Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R463XV857BLTY This short video was done with the Flip and the software provided. The star of the video is Paige, my adopted greyhound. It's been a lot of fun. I bought 10 Flips for Christmas gifts.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RZKB5BH3TE7 This is a sample clip I shot today. I shot 78 clips (about 15 minutes of video) today. I loaded them to my Mac without any problem, and later I edited a short video in iMovie. I was concerned after reading some reviews by other Mac users, but so far things are working. The record button sometimes needs a second or third press to record/stop. The video quality is fair, but I like the portability and ease of use. I would recommend. (OS X 10.4.1; iMovie HD 5.0.2)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1XDNM03C1X5OW I am an avid Internet video creator, and I typically use more elaborate video cameras, but I loved the Flip Ultra for the quality, ease of use and very light weight.Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black)

i bought an aiptek digital camcorder last year. it was only about $20 less than the flip video 60 min camcorder. the difference is amazing. shooting indoors with the aiptek was pretty worthless. the image was very dim, no matter how bright it was inside. the very first video i shot with the flip video was indoors and the difference was remarkable. i am very happy with the flip video so far. (thought i've only had it a few days so far.) it's a great camcorder to keep in your pocket or purse for those spur of the moment videos.

This little gem is great. It's simple to use, light to carry around, and the quality, while not DVD-level, is absolutely fine for our purposes. Yes, the USB connector is weird, but I have a USB hub (cheap) that I use to plug the videocamera into: problem solved.

It's possible if you have a really great video function on your digital camera that this would not worth the extra expense. But ours is the pits, and we couldn't be more pleased with the ease of use (no complaints about the software, either!) and the video quality.

I'm soooo glad to be done with the mini-DV format. Turns out our use of the videocamera (capturing crazy stuff our kids are doing, mostly) is really only in short increments, and I don't have the time to burn everything to a DVD anyway. I take a few short videos, do some minor editing, and then post them online to share with family and friends. Piece of cake.

I couldn't find anything to criticize about The Flip. It exceeded all my expectations. Forget the nitpicking nonsense of soem reviews. I didn't have an ounce of trouble. Even in very low light the video was great, microphone even picked up whispers, easy transfer. The "flip-out" arm work fine. I have a desktop and I just stuck it in and it stayed in placed on its own with no trouble. It was the easiest electronic device I've ever used.

I got this camera after reading a review that it could take decent indoor shots. I was just hoping to get some improved indoor video of my 20 month old daughter - WITHOUT plunking down for a full blown camcorder. I need something fast, reliable, and that can take something decent in low light conditions (aka: anything indoors) - I have missed many great moments with what I have already - my Fuji camera (bad in low-light) and the Handycam (takes too long to get "ready").

Let me just tell you how impressed - I not only have AWESOME indoor movies of my 20 month old (just try to get one to "stop/pose/smile" on demand) - but I got SNAPSHOTS too!!! I now have a picture of the real blue of my daughter's eyes. I am amazed how easy too this all is to use.

No longer do I have to blind her with flashes and "fix" all the redeye shots I have (yes, I have tried all the settings to no avail). I was able to "snap" shots of my daughter's dimples for the FIRST TIME EVER.

I'm a big shopper - but I don't post reviews much. I felt compelled to in this case - I cannot say enough how pleased I am and this is a great buy. The value for the money is excellent. I only wish I had this sooner....

You should buy this camera if:
*You want something reliable indoors for quick videos
*You want to pull snapshots from the above reliably
*You want the "real light" shot you actually see instead of a white flash shot or shadowed subjects
*You want to see your subjects without red eye or spend time fixing them
*You don't want wires and memory sticks to buy or worry about
*You want software that can travel with you (lives on the device)
*The batteries (2 AA) appear to be the weight of the device

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R18QSX7TOF4NRA Wait till you see what the Flip Video software did to this video. It's hilarious. This is just a few seconds of my cat sitting on a sofa. Flip turns it into something exciting and important with a couple of mouse clicks. Gotta love it! I'd give the Flip Ultra five stars if the video quality were a little better; the colors aren't true when you shoot indoors (which I mostly do).

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3H0YNSA3I2LRR Flip owners and potential owners rejoice- the negative reviews about errors and bad software you see are a thing of the past! PureDigital has been working dillegently on fixing the problem and just released a software update on 12/21 to resolve these issues. So, I wouldn't let this deter you from getting this handy, easy to use, affordable camcorder!

The Flip Ultra 60 minutes (I had to get the Pink) has been so much fun and as a busy mom with already too much stuff in my purse I've been able to squeeze this slim item right in purse with no problem! It's ready to go where ever I am and I can catch whatever is going on without missing a beat. And, the included bag to house the camcorder is perfect to prevent any dirt or scratches on the lense or lcd screen.

I own a Kodak Z612 which takes great still shots, but it certainly lacks in the video department leaving the sound of every focus adjustment ingrained on the video, not to mention the camera is rather large, so it's not convenient to carry on ones person all the time. This is where the Flip fills in beautifully! The digital zoom is wonderful and I was quite amazed at how well the lighting adjusts without a flash/light onboard! Yup- it's love!

A great accessory to get your hands on is the Joby tripod (of course, had to get the matching pink!). It flexes and wraps around anything- you can prop it on railings, poles, anywhere! An inexpensive, fun little thing to have!

Here's a video I made with the onboard software using my own mp3. A little tour of our living room Christmas decorations. Enjoy!

I bought this for my 11 year old daughter for her birthday. She wanted to create videos like on iCarly that she watches on TV. She loves it! It is very easy for her to use and the videos are very clear. We are extremely satisfied! Great product.

Our family recently introduced a new member to its flock. Not long after his birth, I was given a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder. We have another camcorder that we use that stores video on discs, and I use it as my primary "documentary" log, but this little gem is great for spur-of-the-moment happenings. You never know when an infant is going to do something cute, and there isn't always time to load a disc into the camera. That's why I love this Flip so much.

It's tiny (about the size of a disposable camera but much more slender), very simple to use and holds sixty minutes of video. There's no extra equipment to lug around except for batteries (unless you opt for a tripod) and just about anybody can record with it. Setting the time and date is simple enough, and downloading the video to your computer is a cinch. The battery life is pretty good as well.

To record, simply aim at whatever you wish to capture and press the big red button. From there you can zoom in and out and even use it for still shots. After you're finished you can watch the video on the camera, download it to your computer or connect the camera directly to your TV and watch the video there.

I highly recommend this convenient camcorder to anybody who enjoys capturing moments that are hard to capture with a normal camcorder. It's highly portable and simple to use.

A friend gave me her Flip to try out for a few days, and I was not impressed. Rather than give it a full review as others have, I've written only written a semi-review, with much of it explaining why a point-and-shoot camera is a MUCH better choice.
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br /THE FLIP vs A POINT-AND-SHOOT --- NO BRAINER
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br /Before considering this toy, keep in mind that you can get a real point-and-shoot camera for about the same price or less -- even from reputable companies like Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc. And they all do 640x480 videos at 30 frames per second. Furthermore, they are limited only by the amount of free memory available, which you can add on-the-fly by simply swapping memory cards. You can't do that with the Flip. Some will even have 3-5x OPTICAL zooming that you can use while recording (like my $59 Samsung S85, fifty-nine dollars). Plus you get high quality autofocusing glass lenses. The Flip is fixed focus, much like that in a disposable camera. And digital zoom is a joke. it's basically cropping the video's edges and then magnifying what's left to fill the screen. The quality is horrible and noise is amplified.
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br /Models vary, of course, but those real cameras are generally no larger or heavier than this Flip, and they all feature a larger LCD screen (2"-2.5" vs the Flip's 1.5"). Most also use AA batteries so you need not be by an outlet or computer to recharge (rechargeable models generally cost more). Being point-and-shoot, they are no harder to use than the Flip. Just turn on and press a button. Most also have built in editing functions. And of course, you get a VASTLY superior still camera than what the Flip can do, i.e. more than 7 megapixels, shake reduction, multiple scene modes, face recognition, etc.
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br /A criterion that many photographers use to critique a camera is start up time, i.e. the time it takes for the camera to power up. The Flip took 4-7 seconds whereas my $59 Samsung S85 takes about 1.5 seconds. Virtually no point-and-shoot will take more than 2.5 seconds. You can miss a lot of action in 7 seconds.
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br /My favorite feature of point-and-shoots is that you don't even need to plug the camera into a computer. You can simply remove the camera's memory card and plug that directly into the computer. Many laptops and desktops have card readers built in, or you can buy one for under ten dollars. It's all drag-and-drop from there on. And if you need to print a photo, you can just take the card to a local drug store. Or plug the camera to a compatible printer. No need to turn on the computer at all. Can the Flip do that? And no need to install drivers or bloatware.
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br /Because most cameras use standard video formats -- usually AVI or MOV -- you can simply load the files off the memory card for editing in any standard program (I sometimes even use WIndows Movie Maker). Want to email it? Simply attach the video off the memory card to your email. Much easier than what is described for the Flip. No special software, drivers, folders, etc. You treat the movie just like any other file. And yes, many cameras will also allow you to simply plug them in like USB memory without installing any special software.
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br /To me, it seems like a no brainer to choose a real point-and-shoot camera over the Flip -- especially for roughly the same price. They win hands down for features, price, ease-of-use, quality, etc. And if you need HD videos, go for the Kodak Z1285 11 meg camera, which is frequently available refurbished for $79, seventy-nine dollars. The camera is decent but the videos are amazing, true HD 720p (and you can use the 5x optical zoom while recording). In fact, some film students are actually using the camera for their class assignments instead of a much more expensive HD video camera. You can find sample videos by Googling "Kodak Z1285 videos."
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br /In summary, I can see absolutely no circumstance or reason for choosing this toy over a reputable point-and-shoot camera that can cost as little as $59. The cameras win or tie for every criteria imaginable: price, ease-of-use, quality, features, capacity, speed, etc.

I am a working multi-taking Mom with not a lot of time on her hands. My husband came home with this wonderful new item and told me that it would make my life easy. So, I played with it a little and did some recording and it worked great. Then as usual I was rushed for time and needed to do a special birthday wish and what better way then to send a video of kids wishing their grandparent a Happy Birthday. HERE IS THE KICKER.....IT TOOK ME 7 MINUTES TOTAL AS A FIRST TIME DOWNLOADER. I am all about this product! Now, I record and download all the time. It is just that simple. This company has nailed it! I was so impressed that I run out and bought a belated birthday gift for the grandparent we sent the video to and guess what.....they can do it too. It is NOT intimidating (which is key). It is all common sense and you just use common sense and it works......you don't have to have a PhD in electronics to make it work. I think that is why this product is so great for all ages...including our non-technical grandparent!

Great for the person that doesnt like to carry around a normal camcorder missing all the action because your to busy recording everything. The movie quality is great for a less than 5 min movie on your home PC. Its really easy to use just turn it on and hit the red button. Then when your done plug it into the USB port and download. You cant beat the value at $150.

So far I am quite pleased, although I am still experimenting with its use and operation. Can't understand why when the videos are emailed, many complain that they can't be opened. Still trying to ascertain whether this is the fault of the email service of the recipient, or a problem with my mailing. Still learning the unit, but if it does all I expect it will, I'll be quite happy. Ask me again in a couple of months.

I bought this to use in my scrub hat business (Hats4Ewe) to do a video presentation. I have used it a couple of times for little things and do like the way it quickly downloads with the handy USB. For the money, don't expect great sound quality or zoom features but just for a fast way to get some memories or do a project, it is fine.

Though I'm no video expert, the Flip has been a fun transition into videography. The video quality could be better, but if you don't have a videocamera with you it doesn't matter how good the quality is. In my limited time since getting the Flip it has been incredibly convenient (not just to use but to download vidoes for e-mailing and uploading), reliable and easy to use. It's so small it's easy to carry anywhere, and to have it with you almost all the time. It's so easy to use there's no hesitance to take it out and start using for a quick video from some hike you're on or to record some story being told at Thanksgiving dinner. It's far better than nothing, and is a lot of fun to have around. You can move up to a different videocamera if you need, but I recommend the Flip as a starter and as a very convenient videocamera to have with you practically all the time.

Amazing video quality for the price and size of this little thing, my only complaint is the buttons seem to be a bit cheap, for example, when you hit the record button you may have trouble getting it to stop recording after the wear and tear of usable begins to take its toll. Not a huge problem and I would say most of the time it works great.

Great little camcorder. Very good quality video and audio. I like the fact that if I crash with it in my backpack while skiing, I don't trash a $1000.00 camcorder.
Good software as well.

excellent camcorder! so easy to use- all the software you need is on the camcorder so you can use it on any pc with a usb port!!! love it!

I think this is a great little camcorder! It's so small and lighweight, it's no problem taking it most anywhere. I was really impressed with the software to download the content...it's actually EASY TO USE! The quality is really quite good considering. If you want quality that compares to a camcorder that costs several hundred dollars, then buy a camcorder that costs several hundred dollars. If you want a decent little camcorder that gives you good quality for $150.00, then you can't go wrong with a Flip.

This is a sleek & easy to use camcorder; I've sold 4 of them just by using mine when around friends. I'm not sure why a user may have had problems with it on a Mac; that's all I use, and it works great--both with my MacBook and my iMac, both running 10.4.11. I can upload videos to them, watch the videos, e-mail the videos & post them to sites such as Ringo.

If you want to edit the movies, just spring an extra $29 for QuickTime Pro & you're all set.

I'm in the process of buying another as a Christmas gift . . . the connectivity and the fact that there are no tapes to deal with are a huge plus. Just push the button & record!

I purchased the Flip Video for the students in my classroom to use. While I don't want them playing around with my higher-end camcorders, the Flip is perfect. The ease of use coupled with great resolution allow my students to be amateur filmmakers. As an added bonus, it works seamlessly with both Macs and PCs. If you're looking for a simplistic, casual camera, you can't do better than the Flip. The learning curve is virtually non-existent, and my third graders are having a blast.

This is a great product for catching spur of the moment action. It is very easy to use. There are no bulky manuals to read ,you just press the red button and point at the action you want to video record.There are no large menus to scroll through or fancy functions on the camera which is ideal for non technically minded people. The video picture quality may not be the best that's available but it is good enough for me. This camera is so easy to use , so compact and gadget-less that you are guaranteed to record a lot more memories than a camera 10 times the price.

Pros: I purchased this 60 minute ultra Flip Video three days before leaving for our tropical vacation. When it arrived, I was skeptical about the size, lack of paper instructions and accessories. Boy was I wrong. It was easy to use, convenient and the clarity and quality is fantastic. My son used it the entire time to record memories of our trip. Later in the evening we were able to review our videos right in the hotel room using the USB on our PC. I would recommend it to anyone - much better than toting around a palmcorder and easier too.

Cons: Just wish the lens was recessed - or had a lens cover. Have to be careful and keep recorder in velvet storage pouch when not in use.

Would recommend for anyone - great gift for techy-teens......anyone actually. We are thinking about getting another one (as my son tended to "claim" this one himself!)

The things works as advertised. Also, my wife dropped it from 5 feet onto pavement in it's bag, still works. Interface is simple and works. The movie creation software with it is too basic to be useful but the free Windows Movie Maker software fills in the gaps. I got this cheaper on amazon delivered in under 24 hours than I would have got it driving to BestBuy, can't beat that

I bought this camera for my sister who has 3 kids. Big value here is it's super easy to use. Record video, plug it into the computer and follow the instructions to share online or email. A+ in my books!!

This little video camera is perfect formy interests. Macro photography is a hobby of mine. The opportunity to catch my subjects in motion is exellent. I've shot many critters up close. Now I catch them in action, building a nest, collecting pollen and nectur, digging a hole. All without the bulk of my digital camera. It's fantastic!!! Plus, I can clip a still photo from the film.
Too, I've found it to be quite simple to use from filming to uploading onto computer and on to other sites.

Open box - take out Flip - insert batteries - start shooting. It really is that simple. I made my first videos within 5 minutes of opening the box. My significant other had a problem (large thumb - he'd hit two functions at once) but once he was aware of it, he worked the controls fine.

It's all super easy and intuitive: filming, editing, and posting.

I recently purchased the Flip Video Ultra Series 30-minute Camcorder from Amazon. I am extremely pleased with this camcorder! The video is actually of much better quality than I expected! I did read some negative reviews on this product regarding the record button not being easy to operate. I have to disagree with that as I found the record button easy to use! To sum it up, this camcorder is small, portable and very easy to operate! Amazon had my camcorder in my hands extremely fast! Thank you Amazon!

Got this for my daughter for her birthday. She is 20 and drops this camera in her purse and uses it all the time. It is a great value for the money-the audio is surprisingly good and we have filmed at night in the car even and you can see it very good. We were pleasantly surprised since there is no light. Anyway, it is so convenient for those times you don't want to have to get the video camera out make sure it is charged, and flip out the screen. This is very simple-just point, push a button and you are videoing in just seconds! Everyone she uses it around wants one too!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R9CYFY0P39Q1Z The Flip video camera is a super cool, super portable little video camera that anyone from age 5 to 500 can use. You turn it on. You hit the RECORD button. That's it! It fits in your pocket, in your pocketbook, in your glove box. Kids can make fun videos to share with friends, adults can easily grab videos when they're out and about and see something interesting.

