Introduction
Our testing showed the Flip UltraHD offered a significant improvement over the Flip MinoHD when it came to video performance. The UltraHD doesn't have any additional settings or modes—everything is still bare-bones recording—but its auto white balance and exposure gave us better results than previous models. Still, there is some good competition coming out there from Sony in the form of the Webbie HD camcorder (the MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1). Read on to see which of these ultra-compact products is the best fit for your camcorder needs.
Update: The Flip UltraHD was ultimately selected as our 2009 Ultracompact Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
Product Tour
The lens on the Pure Digital Flip UltraHD is fixed, which means it has no moving parts. The camcorder has a focus range of 1.5m to infinity and its maximum aperture is f/2.4. There are no filters or adapters available for the camcorder's lens, nor would it make sense for the camcorder to have this option. Being a fixed lens, there is no optical zoom capability on the camcorder, but there is a 2x digital zoom feature.
Nothing to see here.
Color & Noise Performance
For a cheap, ultra-compact camcorder, the Flip UltraHD did rather well on our bright light color test. The camcorder registered a color error of 5.42 and a saturation level of 114.5%. While these scores are no match for a traditional HD camcorder, it is roughly on par with the Sony MHS-CM1 (Webbie HD). This color error is a significant improvement over the Flip MinoHD, which measured a horrendous 15.76 color error in our test. (More on how we test color.)
Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed in 2008 and before. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the 2008 comparison models below (the Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6) has been recalculated using the new formula.
In the color error map above, you can see specifically what colors gave the Flip UltraHD the most trouble. The camcorder did well with greens and yellows, but had a lot of trouble blues, purples, and reds. The camcorder's entire image in this test also appeared to have a slight greenish-yellow tint. Since there is no manual white balance on the Flip UltraHD, this discoloration is likely due to the camcorder having difficulty compensating for our bright light setup. Below is some sample color footage taken under the same 3000 lux light setup as our color test.
As you can see in the comparisons below, the Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-CM1 captured far more accurate colors than both the Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6 in our testing. The MinoHD and Zi6 have very warm, orange tones that are likely a result of an inability of the camcorders to properly white balance for our testing lamps. The Sony MHS-CM1 slightly edges the Flip UltraHD as far as color accuracy is concerned, but it isn't that much better.
The close-up color comparisons below give you a better idea of the color reproduction each camcorder is capable of. The Sony MHS-CM1 may have the best color accuracy, but its color squares are full of artifacts. Here, you can also see how much of an orange tint the Kodak Zi6 and Flip MinoHD have.
Whether it's from new processing or an enhanced auto white balance system, the Flip UltraHD represents a strong improvement in color accuracy over the Flip MinoHD. The results still aren't great, but for a cheap, ultra-compact camcorder this is a decent color performance.
The Flip UltraHD measured very low noise levels in our bright light testing. The camcorder registered only 0.51% noise, which is lower than the numbers we got from the Sony MHS-CM1 (0.6725% noise). For this test, we don't have hard data on the Flip MinoHD or Kodak Zi6 as they are camcorder's we tested last year (before this test was implemented). (More on how we test noise.)
Above, you get a good look at each camcorder's video quality under bright light. The Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6 clearly have color issues and the warm, orange tones are especially visible in these 100% crops. The Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-CM1 have decent images in their crops. The Sony shows a bit more detail and sharpness, although the Flip UltraHD has more contrast. You can see some mild discoloration on the Flip UltraHD as well—its image appears to have a slight greenish tone.
Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance
**Low Light Sensitivity***(9.04)*
The Flip UltraHD did very well with our low light sensitivity test. The camcorder needed only 7 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is the same score we recorded for the Flip MinoHD in our testing last year. The big issue to note here is that the Sony MHS-CM1 has horrible low light sensitivity. It required 27 lux (nearly 4 times what the Flip camcorders needed) to reach 50 IRE. The Kodak Zi6 was slightly better than the two Flip models, needing only 6 lux of light to reach the same levels. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)
The huge disparity between the low light sensitivities of the Flip camcorders and the Sony MHS-CM1 is probably a result of auto gain control settings on the camcorders. It seems the Flip models boost gain more in low light situations in order to produce a brighter image. Interestingly, however, the Flip UltraHD and MinoHD do not show increased low light noise levels compared to the MHS-CM1.
