The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I've done the product comparisons for you

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and consequently dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.



I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.



I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because obviously that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:



Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:



Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")

Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")

Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")



Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images wider images







HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included 120 minutes if you buy an SD card



MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.





RESOLUTION:

All 720p which is excellent just one step below the top 1080p format.



MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono **Update** They are now putting Stereo Mics in the Minos as of 2010.

CL: Mono

K: Mono



SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best stereo sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality. Still not good in winds.

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality





ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if for example you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.



CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz



SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs





TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice) USB extension cable(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.



SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.



VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"





IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water we are around the water...on boats in the sand with sea mist etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up. Only one with stereo sound.

M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.





HOW CNET'S EDITORS RATED THE CAMERAS:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good



And finally the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09



USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09



Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone Flip Kindle and Zip Car For Answers



There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.







CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..



Also: No matter which one you get you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.



Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders they do not change the names on the new versions nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.





Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)

















More detail ...

Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!

Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.



Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...

I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?



I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.



This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.



If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.

.......................................

PC users:

- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.

- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!

- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...

- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)

- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.

.....................................

Mac Users:

- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...

- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.

- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive

- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.

- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)

....................................

Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!



MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.

1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].

2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.

3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!

4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.

5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.

6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.

7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.

8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!

9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.



RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):

- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet

- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".

- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!

- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...

- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).



CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].



... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.

UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)

You'all have a good time! More detail ...

Best consumer camcorder I have ever seen. Reviewed by professional videographer.

I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using the HFS10 for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. Please note the HFS10 is identical to the HFS100 except the HFS10 also comes with 32GB of internal flash memory.



If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).



Pros:

1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.



2.) Accepts up to 32 GB of SDHC Flash memory

A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin. The camera goes from off to red light recording in less than 2 seconds.

B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.

C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).



3.) The still picture quality even with the built in flash is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.



4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.



5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.



Cons:

1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.



2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.



3.) No internal memory however it's $200 more for the HFS10 for only 32GB of internal storage and that is way too much. It should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards then get this camera because a 32GB class 6 SDHC card only costs $100.



4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.



5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.



This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder.More detail ...

Best consumer camcorder I have ever seen. Reviewed by professional videographer.

I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using this camera for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).



Pros:

1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.



2.) 32 GB of internal Flash memory (This is the only difference from the HFS100)

A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin.

B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.

C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).



3.) The still picture quality even with the built in flash is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.



4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.



5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.



Cons:

1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.



2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.



3.) $200 more than the HFS100 for only 32GB of internal storage is way too much. Should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards then get the HFS100 because 32GB class 6 SDHC cards only cost $100.



4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.



5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.



This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder though I would advise the HFS100 over this to save a little money. Remember the HFS100 is the identical camcorder except it does not have internal memory.



Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

More detail ...

A Review for Mac users

The camera

The camera has a 1.5 inch screen that is vibrant but small. The camera is thin and can easily be slid into the front pocket of your jeans. It is extremely light. The buttons on the back are touch sensitive and are not typical buttons that you "press". There is a nice quality built in microphone. Operation is dead simple. Turn it on and push the large red button to start record and then press it again to stop.



The video quality:

The video quality from this camera is phenomenal considering its price tag. No its not a Canon HV30 but its not supposed to be.There is very little motion blur and the colors are nicely saturated. Due to the higher quality video shakiness is more pronounced in the videos but its not terrible. The more still you can hold this camera the better. The sound is crisp and clear. I can easily say the quality of this camera trumps all other flash based camcorders in this price bracket.



The Software

Mac users rejoice! The Mino HD's video files ( MPEG4) are natively supported by Mac OS X Quicktime & iMovie 8 or iMovie HD. The software (Flipshare) even allows stitching the footage together adding music and transitions and exporting the finished result directly to Youtube or just onto your desktop. I am very impressed Pure Digital rewrote the software package so that the features for Mac Users were the same as PC users. When you first plug in the camera iPhoto will open and offer to import the video's. You can override this in iPhoto's preferences. From then on the Flipshare will open automatically.