I've had mine for many months and never had a problem with it. We took it out in the rain, have used it in dark conditions, you name it. It's held up like a trooper.

See the video review for actual footage, drag-and-dropped right from the camera!

I purchased the Flip Video Cam in Oct 2008. I always do a good deal of research before buying something - both on Amazon and elsewhere on the web. And I am tech savvy.
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br /The main problem with the camcorder is the button. Other reviewers have mentioned this - specifically that you need to press hard. The button is certainly the problem but it is not pressure that is lacking. I believe the contacts are inconsistent. So even if you push hard in the center, pushing straight down, the recording function does not necessary start or stop. Rather you need to wiggle the button until the contact is made. In the two weeks I used this camera, more than 50% of the time, I either missed the moment because I couldn't start recording when I wanted to or the recording went longer than necessary because I couldn't stop it.
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br /A friend suggested something that led me to return this "not yet ready for primetime" item. If you have a decent digital camera, better to spend $25+ on a 4gig memory card which can capture up to an hour of video. The resolution would be better, the zoom would definitely be better and you could save money. This is what I chose to do.

I just recently took my flip video camera with me to africa and it was amazing. It takes such high quality images that once you actually watch them on a full size screen you will be amazed. Only suggestion is to have your computer with you to upload the video on to because 60 minutes is not as much video as you think it is - great for weekend trips.

con - i uploaded the video to my mac and the format of the video is not compatible with imovie - it would work best with a PC - but i can still upload the videos via the flips software - i just cant edit them with imovie.

I bought this to use for work, and it is very easy to use. It was easy to get still photos from the videos, although they are not very sharp. However, I wish I had checked what MAC processor speed and memory was needed-my work laptop does not have enough of either, and while it works, it does so very slowly, and despite creating folders with the software, each time I hook it up it says I have no folders (the folders are saved to the computer only). I also was disappointed that several of the features available for PC are not available in the MAC version. I guess I thought that MACs are supposed to be known for great media.
It works best for close ups, but I found the zoon is not too helpful with distance shots--the movies were a little unclear. I also am disappointed in the sound--the quality is good but even on my laptop it does not play back very loud--I guess a function of not good speakers on the laptop. I downloaded the folders and software to my PC and it works great. However, I bought it for the portability factor and being able to show my students immediate feedback. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.

This is the best way to keep in touch with family and friends through email. They are up close and personal, way more than with a picture. I would recommend this to anyone. SO easy!!! The only reason I did not rate it higher is just because of the download time. I would recommend this camera to anyone! I love mine! I am not too computer savvy, but I don't need to be with this camera!

I just got my camera in the mail, and at first I was very impressed. I still am impressed by the ease of recording and uploading videos, but I ran across quite a problem. I own a mac, and the software with the camera only allows videos to be saved in '.mov' format, which from what I have found thus far can't be played on Microsoft machines. I got this camera to send videos to my honey stationed in Iraq and he can't open them in this format. The camera software will not let you choose how you want videos to be saved. The other problem is I-movie doesn't recognize the saved clips as video and the software with the camera doesn't allow Mac users to save multiple video clips as one movie, so basically you're screwed when it comes to making little movies using multiple clips unless you go out and buy another program (I was looking into Quicktime pro--hopefully that will work out.)

In short, as a camera, it seems quite good. The software with it pretty much sucks, though.

I'm a mom of a 2.5 year-old and I carry this ipod-sized camcorder with me EVERYWHERE I go. It's so easy to pull out of my pocket and record anything and everything QUICKLY and EASILY, especially those unexpected "first" moments or "awww" moments you just wish you could have a video of but would never bother lugging around a bulky camcorder that requires special charging and lengthy setup. My favorite use right now is to film my toddler opening gifts from long-distance relatives so they can see his reaction and personal "thank you" (encouraged by mom). Anyhoo, the kicker is that you simply "flip" out the USB arm, plug it in to your computer, and in less than a minute you're emailing videos to family and friends. Yes it's that fast. No doubt the most well thought out start-to-finish video solution I've ever seen. Nothing can compete with this!

The flip video ultra is the best item I have ever purchased. The video camera is so small & easy to use. It doesn't even need instructions. The best part is the software installed on the camera that produces movies with music. It adds special effects automatically. I love it. Bought one for each of my children & have referred al least a dozen people who have also purchased it. It is very inexpensive ($149) for the 60 minute version on Amazon.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2I64OI4LNHIF2 I had just opened the camera probably one minute prior to starting recording all of these short clips of Christmas decorations that I put together with Windows Movie Maker. I'm using rechargeable Duracell batteries that I already had prepared for use and the camera seems to be lasting with them, which is great. It runs on two AA batteries and as I charge four at a time, it should be really nice to always have an extra pair on hand. The quality is awesome for the price of this camera, everyone in my family was surprised and my brother is buying one soon! Haven't tried YouTube yet.

*Note - I believe the only part of the video where the zoom is used is when I zoom in on the VW Beetle ornament. The quality is great, sorry for the short choppy clip.

This is GREAT! It took me literally 2 minutes to set up on my computer.
This is something I could just pick up & use. No big confusing directions.
I wanted something I could take videos of holidays & my kids. This is great I
can just throw it in my bag & go. It is so compact too, Its size is smaller than my
regular camera.
Great product at a great price.

Just before Thanksgiving I bought a basic Flip & an Ultra, to learn about them, thinking I might give some as Christmas gifts. Soon as I started playing with them, my three sons (6, 8 & 10) scooped them up, and along with their visiting cousins (6 & 9) spent most of the day making incredibly interesting videos, some self-interviews, and some of each other playing together. It seemed like they needed zero instructions and somehow knew all they needed to know to make very compelling footage. Today I ordered seven more as gifts for various kids in my extended family. None to adults, thinking they can buy their own (!) but the kids are the ones who should have these cameras. No film costs, just dump the footage to a computer or DVD and go shoot some more. My sons share a bedroom, and I plan to make a little wall bracket for storing a single jointly-owned camera for them -- so it will always be available and accessible to them. They each have their own simple digital still cameras, but I'm sure they'll be fine sharing the Flip. And even if the Flips were somehow much cheaper, I like the idea of having them share just one. Makes it a kind of community device to be jointly valued and shared by the community. If I gave a Flip camera to my sister, she'd allow her kids to use it sometimes, but it'd get stuck in a drawer somewhere and die. And she has a son and a daughter (6&11). Probably have to give them each their own camera. A bit steep compared to what I'd usually spend for two nephews, but based on what I saw happening with the kids here at Thanksgiving, I think it'll be well worth it. -C.

Wow -- who would've guessed that you can get good quality video from a lightweight little camcorder like this one. It's like they took everything that we hate about camcorders and fixed it.

1. Software: The software is simple and get this -- it resides on the camera. No awkward software to load onto and clog up your computer.

2. Simple: The software is simple and functional -- no loads of extra buttons and switches that you can't remember or never learn how to use.

3. No chords to lose: Just the little flip-out USB connector.

4. Batteries: Uses two AA batteries -- If you run out of charge, pop in two new ones -- no weighting for the battery to re-charge. Use Energizer lithiums and they will last next-to-forever.

5. No tapes or removable media: Records the video on a flash-USB drive for direct downloading into your computer-- too cool.

6. Lightweight and compact: It's so small and light that you just keep it your computer bag all the time without a thought -- so you'll have it with you when you need it and you're not looking for reasons to leave it behind.

I bought this camcorder for sending clips by e-mail and to make taking clips easier while traveling. I found it easy to use out of the box....the software worked great to download my clips into a file and when e-mailing it even compacts the files for easier, shorter send and receive time.
I am very pleased with this camera...more so than I expected to be. And from all other reports here I am not alone and knowing customer support esperience has been positive is reassuring too.

The Flip camera is a great item, however, the RCA Small Wonder camera has the advantage of adding an SD card and extending filming to 4 plus hours. If you are on vacation and don't have a laptop handy to download what you filmed, you are limited to only one hour of filming. I bought both cameras and use them for different purposes. The picture quality is about the same. The RCA is about $50 cheaper. You can carry either one of these cameras in your pocket or purse and be ready for instant filming of your kids, pets, sporting events or whatever. Both cameras are very simple to use. My 5 year old granddaughter has already mastered it. We now lock the bathroom door! If I had to choose, I would probably buy the RCA based on price. Both cameras are fun.

This product is easy to use and small enough to carry around anywhere. It was everything I expected and more. I took it to my daughters christmas play and I have been taking videos of my 6 month old too. Don't expect the look of a high cost camera because I know that there is better cameras out there, but for lots of money. It is worth every penny of what I paid for it.

I bought this camcorder for a 9 yr-old family member. It was so easy to use, that we took it out of the box, installed the batteries and started shooting film right away. The next day we went to a family event and discovered that we had left our "grown-up" camcorder at home. We used the Flip Video and everyone was amazed at the ease and the quality of the video. Uploading the video to a DVD ia a snap. I would rather use this than pull out my Sony camcorder. I would recommend this product to anyone. As a matter of fact, I bought two more as Christmas presents - one for my sister-in-law and one for my brother.

I gave this to my 10 year old son for Christmas--he's been wanting to make movies and I've been unwilling to let him use my $600+ video camera, so I was intrigued when I saw the Flip and bought it based on all the positive reviews, which are pretty accurate. Without reading any manuals (a dislike he inherited from his dad, naturally) he's been able to make movies and view them on our tv. I regret not buying one for my 8 year old daughter--we got her a Kodak digital camera but I suspect Santa will be delivering the Flip to her next Christmas.

I obsessed on this for a while before buying the product---reading all the reviews here, especially Gina Miller's great review and instructional notes.
Based on the reviews read here, I wanted to see how long it would take to go from start to finish with this camera. From the time I met the UPS guy in the driveway to recording a video took approx 2 minutes. The thing that took the longest was figuring out how to open the battery door (dumb on my part, not the product). I took a quickie and went to test it on the computer. I had a video uploaded to YouTube within 5 minutes of the UPS guy driving off.
I don't understand the problems people had, but would recommend contacting Flip/Digitial Technologies in case you just have a lemon.
Others have commented on the record button, even my fat fingers had no issue with this.
Someone commented that it was too easy to delete. My camera (Flip Ultra) it took two presses of the button to delete--one to delete and the next to confirm. This is typical for any piece of technology.
All I can say is I love it, I love it, I love it! And, after showing it off on the holidays have managed to sell a few too!

I was given an Ultra Flip for Christmas after telling my wife we needed a smaller Camcorder. We make instructional videos for our business, but only have very hi-end equipment (Cannon GL2) that is not very practical for "everyday" use. Enter this little wonder!

Pros:
- VERY small
- Very easy to setup (plug and play)
- Very good picture/movie quality (was shocked at how good)
- Good battery life
- Very easy to use "in the field" (one button record/stop)
- Very inexpensive
- All software is contained "in camera" (a very cool feature)
- YouTube integration is cool

Average:
- Required software upgrade out of the box
- OK low/bright light images

Cons:
- No optical zoom (would have increased price :-)
- Tripod mount is located on battery cover
- Upgrade process is a little cumbersome
- Inluded software a little hard to work with at first
- No removable media (a SD slot would have been nice)

So, if you want an inexpensive, use "everyday" type pocket camcorder with really good picture quality, this camera is for you!

We love it. ItIs great for dance recitals, all those moments you want to capture with your kids,animals. friends, etc., and so easy to use. We have had no problems using with our Mac. Bought 3 of them for gifts. Nice for hunters, grandparents-so easy! Amazon has the most amazing customer service.

Out of 200 reviews here, at least 147 (at the time of this review) were either 4 stars or above for this nifty product. I read through the lower rated ones and here's my take, from a user's perspective:

1. You have to have realistic expectations. This costs about $150.00 (or less, if you can find a deal). For that price, it does everything I'd expect. It isn't professional quality but it is decent video.

2. This is very, very user friendly. I haven't found or used a simpler device. You can upload videos with this, play them on your tv and have fun. If you need to delete your film, it is one touch, easy to understand.

As far as I was concerned, this was simply click and play, right out of the box. It isn't complicated. Having noted that, we use this as a portable supplement to our professional camcorder. It is easy to just grab this and go and it doesn't get in the way, isn't bulky, etc. For the price, I think it is a winner!

Bought this for myself. I consider it a nice impulse buy, and was ready to return it if it did not meet my expectations. I own both a Mac and a PC. Uploads to both quite easily. Within minutes I was able to download videos and send off in email. I don't consider myself a computer expert, but the whole process was so easy I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I managed to download the videos onto my computer. I tried to view the movies on my Sony Bravia 46 inch LCD TV. The shots that were taken at night, were OK, meaning I can see some pixelation of the screen, but the ones that were taken in daylight were surprisingly of nice resolution. Audio was fine. Very pleased. I expected poor quality once the videos were played back on the big screen but it turned out to be quite good.

This is an excellent camera. It is so easy to use. The captured video does not capture ghost movements, if you move the camera quickly to record. I bought one for myself, and one for my 6 year old granddaughter. She was able to master the controls, and record 48 personal videos. The playback on the TV was excellent. The resolution was superb. I recommend the FLIP Ultra over the other models, because the AA batteries make it very optional, especially if you are traveling. I purchased the black model for myself, and the pink color for my granddaughter. The black model has a velvet glove texture, while the pink has a shiny plastic housing. I showed the camera to several friends, and they immediately went on line to buy several for family members. They were all turned on with the recorder's simplicity to use. The new HD FLIP onlyhas 2 hours self contained battery life. The Ultra is slightly larger, but the purchase of rechargeale batteries (MH2500)batteries is a plus(4 Hours or more). The built in software is awesome. You can go to your computer icon, and opn the FLIPvideo (Video100), and save your movies. The camcorder appears as a harddrive. You will not be disappointed. It is a great gift for 6 year olds and anyone over a 100 years. Push to record, push to stop, and play to view.

I am pleased with the Amazon service and response that I received when I made my online purchase. I am pleased with the Flip because I began using it almost without reading the instructions (which I did!!!). I was amazed with the strength of the voice recorder on playback. I find it easy to use, and I'm still learning how to use it efficiently. I would like more specific instructions with the brochure and with more instructions on how to download the video and individual pictures I take more efficiently.
br /
br /For your advertisement, include more information on what is in the total package when buying the accessories along with the camcorder, as opposed to buying the camcorder only.

I love the quality of the product, the simplicity of using it and the user friendly interface between the product and uploading the videos to the internet. Though there is room for improvement in making uploading a bit easier, the simplicity of using the camcorder as well as the quality of the output is more than adequate for recording videos for internet usage.
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br /I'm more than thrilled I chose this camcorder. Every time I use it I get asked what it is, and people comment on what an awesome product. Then when they see how good the videos are and how easily and quickly you can upload your video to the internet, they're usually compelled to buy one for themselves.
br /
br /I recommend it to anyone... and if you need the HD quality video, well I see they've just released an HD Flip Video Camcorder so looks like you're in luck. No excuses... get one!

Hello,
br /
br /I purchased this camera a few weeks ago. To say it is easy to use is almost an understatement. One button on and one button off.
br /
br /Honestly, I loathe the new 'cameras' out there and refuse to buy one. The batteries are always running out or there is some mysterious setting that did not get set and all of the pictures are horrible....Not so with this little gem - a video recorder and a picture taker all in one. It takes regular batteries, so you don't have to worry about running out of charge.
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br /I love this camera and I have already experimented with pulling off individual shots - they look great.
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br /No PHD in Camera required, not a lot of cash to buy, and expect great pictures and movies.

I bought the black Flip Video for my husbands birthday, which he loved. It is easy to use and fits in your pocket or back. I knew this was going to be a great gift, so I bought my self the pink one and it is great. I taped the husbands birthday party and it was nice to have the freedom of just pulling it out of my pocket when I thought it would be nice to video. Forget the days of getting the V.C. out of the bag. Simple functions and easy to use as soon as you take it out of the box.
br /If you are looking for that great gift, with out spending a fortune, This is it

I absolutely love my Flip Ultra Camcorder! I highly recommend it! I am one of those people who just wants something handy for those special moments that just jump up and demand video. I hate lugging anything big around and this fits in my purse perfectly. I don't expect to make movies like DeMille or Spielberg, I just want to record family and fun and this fits the bill! I've taken my recorder to the river (highly recommend the aquapac), to Disneyland, weddings, sledding in the snow with the grandkids and videotaping just how darn cute they are! My grandkids are always asking me to videotape them now and make a movie-they think they are stars! I also have to tell you that customer service is great! I originally had a problem with my flip video and sent it in to be fixed. They said they couldn't fix it so they sent me back a new one! No hassle customer service. In summary, good customer service, the price is right, easily downloads and shares, and the sound and picture quality is much better than I had expected. All around this was a great purchase for me!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RSSDPOAQGUTZ I like it because it's small and easy to carry with me and just take out and capture the moment and upload to computer in a few seconds (longer if the program has to convert avi to wma format for utube or email).

I would be interested in hearing others that have tried the rca model, and the aiptek a-hd model, so we all can get user experiences comparing all 3 video camera's. RCA is 99dollars, aiptek hd is 119 dollars on sale.

