Cisco recently declared the discontinuance of its Flip pocket camcorders, however the present generation of Flip camcorders continues to be accessible through the company’s web site whereas provides last. you’ll be able to browse Cisco’s official announcement relating to product support here.
If you are looking for a direct pocket tv camera, Cisco’s latest (and last) version of the Flip UltraHD is little and straightforward enough to justify its $180 (as of Apr fifteen, 2011) tag.
What the new 2-hour Flip UltraHD lacks in options, it makes up for in pure, elegant simplicity. The tv camera offers some slight enhancements over its predecessor: It’s diluent and fewer bulky–with a thickness of zero.88 in. versus the recent Flip UltraHD’s one.16 inches–but still alittle too chunky to slide well into any however the largest of pockets.
The 2-hour/8GB model we have a tendency to examined sports a few of major additions that the 1-hour version of an equivalent tv camera lacks: a special FlipPort, that you’ll be able to use to attach nonobligatory proprietary accessories like AN external microphone; and 720p HD recording at the next frame rate of sixty frames per second, up from the previous version’s thirty independent agency. The new Flip UltraHD additionally runs on a chargeable lithium-ion battery; or else you’ll be able to switch out the battery pack for 3 aortic aneurysm batteries.
Storage continues to be fastened internally: The new UltraHD packs 8GB of internal flash storage, that accommodates a pair of hours of HD footage. Everything you would like is within the box: the tv camera itself, a plastic radiocarpal joint strap, a soft artefact carrying case, and a chargeable battery. The battery is straightforward to put in within the front of the Flip–just flip the lock start all-time low of the camera and also the front panel slides off.
The 4.5-ounce Flip UltraHD appearance lots like its precursor. The new model retains the soft, rubberized plastic cowl, however jettisons the metal sides in favor of plastic ones. there is still a flip-out USB port on one aspect and an influence button on the opposite, and also the back holds a 2-inch digital display screen. The buttons stay simple: playback, delete, and navigation controls.
The bottom of the Flip homes the proprietary FlipPort, AN HDMI port (no HDMI cable is enclosed within the box), a lock switch for the battery compartment, and a rack mount. The new model comes in black/silver, white/silver, and custom styles that you just will assemble via the official web site.
To charge the Flip, you plug it into a USB port exploitation the flip-out USB connexion on the aspect of the camera. Plugging the Flip into a pc USB port can trigger attached-storage recognition of the device. From there, you’ll be able to drag and drop your clips from the Flip to your pc, otherwise you will use the camcorder’s preinstalled FlipShare suite. FlipShare provides straightforward desktop programs for writing, playing, and uploading videos; you’ll be able to additionally bypass the software system entirely.
The Flip’s interface is very accessible–even my mother, United Nations agency is somewhat technologically impaired, worked her method round the Flip UltraHD’s interface with no downside. Hit the ability button and also the gap screen seems for 0.5 a second before disappearing; subsequently, you’re able to record. If you press and hold the record button throughout the startup screen, you will jump to a setup screen wherever you’ll be able to select the language, date, and time; choose the tones for various features; and toggle the recording lightweight on or off.
Playback is simply as simple. You press the playback button, and instantly you’ll be able to use the navigation controls to scroll through your recorded clips. To delete a video clip, faucet the delete button, select whether or not to delete the video (yes/no/all), then faucet the play button to verify.
The newest Flip UltraHD’s video footage seems to possess taken a major dip in quality compared to previous Flips. In PCWorld Labs’ subjective tests for video quality, the Flip UltraHD scored within the middle of the pack for overall video performance.
Video Quality
Because the Flip UltraHD records at sixty independent agency rather than thirty independent agency, the moving objects it captures look alittle drum sander than on previous Flips. However, video quality is murkier in bright lightweight and far less spectacular in low lightweight than we’ve seen in previous incarnations of the Flip. Compared to previous generations of the Flip–which were much the gold customary for low-light footage a generation or 2 ago–the UltraHD performs poorly in low-light conditions. at the best it is a middle-of-the-pack low-light performing artist. Still, in good lighting conditions, the Flip UltraHD captures subjects nicely with bright, exposed colors; and at sixty independent agency, I may swimmingly capture the delicate movements of a wolf eel swimming at Monterey Bay storage tank.
The Flip UltraHD earned AN overall video quality score of fine, largely as a result of its respectable output in bright-light things. Audio pickup through its on-board electro-acoustic transducer stood out from the pack, earning a word score of excellent in our subjective tests.
You can read the bright-light and low-light check clips we have a tendency to used for our subjective tests below. choose ‘720p’ within the menu of every player to check the highest-quality footage.
As with any Flip tv camera, you don’t get several recording options: The UltraHD offers swish 2X digital zoom, and digital image stabilization that doesn’t work miracles; additionally, you’re restricted to video-recording solely. you’ll be able to grab a frame from a video clip to use as a still image via the desktop FlipShare software system, however the device itself doesn’t take photos.
The Flip’s fixed-focus lens lacks the macro skillfulness of competitors like the Kodak PlaySport, which suggests that you just cannot get too near things if you would like them to be clear. Standing regarding three to five feet away works well, though.