Final Conclusion:

The Flip Mino HD billed as the worlds smallest HD camcorder (as of 11/14) is worth its weight in gold. Especially if you have a Mac! If I had to choose one con for this camera I would say that I wish they would've added an external microphone jack to it-but thats really reaching. It's a wonderful camera for the money and they say the best camera for the job is the one thats with you when you really need it. More detail ...

Truly HD camcorder in pocket size! Buy Buy Buy!

Excellent EXMOR Sensor and image processing engine the BEST as for today! Small size. Full HD. Fast start. Even with "Limited" features has a lots of them. Camera instantly detected in PC-XP Pro and Mac-OS/X. I do not care about 4MP still shots so won't even bother to talk about it.



Native MTS camcorder format is not supported by many players. It needs to be converted to H.264 usable by BlueRay players ...

I was reading reviews before buying this camcorder and was just amazed how much ridiculous stuff people were saying. Some have no clue what to do with this (or Canon...) HiDef camcorders! Speaking about this CX100 - there is nothing to be scared about. Nor about Canon's or others Sony Canon Panasonic's ... all using slightly different flavors/methods of recording AVCHD. Sony happen to mark their movies with MTS extension. I have ~6 years old Pentium 4 2.8HT/2 GB RAM/XFX with NVidia7600GT card/DirectX 9.x. (Window Media Player +Xvid plugin) playback is not perfect a little choppy but acceptable. Please note that if you computer preview is smudgy and choppy this is NOT a CAMERA fault! Same video is played perfectly fine on Blue Ray player when converted to H.264. I also have new unibody 2008 Mac Book pro OS X - laptop detects camera right away and launching iMovie08 offering video transfer. If you have older non Intel Processor Mac - forget about this camera - and ALL OTHER's AVCHD/H.264 camcorders - most likely they will not be working for you. So please do not write negative reviews do not confuse people OK?



I do not use Component and AV cables (they still in the box). If you do you are downgrading HiDef video to patetic Analog quality. I refuse call it a "Standard Definition". HDTV is new STANDARD! And that other thing is Analog. :) So I use just a HDTV cable to direct view on HDTV and USB cable to move files to Harddrive.



This camcorder when connected via USB cable is detected as external drive not a camera. No big deal to me even more convenient. I prefer to be able to save original files by Copying them to folder I created on my harddrive. When camera is connected to computer make sure - do not delete movies from camcorder this way. Movies "List/Previews" still will be displayed in camera LCD preview. Completely delete files in build in memory only using in-camera controls. And format removable MemStick only in camcorder not in computer. I believe this is typical to all camcorders.



If you already have HDTV - LCD or Plasma you can view footage directly from camera connecting via HDTV cable. It is looking really good on my Samsung LCD as good as any non-studio recorded HD content. But this is only a temporary solution. You'll need to empty memory to take more video's right? I wanted to get the best video from this camcorder and it is all about conversion of MTS to H.264. There are different solutions for Mac and Windows users. Keep reading.

.......................................

PC users:

- You can use supplied by Sony PMB Software to burn your original HiDef files to REGULAR not a Blue Ray DVD-R!!!! This is awesome for someone who already has Blue Ray player anf HDTV! I repeat they can be burned on regular DVD burner to normal DVD-R and then played in the Blue Ray player in full glory with no quality loss which can occur in conversions to other formats. I made disk like that and tried it out - and I can assure you - it is real HD video! No motion blur no hiccups all is PERFECT! Looks like BlueRay players have much better hardware to handle HD content. You can AVCHD DVD directly from camera or from movies you copied to the comp harddrive. For each movie event I create separate folder and later PMB need to 'analyze' each folder befor disk burn.(By the way when PMB burning disk you will see that MTS format is converted to H.264). It is in a Manual too.