At first, I thought something was wrong in uploading clips to computer (converting files to email format) because it stayed at 99 percent done for 8 minutes. And I unplugged camera and got message that is was still in computer mode. If I just upload to computer without converting to email or utube it goes a lot faster because no conversion of formats.

Second time, I opened the folder on computer that file was downloading to, and when software hit 99 percent done , I saw that the program was still completing the download because file sizes were getting bigger, and it finally finished. I write this because others may think the computer is hanging but it isn't, it sometimes takes alot of time to convert regular avi format to wma format for uploading to email. So your camera is not broken, you may have slow computer or BIG file to convert.

As others say zoom is not that good, but for quick shots and face shots it can't be beat, because I have camcorders but never used them because I had to make sure the special battery was charged, and it was a lot bigger, and I couldn't put in pocket, and I had to have special tapes, and special software, and it was a pain to take spur of moment shots.

This camera takes 2 AA batteries that last over an hour, and you have 1 hour record time on camera. My style is take 15 second clips, or 30 second clips of stuff, and then mix them together. TV shows switch camera's every few seconds so it keeps peoples attention, and I try to do the same! So 60 minutes for me gives me 120 (30 second clips) or 240 (15 second clips)! And I'm always around a laptop or computer to upload everything I just shot. :)

p.s. I went to park today and made a 2min film using only ultra flip and software on the ultra flip.

After watching several friends use various products made by Pure Digital, I bit the bullet and bought a Flip Video Ultra about a month ago. It has been one of the best electronic purchases I've made! I use it all the time (our 2 year-old provides me with many opportunities) and love it.

Every so often a product comes along that sets a standard.
iPod was one.
Flip is another.

It is the epitomé of an easy to use digital camcorder.
Sure, most compact digicams can take digital video, but not with the easy of Flip and rarely of the same quality. I got my white 60 Ultra about a month ago and I love using it. It is the perfect device to keep close at hand for that candid kid moments you want to share with family or just treasure forever. Turn it on and press a button and you are recording. Press the big red button again to turn it off. It is that simple.

I'm on a Mac and have no problems interfacing, downloading and veiwing the AVI files. I wish it had more options for file format and size, but I downloaded a few freeware programs that took care of those issues. The quality of the files is quite good and looks super on my TV as well as on my monitor. The sound quality isn't bad either.

Is Flip perfect? No, but it has no real glaring flaws that keep its PROs from shining.
This is a great little device that I'd recommend to almost anyone.

I saw this Flip Video on Tyra Banks Show I ordered it immediately and it is the best thing I ever purchased. I ordered 3 at first and then I ordered 1 additional one.

I came across this product by chance (it's not available here in Australia so we had to have it shipped to a US address) and bought it for our budding 10 year old film-maker. It's a huge hit with everyone! So easy to use and to play back. What's more, it fits lightly in every pocket and handbag. A 5-star terrific present!

I got this for my gf in replacement of her cell phone video camera which was worthless. My only issue has been when I upload videos, it seems to take a while, it may be the computer, but I can't check because the software will only work on one computer.

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black)
What fun to use; small & easy to carry for on-the-spot video. Plugs into usb port so you can edit and email video clip wave files to friends,family, websites. Great quality video; excellent sound & super value.

Was uncertain about the image quality for this product after all I had heard, but was not dissappointed. Picture quality was superb, and it couldn't have been easier to use. The ultra series is worth the investment and this device can fit in your pocket to be ready to use in an instant. Buy it.

This little video recorder is a marvel,light and easy to operate.
I took videos of weddings in Bukhara and whirling dervishes in Istanbul.
No pictures can bring so much fun.

I recently purchased both cameras in November. I tried them both indoors and out. Here is my experience. Both cameras are extremely easy to use and upload videos to web sites like Youtube. The Flip Ultra seemed to take better indoor videos due to lower light settings. They are still grainy like the RCA just a tad better. Outdoors both seemed to do fine. After taking about 10 different videos, in different settings with both cameras, I found the Ultra to make a tiny bit better quality video. However, I ended up keeping the RCA because it was ALOT cheaper (Flip was $149 on sale and the RCA was $89 on sale), has the upgradable SD card slot and flip out screen. Keep in mind though that these are not camcorder quality cameras. These are meant to take close distance, well lit subject videos to easily email or upload to Youtube using the built software.

This thing is the "coolest". Had to give it to my wife early because of weekend vacation to see Christmas lights in NYC. She hates to read instructions so I reviewed for 5 minutes, inserted batteries, bingo! We were shooting family videos in NYC instantly. Thanks!

I too took notice of and bought the Flip after reading Pogue's review. I wanted a camera that was zero frills, small and light, and cheap. This is all that. The video quality is not superb, but it is about as good as a regular non-dv home video cam from 5 years ago. The sound is decent - which is more important in this youtube world. I use it with a Macbook, and edit with iMovie. I believe that the size and simplicity of it will allow me to carry it around and take more spontaneous video than I otherwise would.

I have waited months to leave this review!!

Camera #1. I heard good things about Flip Video (small, easy to use camera, inexpensive).... so I bought one at SAMS Club. It recorded video, but would not make "Muvee Mixes". The software would give me a "Macromedia Projector" Error & freeze my computer. After MANY calls & emails to Flip Video, uninstalling, reinstalling, updating software, etc....they told me to take it back to SAMS Club. Enter, Camera #2!

Camera #2: SAME as the first...exactly! So, I emailed FlipVideo. They asked me to mail the camera to their Illinois Office. To their credit, within about 4 days I had the camera back. However it wasn't fixed!

They mailed the camera back....but for some reason this time (maybe jostled in shipping???), the camera not only had "Macromedia Projector" and Muvee software problems, it had black spots apparently inside the camera (nothing you could see by looking at it...)but the video would be blurry and blacked out on the top of the screen all the time. I once again e-mailed Flip Video. They asked me to upload a video to YouTube so they could look at it. Then, they asked me to send it to their California office.

Camera #3: Today, on my front porch was a brand new camera. I plugged it into my new MacBook Pro (afraid that maybe it just wouldn't work ever on my Dell)....IT WORKED! The Muvee software doesn't work with Mac, but good riddance! Also, I haven't figured out really how to manipulate the video yet on my Mac...but will work on that later.

I plugged the Flip Video Ultra into my Dell & it worked! The Muvee software that has given me fits of rage (ok, not really) actually worked really well...WOO HOO! So, I can now give this camera 4 stars.

Flip Video has excellent customer service. You sometimes have to email or call a few times, but they take "customer service" seriously.

This is probably a thing where you get what you pay for. When I bought it a little cheaper at Sam's Club, it was screwed up. Maybe I should've stuck with the more reliable source.... amaazon.com!!

I hardly ever write reviews but I had to for this flip camcorder. We love it! I was missing a lot of my family's cherished moments because it is a hassle to get out the big camcorder out of the closet. Now, we never miss anything with our flip ultra camcorder. It is so convenient, light and easy. Just record and flip up the USB jack and plug it in your computer.

I would recommend to everyone to also get the adaptable cable that plugs into your flip camera USB plug and your computer's USB port.

Now, all of my friends want one! I have started a trend in my neighborhood.

I've had this camera for about 3 months now and it's worked flawlessly. Only thing is you have to use Windows Movie Maker to convert the files to .WMV format so you can get the file size down to a reasonable level. The quality is barely reduced when you do that though. This camera is fun and easy to use and to document memories. The quality is good enough for me, especially considering the price. But don't expect anything that will totally blow you away. Surprisingly the camera works pretty good in low light situations. Easy to transfer to computer. My only gripe would be that the USB arm that extends out that you plug into your computer USB port (I have a tower computer..not a laptop) feels flimsy enough that it might break off due to the weight of the camera. So far so good and I've plugged it in more than 30 times I would suspect. But, I always cross my fingers that it doesn't break off when it's sitting there uploading. One of these days I'm gonna find something the right height to prop up under it for reassurance. But to summaraize, I'm very happy with this purchase.

I recently purchased the Flip Video Ultra and what a cool little camera!
Took it to Hawaii and got a bunch of neat clips of all the various places, tours and scenic spots we wanted to remember.

I have more expensive video cameras, but for a simple, inexpensive way to capture the moment, this is your ticket! I dig it.

i will not get into too many technical details, as it is has been explained in such depth by some of the reviewers here. From a usability stand-point, it caters to even the most tech-allergic.
br /
br /It runs on 2 AA batteries, has a simple (James Bond villain:) type) red button to start recording that toggles to pause. The buttons on the left and right are for delete and replay and for file management.
br /
br /The zoom features are good (but compromise video quality), the only point of negativity is the non-expandable memory (its 2GB / 60 minute video static and can't be upgraded) and the fact that you cannot take photos.
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br /It comes with a nice pouch and a good manual.
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br /I see a lot of reviews saying that the button is "hard" to press, but please note that its more of a poka-yoke feature to prevent accidental recording or pause.
br /
br /One other point is be careful when using it in harsh / industrial environments, especially manufacturing areas, i used mine in a forging industry once to video shoot the process (from a distance of 10-15 feet), but because of the heat, the CCD was damaged and now for some reason the screen does not work, but ofcourse this would happen to most camcorders,its just that this was a bit weak. No worries, got me a new one and its back to work! :) This is an example of quite rugged use though.
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br /I would recommend this device with full confidence and is a great gadget to have at home for those "urgent" video shoots that one does at home or on the go. It is very simple and the quality of video is very very good. makes for an awesome gift as well.
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Purchased this as a birthday gift for my husband.
br /When we wanted to download to computer it did not work.
br /We contacted pure digital technologies and sent it back. They couldnt fix it so they sent us a new one.
br /it is a fun item. very easy to use

unbelievable, so light, so convinient, so easy to use, and so great video quality!!! I bought a $1000 Sony HD camcord in January but didn't have ANY chance to use it because it's so inconvinient!!!!
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br /This is great I can actually take it to the mountains, to parties, and every one, I mean every one wanted to buy one when I showed them how easy to shoot a video using this camera!!!
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br /Thanks Amazon!

I have been enjoying how easy the Flip Video Camcorder is to use. It has been able to catch cute moments with my daughter and son. The picture and sound quality are better than I expected! I was able to record my son's soccer game and it played back clearly. The videos are extremely easy to share on email, and can be copied to a flash drive. Overall, I am happy I made the investment in this camcorder! I just wish the silver arrow button area was more substantial in size.

Although I work with kids and video all the time, I was always reluctant to hand over my video camera to my 8 year old. Now that I've bought him this Flip video, he is so into it and edits lots of movies using Windows Movie Maker.
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br /One draw back is the software. I was hoping that the videos would easily transfer to my computer with the USB but you really must install the software. Also, the software doesn't allow you to choose the location of the transfer so you are stuck with the videos alwasy going into the Flip Video folder. Otherwise, very cool and surprisingly good quality camera.

I love my flip camera! What more can you ask for? You point and film and its a good quality video. I use it for You Tube, church videos and everything else. For the price you can not beat this little camera. I carry it in my purse everywhere I go! I love it! I've never had a problem out of it and I've had it almost a year! I would highly recommend this camera!

I am sure that you can get much better quality picture and sound with a more expensive camcorder, but for the money this one is great.
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br /A lot of people complained about the audio, but I haven't really noticed much of a problem. The video quality is maybe a little lower than I was hoping for, but it is still very good.
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br /The best things about this camcorder are that it is very compact so you can always have it with you, it is very cheap so that you don't worry about breaking it, and it is pretty much idiot proof.

This is a perfect gift for almost anyone on your holiday list. Whether that special someone is young or not so young, the functionality, convenience, simplicity, and quality of this product make it a wonderful consumer innovation. What the heck, why don't you put it on your list, and hope that special someone gets it for you?
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br /This camera is small enough to fit into any of your pockets. It runs on 2 AA batteries, which are included. It also includes a carrying pouch and wrist strap. The operation couldn't be more simple. Just point, hit the red button to begin recording, and hit it again to stop. The camera has a zoom feature. You can play back your video on the 1.5 inch LCD screen. The camera also comes with A/V cable, so you can play back on your television then and there.
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br /The Flip has a built-in USB connector. Simply plug it in to your computer, and you can easily save your videos to your hard drive. You can also upload Flip videos directly to YouTube or AOL, or you can email your videos. The unit can record up to 60 minutes of video. When you are ready to delete some videos to make room for more memories, that is simple as well. The video and sound quality are excellent.
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br /This is a perfect gift for capturing special holiday moments with ease. Highly recommended.

If your looking for a camera to take quick and easy shots of daily outings this is the product for you! Its small, easy to use and is great for catching little snipits of travel, parties, daily events etc... I highly recommend this product.

I love this little camcorder. I bought it for my wife and ended-up using it more than she does. It's so easy to use and produces great videos. The built-in software works like a charm and allows me to share videos instantly . I have a high-end DV camcorder that I bought last year and I still use it for special occasions but when I think about what I will do with the videos (how would I edit or share them?) I go back to using the little Flip. It's just a different way of thinking about using videos...

I highly recommend it to everyone.

I ordered this after reading the many great reviews. unfortunately I must have recd one of the few bad ones. Staight Out of the box, it would not display anything on the view finder when turned on. After several attempts and contacting the manufacturer, I got it to work, although only about 40% of the time. When it did work it appeared to be very good video and easy to connect to your computer. The manufacturer requested I send it back to them for repairs. My reply was no thanks, it is new and I will send it back to Amazon, which I did.

What a brilliant device!!! We bought this to video our one year old twins. We can carry it anywhere in our pocket. Simple to use, simple to download and broadcast via YouTube or email. No discs or tapes to use. We have used it steady for over a month and still have not had to replace the batteries. Compatable with Mac or PC. Good imaging and decent audio. We also have an 8mm camcorder that we never use anymore because the Flip is just so much easier. The only shortcoming is the zoom is somewhat lacking. The price is just one more attractive reason to buy. You can spend a lot more on a far inferior product.

I originally got this under the impression that it took pictures as well as recordings but...it doesn't. So, other than that little glitch, it works very well.

We heard about this on a national radio show and looked it up on Amazon. The price was affordable. Once we received it and started to use it we realized how incredibly easy it was to use! The quality of the video is good, except on the zoom which is not that great. Also it does not have an internal light source for filming when it is dark. Perhaps there is an additional item you can buy to accomodate that need. However, for natural light and indoors in the day time it works great. It is so easy a kid could use it. It seems durable too.

I am impressed with my new Flip Video camcorder. I have operated a videography service for 20 years, and this is the kind of "on the spot" or stealth camcorder that I dreamed of having for a long time.

While the video quality, of necessity, is not as superior as larger cameras - it is good nonetheless. It's convenience is it's greatest advantage - into a pocket or purse and you are loaded for practically any situation. It is fairly good in low light, too.

While it cannot replace our professional full size camcorders by a long shot, it's small size and storage capacity (ours is the 60 minute variety) will allow us to set it virtually anywhere (such as by the flowers on the altar at a wedding) and get cutaway shots that we would likely have missed before. And of course there are those news clip type moments that you can capture with this simply because you have it on your person.

Well worth the price, and mine has delivered as advertised.

This is a neat little gadget which would be perfect if it used SD cards. It's easy to video tape an hour's worth of footage and then disappointing to have to quickly download it on a computer. Once you get used to it, just about anyone could snap a photo or make a quick video of those funny or cute moments to send to friends in emails. I'm sure once the novelty wears off the price will come down and a younger audience will be targeted.

Some friends used one of these to film our kids at the zoo and had nothing but good things to say about it, so I decided I needed to have one. I absolutely love it! It's light weight. It runs on 2 AAs. It's compact enough to carry around in my purse. The image quality is awesome, and it has excellent sound, too. Easily plugs into my desktop. The software was simple to use. I've been playing around with it for a little over a week now and just can't help but tell everyone I know that they need to get one. It's awesome!

This camera works great! I would highly recommend. This camera is amazing, considering the price. Great to upload to websites.

Easy to use, once all the kinks were worked out. I'm a MAC guy and we had some software issues, but
after three weeks they returned the Flip working fine. It's great for spontaneous recording and
just "Horsing around" Having lots of fun with it. Can't wait for next years model should be even
more fun.

I have been pleased with the video the Flip Video captures. It is small and easy to carry anywhere. I just plug it into my MacBook USB port and drag and drop the AVI files on the camera into iMovie HD for editing and sharing. It is what it is, so don't expect the same performance as in a $400 camcorder. For its intended purpose, video snapshots, it is excellent! Look at YouTube for samples. Search for tombk3

As you may know by now, this little minimalist camcorder is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, with room left over for a Snickers bar. It's a basic point-and-shoot camera with a little zoom capability and a little sound. It has no ability to focus.

It comes with software in the camcorder, which installs itself on your computer. The Flip has no memory sticks, disks or other external storage - - you just plug it into your computer. That means that when the memory fills up, you're done for the day. (You can delete clips on the Flip screen, so you do have that option.)

At root, this camcorder is designed for all of you who think cameras on your cell phones are great. Carry it everywhere and film your life. I don't do this, but I do film family gatherings and other such things, and it's great for that.

I had some troubles with the original camcorder: the software would not install and the videos wouldn't download to my computer. The camcorder also crashed the first day, and when trying to work with my computer; I had to take the batteries out and put them back in to turn the thing off. I'm happy to report that Flip's customer service was great. They responded to my email the next business day and they returned the unit within a week.

