Flip UltraHD Camera

[ted4887]

Has anyone had any experience with this camera? I don't need anything super nice, but this does seem like it would be kind of fun to have. A guide I was out with last week was using one, and I think that if I picked up the tripod with it, it might be something fun to use to record some fishing action.

Or maybe there is another option out there with a similar price?

[DTro]

The flip works awesome!

Most everything here was recorded with the original Flip:

http://www.youtube.com/user/DTroFishOn?feature=mhum

[ted4887]

Thanks man. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Do you find that the 4gb one is big enough, or did you upgrade to the 8gb? And have you ever used the tripod? It's really really short, but wondering if maybe it would set up on a shore somewhere nicely to take some videos.

[goose89]

A buddy of mine brought his last year on fishing trip. I'm in the market for one as well. Easy, and good quality, and reasonably priced.

[Dbl]

Take a look at the Kodak Playsport, I've had one for almost a year and love it! Easy to use, shoots 1080HD at 30fps and 720 at 60fps. Uses an SD card so you are not limited by on board memory, has the software for editing movies right in the camera and when hooked to a PC it downloads and installs it so you can do editing. Waterproof to 10' this is the biggest plus to the camera. I've used it fishing in rain, snow and underwater for those cool underwater fish fighting movies. All this for less than $120 IMHO it blows the Flip out of the water with features.

[ted4887]

Ahh, great advice! I'll look into it, and the waterproof feature is perfect! I'll be using this mostly while fly fishing, and kayaking, so there is a chance i'd get it wet. This might be the better buy. Any demo videos that you have shot? I'd love to see the quality of video.

Edit - Nevermind on the video. I found a side-by-side comparison on both cameras. It gave me a pretty good idea on the camera. And it looks like Kodak takes better quality videos.

That's for anyone else wondering how they compare.

[goose89]

Thanks! I'm glad I held off on the Flip. Should have figured something a couple years old would be "outdated" and something new and improved was out there.

[Dbl]

Glad you found some comparisons. I've shot a few hundred short videos from underwater, attached to a snowmobile, on an RC airplane, on a bike, attached to a helmet. Your imagination is the limit. The camera is image stabilized as well, another big plus. The HD video I've shot that I connected direct up to my HD tv looks great! I edit everything and usually dumb it down for on line uses but I've got HD stored on my computer that I can output to my TV's to retain HD quality.

The two strikes against it I have found are trying to zoom in, and the low light capabilities. The quality is not as good, but I've also found for this type of camera you really don't need to zoom in. Low light shooting gives marginal results. I also have a remote control for it ($10) that allows me to start shooting when I have it mounted to something (like the snowmobile video I shot a few weeks back). All in all its great having a waterproof camera that is small and easy to carry that shoots great HD for a fantastic price.

[ted4887]

Dbl, any idea on the range of that remote? That sounds like it might be a nice idea for fishing purposes. I also like the looks of the gripping tripod. Bendable legs you can wrap around things such as trees. Might be perfect for the use I want it for.

[Dbl]

Range outdoors is limited, depending on light anywhere from 6' to 20'. It is line of sight and the sensor is on the front of the camera so you have to be facing it. There is no power on button either. For $10 it works even with its limitations for my purposes.

For mounts I do use the mini-tripod with bendable legs, . but do yourself a favor and use the original Gorilla Pod, not the cheap imitators. My main mount is a Super Clamp which is a very useful extremely strong photographic clamp. Works on just about anything!

[DTro]

That's a great comparison video. You can clearly see that the Playsport shines in 2 categories. Outdoor lighting, and image stabilization. Add in the waterproof deal and it seems like a pretty easy choice.

It's not a big enough difference for me to switch, but for someone buying a new one, the Playsport seems like a winner.

I'd be curious to hear an audio comparison, the Mic on the Flip is pretty good.

Does the Playsport take AA or AAA batteries? That is one feature I really like about the Flip. I just always keep a couple spares in my pocket.

[ted4887]

The Playsport is a built in lithium ion rechargable. That has it's downside, but you can get a recharging station for it in the bundle that some stores offer.

I did a little snooping at Best Buy today, and was also told of the Olympus TG-310. It's a little more money, but it is freezeproof and waterproof as well. It also takes 14 MP pictures, which is much better than the other two offer. It's not an easy choice, that's for sure. I think i'll just hold off until one of the cameras have a nice sale on them.