The Flip UltraHD had slightly more accurate colors in low light than it did with bright light. This is a fairly common occurrence with cheap consumer camcorders, as they have difficulty white balancing correctly under strong, bright light. The UltraHD measured a low light color error of 4.99 with a saturation level of 110.89% in our testing. The Flip MinoHD did a bit better in this test, posting a color error of only 2.9. (More on how we test low light color.)
Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed in 2008 and before. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the 2008 comparison models below (the Flip MinoHD and Kodak Zi6) has been recalculated using the new formula.
In the color error map above, you can see that light blue colors gave the Flip UltraHD the most trouble, as well as some purple tones. The camcorder was very accurate with reds and browns in low light. Below, you can see that each camcorder did a decent job capturing colors in low light. The Sony MHS-CM1 produced a significantly darker image than the rest of the models, but its colors were still strong in our low light testing.
Just like the Flip MinoHD before it, the Flip UltraHD had rather low noise levels in low light. The camcorder averaged 0.8125% noise in our low light testing, which is lower than most traditional consumer camcorders measure. We're consistently surprised to see such low noise levels on cheap toy-camcorders, but low amounts of noise doesn't necessarily mean you're getting a pristine image. Check out the crops below to get a better idea of the actual low light video quality of these camcorders. (More on how we test low light noise.)
Notice how much discoloration and artifacting is present on the Flip UltraHD's 100% crops above. All the camcorders above have these problems, but they appear to be present more on the UltraHD. Both the Sony MHS-CM1 and Kodak Zi6 have higher noise levels than the two Flip camcorders, but none of the camcorders in this comparative set have horrible levels of noise at low light. It's tough to pick a sharpest image from the set above, but the Flip UltraHD looks to have the most detail. The Sony MHS-CM1 and Flip MinoHD also captured a good amount of detail, while the Kodak Zi6 has a very fuzzy, blurred image at low light.
Compression & Media
The Pure Digital Flip UltraHD uses the H.264 compression, which is the same system used by the Flip MinoHD. The video files are outputted in the MPEG-4 file format and audio is compressed using AAC audio compression. MPEG-4 files are easily recognizable on both Mac and PC computers and the videos can be dragged and dropped into most editing programs. One update to note: according to Pure Digital's website, the Flip UltraHD uses a newer version of the Flip Video Engine (v. 3.5) to compress video on the camcorder (the Flip MinoHD used version 3.0).
The Flip UltraHD has no quality settings and all video is recorded in high definition. The camcorder records at 1280 x 720 with a bitrate of 9Mbps and a 30p frame rate. The Sony MHS-CM1, on the other hand, has a few video size options to choose from (topping out at 1440 x 1080), and also records at a 30p frame rate.
The Flip UltraHD offers 8GB of internal flash memory—double the capacity of the Flip MinoHD. This 8GB of internal memory is where all video recorded with the camcorder is stored. There are no memory card slots or any options for removable storage. The 8GB of memory will hold roughly 120 minutes of video on the Flip UltraHD, while the 4GB on the Flip MinoHD is only good for about an hour of footage.
The Sony MHS-CM1 takes a different route than the Flip camcorders, as it records video to removable MemoryStick Pro Duo cards. The Kodak Zi6 also follows this design, except it captures video to SD/SDHC memory cards.
Since the core Flip demographic is looking for a seamless video experience from start to finish, Pure Digital has focused heavily on the built-in editing software. As with the previous generation Flip camcorders, the UltraHD comes with the software built right into the camcorder. Just plug the UltraHD into your PC or Mac via USB and the software will immediately launch.