This is a fun little video camera but there's not really a reason to buy it when you can get a point and shoot still digital camera that can also do videos (most of them do). That way, you have one small device that can do both videos and still pictures. Plus, with a digital point and shoot camera, you get zoom and possible image stabilization when shooting video, two features the Flip Ultra does not have.

If you just want a toy like video camera, the Flip can't be beat, but in terms of functionality, you could really do better with a digital camera instead.

I bought the flip video ultra series camcorder because I found myself using my still camera to take lots of short videos at my daughter's volleyball matches and this seemed like a good, small alternative.

It's great. It takes 60 minutes of video, good sound and pretty good quality --not like a "real" digicam which would cost 10X more but great for short duration, fun shoots.

The only drawback was that it really uses batteries quickly--especially if the kids get hold of it and want to watch the hour's worth of video you just shot. I bought some rechargables and those work great and I'm not spending a fortune every weekend on duracells.

I would recommend this light-weight, easy to use camera for anyone who likes to take video that are short duration... a speech, a ceremony, a sporting event. Don't bother with the internal movie software though. It's limited and costs $80 for the full version. Stick with Microsoft Movie Maker (standard on most Windows machines) to stitch together your videos and add effects and music.

Got the Flip Ultra 60 and was afraid the quality was going to be poor. Well I was wrong. great web video and even on a 24" LCD monitor great quality. a little pixelated on big TV's. Easy to useand battery lasts a long time. software is OK, not great that comes with camera. I'd rate this 1 a 5+ if I could.

As a travel agent, I use my flip cam when visiting hotels to record views of the rooms and public areas. The ease of use and portability make this cam perfect for my needs. I can later e-mail short videos to clients to show them what a hotel looks like.

I received this as a free unrequested product for review from Amazon last fall. I have to admit I forgot I even had it until this evening when my son needed to record himself for a school project and our other camcorder wasn't working. In just mere minutes we had this very compact camcorder working and in a bit more time we were watching my son's report on the television screen. Amazing that something this small can work so effectively!

I was missing precious moments with the kids because rolling the video off of mini DV tape was too laborious. Now I can carry this to the playground and family events. The bundled software did not really impress, I use Windows Movie Maker. Picture quality (Ultra version) is pretty good but you do have to think about holding the camera steady. Overall good price / performance.

I bought this camera to make videos of me talking to clients for a class. What I have found is that there is a 1-3second delay in the picture when I copy the file onto DVD. My mouth moving is not quite matched up to the audio. While for my purposes this is fine, if I were recording my kiddo's recital or play I'd be very unhappy. The picture does not have high quality resolution either.

The player is easily hooked up to a DVD burner or TV (for VHS making). Since the videos are saved as .mov files, you can use them with various computer applications.

I recommend rechargeable batteries as the camera does not give you much warning when the batteries are low.

Overall this is a useful device and for the money it does very well.

I wanted a digital video camera to take to Las Vegas and ran across the Flip Ultra. I read the reviews and decided to give it a try. It's the best decision I have ever made, and don't regret it one minute. The video I took came out wonderful! Color and volume were amazing! It is light weight, easy to carry, easy to turn on or off. I just love it! I'm going to take my camera to get a DVD made of my trip and have it to watch whenever I want..... This camera is/was well worth it! I guess if I had any negatives it would be a fade button. I love it! Buy this now! :--)

Quality - great for what it is used for - fun videos. Not a pro - don't need a pro camera. Just want something easy and fun. This is it. BUY ONE. BUY TWO. Trust me.

Great Product! Perfect for nontech person- easy to use- small enough to keep in pocket-

Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Orange)

Pros: Insanely easy to use, fast uploading, great quality for the price-point, excellent form-factor

Cons: No rechargeable option (sucks the double AA batteries in a bout a day of heavy use)

I took this camera with me to document some relief work we were doing in the Dominican Republic and I have to say it exceeded my expectations. I was able to provide daily updates to folks back home via the YouTube uploader with ease.

I would highly recommend this product for capturing moments on video when you don't have time to remember where your big camcorder is. This little guy fits in your pocket or purse and preforms admirably in a pinch. Just remember to keep some AA batteries handy.

I love it! It is simple, well constructed, and adequate for most reasonably ambitious amateur purposes including YouTube publishing. It is also tiny and easy to have available at any time. An excellent alternative to the 3-minute video on point and shoot digital still cameras - that does not exist anyway on SLS.

The Flip is a great camcorder. It is lightweight and very easy to use. It is extremely portable. It produces good quality video. I love that it takes AA batteries so you can easily replace them on the go. Great product!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3VTB5QYMPIICM

I ordered the Flip a week ago. Since I have received it I have been 100% satisfied. The camera works perfectly, downloads all images to my 4 year old IBM laptop plus a one year old Dell laptop, both using Windows XP, with no problems at all.
The camera came with the upgraded software all ready installed so I did not need to do any downloading of the software.
In the past week I have probably recorded 5 hours of video and of that four and a half hours have been downloaded to the computers. One added plus, I am still using the original two batteries that came with the camera.
Two things I would like to see is that it comes with a rather "cheesy" bag with a draw string, I would rather have a nice case with it.
The other thing is there is no lens cover so you need to keep it in the "cheesy" bag to protect it.
As for the poor speaker, that doesn't bother me as I download everything to the laptops and the pictures and sound are great from that point on.
I would advise anybody to get this camera for the ease of use, simplicity and what I would consider a "B" grade of camera. Don't expect top quality video recording, but for fun, family and quick shots...go for it with this camera.
I now carry this with me where ever I go.

I bought this after doing lots of research, studying the other brand that has the memory card capabilities. The reason I decided on the FLIP is because of its ease of use and relative uncomplicated-ness. Of course, it is not the most high end video camera, but it is a handy little item to have on you. It will allow you to be prepared for those 'unexpected' moments that you want to capture. Fits handily in a purse or pocket. I found that the video quality was good, the sound could be better, but for the price it is really okay. I have had absolutely NO problems with mine right from the box.
I was pleased with the way the videos could be uploaded to YouTube and also emailed to friends. This was the main reason I wanted the FLIP; being able to share videos with no muss or fuss was essential.

As far as battery use goes it has worked well, allowing me to make a large number of videos before needing to re-battery. Just make sure to keep a few batteries on you to be prepared.

All in all, I have no complaints about this camera. You won't go wrong if you buy it. I might suggest that you get the USB extension though, because the only thing that worries me is the flimsiness of the USB arm when trying to connect it to the computer.

I had great expectations after hearing reviews on the radio and also reading some of the Amazon reviews. I am very disappointed in the picture quality with this camcorder. The video quality is very poor and you wouldn't want to capture memories of children or important events with this camera. The close ups are clear enough, but any images over about four feet away are too fuzzy to enjoy. It's a real distraction. The only use that I will have for this is recording things related to my business for documentation, for reference, and/or to send clients video discriptions of projects etc. The one real advantage to this camera is the ease of uploading video to the internet. I've had no problems so far with getting the video off the Flip into my Dell notebook, and emailing video. In short this camcorder is compact and convenient for some uses, but the quality is poor, so don't buy the Flip if you have the idea of recording important events - get yourself a good quality digital camecorder.
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br /ADDED LATER - after reading about the fuzzy picture problem with this camcorder I found that not using the zoom feature cures this problem. Still, it's too bad that the zoom function makes the picture quality so poor. Why have it as an option?

This must be the SMALLEST and EASIEST video camera to use on the market. This is a no frills fills but does exactly what it is meant to do. So easy o use, in fact, my 4-year old is making his own movies with it now! The ultra-compact size, good battery mileage, great portability and USB cross-platform compatibility make it a good deal in itself. The quality of picture is surprisingly good - as long as you DO NOT USE THE DIGITAL ZOOM. The zooming results in grainy bad image quality, so I keep it at 1:1 ratio all times. Like said earlier this is a no frills camera, but does a great job for being a tiny little doorstop in your hand.
br /I also recommend reviewing the clips is on a TV monitor (TV mini OUT jack is supplied) or on a computer monitor- the viewer is very small (about 1 1/2" x 1").

I bought this camera and absolutely loved it. The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't record for a very long period of time. Then I found the RCA small wonder, and saw that the RCA took an SD card, and it was also less expensive. So off I went to purchase the RCA Small Wonder. I found that both of these cameras are very similar, the video quality with the Flip Video Camera was a little better, but not by much. I found that I was mostly using the RCA Small Wonder when I needed to use one. I eventually gave this one to my sister, because it ended up just sitting around. I never had any problem with either one of the cameras as far as loading them onto my computer or editing the videos that were recorded on either one of them. I just liked the fact that the RCA Small Wonder recorded for a much longer time, and the video quality on that one is very good as well. So if I had to choose between the two of them, I would have to go with the RCA Small Wonder.
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br /If you found this review helpful, please click yes. Thanks!
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The Flp camcorder is a great little device which fits easily into your shirt pocket. It is simple and user friendly. The only problem is that the red record button has several functions and must be pushed just right to begin and end recording. Sometimes the red button does not function at all. Overall I highly recommend the Flip camcorder.

This little camcorder worked great. It's small size
br /was great to throw in your bag. Very user friendly.

I bought this camera last Christmas for my 13 year old son. While he has used it himself, I have found it to be so simple that I use it way more than he ever has. Push a button to turn it on, push the red botton to record, and you are off to the races. It cannot be any easier.
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br /At first, I tried uploading my videos directly to Photobucket (photo and video sharing site), but it was painfully slow. Now I just plug the Flip into a USB port on my PC and then upload each file to YouTube or save them to a location on the PC's hard drive. Takes anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes on YouTube, depending on the length of the video. Super simple.
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br /Great item for those who want to cut to the chase. I don't think I would've ever tried loading anything to YouTube had it not been for how easy this camcorder is to operate. It's so easy to share events and holidays with family and friends who aren't near.

I ordered my product in may 2008 but was not able to actually use it until Nov 2008 for various reasons. The first time I attempted to connect my Flip Video to my PC, it did not work. I tried other PCs as well to ensure it was not a computer issue. With nothing working from the camera I contacted customer support. Bottom line answer..too bad, out of warranty, nothing can be done for you. I'm sure the video is a wonderful tool but the fact that the company will not get one to me that actually works taints my opinion about the company. I will no longer recommend this product to any of my colleagues or friends simply by the poor customer support. There are too many other products on the market and companies that do not support their product are off my list. I would have paid to have the camera repaired knowing that it is my fault it was not used prior to becoming out of warranty but that is not an option. Buyer Beware!

Flip camera is very easy to use as described. My only complaint is that the zoom function is pretty weak. Still fun to use for instant gratification videos. Fits in pocket.

I agree that the video camera is very easy to use....but.. if you have Vista, you will have problems. This is taken from the Flip video website, "Does the Flip Video program run on the new Windows Vista operating system?
Unfortunately, the Flip Video program does not provide support for the new Windows Vista operating system. The timing of the Windows Vista release required our support for it to be implemented in a future release.

If you try to run the Flip Video program on Windows Vista, you will likely have trouble starting the program or using many of the program's features. This is because the program will likely have trouble installing the necessary video compatibility software (or "codec") needed to and view and use your videos"

Also had problems on my mac os10. So back it goes.

Simple to use and picture quality is what I expected.
Not great, but not bad either.
Generates a decent image on the PC.
Only turnoff are all those disposable AAA batteries we are going through.
A great improvement would be to make the device re-chargeable through the USB port it already has.

It does everything that's advertised. One thing that I like is the ability to click through individual frames and capture an individual frame for printing as a photograph. You end up with pictures that don't have that POSED look.

The flip video camera was incredibly easy to use, but almost too easy. I bought this but am now returning it for a few reasons. The main reason is the fact that it would not work on my computer. It does not tell you that you may have do download an update (found on flip.com) just to make the software work. If you look on their website there are numerous things they suggests you must have on your computer to make the software work which they should have mentioned else where. I have a 2005 Windows XP so it wasn't like my computer was too old for it or anything. It would have taken me hours to download everything. Secondly, I think I would have enjoyed a few more features on a video camera. It was litterily, as it says, point and click. There's nothing else to do with it. Ultimately the flip video camera would be great for you if you know you have all of the requirements and have no other desire but to record. Then again I might feel differently if it actually worked on my computer!

My mom gave me one of these for Christmas. It was very easy to start using right out of the box. I recorded about a minute of the Christmas ongoings and played it back on my TV. Everybody agreed that the picture quality was better than expected on a 27 inch TV screen. There is only enough internal memory to record about an hour of video and there is no way to expand the memory with an external card. You are obviously not taking it to record your child's school play unless you plan on downloading what's already been recorded onto a laptop during intermission and starting fresh again. I guess it can be a nice thing to have on a vacation because of the size but because of the limited amount of memory space, I'd probably suggest getting an ultra portible external hard drive as an accessory to the camera. Otherwise, I think this is really cute and works well. The quality is much better than a digital camera's video mode.

I purchased this camera as a gift for my nephew and he absolutely loves it. His main reason for wanting this particular model was because it is so easy to use. I personally liked that Amazon had the best price and their ordering process is so easy. They are also able to deliver more rapidly than most other companies I have purchased from.

I purchased four FLIPS, one for myself and 3 for my grandchildren. The kids (ages 6 and 8) loved them and enjoyed several hours of "making movies" on Christmas day. My older grandson (21) also loved it and will be using it to capture some DJ work he is doing. Some of the adults who are not comfortable with "technical gadgets" found it easy to use and cute. Great camera, thanks to Rosie O'Donnell who first let us know about the FLIP on her blog. This was a little advertised holiday gem!!!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R14EJ6QXLF2QRD This is partially my fault. I read the reviews before I bought this and people have brought up how the program locks up and stuff like that, but the flip people said it was rare. So I figured, if it's rare then it'll be okay. Yeah, no... not really.

I'll start off with the bad... Because, this is how I'm feeling right now.

Yeah, I'm one of those people who got a defective one. I'm beginning to think it's a 50/50 chance. Well, the camcorder isn't defective, it's when you're trying to transfer it onto the computer. It locks up! I'm sure you've heard it already. Well hey, I UPDATED the firmware, and it STILL freezes at "reading videos". But wait, I figured, I didn't need the program and I just wanted the videos. I found the videos in DCIM, BUT THERES NO SOUND!
Well hey, I downloaded a couple sound codecs, and installed the codec that came with the computer (i forgot what it's called.. let's just say I did it all) I deleted all the videos and THEN it finished reading the videos this time with that program. yay! But wait, not fixed yet. Oh yeah, the videos have sound now, BUT ITS 3 MINUTES OFF!! I'm frustrated and really pissed off at this point, but I calmed down a bit and decided to EMAIL the tech support. I told them my situation and all the steps I've already taken.
So I deleted all the videos again and did some new one, and I'm at square one. Reading videos gets stuck at 0% and then freezes again.

Two days later...(well, i don't blame the wait, it was Christmas). Anyway, they emailed me back and all they said for me to do was update the firmware. At this point I'm pretty pissed off. I want this thing fixed! I figured, maybe it's a new firmware. Nope, my flip camera says it's up-to-date.
And so.... I read at the bottom of the email.... It says:
"If you encounter any difficulties, please contact us for assistance via email or by phone at 1-888-222-6689."
Hey! A PHONE NUMBER! If I NEED ASSISTANCE! Tell me if I'm right that it's a help phone number. I mean, when you read that quote, you think it's kind of like a tech support number, right? I thought so, and I'm standing by that.

Anyway, I called the number and waited a while till someone picked up. I briefly told her my situation, and she gave me the biggest attitude any person could give me. She tells me this is actually the customer service number and that I'd have to EMAIL instead to get it fixed. I'm thinking, I ALREADY EMAILED! So far, I've gone nowhere with this! I'm absolutely fuming piss about this thing.. especially with the person I had to deal with on the phone... *sigh* So anyway, I emailed the tech support again.. this time emphasizing in BOLD that I've already updated the firmware. My goodness, I think they don't really read it, and that the automated computer just looks for keywords. Anyway, I was about ready to return the item, but my boyfriend tells me that I should wait till tomorrow for a reply to see what they say. If nothing new, then... return it will go.

Oh, now for the good. Since I did give it one star, there's gotta be something good about it.
The quality is a lot better than expected. I was pretty amazed. I have another camera that works very poorly in unnatural light, but this flip camera can record in dimly lit rooms and make it look lighter than it really is. As for sound, sound is good too. lcd screen is awesome. :)but yeah... that's it.
But anyway, I'm most likely going to be getting the RCA small wonder instead. Expansion slot, cheaper, AND you can move the lcd screen. I hear it's the same quality, so as soon as I get a clear return on this stupid flip, I'll definitely buy that RCA one.
Anyway, here's a little sample video I've made.

Long ago, I gave up on any aspiration to be the next groundbreaking underground filmmaker probably because I couldn't be bothered with the onerous weight of a video camera on my shoulder and the prospect of bursitis. The additional complication of converting the videotapes to a format that would work on my PC was almost as daunting for a near-techno-phobe like myself. Now finally comes a pocket-sized camcorder that would have been like manna from heaven all these years. At a reasonable price of about $150 and a size smaller and more portable than most cell phones, the Flip Ultra Series Digital Camcorder is impressive simply for its sheer convenience and ease-of-use.

