Comments

psg wrote on 9/8/2009, 9:12 PM
Recently I purchased the Flip HD and used it on a family trip to Italy. A couple of observations:

- Nice and small and unobtrusive, easy to use, rechargeable battery, $180
- Very nice video, in fact I was pleasantly surprised at the quality, even in relativey low light
- A bear to edit, 1280x720p AVC files. Kept crashing Vegas 9a and ended up transcoding to Motion JPEG 1280x720 quicktime files using MPEG Streamclip and then edited short segments in Vegas 9a and then went to 9b which worked way better (might even try to go back to the AVC files) - now going back and adding graphics and titles
- Rendered to HDV 720p
- Biggest downside - no image stabilization and since it's a small camera, it's hard to hold steady

Overall a good experience. I may replace it with the new Kodak Zi8 which has some level of image stabilization.

Don't expect to get the quality you get from a camcorder with better glass, image sensor and electronics, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Let me know if you have any other questions....
Videojohn wrote on 9/9/2009, 1:21 AM
Hello,
Do you know if the VADO HD files can be edited in Vegas Pro 8?
VideoJohn
ritsmer wrote on 9/9/2009, 9:26 AM
@ Videojohn: Take care: One thing is specs and theory. Another thing is if somebody tried it - but the real life is how it behaves on your own machine...
So getting some raw footage is a good idea.
monoparadox wrote on 9/9/2009, 12:45 PM
Depending on your purpose, consider the new Windows Live Video editor. Works with the Flip - fast, simple, good quality -- posts directly to YouTube. Frankly, I found it easier, faster, and of better quality than using Vegas.
busterkeaton wrote on 9/9/2009, 10:46 PM
What kind of editing have you done in Windows Live?
ritsmer wrote on 9/9/2009, 11:44 PM
Windows Live is the "latest" version of the Windows Movie Maker - good old version 2.1.
Nice little program - I used it a year before changing to Vegas Movie studio - which btw. also became too limited for me some years ago - so today it's Full Vegas.
Tomsde wrote on 9/10/2009, 7:30 AM
I owned the Flip Ultra 2nd generation camera (which I found very good) and now have upgraded to the Flip Ultra HD. I think either is a good choice depending on what your needs are and your computer processing power. If you have a lower hp computer, you may be better off the standard definition Ultra. They've made significant improvements in the design: it now has rechargeable batteries, better buttons, a larger lcd display, and stereo sound (the old Ultra was mono).

I have a more expensive Vixia camera, but I like the Flips because I can take them anywhere. I also like the fact that they are fixed focus, so you don't have worry about refocusing artifacts on you final film.

The workflow is easy. Import your video clips into the Flip Share software that comes with the camera and will install when you first hook it up. From there you can preview the video, delete bad clips, and export them to any file you want on your computer. You can make a simple movie with the Flip Share software, but you can't split clips or anything--I don't reccomend it.

You can then open Vegas and import your saved clips like any other media. I did notice that in Sony Vegas Pro 9 that my HD footage looked grainy unless I used the highest preview settings. I haven't tried to edit the footage in Vegas yet, but I have edited with Pinnacle Studio 12 with no problems.

If you don't have a very powerful PC I'd reccomend you go with the Flip Ultra standard definition camera. The footage the HD camera produces is the highest resolution hi-def; but it can still bog down your system.

I'm not sure, but I don't think the new Windows Movie maker support HD--so if you were going use it for the Ultra HD you may have to transcode.

Oh and one more thing, I think that the Ultra does better in low light than the Mino--and I also think it's color reproduction better.
Adontech wrote on 9/10/2009, 4:11 PM
I recently got the Vado HD for $99. Captured some video while on the beach this weekend. Opened in Vegas and I can hear the audio, but no video. I had to install a codec before the video would show up in Vegas.