- One more way: You can install XVID (free) plugin and you can perfectly play original uncorverted MTS files via Windows Media Player!!!!

- Another way: you can get DIVX 7 Pro for mere $[...] ([...]) and convert to MKV or DIVX PLUS HD format which can be easily played on PC and Mac computers. DIVX player is free is that Pro version which has converter is not free...

- If you have slightly outdated Core 2 Duo comp - make sure you get more memory (4GB+ and better video card with HD support like Nvidia 9000 series DDR3 /Direct X 10/Open GL2.x)

- Allegedly Windows 7 should have better HiDef support and most of the codexes... will see.

.....................................

Mac Users:

- Sony providing PMB software for PC user only. Get over it. But actually Mac user have even better solution not free though...

- You can get Mac version of DIVX player also for $[...] and convert MTS to something more user friendly.

- Or (My choice) you can shell out $[...]+tax for Elgato Turbo.264 HD USB/hardware based encoder/accelerator ([...]) and convert MTS to h.264 then store them on external haddrive

- Quick Time Pro 7 can be used for playing H.264 movies! Again they can be burned on regular DVD-R for BlueRay players. You also can connect your Mac via MiniDisplay Port /HDMI adaptopr ([...]) to any HDTV or projector for bigger trill.

- PS: MacConnection catalog now is listing this CX100 so you see - it is OK it is safe to get Sony HDR CX100! :)

....................................

Finally if you don't have any stinkin' computer or all what you got is one of those anemic 'netbooks' and you still want Canon or Sony H.264 camcorder - No problem. At Costco for $[...] you can get standalone Sony DVDirect MC5 DVD recorder (not a Blue Ray disk recorder regular DVD's) and connect it by USB cable. You can make AVCHD disks readable by Blue Ray players. Never tried myself just repeating what Manual says :). Canon also has similar device but it looks like it is making only analog not HD DVD's. So all you will need is: Camcorder/MC5 recorder/Stack of DVD-Rs (which cost on average ~$[...] each)/new BlueRay Player/720p or 1080p LCD or Plasma HDTV. That's it!



MY OBSERVATIONS and recommendations after first week of playing around.

1. ALWAYS record in highest possible resolution [HD FH].

2. Set color to X.V. COLOR!!! (if you have Sony Blue Ray player/and HDTV supporting that (Sony Panasonic...) you can have advantage of enhanced colors). But it may be better turn it OFF in really sunny day. Colors might be way saturated (red/blue/yellow) almost fluorescent. And even with x.v.color off - believe me camera will produce very nice video! And use of x.v. color could be very beneficial for cloudy days or for dimmer lighting.

3. Make sure that you have image stabilization (STEADYSHOT) tuned ON!

4. ...all other settings I have on Auto. You choose yours.

5. There is bunch of useful presets like Beach Landscape Soft Portrait ... I have to check it out yet.

6. Camera is very light so you'd better hold it steady or attach it to something. I have small tabletop tripod (~$[...]) and I have it attached to the bottom - it works for me like an extra handle.

7. Even when camera is on a tripod - pan (sweep left/right) as slowly and smoothly as you can. Many people have to learn this because some report excessive blur - it not worse than much more expensive camcorders. It is YOU - you need to learn how to "drive" your new toy. Eventually it will come to you no worries.

8. Get a Polarizer or UV filter - to see through the glare of glass or water. This is VERY nice thing to have on a bright sunny day!

9. Tripods? I have Slik Compact XL light and good for travel. Works for me. But much better is Manfrotto 190XDB I saw for $[...] at bestbuy... Very solid built and smooth panning.



RECIPIE to get best video (This is true for ALL camcorders and digital cameras):

- Try to get as close as possible to object you are filming. I think best range is 2 - 20 ft. Next best is 20-50 feet

- Do not shoot in the dusk/dark. Film in well lit conditions. Try to have sun or source of light behind you not in front of you (unless you are shooting Hawaiian sunset... :) In low light - this camera is about the same as any other one's if not better. Do not listen to purists about low light "performance".