One of the best aspects of this camera is the built-in software that truly makes it a one-stop recording tool. You don't have to worry about installation discs or memory sticks that I tend to forget with my regular digital camera. On the right side is a USB plug, which folds conveniently into the side of the camera. To release it, you just slide the release lever and the plug pops out ready to connect to your PC. The videos become .AVI files on your computer, which make it easy to view on any standard video-playing software. On the left side is the power switch. You simply flick it once to turn it on to record and then again to power it down.

On the face of the camera is the VGA screen, small at 1.5 inches but genuinely legible for its size. Underneath is the four-way control button. This is where you make all your adjustments when it comes to zooming, volume control and library management. It takes a few tries to get used to the full capabilities of the arrows, but it's impressive once you get the hang of it. What is clear from the outset is the function of the big red record button in the middle. You press it once to record and then press it again to stop. It's as straightforward as it could possibly be.

There is the playback button to the left and a delete (trash can) button to the right which you use once you're in library mode. I have the sixty-minute capacity version with 2GB of built-in memory, which is more than enough to meet my needs to record small-scale events and random moments you just want to have for posterity. For its miniature size, the image is pretty clear and while not state-of-the-art, the resolution is well beyond my expectations. When you see the same video on your PC screen, there is a certain level of graininess evident but not enough to compromise my viewing experience.

The auto-focus - which is a strong part of its appeal - works very well, although I am a bit disappointed that there is no flexibility for zooming beyond 2x. One worrisome aspect is the way the camcorder hangs by the USSB plug when connected to a PC. It just seems precariously mounted and ready to break suspended as it is like that, and the purchase of the Flip AUC1CP1 USB Cables for Flip Camcorders is necessary to minimize the risk. I just think the extension cords should have been part of the original package.

The makers, however, did make a smart decision to have the camcorder powered by two regular AA batteries (which they include in the package) instead of a power pack more intractably built into it. That way you don't have to worry about specific parts you could only get from a dealer. The package also includes a RCA video cable for TV viewing, a wrist strap, a soft carrying case, and of course, the instruction manual - which seems anticlimactic given how intuitive the camcorder is. This one is truly for which all of us luddites have been waiting all these years.

It is a bit tricky to download videos to computer. Seems to take awhile and is also, I've heard, very fragile. However, we are enjoying using it and love the portability and size. The skins and soft pouch accessories do not fit this camera. We had to use an existing camera case of our own to protect it from bumps if it is accidently dropped. Still experimenting with it. So far it is a good value and we hope it lasts a long time. Fun to use.

Nice value for the money. Very small size...which will easily fit in a shirt pocket. 2GB on board memory which easily holds 60 minutes of video. All software is included in the 2GB of onboard memory so no software on CDs to load. Only downside is that resolution when using the zoom blurs a little...but video is very clear when not using the zoom. Extremely easy to use.

Very easy to use and it does not use up batteries as quickly as I had dreaded. Its small size makes it very portable and it is a breeze to record, download onto my computer and then upload to You Tube. I also really like the custom video features.

No, the video is not as clear as a larger, higher-priced camcorder, but it is good enough for 99% of what I'd like to record.

I bought this for my wife (NOT tech crazy like me) because of the simplicity of the unit. I was pleaseantly surprised when I found out really how simple it is. Point, shoot, and catch. Plug it in and get the real beauty of this product: The built in software. So easy to use the directions are a PAMPHLET! Seriously. No huge book to read, and my wife now knows all about the device in only a day! If you are looking for camcorder quality video this misses...but just barely! I was able to send movies via email immediately! Sorry all you people who dislike the Flip Video, I love it.

I received on of these as a gift from my mom to record my baby's milestones. After 2 weeks, it completely died. Nothing happened when I hit the power button. Tons of videos of my baby were lost forever. Amazon replaced it with a new one. Now, 4 months later the exact same thing has happened again. This time I've lost the video of her first steps. I am completely sad and disgusted with this hunk of junk.

It's a good camera for the price and it's easy to use. The problem is in downloading the files. Files get so big that it freezes my PC (my PC is new and super-fast) if I download all the files at once. I had to download on groups of smaller files to make it work but takes a long time. Also, once you unplugged Flip from the PC, the Flip screen still shows "Connected", and the power button couldn't turn the unit off. I had to remove the batteries in order to shut it down. The problem doesn't seem to go away everytime I download files. It's cheap but I thought I wasted my money buying it.

I really like mine. The audio is great, the video is 4 out of 5. I took some quick vids at Christmas last year. I got a couple of skips, but otherwise I thought it's great quality. I really like having an inexpensive video I can haul around with me for those 'impromptu' videos :)

Great for it's price. Handy and small, so easy to carry around. No set up - just switch it on and record. Very user friendly when you plug it into your computer to save or email video clips. Quality of video is also very good. Definitely recommend the Flip Ultra - Ultra has 60 minutes of recording time as opposed to the Flip with just 30 minutes.

I bought this because there were very few buttons and that meant I would be able to use it without a huge learning curve, and the number one reason that caught my eye was that it saved to AVI.
At first I did have the classic problems that some people had around here. I did write Flip customer service and they wrote back immediately and told me to send it back. I mailed it back on 12.17.07 and I received it back on 1.04.08; it took a while because of the holidays. They fixed my Flip and it still had my daughter's dance competition on it. They had said they would make sure I would get it back on CD or on my Flip and they kept their word.
Now I did go round and round on a particular problem I had.
I have a web site, and through the server I use pre-made codes and you can just cheat your way to a pretty decent site. I needed the AVI formant to upload a video to my site. Well I did it, but the little video was a staggering 65MB and besides the space it took up, the time to see the darn thing was incredible.
The long and the short of it is this:
Crop your video to what you want your end product to be.
Put it in email form (this just makes a copy to your desktop)
Now this makes the video to a WMV which really distressed me, and there is no way within Flip to change it back to AVI.
Since I do not know much about these things, and looked into the programs I already have, they didn't seem to have the feature I needed to get it back to AVI.
When I thought I would have to buy yet another program or try another freeware I stumbled on something.
Irfan is freeware (worth paying for) that I have used for many a year to work on my pictures. Cutting to the chase, if you open a video and click file in the drop down menu, there is a choice called "rename file" and I thought ok I will write AVI and then a warning pops-up saying that windows can't play this file with a bunch of other things. Don't worry; all you have to do is keep opening every file that you have decompressed back into AVI format. When it is played on my site people have to click "ok to play" when it opens up in Windows Media Player and they can choose to not see the notice and just view one video after another.

I bought the Flip Video Ultra for a trip to Galveston, TX on Spring Break. I've never had a problem with the performance of the unit or the quality of video it takes. I love my Flip and would recommend it to anyone.

I just received my flip ultra today and have tried it out both shooting video as well as using the software to save videos to my hard drive as well as uploading them to youtube. The camera itself comes in a very well-presented package a la Apple. It feels like a quality device but not expensively made. The video quality is certainly good for the size and cost of the camera. I viewed a video on my 60 inch flatscreen and it certainly did not look as good as my larger sony camcorder picture but it was passable even at that size. On my 30 inch computer monitor it looks good. I already uploaded a video of my youngest child and sent the youtube link to my parents who viewed it and enjoyed it. It is extremely easy to use and for that reason alone I am willing to forgive the less than professional resolution. The fact is that a camera that is used often because it is easy is more useful than a high definition camera that just sits on the shelf and doesn't get used because it's a hassle. How can you lose for the money?

I have to admit that when I first saw this, I was very leary about it. My son really wanted a video camera and we didn't want to spend a ton, but wanted something reasonable. This little thing is impressive! Both my husband and I were amazed at the video quality as well as the audio quality. Pictures were clear (when my son wasn't bouncing around with it!) and the audio was very clear. I would absolutely recommend this to someone who was looking for a compact video recorder.

I carry the Flip all the time, video looks realy good, and most people do not realize that it is a camcorder, I am using Microsoft movie maker instead of the software that came with the camera, It just seemed easier to use for me.

I really like the Flip when it works. The first one I had would freeze up around 10-15 sec into recording. The only way to unfreeze or even turn off was to take the batteries out. Also, the provided software to download videos to computer did not recognize the available space on the hard disk of the computer. I contacted support (by e-mail- I could not reach them by phone) They had me send it to them (at my expense of course) and they said they would fix and send back- est 2-3 weeks. I let them know when I sent it that I was trying to use it for a church journey and need a replacement right away. Their response was a reiteration of their 'policy'- no indication they had even read my request. The finally sent me a new Flip, which records fine but still "thinks" my computers hard drive is full. I contacted them again, by e-mail, and described the problem. The response was to do something which indicated they thought the camera storage could not be cleared- not the problem I was having. All in all, the Flip is a neat concept but the camera and software seem buggy and their service is poor,

I wanted to use this video recorder for my dog events(lure coursing & Rally). It looked like it would fit my needs, as I didn't want something that was complicated to use. My daughter has an expensive digital camcorder & she has a really difficult time working the program on her computer & burning DVDs. I took it to my first lure coursing event of the season in March-a dismal rainy day. I showed a fellow eventer how to use it to film my dog luring-it is easy to use-show someone once & thats all you need to do. The only weakness that I can see to this camcorder is that the zoom distorts the video. Its better to not use the zoom. All in all a very worthwhile purchase.

The Flip Video Ultra is an terrific idea for those of us that don't want to or can't always lug around a normal video camera. I received mine in early March and started using it right away. It also started having problems right away-it was freezing, not during video upload but while taking video causing me to lose several shots of my son's first varsity baseball game. I contacted Amazon on a Sunday requesting an exchange(I figured it was just a bad unit and I would give it one more try) and by TUESDAY! I had a replacement in my hand even without returning the other one yet. The second unit has done everything it was advertised to do and has not had one glitch. The Flip software has worked perfectly on my Windows XP computer(update was already installed on this one) and my whole family has enjoyed the sports videos we have taken. Battery life is excellent and it is very easy for anyone to use. It fits in my pocket and is not not much heavier or bigger than an average cell phone. I also haven't had any problem with the record button being hard to press to start or stop recording, I am guessing that Flip may have fixed that issue some were having. I already had a USB adapter cable to connect it to my computer so it didn't have to hang off the port-no issues there either.
While I am sure there are better quality video options out there, for the price, ease of use and the quality of the clips this little wonder makes it can't be beat. Thanks to Amazon for the amazing customer service-that was way above what I expected--I'll buy with complete confidence with them from now on!

I use this for analyzing my events in track. Easy for anyone to use and very convenient downloading. My mom is a coach and uses her flip for videoing her high jumpers. I know she loves it ease of video and downloading into her computer to show the athletes. Easy to zoom in and zoom out.

I bought this Flip Video because it is compact, almost fool proof, and takes decent video. Most recent video was of my son-in-law departing for war again. In that stressful situation I managed to think I was videoing him but didn't at first - thus almost fool proof.
Excellent value, self installing software (on XP), a video Brownie Camera.

The video recording quality is fine. The zoom stinks, but obviously no one is buying this to record professional quality video. The problem is when you try to get the videos off the machine. 1) the software download stalls and never completes. I've tried 10+ times on mulitple computers with multiple operating systems (XP and Vista) and nothing has worked. 2) I can't get my wonderful videos off the machine, so they really don't do me a lot of good. Some will copy over to my hardrive, but others will not. I went on their website to try to get help and here's what I found. They've got a 24 hour customer service hotline...but no one answers. They also have an option to email customer service. To do so, you choose the issue you're having from a drop down box. There are about five choices and both my exact issues are listed. This leads me to believe that many many people have had the same problem. Overall, I would not recommend this product to anyone I cared about.

I don't write many reviews, UNLESS a product sucks ! THIS DOES NOT !!! I love it, my friends do too, now they are buying a FLIP TOO !!

this camcorder has awesome movie picture quality and i'm very satisfied. i only have 2 complaints. the button is very hard to push, hard to turn off and on, and the recording length needs to be longer. i'd prefer 2 or 3 hour version or for this to be usb compatible or be able to have a longer memory card that you can put in.

Researched many alternatives, but couldn't find a better all around value when it comes to price, ease of use and customer support. Recommend highly to anyone who simply wants simplicity, portability and the ability to capture quality videos for those memorable moments.

Carol Adler from Dandelion Books... www.dandelion-books.com ... I used the flip video to create a presentation I'm giving on how to publish articles and books. The promo is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33fV6CZ4HSIfeature=channel_page . I then proceeded to use the flip video for the presentation -- 60 miinutes straight. The video quality is excellent and the flip video is certainly user friendly.

I was just looking for an inexpensive but reliable video camera for personal (not professional) purposes. It's so easy to use, is light and portable, and is super-fun. I highly recommend it if you're just looking to make little videos for sharing with friends and family. It's definitely worth the price!

This camera is great. Very durable, compact, sufficient zoom, and has minmal but neat software that comes with it for editing. Do not download the new software from flip.com because it eliminated the cool features that compress many clips into one with automatic slow motion and colors, (i.e. the journal, classic, and kaleidoscope effects) Instead it added a text for the beginnning and end and you cant even change the font or color of the text so it is pretty lame. The new software has a better layout but again doesnt have the best features in my opinion of the first edition.

I love this camera. It takes a decent video for its price and it is so easy to use. Because of it size you can always have it with you unlike a camcorder. I bought one for myself and loved it so much a got each of my sisters one and had my friends by them for their kids.
br /I especially like the fact this camera uses 2 AA batteries instead if a recharge. The battery life is quite long and I don't really trust anything that has an internal battery.

A solid camera for a low price. Very easy to use. Good for quick home videos or to post to website/you tube. Easy to plug to your USB port to download films. Easy to view films on your tv. Easy is the key word. I've had the camera one month and like it a lot. If you want to be able to do real zoom or more fancy stuff, you need a bigger camcorder. On the minus side, the on/off button seems to work ok to start, but I often have to push it multiple times to get it to stop. Battery power runs out fairly quickly, so make sure to have lots of extras. Zoom is only 2x, and when you do zoom, you lose clarity, so I'm not sure if it's an optical zoom or a digital zoom, but don't zoom is the rule. Sound is very good. The outputs are large sized avis. I wish there was a way to choose your output type, but you can always convert them later. Nice camera.

We bought this to take to Walt Disney World with us. It was great to carry around and the video turned out great. We did have problems putting it on a DVD. I tried to work with customer service but you cannot talk to anyone in person. We used it 5 days. About a week after coming home I was going to use it and when you turned it on it would not shut off and you could not take any videos. After numerous attempts to work with the company, I wanted to return it since it was within 30 days they would not even answer my emails. Thank goodness I bought this through Amazon. I was able to return it through them.
br /
br /It's a great little video if you have no problems!!!

This is a great little camcorder for those moments you wish you captured. It's about the size of a cell phone. The video quantity is good for what it is designed for. Sharing and editing videos is a snap with the built in software. The software is very intuitive and straight forward. It has 2x digital zoom. The quality with the digital zoom is iffy. The Flip Ultra uses AA batteries. For me that is a plus. You can use rechargeable AA batteries or buy them in any store. No having to wait while the battery charges. Battery life is good.This camcorder will not replace your full function camcorder for recording sporting events or for subjects that are far away. I use it for those spur of the moment times you wish you had a camcorder or for posting online.

I am amazed at the ease of use, quality of video and convenient size of this camcorder considering its beyond-affordable price! My only gripes would be that there is no pause button and converting videos into a more compact email format is more time consuming than I would have hoped. I find that on my computer, I cannot email videos that are longer than five minutes in length. Other than that though, I would recommend this camcorder to just about anyone.

It was bought as a Xmas present and it's only Dec 12, so I have no opinion yet...it looks nice?

This is a great camera for closer shots (not as great for longer distances). It is very easy to use. I found it easy to edit videos after downloading. Great size, too.

I am very happy with this little camcorder. Works better than my big one.

bought this for my 13 year old son as a gift. what a great product, fun and easy to use.
br /highly recommend it! Even I can do it!!!!

This is THE coolest little camera, bar none. It is about the size of a 110 camera, very easy to use, and the orange and white gives eye-relief from all the traditional black or blue electronics! Very fun video camcorder that will make you a star on Youtube, Metacafe, or Live Leak!

I bought the flip a few days prior to birth of my first child. We used in while my wife was in labor and it worked out great. Since all our immediate family came, but they could not all be in the delivery room, we were able within minutes of the delivery to share the video with them.
br /
br /It works easy, just like it says. The only other comment is that my laptop USB plugs are not at the same height as the USB plug on the flip, so I end up propping up my laptop about 1/3 of an inch so that they line up better.

I love my little Flip video, I take it everywhere and am ready to video anytime. It's easy to download and has a zoom. I recommend this product, what a blast!

I am a reluctant gadget lover. I enjoy technology that makes my life simpler and gadgets that look cool, are highly portable and deliver on the "simplify my life" philosophy. And I am reasonably tech-savvy. I was quick to embrace digital cameras and digital photography. I take hundreds of pictures a month and catalog them carefully. However, I have never gotten into video - camcorders are too bulky and complicated for me. My husband has some cool Sony camcorder that supposedly does great things but I have never been tempted to use it once. But I love the idea of video. So, after reading all of the reviews of the Flip Video Ultra here and elsewhere, I decided that this company may have accomplished what I have been looking for in a video recorder. I just got my Flip yesterday and it is EVERYTHING I had hoped for and more!

