

[georgef551]

@iforgotwatitis

The Flip SlideHD, which the I.S. Flip replaced.

Slide is being used for backup video storage.

[JackTraven2525]

New Ultra HD has a hissing sound on the audio.

[georgef551]

@JackTraven2525

That's just the appliances running in the background.

[hurricaneheardy111]

Good review! I don't know whether to get a mino hd or ultra hd though. And are those battery packs rechargeable, if so how much battery life is on them when fully charged?

[georgef551]

@hurricaneheardy111

The battery pack lasts about 60 to 90 minutes. If you still want to shoot more stuff, you can use 3 AAA batteries in it's place.

With lots of AAA batteries, or packs, and a Net/Notebook, you can go for hours on end. (Computer for dumping files to free space on camcorder.)

[mcchicken442]

@georgef551 you have the 3rd generation right?

do you think its worth it to buy the 3rd for 60 more bucks?

[georgef551]

@mcchicken442

Yes, this is the 3'rd.

I keep thinking 2'nd. :)

[YourTechCorner]

Its not actually metal its just chrome paint on white plastic

trust me i have one

[georgef551]

@YourTechCorner

I trust you, as others pointed it out as well. Fooled a lot of us, even some videophiles.

I torqued the unit, and it didn't budge, so I thought metal. Plastic usually gives to some degree, even very tiny amounts.

[beet111]

whats the flip port?? and what is it for??? please answer!!!

[georgef551]

@beet111

The Flip Prot is for various things. The main one is for HDMI output. Sadly, the mini HDMI cable that worked on older models doesn't fit. It's also to support future add-ons, like a light, and other things I dion't remember.

[beet111]

@georgef551 thanks!!!

[georgef551]

@beet111

No problem.

[xHANDSOMEDEVILx]

Fyi> the reason the new one has much better sound capture = dual mics

[georgef551]

@xHANDSOMEDEVILx

That would help some. :)

[VidPro95]

The old Flip is not metal at all. Its all plastic. Ive had my flip ultra hd for 1 year and finally the usb doesnt work anymore

[georgef551]

@VidPro95

Really? It's not metal? Had a lot of us fooled (even other videos gurus, although I'm not one).

The Power Button on mine caved in. I can still turn it on, it's off that sometimes is impossible (unplug battery).

[MysteriosDI]

you said that youtube displays the vids in 30 fps so it wouldnt matter if i buy the older version of flip right? if i only upload them to youtube

[georgef551]

@MysteriosDI

60fps is better:

(1) for home viewing

(2) Fast motion won't shear/skew as much.

Yeah, YouTube whittles it down to 30, but things stay more true in shape.

[LEDKidDOTcom]

Thank you for the great in-depth review. We are considering buying an UltraHD but we can't decide between the older or newer model. The primary use of the camera will be recording LED lights in mostly or totally dark rooms.

Could you tell us how each camera compares when recording a small bright keychain LED light in a dark room? We are considering the older model, what do you think?

[georgef551]

@LEDKidDOTcom

LED's will just appear (close to) white on either one.

Older model for dark areas, with graininess, brighter for the new one, which isn't as grainy, but the compression is a bit much on darker video.

[EPICFAIL84]

best review on the new flip I have seen good job bud one more thing the changed is the power button is a little farther out the the old one

[georgef551]

@EPICFAIL84

Oh, yes. There was a small difference there.

[CharlietoKind]

can you install this thing called hd tune? please, hd tune 2.55 is free, and what it does is, it benchmarks the read/write/access times of pretty much any storage device, can you make a video or a max mb/s to me and respond of the new flip ultra w/ image stabilization?

[georgef551]

@CharlietoKind

I don't know. Might want to look at the HD Tune documentation.

Not sure of data rate, actually.

[doyouknowthelord777]

The new ultra is one huge disappointed The thing you did not discuss was the crispness and clearness of the pics Image stabilization is great but the old ultra wins hands down with a tripod for clarity The new one is made cheap and now has a picture just like everyone else maybe worse I tested this side by side outdoors The old HD wins hands down for picture quality If you want to give up picture quality for the image stabilization get the bew one Mine is going back

[georgef551]

@doyouknowthelord777

Actually, it was visually demonstrated, that the quality goes down as it gets darker.

I do notice the quality is a little less, because they compressed the video more, so that 60fps files aren't much bigger than the older 30fps files were.

Tripods can be mounted on this as well, but the older Ultra does have better brightness, but it's more grainy.

It's a judgement call. Some will love it, others won't.

[rschw999]

It looks like the new ultra has a better white balance and a better microphone.

[georgef551]

@rschw999

Yes, and Yes.

The mic is the most noticable thing, to me. The white balance is off sometimes, but not as bad as the Slide was. This is the closest, and has the best contrast of them all, just not as good in the dark, but it does well in most cases.

[Balarick]

the new flip is a good improvement over the old one. a flashlight will help it see in the dark. 

[georgef551]

@Balarick

True.

If you're in a moderately dark area, you're okay. Things will get muted some, but not too much.

[jimster586]

An excellent review.

[georgef551]

@jimster586

Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed.

[revo8778]

Is the image stabilizer optical or electronic?

[georgef551]

@revo8778

I don't think opticals exist anymore. I think they're all electronic nowadays.

[Delaypat]

Great review man!!

[georgef551]

@Delaypat

Glad you liked it. Does it make you want it more now (the new camera)?

[Delaypat]

@georgef551 it totally does..i do like the old one metal construction, but the color and sound are great on the new one!!

[georgef551]

@Delaypat

Even though the dark areas get a bit dull-looking, the dullness removes the grainyness you'd typically get.

The color is usually spot on. It did a very good job capturing the Johnny Appleseed Festival today. (I have 2 of 4 vids uploading today, right now.)

[Delaypat]

@georgef551 Awesome, Just headed off to a pirate fest..BTW do you have facebook?

[georgef551]

@Delaypat

No "MeBook". YouTube is enough for me. :)

[Delaypat]

@georgef551 if you search your name on there there is a Sr.

[georgef551]

@Delaypat

I know. My Sister set my Dad up with his own FaceBook Page. Most of the time, he's playing "Farm Town" (Not to be confused with "Farmville").

She set it up so he can communicate with his former Marine buddies, primarilly.

[Delaypat]

@georgef551 well that must be him! HEHEH