Add me to the long list of people who have been won over by the Pure Digital Flip Ultra camcorder. Not for a long list of features, mind you, but just the opposite. Simplicity of use is key here.
As a longtime camcorder owner, I have to admit I do not take much video. The reasons -
- Size.
While camcorders have gotten smaller, they are still a pain to lug around during all-day excursions (especially when everyone is active). Example – our family’s last vacation at Disney World. One more bulky item to carry around the parks when traveling light is essential.
- Durability.
Let’s face it – most camcorders are something you tend to treat with kid gloves. Only the most daring will take along an expensive camcorder on an outing where the risk of drops or bumps can occur.
- Usability.
I always say that I am born to operate a camcorder for two reasons – big hands and long fingers. With many camcorders I have tried or used regularly over the years, even the simplest of operations (like starting and stopping recording) required two hands to complete. And don’t get me started on advanced features; try to change settings on some camcorders while shooting and not destroy the video.
I also have found too many camcorders require you to become an expert on the hardware in order to perform anything other than the most basic of operations. The result – you see me in very few family videos. I am always the “video technician”.
- Time to operate.
Most camcorders take time to power up and start shooting video. When you want an “in the moment” shot, you either have to be always ready or run the risk of missing out.
- Video transfer/edit.
To be honest, most camcorders still make this a difficult process. Whether it is the additional cabling, proprietary drivers or proprietary hardware, nothing ever seems to go as planned. Example – our current family camcorder. Between drivers that won’t work properly under Windows Vista and software that is just outright buggy, the process of moving video to the PC for editing requires both patience and expert knowledge.
I had heard quite a few positive things about the Flip Ultra from people I know. Importantly, I heard good things from people who were not “tech savvy”. When a deal good good to pass up showed up one day at woot.com, I decided to take the plunge. Folks – it was well worth it.
Anyone who knows me or has read by reviews over the years knows I am a huge fan of Sling Media’s Slingbox. From Day One, my major argument for the product being a success was the design emphasis on simplicity. The hardware and software just works, without the need for deep technical knowledge. Until now, I found no other product that provided so much with so little technical effort. The Flip Ultra becomes the second product to achieve that distinction.
What makes the Flip Ultra so successful? Well, let’s look back at my criteria -
- Size.
At just over 2 inches width by 4 inches height, and weighing in at a svelte 5.2 ounces, this is one “pocketable” device. I love being able to just drop the Flip Ultra into my pocket and go.
- Durability.
Simplicity often results in a certain amount of durability. Such is the case with the Flip Ultra. Not a lot of moving parts to break here. Combine that with solid casing, and I immediately have a level of comfort with the device. Heck – I’m even willing to hand over my Flip Ultra to my sons (ages 8 and 4), which is really saying something.
- Usability.
Any device that requires less than a minute of explanation to describe operation is a winner in my book. Add to that the ability to explain that to a child and for them to get it, and you have a HUGE winner. Let’s be clear – the Flip Ultra is not a high-end, feature-rich camcorder and it never should be. That is the beauty of the device; ease of use.
- Time to operate.
From a complete power down state to recording is less than 2 seconds. A power button on the side brings the device to a ready state almost instantly (the true beauty of flash memory and good industrial design). One button push and recording starts.
Power switch on the upper-right. Red button to
record/stop. Simple enough, right?
- Video Transfer/Edit.
It’s all about designing for usability, folks. A USB adapter is built into the Flip Ultra. Pop it out and plug it in to your PC to start the transfer process. The flash memory is configured to detect it Pure Digital’s FlipShare software is already installed. If not, you can install it – directly from the Flip Ultra itself. Once installed, the software runs and even checks for updates (the software on my device required an update; easy enough to do and only took a couple of minutes).
FlipShare is designed for – you guessed it – ease of use. Drag and drop to transfer files from the device to your PC. You have a multitude of options here, including sharing files via email, uploading to popular services like MySpace and YouTube, creating movies or burning DVDs.
Lots of options within FlipShare
All of FlipShare’s options are wizard-based, making the process simple and usable for just about anyone.
The Movie-Making Wizard in action
For the Flip Ultra and FlipShare, video is captured, stored and saved in MPEG-4 AVI format. If you wish to convert to other formats, there are any of a number of freeware and pay-for converters available (including higher-end video editing tools). If you choose not to install the FlipShare software, that’s OK as well. You see, the device also presents itself as a USB Mass Storage device when connected to your PC.
It’s a camcorder! It’s a storage device!
A note here – if you do have the FlipShare software installed and wish to explore the device from File Explorer, you need to right click on the “drive” and say open. The default association set up on the device makes a double-click prompt for software install.
Flip Ultra in File Explorer view.
All in all, the video transfer and basic editing/upload process is made almost trivial by the Flip Ultra and FlipShare. That in and of itself is quite a statement when coming from a camcorder world that is just the opposite.
The Flip Ultra is capable of storing 1 hour of video. This may in fact be the only downside to the device that I can personally see. I have enjoyed using it so much in such a brief period of time that I may find myself needing to download frequently. The Flip Video (the Flip Ultra’s sibling) is only capable of 30 minutes of recording. There is also the slightly more expensive but slightly smaller Flip Mino at 60 minutes of recording, and the new Flip MinoHD (capable of 1 hour of recording in high definition). You can see and compare the specifications at the Pure Digital web site.
I cannot speak highly enough of the Pure Digital Flip Ultra. I really believe that Pure Digital has finally brought the end-to-end experience of basic video recording to the masses.