I bought the Orange Flip - it's compact, light and pretty! I took a few test videos and I thought the quality was impressive for the price of the device. It couldn't have been easier to download the videos to my laptop and e-mailing the clips was a snap. I hate reading manuals and generally require a little hand-holding when it comes to learning the ins-and-outs on operating a new gadget but this is idiot-proof! No instructions necessary! A minute spent with the Quick Start Guide included with the recorder was all I needed. They even include 2 AA batteries in the package so you are good to go in less than 5 minutes. Less than 10 minutes after I opened the package, I had already e-mailed a wonderful 30 second clip of my daughter singing a nursery rhyme to her grandparents. Yay!

The only downside to the Flip is the lack of SD card expansion but I can't imagine shooting more than 60-80 minutes of video with it at a time. I am so thrilled with this purchase and I think I'm going to buy a couple more as Christmas gifts.

This is such an easy use camcorder. With two active boys, I just pull this out, point and shoot. I bought this for my husband for an early Christmas gift and he loves it. We now able to shoot more video of the boys as it's easier to carry the Flip in my purse than a huge camcorder bag. There is no extra cable to connect to the computer and the software is already in the Flip. Just connect and download. I'm recommending it to my friends.

The concept is great, but function and performance is poor. I ordered the Flip for my wife for Xmas, but after reading the reviews, I decided to test it first. The record and stop button would not work consistently and the uploading to the computer was a real test of patience. I returned the product to Amazon and will pay the extra dollars to get a real camcorder.

The Flip will not work on the OSX Leopard. After spending hours "upgrading" it on a PC to make it work on my Mac (as recommended by the Flip support team), I then had to "upgrade" again when I plugged it to the Mac. A lot of time spent to find out that the "upgrades" only allow me to watch the video on my mac- no editing, no uploading/downloading or using it with the imovie program. The Flip company assures me they are working on an upgrade for the Leopard- but no release date in sight...I wish I had known this before I purchased the product.

Do not buy this product if you have a Mac OSX.

I am so tickled with the Flip Ultra! It is truly a must-have for any mommy that has ever said, "Oh, I wish I had the video camera right now!" With the Flip, now you can have a high-quality video camera with you everywhere, all the time. It's small and light enough to go in your purse; I even carry it in my pocket when we go out so that I can whip it out at a moment's notice. It's also stylish, very easy to use, and the picture quality is outstanding. You will be so happy you have this!

Battery note: I always find it helpful when reviewers share their battery life experience, so here's mine. So far I have only used regular AA batteries, not rechargeable. A pair of Energizers lasted about an hour and 15 minutes - more than enough to fill the 60 minutes worth of memory before having to get fresh ones.

This is a great product for casual camcorder users. You can't mess it up. No bulky storage issues - fits in your handbag!! Easy connect to a PC and easy to save and edit movies.

Don't try using it at night though - this is strictly a daytime camcorder

I thought this would be such a great product. All the reviews were good. 1st problem was it did not work properly with Vista. Tech support directed me to website to down load new software. Worked ok with 1st series of videos. Second time I tried to transfer videos my whole system froze up & with each attempt thereafter. After many sessions with tech support(and many frustrated hours)without solving the problem they finally decided I should send it back. Never did get my videos & haven't got my camera back yet.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1HE4QDUHGEHED Hope you find the video helpful.

Pros - light weight, easy to use, fits in the hand well.
Cons - batteries(better if rechargeable), resolution could be better (but it fine and the 30 frames per second makes the video very smooth)

Very easy to use. Compact. Gives a very nice quality video. Uploaded easily but then requested I do the prompted upgrade which then turned all those lovely videos into sound only. I had to upload them again and ignore the upgrade prompts. I guess I am doing something wrong but the instructions are not very good on this point. Also the instructions to grab a still shot do not seem to work. I will have a computer wizard on hand for the holiday and hopefully this will clear it up. I think its just me.

After I read David Pogue's enthusiastic review of The Flip in the New York Times I ordered on from Amazon for $150. It does everything that Pogue and many reviewers here say except, on my Mac laptop, the videos are poor. The sound works fine, but the picture burps, sticks and jumps. Maybe it's a mac thing, but if I can't transfer the clips to my computer once the hour memory is up, then the thing is just a fun toy for my 6 year old daughter. She has fallen in love with it, so I can't return it.

I bought the 60-minute Flip for my wife for Christmas. We shot about 50 minutes worth of footage, and uploaded to our Mac. This process was not intuitive; it required some deciphering of the instructions and installation of DiVX codecs (even though I already had some DiVX codecs installed).

But after I downloaded the video to the computer, the Flip seemed to "forget" that it was empty. It was. I checked multiple times, on different computers. I would record about 2 minutes, then display "Recorder Full". After we pulled off the 2 minutes of footage, the Flip STOPPED WORKING, period.

It would then display "Camera Empty". But when we hit the record button, it would refuse to record, displaying the message "Recorder Full". Well, make up your mind, Flip!!!

The online forums haven't been much help. I'm going to update the Flip's firmware today, and see if that does it. Regardless of how cute and portable it is, if it's not reliable, it's just useless to me.

I feel like I'm out $130, and we've missed many family moments that we thought we'd be able to easily record. PASS ON THE FLIP UNTIL THE PRODUCT BECOMES MORE RELIABLE.

This video camera is one of the best I've ever had buy it!! (note) it is better to buy it used, great condition, and less money, always. i bought used, but i couldn't even tell the difference from a knew one.

The video quality is fine for sharing on the internet. However, sometimes the camcorder would shut itself off, usually right as I'm about to get a particularly good video of our baby:-(
br /
br /The killer, though, was that it works very inconsistently with our USB port. It didn't work at all on the front port, but it worked sometimes on the back. I would have to plug it in, unplug it, and re-plug it several times before I would get lucky and it would work. After reading several other people have issues like this, I gave up and sent it back for a refund.
br /
br /However, if it works for you, it was very easy and saving the video to your computer is easy. I really wish it had worked for me!

Great product can easily be put in pocket or purse. Easy to take along to film kids games and other interesting things you might come across during your day. Sixty minutes large for most any event. Easy to use usb input to a computer.

Love this camcorder! Great video and so easy to use that I bought more as gifts for my family.

Super easy to use, no format conversion, straight to youtube from any usb port.
br /this does exactly what it claims.
br /batteries last a good while, too

I should have listened to the negative reviews of this product...it was horrible! The camera would freeze up, and transfering video longer than a minute proved impossible. Mine is in the mail being returned as we speak, we will just buy a normal camcorder.

I gave the Flip Ultra as a Christmas gift. Out of the box my son had no problem taking videos without instructions. That was a positive since it doesn't really come with much of a guide. Our problems started the day after when he tried to install the self contained software to edit his movies. "Installation Failure" is what he received so we rebooted and tried again, same error. Checked the website and found a firmware update which installed without problems. It didn't help and still received the same error. I tried it with the antivirus and firewall shut down, again same thing. Tried it on my laptop, same thing. Searched Flip's website but its support area is pretty lame and doesn't offer any real trouble shooting advice. Finally tried it on a third computer and It Worked (??) but its not the computer the software needs to be on...so back it goes. Not sure why it worked on one out three computers but the software was one of the selling points for getting it. Even without the installation working I could copy the movies off of it with windows explorer. All my systems run XP sp2 with DirectX 9 and Media Player 10 and more than meet hardware requirements. At the price of many real camcorders this buggy device was a big disappointment made worse by the fact that I gave it as a Xmas gift.

If you use Macs like I do, then you're probably used to plug-and-play and just take that for granted. The Flip Video is not one of those devices that you can just plug it into the Mac and expect it to run properly. At least not the first time.

Out of the box, the Flip video works just fine in taking videos. Just install the included batteries, turn the camera on, click on the red button, and you're recording. Simple! I thought it was great. The simplicity is, after all, what we're looking for. There wasn't any manual besides a quick start guide. It didn't bother me because, with Macs, we never really use manuals.

The problems came in when I tried to get the video out of the camera. I plugged it into the USB port of my 1.6GHz PowerBook. Nothing. The camera does not even mount. I tried the other port, and same results. The ports work, I'm sure of it (I use them for external drives, cameras, etc). I looked up Flip's site, and the clue was that it has to be a powered port.

No problem, I switched to a desktop connected to a powered USB hub. A message pops up saying that there's not enough power to the camera. Hmm. Tried another powered hub. This time with my PowerBook again. Now the camera mounts, but the videos are unviewable. I tried installing the software that came with the camera, but a message claims that the software is not recognizable.

Getting annoyed and have already spent more time on this than I really wanted. The other reason I was annoyed was that a friend was waiting to find out how I like the camera so that she can order one for her husband's birthday.

I also don't really like to give up so easily, so I tried one more time. So I ejected the camera, unplugged everything, plugged it back in, and surprise! NOW it works. I have no idea what's wrong with the camera or the software that makes this so. I've read some of the other reviews saying something about the camera not working until you plug it into a different computer. All of a sudden, the camera works for all the computers. I don't believe in voodoo, and there has to be a rational explanation for this.

Now that it's working (sort of), I can't really decide whether or not I should return it. It doesn't strike me as a very reliable device. I still like the idea of having a super portable video camera that will fit in a pocket or purse. And I might hang on to this for a couple weeks. But I am far from impressed by this device. It's not so much the device itself and its video-taking capability but it's user-friendliness in the back end, when you have to process the videos with the computer. I also tried calling the phone number on the camera's website, but a recording comes on that states the number is no longer in service. I think that's really pretty incompetent of the company to publish a number that no longer works.

I'm not recommending this to everyone. If you like problem-solving and think you can get lucky, then go ahead. For those who just want a plug-and-play type of gadget, stay away. It could be better, but unfortunately it's not.

I'm surprised how easy it was to use. Comes with a quickstart guide but no need.

Pros
+ Very easy to use
+ Quality is better than expected. Actually looks better than the youtube videos I've seen of them
+ Very small and light weight

Cons
- Poor support, states 24/7 support on the site but no one picked up the phone
- Runs on AA batteries (not rechargeable)
- I got a refurbished one from Amazon and it just looks like a unit that's been returned. Dead dusty battery with a blown up silicone pack was inside also missing software cd.
- Feels a bit cheap..

I have owned 2-3 video cameras in my life---from old school vhs to the sony one that records on dvd. Too many wires and or other drama to download the video--NOT enough patience. To top it off, if I am going t spend time shooting anything, I prefer my Nikon DSRL. Basically I like photography best.
br /
br /However, I saw this product and some things about it got me intrigued: 1) I liked the design style, compactness (just regular old batteries too) and especially the built in usb for connection. 2) Living in a modern world demands owning a video camera too. You never know when you will be unlawfully pulled over or want to shoot footage for TMZ (smile). I wanted a quick way to capture video when a photograph just wont due
br /
br /Over thanksgiving I filmed my Mom and Pop as they talked about how they met, their kids etc. Camera $150 (very reasonable); DOWNLOAD FOR DUMMIES (very easy and fast); video footage of Mom and Dad---PRICELESS
br /
br /All thumbs up from me so far. So, go ahead and treat yourself!

Great little video camera. The price is right and it's easy to use. Quality is pretty good, too.

I was excited to pick up this small camcorder for our Disneyland trip for our Daughter's Birthday. It is small and could fit in my purse easily. The video shots are fairly good for such a small/cheap camcorder. It resembles the video taken from our digital cameras. However, after I installed the software/uninstalled it to get the "upgraded" version, and then installed the upgrade. I downloaded the first 3 videos. After that, I started receiving an I/O device error. I've been unable to get most of the short videos from the camera. I emailed Pure Digital(Flip) and they've requested that I send them the camcorder so they can "try" to save any of my videos and then try to repair the camcorder. I sure didn't forsee having an issue after the first usage! Since I've only had it 1.5 weeks, I will be returning it to Amazon for a refund. So much for my videos! :( It is a great concept, they really just need to work out the bugs.

This turned out to be an expensive toy. The LCD screen is small, almost to the point of being unusable. The "flip out" USB connector is clever, but in my opinion it does not earn this product another star. It can actually be a detriment since the unit has to physically plug into your PC, which can be awkward depending on the arrangement of the USB connectors on your PC. One thing that I found annoying was that the mic did not pick up my voice very well while I was narrating the video that I was recording. My voice was almost not audible while playing back the video on the unit, better when playing back on my PC after downloading. If you own a digital camera chances are you have the abilitiy to record video, use that instead.

I love my Flip Video! I am ready to retire, not a kid. My daughter, in her 20's and I took the camera to TurkeyDay and filmed the wonderful time we had including the food preparation. All were impressed with the picture and sound is fine.

For the price you cannot beat this!!! It is small enough to put in a pocket and easy to use for everyone! The quality of sound and video is tremendous. Easy hook up through the TV auxillary ports lets you show your video quickly. It is very easy to download to the computer with no strings attached. If you are looking for simplicity and quality without the heavy price then this is for you! I recommend getting rechargeable batteries. I love the Flip and want all my family to have one! A great Gift!

Got my flip ultra the other day. Great design, but I wish it came with the usb extension as you'll find you have to prop it up if it doesn't fit right into your USB port. I used an external USB hub and it was fine.

I went ahead and set it up, then recorded my first video. It was fine, and I thought the sound and quality was good. Then I tried to plug it into my computer. The software kicked off, but once it hit 40%, it froze, and I got Write Delay failures and the software wouldn't install.

I tried to copy the files to my hard drive and run the install from there, but still got errors. The software was corrupt.

I sent my camera back to Amazon, and I'll give it one more shot.

I bought this Nov 19th Less than a month later,have had all kinds of problems trying to up load to youtube keeps getting error messages and will not upload. I,am told there is a problem with the built in software.I just sent 1t to Pure Digital to have the software updated,they know that there is a problem. They have it posted on there web site. Will write another review when I get the camera back. Wait till they fix this before you BUY!!!!!

Why are there so many good reviews of this product? I gave this as a gift and we shot a video all of 1 minute and 30 seconds, tried to upload it and save it to the PC and got immediate lock-up three different times. Upon looking through the forum, this is a huge problem with this video camera. I feel certain I will be returning this product. I would avoid purchasing this video camera until it is improved upon but greatly upsets me that I spent so much money on something that doesn't work properly and even worse, was a gift!

first of all, i love the idea of a portable camera that is easy to use and easy to convert to shareable media whether its dvd or mp4.

The camera is very easy to use (my 8 year old daughter loves making her own videos) and the video quality is surpisingly good (especially the sound) for a $150 camcorder.ir

My major problem is the buggy software the comes with it. It constantly comes up with some sort of "symbol" error or "director" error and drives my crazy. I upgraded the firmware which they requested and it did no better. If these guys were smart (and I think they are given the camera), they would have an app like itunes the sits on your computer and not the camera and has auto updates which can figure out why the stupid thing is not compatible. This unfortunately ruins the whole experience and would seemingly be an easy fix.

Unfortunately for flip, this software issue is probably causing a huge amount of returns. I know I'm taking this one back.

I have an iMac with an intel dual core processor running Tiger OS. This camera's software does NOT work with a Mac as it does with a PC. Surprising since the Mac is a creative project-friendly platform in most cases. No steady shot feature but controls are really nice. Nice design of hardware, but resolution is not that much better than that of my Canon Elf SD850.

Oh well, maybe the folks that make this product will update its software for MAC.

I purchased three Ultras, one for me, two for Christmas presents. In my opinion, I would wait to buy this until Pure Digital gets their act together and has software that is compatible with all operating systems and that actually works. Their QA department failed miserably releasing this too soon with such a lousy software interface. I am having all the same issues other reviewers have mentioned. I can't download videos to my computer; software freezes and have to end task; Flip Video still shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and have to take out batteries to get it to restart (a real pain in the you know what) and I have the same issue others stated about starting and stopping recording. It often takes many presses to do either. I tried one of the other Flip Videos I bought and it was worse than the first one. It wouldn't even install the software. I received an error message shortly after connecting it to my computer. This is just too frustrating and I don't have the time (or patience at this point) and I don't want to send my sons' their Christmas present knowing that it won't work. I did write to Pure Digital and got a response back to send it back to them and they will repair it and retrieve my videos and send back. What a bunch of baloney! I just bought the dang thing plus two more for Christmas presents. Why would I want to take the time and effort to send it back to them and then probably have the exact same issue once again, as many of you have noted who have tried this already. Nope, for me, all three Flip Videos are being returned! I'll wait until Pure Digital gets their act together and has a software interface that has been thoroughly tested and actually works! The concept is great, ease of use is very nice; it's a neat little camcorder. I would have really enjoyed using it if the software worked correctly.

It's definitely a cool concept and simplifies video to computer by a long shot. It adjusts quickly for changes in lighting and has an anti-bounce that helps when movement is detected. The only problem is that is catches in the middle of the video sometimes and just freezes up. Then the on/off switch won't work and I have to pull the back off and take out a battery. This is the only way to get it to shut down. With this the video is lost. I have lost several videos but the ones I haven't lost are good.

