The Flip Ultra, the second and better version of the original Flip digital camcorder from Pure Digital hit the market by storm. With it's simplicity of use, great video quality and tiny size, the Flip Ultra digital camcorder can be dubbed as the "simply perfect" digital camcorder.

Features Compared:

Unlike the Sony Handycam series the Flip Ultra's screen is tiny (1.5 inches) and doesn't swing out for self-portraits.

No still shots. Unlike, other traditional digital camcorders, such as the Canon DC series there are no settings, menu buttons, no light, no lens cap and no memory card.

Unlike the Canon GRD-250 that flaunts a big zoom optical range, the Flip has no optical zoom lens, only a 2 x digital zoom.

And while the Sony Handycam digital camcorders were created to be compact it looks like a tank compared to the pocket sized Flip Ultra.

Unlike the complicated menu of buttons on the Canon GRD-250, the Flip Ultra digital camcorder has three buttons, play, stop and trash. Not even a battery pack, it works with AA batteries.

While other digital camcorders, including Sony and Canon use different media for storage of recordings, such as DVD, flash drives or MiniDV tapes, the Flip Ultra has no tapes or disks, all footage is downloaded via attached USB plug, which pops out at 90 degrees to the camera body.

That USB plugs into a computer and footage is then downloaded to the PC, which can be played, copied to a hard drive and burned to DVD and, of course edited in most standard editing programs. There is also a special cable to plug it into a TV and watch footage directly.

The Filming Process:

Press the red button once to record and once to stop. Press play to review the video. Press trash to delete any scenes. That's it! With this ease of use the Flip Ultra digital camcorder is a perfect fit for even the most novice of users.

Size Does Matter:

Unlike the traditional digital camcorders and even the more compact models, such as the Sony Handycam, the Flip Ultra can go anywhere, and everywhere, like a purse, beach bag, or pocket. It's very rugged so you can take it skiing, to the playground, while playing a sport and virtually anywhere where you might need to shoot some clips. There is even a acrylic accessory case that allows you to take it underwater!

Video Quality:

With all this simplicity and a low retail price of under $150, the Flip Ultra digital camcorder delivers an amazingly good picture quality, comparable to that of it's more sophisticated counterparts, such as the Sony and Canon models. It has TV resolution (640 x 480 pixels, 30 frames per second).

The most amazing feature of the Flip Ultra, especially considering it's simplicity compared to the more traditional and sophisticated digital camcorder brands, is the low-light ability, which trumps even the most expensive of digital camcorders. Not only is the video grain-free, but recorded dim scenes actually look brighter than they looked to the naked eye.