- Turn OFF that "Digital Zoom"! 10x of OPTICAL zoom is more than enough for most conditions. Beyond that you will get big quality degradation. Try to apply less zoom as possible. Besides "digital" zoom is using camera sensor reducing resolution to get higher zoom. NOT good!

- Less zoom will make a big difference (unless camera on a tripod) for Image Stabilization it will work better. Try and you will see how is difficult to hold camera still on far zoom range...

- U can use Wide Angle adapter I got ~$[...] Sony VCL-0630X through Pricegrabber and it is just... OK. At max zoom corners will be blurred a bit. You can find better one for $[...] (Sony VCL-HGA07).



CONCLUSION: There are better camcorders over there. I really like new Canon HF S100... But it is around ~900! And this cutie for under 460 --- it can be beat! And even in a "pocket" size - it is real Hi Definition camcorder just use it to full capacity! Later on when I become a PRO cameraman and have tons of money (3500-4000) - I will definitely go for a Scarlet from RED ([...]). But now -- I'm happy with CX100. When I get decent video's I will post it on [...].



... Phew I'm tired of typing. Just go and get it.

UPDATE: I just saw Pricegrabber's new super deal - 455 at [...]! That's $[...] less than I paid)

You'all have a good time! More detail ...

Wow... Just WOW...

I was looking to replace my JVC Everio that had a 60GB hard drive in it. I loved the convenience of the hard drive since that replaced an older unit I had that used the small tape cartridges. But the prices for the HD capable units are more than I was willing to pay for a camcorder so looked at the units that just used memory sticks.



I have the Sony DSC-TX1 digital camera and was blown away by its optical quality and it even took 720p movies which were just insanely clearer than my 1 year old JVC camcorder. That was when I realized I needed to lose the JVC. Almost all the movies I do are of my son now 6 years old so the better the quality the happier I would be. Too many artifacts with the low definition JVC panning was just ugly ugly ugly and while it had a great response in low light the picture quality was just not what I wanted considering how good everything else with my TV and still camera.



I was initially going to get the 100 version of this since it was so insanely cheap for a 1080 capable camcorder but the bad low light capability put me off since most of what I record is in my house. And the very low numbers for optical zoom also concerned me. But amazon conveniently puts little links under the initial product listing if there's a new version so I saw the 110 and the price was good. I did some digging on Sony's site somewhat confused that the cheap little 100 had 16GB built in but the higher end had none but when I saw the rest of the specs in comparison I felt it was a very good unit to give a test run with. My local brick and mortars didn't have it in stock so I ordered it from Amazon and got the Saturday delivery early on Saturday plenty of time to charge it up and try it out.



I left all settings at default except for the quality setting. That was easy to find and the touchscreen on this unit makes it very easy to operate. As with my sony still camera it has a "user" screen too where you can pin the six most used functions to save you from having to navigate into submenus. I love this feature as it made my touchscreen still camera so simple and quick to use.



So I did four test movies all of the same thing (my 6 year old playing with a huge Geotrax set) at all four of the options for 1080p resolution. The camera is smaller than I had expected very light and fits well in the hand. The only real buttons to deal with in normal operation are the zoom and the start/stop recording which are placed well despite the small size of the unit. If you want to grab a still as well which you can do while recording that button is on top right behind the zoom so it's easy to get at. So use is great no problems.



As I said touch screen menu is great so changing settings as I went was a piece of cake.



Started with the highest 24Mbps then the next down (I think it was 17Mbps) then the "default" one they start you out at 9Mbps then the lowest. When I was done I pulled the card out (nice quick access on the bottom with a great sturdy hinged door). Went into my macbook pro just fine and i started playback.