This is a neat little device that works well. I am technologically challenged to a degree, and have had problems in the past with some of the larger video cameras. This was soooo easy to use; even I didn't have a problem.

It won't take the best video on the world, but it does an admirable job for the price. It creates way better images than what I see coming from camera phones, etc. It is also very light and handy to have at all times.

I am affiliated with a Fire Dept. and occasionally want to capture images of real events to use later in training exercises. This is perfect and will work wonderfully for that purpose. Now all I need is for something to happen that needs to be captured. And, when it does, I will be ready with this in the console.

Neat idea, however, the software is filled w/ bugs. Very frustrating from the start of loading it the 1st time, to actually using it. Lots of stall outs & restarts & just plain error messages.

I received one of these cameras as a holiday gift. It is easy to use, fun, and super-portable. I also think the video quality is excellent for such a small camera and it even works well in low-lighting situations. But what most reviewers don't mention is that the battery life is incredibly short! You will be luck to use up all of the camera's memory before the batteries die. This is a very cool camera, but the battery life is pretty disappointing.

I recieved this camera from my husband as a Christmas gift to record our baby boys first Christmas. It worked for about 4 days before it froze and then we were unable to turn it back on and of course it wouldn't allow me to get the videos of Christmas. I sent it back to the manufacturer to see if they could retrieve the images and now it's almost April and I still don't have the videos. I was sent a replacement camera and this time I didn't even get to take videos of anything before it started freezing.
I would not recommend this product if your planning on capturing moments that you want to keep forever.

After only having this camcorder for a week, I can honestly say I will never go back to a regular camcorder again. I bought the first issue of Sony's DVD Camcorder years ago and still don't fully understand it. It cost me $900 back then and I still have to buy 30-60min DVD's that are expensive. I did it because I didn't want to transfer video but it was still cumbersome. In the past year or so, it barely comes out at all and when I want to tape something, I never have it on me. Plus, you need to carry the bulky battery charger and hope things are recharges and ready.

The Flip however is the same size as my comcact Canon camera and actually weighs less. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find 2 AA Duracell batteries already in there as well as a velvet draw string pouch to put the camera in. It has a AV cord to hook up to your TV to playback your videos and a very simple 6 page book for directions. No HUGE manual in 10 languages and more importantly, no software. I did use two NIHM batteries from an old Olympia camera I had. This will save in buying batteries but I still love the fact that I can go almost anywhere to buy AA batteries if I am in a crunch. Now here is what I love the most about the Flip...

Simple 3 steps:

RECORD:
All you need to do is put the batteries in, turn the on/off button on and press the red button. Your recording. Start up time from turn on to recording is 3-4 seconds - no joke. Press the up and down toggles and you zoom in and out. Press the red button again, you stop recording. Press the left and right toggles after you record a few videos and it takes you thru each video taken. Turn the off/on button again and it powers off. The VERY first time you do turn it on, it does make you set the date and time. Eech video will now automatically have the date as the initial name. This is a nice feature and will be appreciated years ahead.

PLAY BACK ON TV (optional)
Plug the cord given into your Flip and then into the TV. Turn on your FLIP and toggle to whatever video you want and hit play. It plays it on your TV perfectly! Turn it off, unplug. Simple.

WATCH/DOWNLOAD ONTO COMPUTER:
Take your flip, hit the side button to "flip" out the USB and push it right into an open USB port on your desktop or laptop. The software will download in 5 minutes tops. You can they see all your videos. You can play them, edit them, rename them, download them into your computer or upload them onto YouTube or AOL - all so easily you don't need a manual. Once you download into your computers hard drive (which is optional) you can burn them onto DVD-R's to avoid a massive amount of video stored on your computer.

This camera is perfect for teens, families with little ones on the go, anyone who still doesn't fully understand their complex and massive camcorder and barely uses it because of it. This little Flip is in my purse all the time. My daughter uses it for "plays and shows" and then plugs it into our TV to watch herself perform.

Now obviously I haven't used it long term but I will update as needed. The one thing I have noticed is that it records closer then what you are seeing on your screen. It is minimal but once I realized that, I now make sure I am not too close to the subject I am taking. I have also read complaints of the red button being hard to press. I have had none but being a girl and having a little bit of nail, this isn't an issue. I guess I can see a man possibly having trouble with it but I can't imagine it being a huge concern. I also initially thought 60min recording time would not be enough but it really is. Unless you are taping a whole play, show, parade, graduation etc... 60min is more then plenty. Plus, it gives the incentive to start downloading and keeping things up to date. For a procrastinator like me, this is very important.

For now, I highly recommend this item. You will not regret it!

This camera has such great video clarity it's a shame it was thrown together and marketed before the bugs were out.
First issue is the onboard software. I could never succesfully load it on my PC. It states that some PCs don't need the software but when you try to open the AVI video files you will ge a NERO failure promt that the system requires an 'advctr.dll' file and that promt will cintinue to repop-up about 5-7 times in a row before it clears. To avoid this you must convert the AVI files to MPEG for viewing on Windows Media Player 9.0 or older. Even with newer WMP you still get the annoying NERO pop-up prompts if you don't convert the files. Oh and when you do convert, you will lose about 10% of the audio and video quality.

Second issue is system freeze-up. This camera will stop cold and have to be re-booted by either removing and re-installing the batteries or leaving the batteries out and jump starting the connection program by connecting to your PC with the USB cable. This seems to work.

Third issue is button function. On the Ultra model I had numerous failures with the 'Start/Stop' red recording button. It seems as though the pressure sensor quits working and you can push that red button til the cows come home and it won't stop recording.

These things said, I really hope they get the glitches fixed because dollar for dollar you can't find anything close to the video and audio quality at twice the price and I have bought and returned 3 other kinds of cameras in the same price bracket since I returned the Ultra.

I am now trying the Flip regular 30 min model and it has nowhere near the video quality of the ultra. Although the operating buttons are consistantly responsive, the same glitches in software and freeze-ups manifest in this model as well but not as often.

The camera is cool, easy to use and very compact. Also, the picture quality is pretty good. However, there are limited functons such as: zoom and lighting. It is not easy to translate the video to a DVD on your computer. Also the USB extensions that Flip Video sells are JUNK!!! They did not even fit on the camera properly.
Like I said, the camera is compact and easy to use, but all in all it is not much more than a digital camera for me.

br /I love this video camera my last camera cost 1000 and I used it very little this camera is so simple to use and so small that I use it all the time I don't even have to think about charging the battery It uses 2AA batteries that can be replaced in a few seconds and last for about 2 hrs the one hour of filming is plenty for my needs video quality is excellent I like it so much I bought 2 more for gifts

Worked for 2 weeks and has stopped working and now is too late to return. I have to return to the company. Big hassle. Great idea, just not a great product.

i dont like it...its the bottom line, b'use the quality of the picture is not good for that price, and its only 1 Hr video, If they provide a slot to add external memory it may be good. The batteries lift time is exactly 1hr for this camcorder.
br /
br /Test it before you finalize to keepit.
br /

I had the camera out of the package and working in less than three minutes. It is fun and easy to take and upload videos. Software works perfectly. I couldn't be more delighted (and I am very picky about new gadgets).

Cons: The zoom isn't that great, but you can't expect everything! It wouldn't work for a video taken from the back of an auditorium.

This product is as easy to use as advertised. The lens and viewer seem more reminiscent of Fisher-Price optical standards, so if you use a quality video- or digital camera, lower your expectations! It should come with more protective gear than a velvet sack. Flip simplified our teenagers' uploads to YouTube, but has not sparked an increase in uploading activity. The accompanying software worked immediately on both Mac OSX and PC(pre-Vista). Friends to whom we emailed videos "packaged" by the software were too wary to open them, but when I attached the Flip-compressed files without the branded package, more recipients readily watched the video. This may say more about my friends than the ease of use.

If you own a Mac, it dose not work at all with OS 10.5, plug it in a 2.0 port and then no keyboard! You are locked out of your keyboard. These other post sound like they are employees of the company. Its the kind of product that should cost about $39.00 instead of $179.00. Their is no mention of no support for OS 10.5, just that it works with Mac X. The sound volume is bad and to low. With a brand new shipment the day I got it I had to download new software and firmware update. Only a 90 day warranty.

While I may be a small minority, I needed to return my camera to Amazon because it had an intolerable tendency to lock up when downloading videos to my PC. This happened on three different PCs (all recent Windows XP machines), so I know it is a fault with the camera. The problem is evident whether I use the included software to download the videos (yes, I am using the latest version), or whether I simply do a drag-and-drop to a folder. I am guessing that they use a cheaper quality flash memory, and I just happened to get a faulty chip. But hey, it happened to me, so it can happen to you. Otherwise, I loved the video quality and ease of use, but the tendency to lock up unexpectedly means that this particular camera was of absolutely no use or value to me.

The Flip video recorder is simple enough to use. And it took great looking video with good audio quality. What turned me off was my experience with the software.

Upon reading the instructions (yes, I did RTFM) I was instructed to download the updated software. To my surprise and portending what was to come, the software overwrote the entire flip software application on the Flip device. The software application runs on the Flip device. It allows you to view the videos and save the videos to your computer. I think the software is entirely unnecessary and in my case... broken.

Although I could view all the videos using the flip software, I could only save about half of the videos to my computer. I think the videos are MP4? The "save process" attempts to convert the videos to AVI. What Flip should have done, is allow me to save the videos directly to my computer as MP4. And provide an MP4 viewer software and a conversion software to AVI.

What made the software really painful -- was that when it failed during the middle of a conversion -- it took down my whole computer. Windows process got stuck. I was also worried that it might corrupt the Flip device. Fortunately, it did not. My understanding is that for all USB commercial devices, Windows XP SP2 (?) disabled write caching -- which minimizes the chances of corrupting a USB drive -- when one disconnects the USB drive without performing the Safely Remove Hardware wizard. I'm not so certain about the Flip device. I did see that Flip has issued a critical software update. Flip also offered that I send them the device and they would fix any issues.

Overall this is a fantastic product. This is my wife's second one. We thought that the first one broke when it fell on the floor but I formatted the drive and it works fine again! She liked the first-generation camera better than this one but both are good.

After less than a week, the lens on the camera shattered. Customer service they didn't cover that and our only option was to buy new.

It would have been cool to do a video review of this product, but I couldn't quite figure out how to manage it. Besides that, like so many of the reviews I've tried to do with the camera, it probably would have gotten deleted through no fault of my own. The camera is easy to use, but perhaps that ease is part of the problem. With the touch of a button, you can record things for up to sixty minutes in the camera's memory. However, with the ACCIDENTAL touch of a button, you can also delete everything you recorded in a flash, and have no way of getting it back again. Seriously, a single brush of a thumb against that delete button is all it takes to lose everything. It's quite vexing, and if I hadn't gotten the camera for free, I would have gotten my money back for it. That freaking delete button should be placed far away from the rest of the buttons to avoid these types of catastrophes, and it should be the kind of button that has to be held down for several seconds before it takes effect. I have already lost TONS of videos, not to mention the heart to ever use the camera when I don't have my computer handy so that I can IMMEDIATELY transfer the videos to my hard drive before they get deleted.

Okay, so that's the reason in a nutshell that I've taken three stars away from this disappointing product. The two stars that remain reflect the ease with which anyone can use this camera, and the ease with which one can use it to upload videos online. Indeed, that is really the only reason to own this camera at ALL. If you're the kind of person who constantly films themselves for YouTube and/or wants to do tons of Amazon reviews, this is the camera for you. It makes uploading videos to those websites fast and easy. However, if you're planning to make films or capture important family moments or do anything of real value on this camera that you want to keep on a more permanent basis, DON'T BUY THIS. It would be a total waste of your money -- and once those videos you worked so hard on get deleted, you'll find that it's been a total waste of your time as well.

My unit arrived with a corrupt file system that would not load the required software to download the videos. Based on all of the positive reviews, I am going to exchange it and try one more time.

This is a good little camera. Good picture quality and easy as 123 to use it. The one down fall...Want to put your films on a CD made by yourself? Guess what? You will need to buy some extra software in order to accomplish that!!! Yes, you can send your films to have an outsider make your CD, but you can't make your own unless you acquire that software!!! I became soooooo extremely disapointed by that, that I got rid of the camera! So sad!!!

Bought this from Amazon in March 2008, used it very lightly until summer 2008, put it in storage until December 2008. When taken out of storage it no longer would power on. Pure Digital said they only warranty for 90 days. Steer clear of this camera, just lightweight junk.

I does what it says, very easy to make videos, but the microphone recording does not pick up sound too well.

My Flip arrived with a corrupted file system, so I could not install the PC software and I could not upload the one video that the Flip was able to record. I tried installing and uploading on 4 different computers: 1 Mac laptop, 2 Windows XP Pro desktops, and 1 Windows XP Pro laptop; all failed with "I/O error" or "Bad CRC" error messages, or just hung during the software installation. After each try I had to reboot the computer, and remove the batteries in the Flip to get it restart. I am returning the Flip as defective.

Forget my previous glowing review. After the wonder of how great it took pictures, I tried to save the videos, well forget it. The thing crashed my home computer, my office computer and my notebook.

There is NO customer service number to call. The response I got to my query is patently absurd (see below in it's entirety). If you want to be working on your computer for hours buy this piece of junk.

Personally, I'm going to try to return the thing.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us.

Please follow the below stated instructions to reinstall the program,
and to reformat your camcorder if necessary. Please note that you will
need to move your videos to a safe location, such as your desktop,
prior
to reformatting.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PC:

Please go to your Control Panel and select Add or Remove programs, also
called Programs and Features on Vista, and remove any instance of 3ivx
and Muvee.

After this is done, please reboot your computer and reconnect your
camcorder.

If the problem persists, we suggest reformatting your camcorder and
then
try to load the updated software again on your camcorder.

*Please note*

If you have videos on your camcorder that you wish to save, you will
need to open your DCIM>101VIDEO folder that resides in your camcorder's
root directory. Copy the files into another folder outside the
DCIM>101VIDEO folder, and outside the Flip Video directory. You need to
do this before reformatting your camcorder because once your camcorder
has been reformatted, all data resident will be erased.

Please follow these steps to format your camcorder on your PC:

1. Connect your camcorder to your computer
2. Close any window that pops up asking what you would like to do
3. Open My Computer.
4. Right click on the Flip Video icon.
5. Click on Format.
6. Under File System, open the drop down list and choose FAT.
7. Click Start and then click OK.

After this is done, please go to the following link to re-install the
updated software: [...]

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAC:

Please open your HD and in the search field type "3ivx". Drag all 3ivx
files into your trash can, and empty it. Then, start a search for
"Muvee" and drag all Muvee files into your trash can and empty it.

After this is done, please reboot your computer and reconnect your
camcorder.

If the problem persists, we suggest reformatting your camcorder and
then
try to load the updated software again on your camcorder.

*Please note*

If you have videos on your camcorder that you wish to save, you will
need to open your DCIM>101VIDEO folder that resides in your camcorder's
root directory. Copy the files into another folder outside the
DCIM>101VIDEO folder because once your camcorder has been reformatted,
all data resident will be erased.

Please follow these steps to format your camcorder on your Mac:

1. Connect your camcorder and wait for the icon to show on your
desktop.
2. Go to HD>Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility.
3. In the left hand column, you should see Flip Video.
4. At the top, you should see Erase.
5. Make sure that you have selected Flip Video, and that the File
Format
reads MS-Dos FAT16. Keep the name column the same.
6. Click Erase.

After this is done, please go to the following link to re-install the
updated software: [...]

If this does not alleviate the issue you are experiencing, please do
not
hesitate to contact us further.

Thank you,

Consumer Support
Pure Digital Technologies, Inc.

This little gizmo is the epitome of EASY, FUN, and USEFUL!

(It has also synchronized multiple-complex-processes into synergistic simplicity, with such subtle finesse the tiny white box's functions feel like magic.)

Received my Flip Video from Amazon yesterday afternoon and have already captured cherished home scenes and even made my video review of the Flip! Only problem is my old laptop has 192 MB RAM. I was SURE I had gotten a model (back in 2003) with 512 MB, and, of course 512 MB is required. Even so, I was able to install the program from the Flip USB plug in and watch some of my "captures" of hearth, home, book stacks and Flip box w/"Quickstart Guide.

Even if I were able to use the Flip only by itself, viewing the videos on the camcorder screen, I'd feel that the Flip Video would be worth the money (especially since I will eventually have a PC able to store and edit the videos I'd want to keep... and few who could buy this camcorder wouldn't have access to a PC with 512 MB memory). I haven't tried to plug into the TV yet, because our tiny, old box here at our cabin-in-the-woods (on a rural mesa) work location doesn't have a video upload capacity. But, the process looks super simple; plug in matching colors, and find "video output" in your TV menu.

What I found with my LT's limited memory is that the Flip program will freeze when the LT's memory gets overdosed. Then, when I unplug the Flip, it is frozen in "Still Connected" mode. I found that whenever the Flip freezes so that none of the buttons are active, I take out and reinsert a battery to get running properly again. Easy enough.

I got what I wanted for now with the program upload into a short memory LT, which was to see how the program worked, and see that I could increase the sound on the PC (and in the playback via TV, too).

