Great Value for 1st Camcorder!
Pros:
Compact. Easy to use. Software usable. Price reasonable! Video quality very good. Fun website.
Cons:
Accessories poor. Needs USB cable/padded bag. Internal memory could be bigger. Video upload slow.
The Bottom Line:
Flip Ultra Camcorder is an inexpensive, good-quality camcorder! Buy non-Flip USB cable. Buy padded carry case (non-Flip). Download latest software release from Flip.com.
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
My husband's wanted a camcorder for YEARS...literally. I've never been really interested in them...but when I saw the Black Flip Ultra 260B at a special price, I started investigating it to possibly give it to him for a Christmas gift this year.
It had pretty good reviews...sounded fun to use...& easy! The software sounded VERY easy...as did the shareware. The black case isn't slippery. I've read that it's the best color for that reason alone.
When he rec'd it, he was pretty surprised at its small size! I saw it as a benefit, as it's very simple to tuck away in a pocket or purse. I got it set up on my computer and made sure to download the latest software update. It took a while to do, but other reviewers had insisted this was the crucial step to avoiding problems in the first place.
Christmas Day, I took a very short trial video of my son. The camcorder was VERY EASY to use and figure out, even without reading the QuickStart Guide! The video was good, and the sound was good, also, especially considering that there was Christmas music playing, kids being noisy, etc. That night, I tried emailing the video to some relatives, and I could NOT get it to work!
I finally gave up after a number of tries, uploaded the video to PhotoBucket, and sent it out that way.
3 days later, the video was rec'd by those I'd sent it to! I finally figured out that the Flip.com server was overloaded with everyone trying to send their newly-recorded videos!
Recommendations: *If you want an inexpensive, good-quality camcorder, this is the one for you! *Buy a non-Flip USB cable to make video sharing easier. *Buy some kind of padded electronics case (non-Flip). *Make sure you download the latest software release from Flip.com before using the camcorder.
Pros: +Small, compact shape, but not small enough to get lost easily. +Black surface is not slippery at all! +Very simple to use and initially figure out. +Software is very easy to use. I especially like the attractive ecards it allows you to place your video in! +Price is very reasonable for what you get! +Video quality is very good. +USB connection is great in theory. +I like not having a view screen that flips out, as I've always thought there could be the chance it could get broken during use, especially around rowdy kids!
Cons: -Zoom could be better. Of course, a digital zoom would be ideal. -Accessories for the Flip Ultra are of poor quality (USB cords are too tight & too expensive; Flip Ultra case is extremely tight and not worth $1). -Storage pouch that comes with it is not padded. -I'd love a slightly larger view screen, but it's adequate. -Due to all the cords plugged into my computer, it was difficult to plug the flip out USB into my computer. I finally made it work, but I think I'll get a USB cable to help with this situation. -The 60 minute limit on recording is kind of a bummer, even though I knew about it before I bought it. A SD card slot would be extremely useful! We would like to record our kids' sports games...and more than 60 minutes would be awesome! -It took longer than I expected to upload this very short (20 second) video to the website.
Compuplus.com