I have a 13" macbook pro the aluminum unibody that I got about four months ago. So new core2 duo processor nvidia 9400 graphics... And it could not play the highest or second highest quality movies raw... Which told me that they were going to be great on my windows 7 media center. The third and fourth files played but since the laptop is not a 1080 screen it didn't look that good. So I went ahead and pulled the memory card out of the laptop put it in my Dell Zino that runs my beautiful 46" Samsung HDTV and played them all.



One thing I hadn't realized is that when it creates the files it creates them in a native bluray playback format the folder structure and all. So that should make it easy for people who will want to burn to Bluray.



Anyway on the media center i played the highest quality one first. And my jaw dropped and I nearly had to go buy some adult diapers. WOW. That was all I could say or think. WOW. It was just outstanding WAY better than I had expected. And it's not like I'm so unfamiliar with HD that even bad HD was impressive to me - my first HDTV was purchased back in 1999 a huge 60" Mitsubishi diamond line TV. So I've been using HD for over 10 years now. And this just knocked my socks off.



I had nearly no artifacting or blurring or anything with the movement of the camera as I've come to expect from camcorders. Even the blurring was minimal. And the shots of things were just crystal clear. I had a 1080p version of the movie BOLT running on the TV as he played with his geotrax so I zoomed in so that filled the viewfinder and recorded some of the movie. During playback at that scene I couldn't even tell it wasn't the original playing back that it was a recording of the TV from earlier it was that clear.



I was indoors in Wisconsin on a winter day with snow falling so there was no direct sunlight just all clouds. Only one window's curtains open and no lights turned on inside. And the clarity and lighting was excellent. Every bit I could hope for.



So I tried the next down quality and it blew me away. As did the third and then the lowest quality. All looked stunning. When I got down to the lowest I could see some difference between it and the highest but for what I was and will be shooting (my son) I think I'll end up using the default third lowest setting because it was still jaw droppingly good on my HDTV.



I got the 16GB card since the 32GB card was still in the three digit price range and i have a habit of transferring the files to my computer as soon as I'm done shooting anyway. And at the third quality setting the default 9Mbps one a 25 minute clip used just 1.9GB so I should get about 3 1/2 hours on this card at this rate so I'll not have to worry about running out of media for my normal use.



The display is crisp and clear widescreen format and not cluttered when recording. Response to touch was very good only once when selecting something from a bottom of a menu did I have to touch it twice since the first didn't register. Didn't take any pressure to get it to see my pressing.



The still picture while shooting video worked easily enough but they're not great quality so it won't replace your digital camera if you have a good one. But it may give you a decent still shot of something you would have missed otherwise...



All in all this is waaaayyyyy better than I had expected and more than I had even hoped for. 100% satisfied with the unit.



I can't attest to battery usage yet since I have only had it for five hours and only ran about 40 or 45 minutes of recording through it so far. In a few days I'll pop back in here and edit this with the results I've seen with regards to the battery life since this is evidently the first review of this model. More detail ...

The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I've done the product comparisons for you

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and consequently dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.



I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.



I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because obviously that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:



Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:



*Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")

*Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")

*Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")

*Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")



*There are notes on the RCA Small Wonder at the bottom. Because that's not an HD camera I didn't include it.



Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images wider images



HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included 120 minutes if you buy an SD card





HOW CNET's editors rated the cameras:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good







MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.

SW 8GB





RESOLUTION:

All are 720p which is excellent just one step below the top 1080p format.



MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono*

CL: Mono

K: Mono





SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality not good in winds

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality







ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if for example you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.





CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz





SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs





TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice) USB extension cable(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.





SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.



VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"





IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water we are around the water...on boats in the sand with sea mist etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up.

M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.



And finally the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09



USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09



Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone Flip Kindle and Zip Car For Answers



There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.





CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..



Also: No matter which one you get you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.



Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders they do not change the names on the new versions nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.





Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)





Note on the:

*RCA Small Wonder: Because some have asked about the RCA Small Wonder It never made the final cut...it should be noted that the EZ201 Small Wonder IS NOT HIGH DEF which like a tv means the colors aren't as bright or as sharp (yes it is noticeable which is why people want the HD camcorders.) The zoom lens is optical rather than digital and on the Small Wonder you'll notice that for whatever reason this means it goes out of focus when you zoom. Even the experts rating this camera suggested walking foreward and backwards when wanting to zoom rather than using the Small Wonder's zoom because of the out-of-focus experience it causes unfortunately. It is the same quality as a phone video: very grainy & pixelated and only meant for small screen format. It also doesn't have a pop-out usb port unlike the other cameras so you'll need to keep up with a usb cord to use it. And it only has a 90 day warranty. It also only has a mono mic rather than stereo. It is FAR below these cameras in its graininess and pixilation (it's not even a close race) but I thought it should be noted. It's just not of the same class in any way. BUT it's a great price if you don't want HD or want it for fun rather than quality; would be great for a teen or for maybe someone who wants it for documentaion...so it's noted.



*Update: According to Mino the 2010s now have stereo mics on the Minos. However a retest of the color and clarity has not improved.





More detail ...

Have it luv it

The video quality is superb as is ease of use. Here are a few hints and things I noticed. The battery out of the box will not power-on the camera and needs some minutes of charge to even show 0%. You can operate the camera from the charger but the battery is not being charged says the manual.



There are two 1920x1080 picture quality modes: MXP at 24 mbps and FXP at 17 mbps -- and three at 1440x1080: XP+ SP and LP at 12 7 and 5 mbs respectively. I believe it defaults to LP out of the box which is 1440x1080 at 7 mbps. I suggest you select FXP to get true 1920x1080 resolution. Upping to 24 mbps might be a good idea only if you are going to do a lot of post editing -- I can't see an improvement over FXP. Recording times with a 16GB card are 1:25 2:05 2:50 4:45 and 6:05 respectively.



When the camera is OFF pressing the DISP button (on the camera body) will show battery capacity in minutes and percent. Pressing DISP when ON turns the LCD to max brightness. IOW you can set the LCD brightness for normal indoor use with the menu and instantly set it bright for outdoor use. Handy.



The CINE mode seems to digitally soften the image; there may some color change but I didn't notice it from the shots I took in a park. The PF30 and PF24 rates show a jerkiness when panning as you would expect from a lower frame rate. I think these rates are simulated because all recording is done at 60i. For example when I played back PF24 stepping one frame at a time I saw the same image for 3 steps then the next. (The "3 steps" varies with both PF24 and PF30.) OTOH PF24 is useful in low light situations as it permits the HF200 slow the shutter speed down to 1/6 sec.



Previous Canon users will find the menu system easy and familiar similar even to their still cameras. The joystick is "big" and has a positive definite feedback feel to it. Menu navigation seems easier and clearer than earlier Canons I've used. There is even a Large Font choice. Good!



The Power On button is deep in a groove that makes it unlikely to accidentally turn on. But with your right hand in the nice grip you have to use the left to press it On - my fingers don't reach. No loss you need the other hand to open the LCD panel anyway. The zoom lever on top is a middle finger control. The adjacent Photo button is for a trained index finger. Record at the back is thumb operated. You can also use an LCD panel button to Record.



The Quick Start feature means you can close the LCD to save power (runs at 1/3 normal) and be ready to shoot in about 1 sec after opening it. Note if you close the LCD panel while recording it will continue to record -- so slamming it shut does not stop the shot.



The still photo features are quite amazing. The resolution is 3 megapixels but a very good 3mp! You can shoot continuously at 3 or 5 frames/sec. And you can shoot at the same fast frame rates with flash! The flash is actually a high-power white LED not a xenon tube. There is a separate warm-white LED for video that works OK to 5-6 feet.