The Flip will be detected and thumbnails of all your video clips will appear in the main interface. From here, you can watch your clips, copy files to your computer, share videos online, or do some simple editing. You can also capture still photos from your video or prepare a folder of clips to burn onto a DVD. There isn't a lot offered in terms of advanced editing, but what is offered is incredibly simple to use.
You can't make any image adjustments inside the FlipShare software, so you'll need to tweak contrast, add digital effects, and adjust color in a more advanced software package. FlipShare does let you trim videos, so you can cut out the beginning or end of your video if you captured unnecessary footage. And since the Flip doesn't offer any still photo capabilities, the software lets you choose any single frame and save it as a still photo.
If you want to splice together more than one clip and add some basic text to the front and back of your 'movie,' you can do that with the Create a Movie feature. There really aren't a lot of options here, but you can add a basic title screen, credits, and some music. Flip supplies you with some preloaded Flip Video music choices, or you can use an mp3 from your computer.
Finally, there's the most important feature in the software: the ability to share your videos electronically. There's an email option that will send an email to the designated recipient, which includes a link to your video, hosted on the Flip site. And there's the usual, unsurprising e-card option, which is as silly and generic as it sounds.
The option that will get the most use is probably the YouTube upload feature, which provides you with just a couple of easy steps that will get your videos up on YouTube in no time. Not all options are visible (i.e. giving the video a description or keywords), but you can get the video up quickly and easily. If you want to make any edits to the way the video appears on the site, you'll have to log in to YouTube.
Manual Controls
There aren't really any 'modes' on the Flip UltraHD. All recording is done with automatic controls doing the work and there are no manual features or special settings. Since the lens is fixed on the Flip UltraHD, there is no auto focus mechanism. Subjects and images should be in focus as long as they are 1.5-meters away or farther from the camcorder. There are no special scene modes or low light modes on the Flip UltraHD—all you can do is point, shoot, and use the 2x digital zoom.
The Flip UltraHD features updated video compression and some additional tinkering under the hood compared to the Flip MinoHD. In our testing we noticed the Flip UltraHD had much better white balance, as our bright light color results clearly signify. The Flip UltraHD also has better exposure adjustment compared to previous Flip models. Shooting side-by-side with the Flip Mino, the Flip UltraHD made exposure adjustments a bit faster and more smoothly. The Flip UltraHD also didn't blow out overexposed images nearly as much as the Flip Mino. Overall, the Flip UltraHD's auto controls performed very well.
The zoom on the Flip UltraHD is the same old 2x digital zoom that is featured on all Flip camcorders. The zoom toggle features real, pressable buttons, rather than the touch-sensitive modules featured on the Flip Mino and MinoHD. This makes the zoom a bit easier to handle, although we're only talking about 2x magnification here—the quality of the buttons isn't all that important.
One significant advantage of the Sony MHS-CM1 is its inclusion of a 5x optical zoom, which is controlled by a traditional sliding toggle on the top of the camcorder.
The Flip UltraHD has no optical zoom, but it is equipped with a 2x digital zoom. The Sony MHS-CM1 has a 5x optical zoom and it is the only camcorder in this set that doesn't have a fixed lens.
There is no manual focus on the Flip UltraHD. In fact, there are no moving lens elements for automatic focus adjustment either. The UltraHD instead utilizes a fixed focus lens, which is capable of capturing subjects from 1.5m to infinity.
Exposure*(0.0)*
Exposure is handled automatically by the Flip UltraHD. There is no way to manually alter brightness.
There is no manual aperture control on the UltraHD: just a fixed f/2.4 aperture lens.
The user has no manual control over shutter speed.
There are no white balance presets and no manual white balance option on the Flip UltraHD.
Unsurprisingly, the Flip UltraHD handles manual gain the same way it handles all the other manual controls: by omitting it.
**Color & Image Controls***(0.0)*
There aren't any manual controls for altering color or other image qualities. There are also no additional color modes or settings, like x.v.Color.
**Other Manual Controls***(0.0)*
Nothing else to write about, really. The Flip UltraHD is a nightmare for manual control enthusiasts... and a dream come true if you want everything handled automatically.
