The "Flip Ultra" is a Flop, at least for me

I'm sorry to say it, but I must: the Flip Ultra sucks. I posted last month about the new Flip Ultra mini digital camcorder. It was a clever concept, and at a rather low price. But now I think I know why the price was so low. There may be quality control issues. Read on, then decide for yourself.



I tried to use it the other day, to film our canary singing. When I turned the camera on, the logo appeared in the window... and that was it. It locked up, the controls were totally non-responsive. Even the power switch would not work to turn it off, I had to open it up and take the batteries out.

I hadn't used it a lot, but by now it was past 30 days since I bought it, which is the usual time frame for returning something to Amazon.com. I called Amazon's customer service, and said the camera was defective, and that I wanted a replacement or a refund. I was asked, which would I prefer? I said the refund. I was tempted to try another unit, but since it broke within such a short time, with such little use, I was not confident that the quality of the product was reliable.

Even when it was working, the control button on the back seemed a little bit insensitive, not as responsive as it should be, and I didn't want to take a chance with a second unit. At $100 plus dollars, it may be inexpensive for a video camera, but that's not chump change either. And if a camera doesn't work, what good is it?

Amazon emailed me a shipping label to use to send it back. There was the usual blah blah blah with it, about how they may not refund me the full amount, etc. I will send it back and see what happens, and then report the final result here.

I normally don't buy new items like this until they have been out for a while and have a proven track record. But I saw it on sale, and the web site on Amazon had over 1,000 customer reviews, most saying it was very good. Yet now with hindsight, I think the people posting had just got the camera, and were impressed, just like I was. Who knows what will happen with their camera's with TIME and USAGE? I was too impatient, and should have waited longer, to see what happened to other people first.

What a disappointment. I WOULD be willing to pay a bit more, for something reliable, of better quality. Cheaply built electronics are SO not worth it. If what happened to me was a fluke, well, only time will tell. But I won't buy another such device until it has a more established track record of reliability.

UPDATE, 12-22-08:

I received an email yesterday saying they refunded my credit card by $95.61. I had paid about $119.00. They are keeping the difference for "restocking charges", not only for the camera, but for restocking the "free" peripherals they included with it.

I'm not entirely pleased. Why do I have to pay restocking charges for something defective? It's not like I was returning it because I didn't like it. It's not like they can sell it again. But at this point, I'm glad to get most of my money back. I don't want to waste any more of my time trying to get the rest back, so I'll be thankful for what I got. And I won't be buying anymore no-name cameras from Amazon.com. Or from anyone else, either.
     

The "Flip Ultra" quick video Farm Report

Photo taken from Flip Video, via Muvee software

I got my Pink Flip Ultra camcorder this week, and have been trying it out. Is it any good? Ultimately, I'd say "yes". But it depends. Let me explain.

[WARNING, 11-29-30: before buying the Flip Ultra, you should know that I am returning mine. You can read my update review to see why.]

The footage it records is better than a cell phone video, but not quite as good as what you get with a real camcorder, such as my Canon ZR 800. Still, the Flip Ultra IS pretty good. BUT... when you go to upload it to the internet, the file it creates for uploading is not as good as the original it creates. But fear not, there are ways to get around that.

The camcorder comes with "Muvee" software in the camera, which it uses to save videos (in the AVI format), and to convert them into another file format (WMV) suitable for uploading to the internet. Here is a quick sample of a WMV file created by Muvee:



bit rate 550 kbps, 496 x 370, size: 5.89 MB

I find the sound quality and image in the above video clip kinda crappy, like you would expect from a video made by a cell phone. So I saved the original AVI video file made by the Flip camera to my hard drive, and then used my preferred video editing software, ArcSoft ShowBiz 2, to convert it for uploading. I saved it in a higher resolution WMV file, resulting in the following:



bit rate 2015 kbps, 640 x 480, size 21.2 MB

This, I think, is not bad. The sound and image are better. Blogger dictates the size of the video frame on this page, but I think when posting in other venues I would be able to post this in a larger size, and still have good quality.

In this clip, you may notice at one point, I do a short zoom-in with the camera's built in zoom feature. The focus goes ever so slightly soft when the zoom is used, and gets sharper again when zoomed back. I was a little disappointed by that, but it's not severe, and therefore not a deal-breaker, at least not for me.

The sound quality is excellent. When walking around with the camera, some of the movement can seem a little bit jerky, compared to a conventional camcorder.

The original file created by the Flip was in AVI format, with a bit rate of 177 kbps, 640 x 480, size: 50.1 MB. The still shot at the top of this post was taken from the original file with the Muvee software.

Ideally I should show you a sample with people and voices in it, but I got our burn permit this week and have been busy this weekend on the farm, burning piles of brush we collected over the summer. Oh all right, here is a brief sample, with Yours Truly waking through the house. I hold the camera up to a mirror so you can see it's size; it's no bigger than a cell phone, but the lens is bigger than the ones that cell phone camera's use, so the quality is better:



bit rate 2015 kbps, 640 x 480, size 12.5 MB

Note when I zoom in on the TV screen, the slight blurring that happens. But all things considered, I think this camera is great for what it is: an easy to use, simple and convenient device that can record up to an hour of video on it's built-in memory. Great for making quick videos for video blogging. However, if you are making family archives for posterity, like your son's birthday party or your sister's wedding, you might want to go with a more conventional camcorder.