It didn't take much to realize why the sound on the Flip has a fairly low volume; it's the battery life. I quickly used up the pair of double AA's which came in the delivery box, right after finishing the video I was going to send to Amazon as a review (if my LT memory would have allowed the program to zip and save it). I don't mind the low battery life, especially since I can see how to alter habits of use to decrease the drain, and I can buy batteries in volume or get a charger.

Was also concerned how long it might take to upload a minute video with my antique 56K modem with non-enhanced dial up. I'll probably experiment with an upload attempt anyway, if I can somehow get the low memory to stretch to prepare the video to send. I've shut down and rebooted to get the memory refreshed, and avoided opening any high bite programs, but I still seem to be at a lock down now, for having the video's I've taken be able to load into the PC so the program can "do its thing."

This Flip is going to pull me more quickly into the upgrades I've been researching for several MONTHS; I'm no where near finished with that study, what with wireless needs for extra security, with my not having a clue about routers, my still being in the dark about various systems of delivery of High Speed Internet, and a HUGE etc.

ANYway, that's why my video review will be unavailable for a while. Hubby and I are also going to need a jazzy, skinny TV (a small, economical one), and maybe a DVD player, too (we still run old, used videos).

What's pleasantly surprising is that this Flip, by itself, is not only a fascinating, addictive toy; it's going to become a valuable tool. As soon as I upgrade to a new LT I'll be able to use the Flip program to make still photos; we don't have a digital camera either! And, I like the fact that the Flip doesn't use the various types of card storage... one less link in the chain of what goes with what.

I'd like to thank the previous reviewers for the variety of valuable information provided. I might not have had as easy/fun a time getting "up and running" if it weren't for taking time to read those before I ordered the Flip.

Thanks, Amazon, for bringing my attention to this MOST valuable tool/toy which I can hold comfortably in my hand and capture scenes of my life. What a joy! You should have seen the little-kid smile my husband had on his face when he watched a scene on the Flip screen, of him eating breakfast, and heard my laughter as I tried to film the cat as she kept turning the back of her head to me.

I did order the tripod and will probably also order an extension USB cable, because it's a bit awkward plugging the flip into the back of this old LT-PC.

A few days ago, I had just about found the LT I was going to order on Amazon, but noticed it had the fingerprint scan instead of the typical passwords, and I don't want that extra complication, nor do I want to deal with the bloatware. Still lots more I need to learn, and Amazon reviews are a great place to do that.

Linda Shelnutt
Movie Star at 60!
Author of:
Morning Comes: the Pre Dawn Blues - Part 1

I was very excited about the possibilities of this little camera. It's small enough to carry anywhere and with the ability to download video to my computer and upload it to the world, it opened up a whole new channel of communication.
Sadly, the results were far short of my expectations. On two different media-friendly Macs, the software simply wouldn't download video and make them available for edit. The process aborted at different stages at each attempt, sometimes in the download, sometimes when the videos were on the screen and I attempted to edit them. I guess you won't be seeing my video snippets on You Tube any time soon.
I'm also sorry to see that this report of my experience has proved 'unhelpful' to some shoppers. I wonder what it is about my saying that I couldn't make it work that distresses them.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and
bang BANG: A Novel ISBN 9781601640005

I can't give a video review, as I can't get the videos out of the flippin' camera!

There are two major parts to this product: the camera, and the capability to manipulate and move the videos it takes. I give Part 1 a B-. Part 2 is a complete and total F, the camera's video manipulation software failing each and every time I attempted it. My recommendation: do not choose this product, as you can't get your videos out.

Part 1: The Camera

Overall, this is not a bad little piece of kit, and I do mean little. It's about the size of cell phone. As an adult, I found it a bit too small, the buttons a little bit too close together. The record button especially is indented a bit too deeply, making it hard to start and stop with just one click. Also, the play and delete buttons are not differentiated enough by feel from the case, and are too close to the main controls.

It runs on two AA batteries, and was easy enough to battery up and put into use. The controls, while small, are simple and intuitive, and you don't really need the instructions (which I found to be surprisingly scant).

The video tech specs are MPEG-4 format at 30 frames/sec; I had no problem with it. The zoom is pretty good, understanding that it is only 2x; this is an economy camera, after all. I found the sound capture surprisingly good; I shot parts of 8 Nov Dweezil Zappa show, and in a very loud environment it captured both highs and lows surprisingly well.

Playback on the camera is very easy to do, but it's on a screen only 1.5", so you're not going to see any detail at all. It's easy to delete a video by mistake, as there is not "do you really want to delete this file?" warning; it's just gone.

I like the on-screen display showing me how much recording time I've got left, and how long each video is when I view them there. But there is no battery strength indicator, which I think is important given that you're working with commercial batteries. Why no rechargeable battery? Cost, I guess.

Part 2: The Flip Application

My problems with this product began when it came to actually do something with the videos I shot.

I'd taken about a dozen videos, the shortest being 18 seconds and the longest at 6:32. The camera told me I'd shot a total of about 14 minutes all together, less than ¼ of the storage space on the camera's 2GB flash drive.

First, the USB slot on my PC's (running XP) monitor didn't activate the camera. The "Connected" screen on the camera illuminated right away, but there wasn't the promised autostart. The instruction booklet was of no help whatsoever. After punching around the Flip website for far too long I finally got some info that helped. I plugged the camera into the front of the computer, and the Flip icon came up. I opened it and followed the instructions to download the program and get it synced to my PC. Only then AFTER all of this process did the software check for an update, and whaddaya know, there was one. But not just a software update, but a completely new installation. So, I had to manually uninstall the from-the-box original version of the Flip software and then download and install the new one from the site. That's bad product support, right from the start.

I managed to name my videos without too much effort, and watched a view on the computer. The Flip software does not offer them full screen, just in thumbnails of about 3" and a larger view of about 6". Then I went to transfer my files to my PC, but the application locked up during transfer. It took over ten minutes for the non-responding Flip application--which resides in the camera and never loads to your computer--to close, even after using Task Manager. The camera's "Connected" screen stayed on, unresponsive to the on/off button, and I had to pull a battery out to get it to shut off. I restarted my PC to try again, and it happened consistently, another five times. I tried another few attempts where I tried to save only one video--the shortest one--and the application locked up once again, unable to save to my computer a video of 18 seconds. I tried to save a few as email versions; this locked up the application as well. I got very good at pulling the battery cover off to yank a battery to get the camera to turn off.

I tried it on the other two desktop PCs in the house, both of them running XP, and the exact same thing happened on all three. I tried it for the last time today on my Vista notebook, and the exact same process occurred. So, the problem is not with my computer(s); it's the product.

Bottom line: this is a relatively sophisticated and capable little camera, light on the bells and whistles, which hits a nice mark between high-end and economy. It needs a bit more design work for ergonomics, but this is a nice start. But this product's total computer interface failure dooms it absolutely and completely; I do not recommend this product for purchase.

Well to be completely honest, I'd like to review this camcorder but it's pretty hard to because Amazon promised me a free one since I'm in the top 500 reviewers, and then after promising it, they won't send it to me as I live in Australia. After writing to them about it, for the first time, I got no help from Amazon. I wonder why???

I bought the Flip thinking I could upload video to the internet really quick. I was wrong. Flip Video SUX!! I cannot upload anything! I have to Wait (IM NOT KIDDING) 2 hours to upload a 5 minute video. Lately I cannot uoload anything. Flip Sux, do not buy it, seriously

I purchased this video camera for my 13-year-old daughter's birthday. We literally opened up the box, inserted the batteries, and started using it within seconds. I love the tiny size; we take it everywhere because it fits in any purse or pocket. The sound and picture quality are very good for the price. I personally had no trouble inserting it into the portal on my Mac; I didn't have to purchase anything extra for it, but I did have to turn the Mac around and turn the Flip upside to insert it. It took a few tries but it did work. The software is easy to follow and you can save the videos and keep using the camera over and over again. I would definitely recommend getting the 60 minutes because it's so easy to use that you will want to video everything. This is a perfect first camera for an older child or it would be perfect for senior citizens who have trouble seeing small buttons or working complicated camcorders that are more sophisticated. I love that it takes regular batteries and you don't have to have rechargers and lots of gear. I use it so much more than my more expensive camera because it is so portable. My daughter loves it because you can upload videos right to YouTube and you can play the videos easily on TV--and they look great on TV, I might add.

Main drawbacks are the instruction book--it was so lacking that I used the Amazon reviews rather than the booklet for troubleshooting and usage. The instructions are worthless. Also, I found out through Amazon reviews that if you have a Mac, you cannot use the "Make a video" feature, which even on the PC only allows you to link your short films together, not to edit them. You cannot do anything nifty like fades and changing colors or any special features. Please, Flip company--add these to upgrades! Also, the zoom is not that great; you can only zoom in a little bit, so if you are sitting in the back of an auditorium and want to film a child's concert, for example, you are not going to get close up; it's just not that kind of camera. Still, for the money, it's a good deal.

Check closely on the descriptions of differences between the ultra and regular models. I probably should not have been swayed by the better looks of the ultra; I suspect that is the only difference, and that I could could have saved myself $30 bucks.

I was really excited about this camera when I got it. The size and ease is really cool. However, now I can't get my video footage off the camera. It freezes my computer and I've taken it to have the footage put on a DVD with no success. Only the first couple of minutes will copy. The on/off button doesn't work well anymore (I've had it less than a month and stopped using it 2 weeks ago). As another reviewer stated, the camera shows "Connected" after disconnecting from computer and you have to take out batteries to get it to restart. The start/stop button doesn't work consistently -- it often takes many presses to do either.

Now I have the hassle of trying to get the footage off because it has some really great video of my kids and then returning the camera.

I hope you are spared the hassle.

This camera is definitely easy to use, however, for the amount of money that it is, the quality should be better, the zoom should be optical instead of digital, and the included software should not have been written by a fifth grader. Steer clear...save your money and buy a real digital camcorder. My Canon digital camera takes better movies than this.

After I tried out this "camcorder" I was quite disappointed. First, the video quality is mediocre and very shaky on play back. Second, you must record video in a high capacity file which is NOT YouTube compatible since the website requires your upload to be less than 100mb. In order to upload it, you must use the on-board software where you can edit and compress your AVI files into a smaller WMA file which of obviously subtracts from the quality. Thirdly, the record button doesn't always stop recording after you press it, so you have to double check the screen to make sure it stopped. Otherwise, you'll find your memory all used up with videos of your car seat!
It is definitely easy to use and plug in to your computer, but you do sacrifice quality for convenience in this unit. It will not replace a MiniDV camcorder by any means.
The Flip Video is ok for small time use though, but it's not worth paying $150 for. My advice is to save your money towards buying a real camcorder.

I purchased 3 Ultra 60's, 2 black 1 pink, for our family. The 2 black ones would not down load the video to any of our computers. Sent an email to help desk 3 hours later said return them. So I made a phone call to see if anything eles could be done NO must be returned, "we knew we were having a problem" just send them back. At a cost of $55.51 to ship them back so we could have them for our Christmas trip. NOT HAPPY.

You can see in the discussion threads that many folks have had lock up problems with this camera. Commonly, the camera locks up while downloading video and has to be de-powered by pulling the batteries. Unusually, with OSX, a reboot is often required.

I received a prompt replacement from Pure Digital, but the replacement had exactly the same problem. Unfortunately, my purchase is a couple of days outside of Amazon's return window and I am not sure if I will return the replacement camera to Pure Digital or just round file it.

It is a wonderful product except that it doesn't work. Save yourself a lot of grief and find something else.

I purchased this camera at the spur of the moment. My camcorder broke and I ran out and decided to purchase the FLIP for ease of use. Well, my presentation was videoed and everything seemed to have gone really well, until it was time to transfer the video. I tried every way humanly possible to transfer my video, but to no avail. As a graduate student, I had to take my presentation to class on a FLIP camera to provide proof that I had indeed videoed my presentation. How embarrassing. I will never ever purchase another FLIP. I was extremely disappointed!

The first flip I got was defective. Something was wrong with the screen and it stopped filming after 5 short videos. I also had a lot of trouble downloading the pictures, so I returned it, thinking it was just a bad apple. I got a replacement and thought everything was fine because it was filming well. However, once I tried to download the videos, again, I could not save them. It would say save error. Nor could I email any of the videos. I'm very disappointed and am definitely returning the camera for good. Its small size and ease of use were nice and convenient, but it gave me so much headache as I try to download the photos that it is just a huge disappointment. Last night it took me all night to try to save all the photos - what a waste of my time and a frustrating experience.

In spite of a thread warning of problems saving videos on this device, I decided to give it a try. Sadly, they were right. The first couple of videos I took (very short) worked well and I had no problems transferring them from the device to my computer. Yesterday my daughter had her Christmas concert and I took 9 short videos. I tried twice to transfer them from the program - "program error" resulted and asked me to restart the program. Attempted this twice, and had to restart my computer both times! I then decided to just try copying them straight from the device onto my computer (which I'm trying without any luck right now). It appears that these videos (or the last 6 of them anyway) will be stuck on the device with no way to retrieve them. I am VERY unhappy and wish that I had just erred on the side of caution and not purchased this device. Needless to say, I'm returning it for a refund and will instead go with a "real" camcorder which will only be a few dollars more and hopefully will work as advertised... I'm not looking for "perfect" just a functional way to record special moments.

I got the flip for my bday and what to use it to send short email video greetings. But I send greeting skins that say, "no video available" all day instead. There's so little help to read about this error!

The flip doesn't even come with any instruction manual!
Also, its pretty slow in converting video and movies.

Keep the original software, don't download the upgrade, that is when I started having trouble!!!

I'm disappointed. It is a great theory but frustrating when it won't do one of the things it is supposed to do.

On the face of things, this little item is a great idea. I bought it for it's simplicity, ease of use, small size. What a HUGE disappointment! The thing works sporadically. The software is buggy (Mac OS 10.41 is what I use) at best. I can't upload to my Mac, so what I have is 57 minutes of video that I can watch on my TV, but that's it... I can't shoot anymore! Trying to get customer service/support is nearly impossible, and I'm now up to almost 6 hours chasing after this, leaving voice mails (that is their support center...no live talk), messing around with it trying to get something to work. I guess I'll just throw the thing in the trash, and go get something else. Anyone have any suggestions for a cam that is Mac compatible?

It's very strange to me that more people haven't had problems with this camcorder. At first it seemed so great for it's purpose, a small, portable and for it's size pretty good video machine. We got this camcorder just before the Thanksgiving holidays and took lots of little videos with it, from quick 15 second to several minute videos.

Everything was great until trying to actually save the videos to a computer. As best I can figure out, there are bunches of bad sectors in the memory of the device, as one video might come across but the next would freeze up the computer requiring a full reboot. We tried on many different machines to make it work, 2 macs and 4 different windows machines, all with the same results. I've tried to run diagnostics on it and fix problems or bad sectors, and that also freezes the computer.

As lousy as that was, with all the good reviews this has had it would seem I just got a bad device. Under that assumption, my brother also ordered one. I'm in the process of returning mine, but I heard from my brother that he also had the same exact problems with his flip video. This is more coincidence than I care for.

I tried working with flip's customer support, and was pretty unimpressed. In the end they asked me to ship it to them and they would try to fix it, but as I said, I'm just returning it.

Overall, I can't say don't get this device, it's a great idea and I was thrilled with it at first, but if you do please make sure and take a good number of test videos before you use it to record anything you want to keep. Make sure it is working and you can save all the video you take so you don't risk loosing important family video as I did.

I sent it back. Video camera is very good if you want to shoot 60 minutes of video and then delete it to shoot some more. However, the camera's self-contained software (including their "updated" software from online) to transfer even the shortest video to any of my three different computers and operating systems and/or e-mail failed due to "error" with the only instruction given: "Try again later." I read all the bad reviews, all the fixes offered by experts, and tried. Pure Digital offered to replace the camera, maybe, someday, after I send them serial numbers, etc. But, that might be too late to then get my Amazon refund if software still defective. Believe what you read about this camera not working.

I bought the iFlip 30 minutes as an impulse buy the day after Thanksgiving because I wanted a cheap video camera to carry in my diaper bag for taking quick videos of my twins. After finding that the software associated with the camera was not very compatible with my mother-in-law's pc with Vista, I followed the "Read Me" directions and was able to copy the files straight to the hard drive. The problem is that only the first video (of 3 short videos would copy) would copy. The others would play from the camera, but whenever I tried to copy them to the machine it would stall. Thinking it was a vista problem, I decided to just quit trying and wait until I got back home from the holiday to try it on my MacBook Pro. I deleted those 3 videos and started over. This time I tried one video. It worked. But then I took another video and when I tried uploading that it stalled again.
I returned this iFlip to Walmart, hoping it was a defective unit. And then I ordered the 60 minute iFlip from Amazon.com. But I had the same problems! If I have more than 1 video to upload from the camera it stalls out during the file transfer and the only thing I can do is unplug it mid-transfer which of course isn't good for the data.

-The picture was decent (about as good as you can expect from a very cheap camera).
-The zoom was worthless (but that is okay, because I could have done without it).
-The price was right.

BUT what good does it do me if I can only record one video at a time?? I can record a video on my digital camera and immediately upload it to my computer, I don't need a second electronic device for that. So, sadly, we are returning this one too. :(