Still Features
The Flip UltraHD is not capable of taking any kind of native still photos. There is no still photo mode, nor simultaneous capture during video recording. You also cannot capture still photos while in playback. You can, however, capture a still photo using the Flip's built-in editing software. It's very easy to do, but the quality doesn't come close to what you get with a cheap digital camera, or even most cell phone cams.
Despite several competitors trying to trespass on Pure Digital's turf, the Flip series has continued to keep things simple by avoiding still functionality. The competition from Sony, Kodak, and RCA all includes the ability to take some kind of low quality still photo. The Sony Webbie HD MHS-CM1 actually captured quite impressive photographs for such a compact camcorder.
The Flip UltraHD does not record still photos. (More on how we test still color.)
The Flip UltraHD does not record still photos. (More on how we test still noise.)
The Flip UltraHD does not record still photos. (More on how we test still sharpness.)
Handling & Use
If we had to pick one single element that is keeping the Flip at the head of the ultracompact class, we would have to pick ease of use. Pure Digital has clung to the bare bones minimum when it comes to these tiny camcorders... the new Flip UltraHD is no exception. There is no menu, no manual controls, and no clutter of options and buttons. The UltraHD records video, plays video, and has a 2x digital zoom. That's it. Just about everyone you know could pick up the UltraHD and figure out how to use it: more than we can say for nearly every other camcorder on the market.
To make the whole process even easier, the UltraHD has the same built-in editing and upload software that its predecessors had. Making minor edits and uploading a video to YouTube couldn't be easier.
Meanwhile, the competition hasn't been able to successfully mimic the Flip formula. The Sony MHS-CM1—also known as the Sony Webbie HD—is far more complicated, with an array of options, a complicated menu system, and frustrating software for uploading to YouTube. Models from RCA (like the Small Wonder) and Kodak (like the Zi6) are also more complex than anything in the Flip series and don't give you much improvement in manual controls or video quality. The few ultracompact camcorders that do offer a similarly streamlined interface usually fall well short of the video performance—such is the case with the last Creative Vado that came through our labs.
Some may prefer to have the options offered by the Webbie or other more complex ultracompacts, but if ease of use is your sole concern, the Flip UltraHD from Pure Digital reigns supreme.
Despite being nearly twice as thick as the Flip MinoHD, the Flip UltraHD is still a very compact camcorder. It should fit comfortably in the palm and it feels like an oversized cell phone. The UltraHD also has a soft, rubbery coating on its front and back, which makes the camcorder easier to grip than the slick plastic design on the Flip Mino. The extra size and weight of the UltraHD also makes it less prone to sudden drops or falls. There's also the option of using the wrist strap that comes with the camcorder.
The back of the Flip UltraHD should be immediately recognizable to anyone who has used a Flip camcorder. The large buttons are easy to understand and make things simple for beginners and technophobes alike. Buttons are meant to be manipulated with your thumb and everything can be controlled using only one hand. This all makes for a very easy user experience.
Compared to the Flip Mino, the Flip UltraHD actually offers a better handling experience. While the layout of the buttons is nearly identical on the Flip Mino and MinoHD, its buttons are all touch-sensitive (with the exception of the red record button). These touch-sensitive buttons can often be frustrating as they don't physically push in, thus they can leave the user wondering whether or not the camcorder recognized the touch in the first place. The Flip UltraHD utilizes real, pressable buttons for each of its features on the back of the camcorder. The playback and delete buttons offer audible clicks as you tap them with your thumb, and the directional pad that surrounds the record button softly presses down when you touch it. We found this design simpler to work with and it should attract people who don't like the feel of the touch-sensitive buttons featured on the Flip Mino and MinoHD.
The Flip UltraHD, like most camcorders in its category, does not offer any kind of digital or optical image stabilization. (More on how we test stabilization.)
