While the name of the category is still up for debate--same say "minicamcorders," others say "YouTube camcorders"--everyone agrees that Pure Digital's Flip Mino was the pioneer product in the realm of tiny, low-priced flash-based digital camcorders. Now the company--which has since been bought out by Cisco--is back with two new models: the second-generation Flip Ultra, and the new Flip UltraHD. CNET's got the full review for each, along with hands-on videos.
Read the Flip Ultra HD review.
Additional coverage from CNET News:
Pure Digital not flipping out over a little competition
Got an opinion on these latest models? Share your thoughts below.
We got our hot little mitts on the newest gadget from the folks at Flip video, the Mino.
First impressions? The new touch controls take some getting used to, but the fact that they're backlit will be incredibly handy for folks who want to shoot in dark rooms. The UI has also been given a slight facelift, but still retains its minimalist storage indicator and timer when shooting. Also, a huge step up from its former self is the internal battery that recharges via USB, which should keep you from having to buy AA batteries between shoots.
We've got unboxing photos and side-by-side shots with the (still useful) Flip Video Ultra.
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Hot on the heels of the launch of Creative's new budget video camera, a reader tipped us off to take a look at a little item in B&H's print catalog. Newsjeff wrote: "I just got a B&H big catalog and it lists a new camcorder from Flip Video, the Mini Flip...check it out."
Well, we happen to have recently received a catalog as well, and lo and behold, there is indeed a listing for a new Flip. However, it's not called the Mini, it's called the Mino. The only thing we know about it is that it carries a list price of $179.99, comes in white and black, and it'll be released on June 4. Because of its price point, we assume it's the company's new flagship Flip (the high-end Ultra started out at $179.99). And we'd also make an educated guess that it's slightly better than previous Flip models in terms of design, features, and performance. But, of course, that's speculation.
Feel free to add your own comments as to how Flip Video might be improving its popular budget video camera.
The Vado appears to be slimmer than the Flip Video Ultra.
(Credit: Creative)With the success of the Flip Video Ultra, a lot more companies are taking a hard look at the budget video camera market, and Tuesday Creative jumped into the fray with its $99 Vado Pocket Video Cam.
From what we can tell from the news release, the Vado offers features very similar to the Flip Video Ultra. However, the Vado comes with 2GB of built-in memory and a removable rechargeable battery for less money. Creative also claims that the sub 3-ounce Vado is "dramatically thinner and lighter than competing video cameras," which we assume means the Flip Video Ultra.
Two colors are available: silver and pink.
(Credit: Creative)Like the Flip, the Vado has a built-in USB connector so you can plug the video camera into your PC as if it were a thumbdrive. The news release notes that "the Vado has a software program built right into it that will prompt you to copy the video, or you can just drag the videos directly to your PC. With one easy step, the software can take you to YouTube or Photobucket so you can easily post your videos." You can use Box.net to store and distribute your videos to friends and family as well.
The Vado, which offers 640x480-pixel VGA video resolution and an integrated 2-inch LCD, is available now in silver and "hot pink." Optional accessories include a protective storage pouch ($14.99), spare battery ($14.99), charging station ($29.99), and AV cable ($9.99).
On paper, the Vado looks like it should give the Flip a run for its money. Before making any final judgments, we'll naturally have to check out the video quality and the integrated software (hopefully, we'll have a review up by the end of next week).
What do you people think? Is the Vado a Flip killer or just a wannabe?
On Sale Now: $78.05
View the latest prices for Creative Vado Pocket Video Cam (silver)
On Sale Now: $39.99 - $99.99
View the latest prices for Creative Vado Pocket Video Cam (pink)
The orange version of the new Flip Video Ultra
(Credit: Amazon)A couple months ago, Pure Digital Technologies hinted to us that it would soon have a new version of its inexpensive, YouTube friendly Flip digital camcorder, and good to its word, the company announced a new line this morning called the Flip Video Ultra.
The Flip Ultra comes in orange, pink, black, and white (we got a review sample of the white version this morning) and the press release says the "higher-end addition to Pure Digital's line of pocket-sized, easy-to-use camcorders features upgrades to all its software, including DVD quality video and advanced editing features. Still affordable, the Ultra line has onboard software that allows users to instantly upload video directly to YouTube and other video publishing sites like AOL." The release also notes that the Ultra "is even smaller and thinner than other Pure Digital cams," but the truth is that the camera is actually narrower (by about half an inch) than previous models, not really thinner.
The 30-minute model has 1GB of onboard memory and is priced at $149.99 while the 60-minute model, with 2GB of onboard memory, carries a suggested retail price of $179.99 (it's available at Amazon). Unlike the RCA Small Wonder EZ201, none of the Flip Ultra models include an expansion slot for memory cards. That said, Pure Digital has told us that the video quality of the Flip is superior to that of the Small Wonder. After we shoot some video, we'll post a full review and let you now just what we think of the Ultra--and what makes it different from earlier models.
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