[Dbl]

As ted4887 mentions the Playsport has a recharbable lithium ion battery that is charged from the cable and charger included with the unit. It has a USB connection so you can even charge it using a computer. Battery life I have found to be very good. I had the camera mounted on my snowmobile yesterday and today on the front bumper and turned it on and off when I wanted to shoot a clip and I didn't even come close to running the battery down 1/2. Last summer on vacation I would shoot short couple minute clips throughout the day and went about 3 days before thinking of charging.

On a small camera such as these with the small sensors I would not get to hung up on megapixels. Cramming more pixels on a small sensor without increasing sensor size doesn't always produce good results. More pixels means less light reaching each individual pixel and a bleed over effect to the adjacent pixel can give you marginal results. With these pocket size video cameras they are not increasing sensor size or adding a high quality lens to boost picture quality. Buyer do be aware and don't get talked into a camera based on megapixels alone or the fact it will take higher quality shots.

I am not sure what freezeproof means, I've been using digital cameras in way below freezing temps with no adverse effect on the camera for many years. As I mentioned above I had my Playsport strapped to the front bumper of my snowmobile all weekend trail riding and it worked perfect each time I hit the record button. Saturday the high was 3 above and I was averaging 30 to 40mph making for a cold windchill! Battery life is impacted but camera functions will continue to work well on most cameras.

One other camera to look at the upper end is the GoPro series of cameras. Fantastic camera for the adventure-minded! Look at their site and you will see some phenomenal work shot with a $300 HD camera. They have better optics which really make the HD videos pop, a definite step above the Playsport/Flip class camera.

[PierBridge]

I was all set to order the PlaySport (Zx3) in purple "Go Vikes" for $110 shipped with a Free extra battery from amazon and then I came across the Gen 2 {Zx5} model.

Not sure of the differences yet but the price is quite a bit more.

I'll probably just go with the Zx3 and the accessory pack. I hate to do it, but you can get $30 more off if you sign up for the Amazon credit card.

I really wanted to get a 1/2 way decent camera with better zoom capabilities mainly for Turkey and Waterfowl hunting along with some sporting events but I may just settle for this as a starter unit.

[Dbl]

Thanks for the info PierBridge, didn't know they had a newer version coming out. Doesn't look like a huge change in features. The only big things they push in the advertisement are the dust proof and shock proof a 5' fall capabilities. Maybe a slightly better LCD? I have used mine in dusty conditions and dropped it a few times as well...still working. I would say the Zx3 still looks like a great deal at the price you mentioned, I certainly wouldn't be worried I wasn't getting the newest! It is not a substitute by any means for a higher quality camera but it is so darn handy just to throw in a pocket and not worry about weather conditions!

On a side note I had a couple of guys stop on the snowmobile trails this weekend where we were taking a break and ask what the heck I had mounted on my bumper! They all were going to look at doing something similar...it really is a guy thing I think! Why we must video all of our cool outdoor activities!

[ted4887]

Thanks for all the input guys. It was a big help on helping me select my new camera.

I ended up going with the Playsport Zx3. I plan on giving it a test run tomorrow while fly fishing to get a good feel for how it films action/underwater.

[PierBridge]

My Playsport just arrived!

I've had it just a few minutes now with only one quick video before the battery died, but WOW! Incredible picture quality when viewed on a hi-Def monitor....

I see they "amazon" dropped the price to $104 with free shipping! So you would get the camera, USB/AC charging cord, HDMI and RCA cable's for that price.

More to come later!

[PierBridge]

Quote:

I'd be curious to hear an audio comparison, the Mic on the Flip is pretty good.

Really good sound so far. It has a sensitivity feature for the mic along with a meter to boot.

[ted4887]

I really enjoyed having the Playsport with me today while I was out fishing. I need to figure out how to edit videos, and than i'll try to upload what I took today.

The videos however, are excellent quality. My biggest complaint would be the battery life. It barely lasted for the 44 minutes of recording time that my 4gb hard drive gives me when recording 720p.

Does anyone have any recommendations for video software that lets you cut clips, and merge videos together?

[Dbl]

Use the software that came with the camera. When you hook up the camera to your computer the first time it will ask if you want to install the ArcSoft software that is stored on the camera itself.

It is a very easy quick way to get started with editing.

The battery life should improve with a few discharge and charge cycles.

[PierBridge]

I noticed on the City Limits Fishing show- that was filmed here on Harriet and Calhoun lakes in MPLS they were using the Play-sport for there in Truck vehicle shots. They had them mounted on each door with Ram mounts towards the front of the door.

So I have a professional camera is my point...