Compared to the Flip Mino, the Flip UltraHD actually looks large. It is nearly double the weight and thickness of the Mino and this added size does make it less portable. While the Flip Mino is smaller than many cell phones and fits seamlessly into your pocket, the Flip UltraHD is over an inch thick, which may make it uncomfortable for pocket transport. Still, the Flip UltraHD is a tiny camcorder and it is light enough to take anywhere. It also features 8GB of internal memory, which is double the capacity of the Flip MinoHD.
Even though its a good deal larger than the Flip Mino, the Flip UltraHD is significantly smaller than the Sony MHS-CM1. The CM1 has a horizontal design, which makes it more difficult to slip into your pocket. It also weighs a bit more than the Flip UltraHD, coming in at 210g fully loaded. Sony's other Webbie HD camcorder, the MHS-PM1, has an upright design that mimics the Flip more closely.
The camcorder comes with an ineffective bag of holding that is barely large enough to store the camcorder. When inside, the top of the bag doesn't fully enclose around the camcorder, leaving the top of the Flip UltraHD exposed. The camcorder is such a tight fit in the bag, that it also can be a bit of a nuisance to get the Flip UltraHD inside. A wrist strap ships with the camcorder and attaches to a link on the bottom of the Flip UltraHD. It is the same wrist strap that came with the Flip MinoHD.
The Flip UltraHD lasted for 99 minutes in our battery test (1 hour, 38 minutes, and 33 seconds exactly). We tested the camcorder using its provided rechargeable battery pack, which charges by connecting the camcorder to a computer's USB port. The camcorder can also run on 2 regular AA batteries, which, according to the Flip's website, should provide longer battery life. (More on how we test battery life.)
In comparison, the Sony MHS-CM1 lasted quite a bit longer in our test (124 minutes), but that camcorder has an internal battery that cannot be removed. The Flip MinoHD also features an internal battery, and it lasted for 93 minutes in our test. The Kodak Zi6 features a similar battery design as the Flip UltraHD—it can run on 2 regular AA batteries and it ships with a set of rechargeable ones.
A power adapter is available for the Flip UltraHD, which enables you to recharge the device using an ordinary power outlet (see image below). This item is good to have, especially if you plan on traveling and don't expect to have a computer USB port handy to charge the camcorder. Pure Digital's website also claims this power adapter will result in faster charge times. Unfortunately, the design of the Flip UltraHD USB arm makes it difficult to connect the camcorder to the power adapter (not to mention a laptop computer).
The Flip UltraHD features a 2-inch color LCD with a 230,400-pixel resolution. This is the same screen featured on the new Flip Ultra standard definition model and it is half an inch larger than the LCD on the Flip MinoHD. The screen is plastered to the back of the camcorder and cannot rotate, swivel, or pivot. The screen cannot move at all, which makes the camcorder more compact, but also makes things very difficult if you're filming at an odd angle or if there is lots of glare. The screen is coated with a glossy coating as well, which made glare even more of a nuisance.
There is no viewfinder on the Flip UltraHD.
As with all the Flip camcorders before it, there is only one menu on the Flip UltraHD—and if you don't look quickly you are bound to miss it. The menu can only be accessed right after you turn the camcorder on from a powered-down state. After pressing the power button, you have a little more than a second to press and hold down the record button to access the menu. It's a bit of a strange process, but the menu is so limited that its doubtful you'll have to access it more than once.
When the menu is opened, the camcorder first asks you to set the date and time. After these two screens comes an option to turn off the camcorder's tones (i.e. the noises it makes when you press buttons). The last menu screen lets you turn the record lamp on or off. That's it. There are no other menus or options on the Flip UltraHD.
Playback & Connectivity
To view your recorded clips on the Flip UltraHD, you can either press the playback button in in the upper left, or simply tap the left and right buttons on the d-pad to begin filtering through your videos. When a video is playing, you can pause it by pressing the playback button and you can control volume by pressing plus and minus (up and down) on the d-pad. Information about the length of each clip is displayed in the upper left corner of the LCD screen and a progress bar is located at the bottom of the screen, which tells you how much of the selected video you have viewed. You can even fast forward and rewind your clips by holding down on the left or right buttons on the d-pad.