As I put the Flip Ultra through it's paces, I'll be showing a lot more videos and will likely give a more comprehensive review at a later date.

Oh, and for the "Farm Report" part of this post:

The video is of our Mama Bantam hen, with her 9 chicks she secretly hatched out last month. In the video she's bringing them into the coop near sunset. She was waiting for me to come in and let them into their little nursery area, where they can eat and sleep without competition from the bigger birds.

She still sits on them in the nesting box, even though they are getting quite big. Watching her do that is like watching one of those little cars in a circus, that has a 100 clowns inside; you wonder, how does she fit them all under there? It's becoming increasingly difficult for her.

We've had some cold nights, with temperatures going down into the 30's, but the chicks seem just fine. They have their feathers grown in now, so as long as they eat and fatten up they should be fine.


Related Links:

Farm Report: two chicks in a screen test

Farm Report: Our Humming Bird Heaven
     

The Flip Ultra Camcorder: Prettier in Pink?

Right now it's cheaper in pink
I don't know if this very compact, portable and easy to use digital video camera looks better in pink or not, but at this price, who cares? I just ordered one from Amazon.com for $119.00. The list price is $149. But it gets even better. If you order one before October 8th, they throw in TWO accessories of your choice, FREE. Each accessory is listed at $14.99, so you end up saving $60.00 from the list price. The offer is here:

Get Two Free Accessories with a Pink Flip Ultra

Shop today at Amazon.com and get two Flip Video accessories with your purchase of a pink Flip Ultra camcorder. Simply add the camcorder and two qualifying accessories to your Shopping Cart and the price of the accessories will be automatically deducted at checkout. This offer is valid until October 8, 2008. [...]

I guess the pink ones have not been selling well. Ideally I probably would have bought a black or gray one, but at this price, pink looks just fine. I've wanted one of these since I first blogged about them back in January. But it was new then, and I don't like being a guinea pig for new products, so I decided to wait and see how other people fared with it.

Since then, it has gotten more than 1,000 customer reviews, most of which are very favorable. At this price, I couldn't resist it. For the free accessories, I chose the soft carry pouch and the mini tripod.

Now I already have a video camera, a Canon ZR-800 mini DV camcorder, that I'm happy with. It's just that it takes video tape, and I have to download the tape on my computer, then convert the format to whatever purpose I want it for. That's ok, but the process can take a while. For example, I have our local summer garden tour on tape. I haven't transferred the footage, edited it and converted it yet. I will get to it, eventually.

But with something like the Flip Ultra, I should be able to plug it in to the computer and just transfer it. Very convenient for short videos. Very easy to travel with, and very easy to use, they say. The main page for this camera is here:

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Pink)

Technical Details

* Simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoom

* Holds 60 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 2GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required

* Convenient USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharing

* Built-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL, and capture still photos from video

* Watch videos instantly on TV with included cable
[...]

With it's built-in memory, it sounds ideal for quick camera-to-computer transfer. The samples of video I've seen look excellent. I'll let you know more when I've tried it out first-hand.

UPDATE 10-12-08 See my mini-review of the Flip Ultra here:

The "Flip Ultra" quick video Farm Report

[WARNING, 11-29-30: before buying the Flip Ultra, you should know that I am returning mine. You can read my update review to see why.]
     

Cheap, Fast & Easy... "Flip" & "Small Wonder"

Here are two small easy to use camcorders for technophobes and people who like to shoot spontaneously, quick and easy. These machines aren't fancy, don't offer a lot of options and are for making low-resolution (small-screen) videos for sending to friends and family over the internet. They are highly portable, and easy to use. If that is what you want, they may be right for you:

This photo is a front and back view of The Flip camcorder.

Pure Digital Flip Video Camcorder

Pure Digital's latest pocket camcorder lets anyone capture and share video--no technical knowledge or cords required-starting at only $119. While the Flip couldn't be easier to use, you'll want to remember that it's designed for making short, fun videos for posting online, not the birth of your next child.

The white-and-silver Flip is housed in an identical body to the previous-generation Point and Shoot Video Camcorder. It measures 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.3 inches and weighs only 4.8 ounces. (For more photos of the Flip Video, click here.) It doesn't have any complicated menus or confusing buttons; the lens and microphone are up front, and on the back you'll find a 1.4-inch LCD, three buttons (play, delete, and record), and a four-way navigation pad, which controls the zoom and lets you scroll through recorded clips. When it's time to transfer footage, simply flip out the USB plug on the side and connect it to your PC. Everything you'll need is in the package, including a TV connector and the two AA batteries it runs on.

Using the camcorder couldn't be easier: Turn on the power button and then press the red Record button to start shooting video. When you're done recording, press Record again. Play back your videos on the screen, and if you don't like one, simply press Delete twice. [...]

For more information and links, read the rest of the review. You can see the website for The Flip, which also features more of their newer models and samples of video clips here: Flip Video


RCA also makes a competing device: RCA's Small Wonder. You can find user reviews and purchasing information about both devices on Amazon.com and C-Net.com.

I can understand the appeal of such devices, but I think their use is limited. You can't use the footage on a TV screen, your very much confined to a small screen. You don't have any options for adjusting settings. The zoom is very limited. For many people that would be no problem, but ultimately I would like something more. There are many compelling reasons to go with a MiniDV camera, and I will post more on that later.