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Best Camcorders Under $200 7

by Thomas Houston on September 8, 2008 at 06:02 AM



Flip Video Ultra



What it is: Since its release late last year, Pure Digital's entry-level Flip Video Ultra (and the more recently released Flip Video Mino) has taken the camcorder world by storm. It's a no-frills, pocket-size, low cost camcorder that makes creating and sharing home movies fun. Sure, you might not be shooting high definition footage, but the setup couldn't be simpler and you can share your creations on YouTube only minutes after you connect the Flip to your computer.


What we like: Setting up the Ultra couldn't be easier. Throw in two "AA" batteries, and you're ready to go. The Flip Video is built for simplicity with only six buttons: press the red button to record and press again to stop recording. The play button starts playback in the small LCD screen, 'left' and 'right' move between clips, trash button deletes files, and that's it. You don't have to worry about white-balancing, color management, or recording modes -- just point and shoot!

Once you're finished recording, flip out the USB port, connect the camcorder directly to your computer, and the files will appear on your desktop. That's it. No wires or power cords or digitizing issues to worry about. Once hooked into a USB port, the Flip immediately showed up on each of the Macs and PCs we tested. Sending video to family and friends is as easy as attaching the movie file to an e-mail, or selecting the 'upload to YouTube' button within the included software. In case you want to work with your footage in a more high-powered editing application, the movie files can be opened and edited in software ranging from iMovie and Windows Movie Maker to Final Cut Pro.

What we don't like: The Flip Video doesn't have an optical zoom. Alas, it only has a 1-gigabyte (GB) built-in memory card (good for 60 minutes of recording), and the video quality doesn't even match standard television -- it's not awful, but the quality lands somewhere between YouTube quality and standard definition television. The Flip probably isn't for you if you're looking for crisp, high-resolution video or the ability to micromanage settings.


Final verdict:

The Flip Video digital camcorder has become one of the most popular camcorders on the market -- it's been the best-selling camcorder on Amazon for months. Because the Flip's cross-platform (it works on Macs and PCs) editing software is built right onto the camcorder itself, you won't have to worry about keeping track of software install CDs or purchasing additional editing software.

Why is it so popular? Well, despite the less-than-standard-TV-quality video, the Flip performed in a variety of lighting environments -- color and brightness were impressive in both day and night video. The pocked-sized Flip Video Ultra is perfect for anyone looking to easily capture and share memories with friends and family.

Bottom line: the Flip Ultra is a good choice for those who want the ease-of-use and decent color of the Flip Mino, but don't want to shell out $200.

Price

$149

For more, check out our video review of the Flip.



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