There are the usual auto white balance auto exposure instant focus features and so on that you can read about above. There's face detection for proper focus. They all work very well. I like the Vivid color setting for most all shooting - video and photo. It is a slight pump in saturation that helps if you mainly view using your laptop LCD. Instant AutoFocus is aptly named. There is a fairly large IAF sensor next to the lens for this purpose. The 15x zoom a first for me is fully useful all the way out. Impressive.



Battery life (BP-809) takes a definite second place to 16GB storage. I just checked and it indicates 100% 94 minutes. But you can of course buy larger batteries. (I use the smaller BP-808 battery from my FS100 SD video cam as a backup.) With the Quick Start feature (can be turned off) power is used between shots and this will generally use more juice that actual recording. Figure 3 to 5 times battery vs video: one hour of video needs 3+ hours of battery cap. Unless you buy a charger you must charge in the camera. Only one sample so far but it seemed to take a little more than an hour to charge from 0%.



The supplied Pixela software is minimal. You can combine up to 99 shots into an M3TS file. It can be played on video players like Popcorn Hour and the WD HD TV player. (I have both and strongly recommend the $99 WD over the $230 PCH. The PCH can connect to Internet servers its main claim to fame.) These players can also play the MTS format directly copied from the SD card but there is a 1-2 sec delay between each shot. Pixela lets you pick and chose shots trim a given shot and add titles and audio. I don't know how to get past the 99 shot limit with Pixela -- I made about 170 shots in the park yesterday.



All in all I luves it.

More detail ...

Excellent Compact Camcorder

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R36XMSX3O7L286 I've made a video review using the Flip Ultra Camcorder so that you can see the audio/video quality (Keep in mind I had to compress the video a little bit for Amazon) and I also show how to use the camcorder.



In my opinion this is an excellent camcorder for a novice or someone who just wants an easy to use camcorder that is small and compact. I personally don't need more than 2 hours recording time and it's wonderful not having to purchase tapes.



The price is actually less than many digital cameras. I've wanted to own a camcorder for a long time and the Flip Ultra has finally met my standards for: quality value and ease of use.More detail ...

The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I've done the product comparisons for you

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and consequently dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.



I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.



I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because obviously that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:



Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:



Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")

Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")

Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")



Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images wider images







HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included 120 minutes if you buy an SD card



MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.





RESOLUTION:

All 720p which is excellent just one step below the top 1080p format.



MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono **Update** They are now putting Stereo Mics in the Minos as of 2010.

CL: Mono

K: Mono



SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best stereo sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality. Still not good in winds.

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality





ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if for example you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.



CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz



SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs





TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice) USB extension cable(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.



SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.



VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"





IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water we are around the water...on boats in the sand with sea mist etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up. Only one with stereo sound.

M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.





HOW CNET'S EDITORS RATED THE CAMERAS:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good



And finally the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09



USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09



Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone Flip Kindle and Zip Car For Answers



There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.







CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..



Also: No matter which one you get you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.



Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders they do not change the names on the new versions nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.





Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)

















More detail ...

The camcorder SHOWDOWN: I've done the product comparisons for you

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and consequently dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.



I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.



I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because obviously that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:



Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:



Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")

Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")

Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")



Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images wider images







HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included 120 minutes if you buy an SD card



MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.





RESOLUTION:

All 720p which is excellent just one step below the top 1080p format.



MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono **Update** They are now putting Stereo Mics in the Minos as of 2010.

CL: Mono

K: Mono



SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best stereo sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality. Still not good in winds.

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality





ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if for example you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.



CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz



SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs





TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice) USB extension cable(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.



SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.



VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"





IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water we are around the water...on boats in the sand with sea mist etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up. Only one with stereo sound.

M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.





HOW CNET'S EDITORS RATED THE CAMERAS:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good



And finally the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09



USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09



Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone Flip Kindle and Zip Car For Answers



There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.







CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..



Also: No matter which one you get you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.



Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders they do not change the names on the new versions nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.





Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)

















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