Deleting clips is easy on the Flip UltraHD. There's a large delete button (represented by a trash can) that is located to the right of the d-pad. When you press the button you have the option of deleting the current video or deleting all videos on the camcorder. You must confirm the deletion by pressing the playback button, which feels a bit awkward (the record button probably would have made more sense).
This playback format is incredibly simple, although it can be deceivingly frustrating. There is no way to view all your clips at once in a thumbnail format, which is the standard playback view on most consumer camcorders. So, if you have a lot of clips and you want to shuffle through them, it may take some time and a good deal of clicking.
The Flip UltraHD has two connectivity options: USB and HDMI-output. The UltraHD features the standard flip-out USB arm that should be familiar to any Flip user. The arm snaps out from the body of the UltraHD when you slide down the gripped button on the side of the camcorder. As with previous models, the arm isn't incredibly sturdy and the flip-out mechanism isn't very well designed. The bulkiness of the Flip UltraHD compared to the Flip Mino also makes it a much bigger pain to connect to a computer.
Since the USB arm only extends roughly an inch from the body of the camcorder, it means the Flip has to be right next to you computer when you plug it in. The thing is, since the UltraHD is actually thicker than many laptops, it can create a lot of difficulty when you connect it to a USB port. When we connected camcorder to a MacBook Pro, we had to prop the laptop up on a small book or pad of paper in order to get the UltraHD's USB arm to line up properly. This is terrible design, as you can risk damaging your computer's USB ports, or the USB connector on the camcorder, simply because the USB arm doesn't bend or flex (like any ordinary cable would). Pure Digital does sell accessory USB cable extenders, but for $25 bucks a pop—you've got to be kidding.
In comparison, the Sony MHS-CM1 uses a regular USB cable connector, while the Kodak Zi6 has a similar pop-out USB design like the Flips.
While all Flip camcorders have the standard built-in USB arm, the Flip UltraHD is the first to have an HDMI output. The HDMI output is located on the lower-left side of the camcorder and it doesn't have a port cover or any protective element. We like the inclusion of HDMI on an HD camcorder, but it does mean that you're out of luck if you want to connect the Flip UltraHD to you're old standard definition television.
Audio & Other Features
The Flip UltraHD features a built-in stereo microphone—an upgrade over the mono mic featured on the Flip MinoHD. The mic is located on the front of the camcorder, to the left and right of the fixed lens. The stereo audio is compressed using the AAC codec. Even with stereo audio, the quality is about what you'd expect from a camcorder of its size and price—which is to say it's not very good.In windy conditions the mic picks up a lot of rustling, and even in ideal settings voices often sound muffled and crackly.
The Flip UltraHD has no audio connectivity options, nor do any of the other camcorder's we used as comparison models:
There are no other features on the Flip UltraHD.
- *
Sony MHS-CM1 Comparison
Sony's launch of its Webbie HD camcorders, the MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1, are designed to directly compete against the Flip line of camcorders. While the MHS-PM1 has a similar upright design to the Flip UltraHD, the Sony MHS-CM1 offers a traditional, horizontal body layout. The camcorder has no handstrap, but it's light and small enough for this to not be a problem. Since it has a horizontal design, however, the MHS-CM1 is nowhere near as pocket-friendly as the Flip UltraHD. The Sony camcorder also features a 2.5-inch flip-out LCD screen, a 5x optical zoom, and is available in 3 colors (orange, purple, and silver).
As far as video quality is concerned, the Sony MHS-CM1 and the Flip UltraHD are fairly equivalent performers, although the Sony has a much sharper video image, while the Flip UltraHD did far better in low light sensitivity. The MHS-CM1 also has some decent still image capabilities, while the Flip camcorders don't even offer a photo option. Overall, the MHS-CM1 is definitely a more versatile camcorder—video can be captured in a number of different sizes (topping out at 1440 x 1080), clips are stored on removable MemoryStick Pro Duo cards, the camcorder has a video light, and the 5x optical zoom is quite useful. The CM1 also uses a traditional USB cable to connect to your computer, rather than a gimmicky flip-out USB arm.
Still, the attraction of the Flip camcorders comes from their ability to be so damn simple. The mere fact that you don't have access to any settings or options on the Flip UltraHD makes it easier to use and more comfortable for beginners than the comparatively complex Sony MHS-CM1. Our other big gripe with the MHS-CM1 is its embedded software, which was a nightmare to install and isn't compatible with Macintosh computers. The Flip camcorders, in comparison, offer a very simple software experience, and uploading videos to YouTube or the web was a breeze.
If you're looking for the simplest camcorder out there, with quick and easy internet uploading capability, the Flip UltraHD is one of your best options. The Sony MHS-CM1 does offer you more controls and features, but it also comes with more headaches and difficulties—especially when you try to use Sony's provided software. The MHS-CM1 gets a slightly better score in our overall ratings, which is due to its extra points for having still photo capabilities.
Flip MinoHD Comparison
The main difference between the Flip MinoHD and the Flip UltraHD is size. The MinoHD has nearly half the weight and thickness of its slightly cheaper big brother. With this smaller size, the MinoHD becomes more portable, easier to fit in a pocket, and also more difficult to get a good hold of. The Flip MinoHD is coated in a hard plastic finish that can be quite slippery in your hand, while the Flip UltraHD has a more grippable surface. The UltraHD also offers stereo audio recording, 8GB of internal memory (the MinoHD has 4GB), a removable battery pack, and a larger LCD screen.
In our testing, the Flip UltraHD showed significant improvement in performance over the MinoHD. The camcorder provided more accurate colors in bright light, less noise in low light, and a much improved video sharpness. It seems the processing and compression updates to the Flip UltraHD really improved the video quality of the camcorder. The two models did, however, have matching low light sensitivity scores.
Since most Flip camcorder users aren't likely to care about slight differences in video performance, the real question for these two models comes down to size and design. If you're looking for the tiniest HD camcorder out there, the Flip MinoHD is what you want. The Flip UltraHD does have its perks, though. Its button design is better than the MinoHD, and its larger size gives you more to hold onto—making the camcorder less prone to drops and more durable overall. The Flip UltraHD also has a removable battery pack, as well as the option of recording to regular AA batteries (the Flip MinoHD has a non-removable battery). Also, when you think about it, the Flip UltraHD has twice the storage capacity of the Flip MinoHD (8GB/120 minutes vs. 4GB/60 minutes). So, if you're someone who likes to capture a lot of footage, the Flip UltraHD may be the more portable device in the long run. The Flip UltraHD is also $30 cheaper, which, for a consumer camcorder in this price range, is a lot.
Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed in 2008 and before. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the 2008 comparison model below (Flip MinoHD) has been recalculated using the new formula.*
Kodak Zi6 Comparison
The Kodak Zi6 very closely resembles the Flip series of camcorders. It has a tall, upright design, and it features a pop-out USB arm that has become synonymous with Flip camcorders. The Zi6, however, has a few interesting features that sets it apart from the crowd. First of all, it records video to removable SD/SDHC memory cards. The Zi6 does also have 128MB of internal memory, but that doesn't offer much in the way of HD video storage. Secondly, the camcorder has a 60p and 30p recording option, although we didn't notice a significant difference between the two settings. The Zi6 also features a larger 2.4-inch LCD screen that is stuck to its back side.
Based on our performance testing, nothing really jumped out at us about the Kodak Zi6. It captured decent HD footage, and its low light sensitivity was a tiny bit better than the Flip UltraHD, but everything else was either mediocre or average for a camcorder of its class. There is one more thing about the Kodak Zi6, however, that makes it an intriguing model—its price tag. The Zi6 is $20 cheaper than the Flip UltraHD, although you do have to factor in the added cost for an SD/SDHC memory card.
Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed in 2008 and before. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the 2008 comparison model below (Kodak Zi6) has been recalculated using the new formula.*
Conclusion
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Specs and Ratings
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Meet the tester
Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.
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