Flip UltraHD

The basics

The Flip UltraHD is an easy to hold, easy to use camcorder that shoots 720p video onto the onboard flash memory at a smooth 30 frames per second. You can copy it quickly across to any computer, but there's also the option to cut out the middleman and playback your video straight on an HDTV with HDMI.

The good

Improving on the recent Flip minoHD, the Flip UltraHD offers 8GB of storage built in, providing 2 hours worth of hi-res footage, and a larger 2-inch screen so you can see what you're filming for once. Recording is as as fool proof as ever: just push the big red button and you're away. The footage itself is crisp enough, and even stands up well in low light for the price you pay (do expect noise though), and you can play it all back straight away via the Mini HDMI port.

The bad

At £160, the Flip has lost its purpose of being somewhat. It's fine, but Toshiba sells a full HD camcorder for a whole £40 less now. With auto focus. What gives? We're also getting a bit tired of the pop out USB port. Convenient, yes, but when the camera itself is wider than the port, it becomes next to impossible to stick one in a laptop without having to balance the machine in a ridiculous position, and since it's to the top of the Flip UltraHD, it threatens fall off a desktop tower from its weight alone.

The bottom line

Provided you've got steady hands, the Flip UltraHD is a great solution for capturing quick video, but as Flip cameras have become more high-end, other companies have met it in the middle then strolled right past it, with better specced, similarly sized shooters for cheaper. Unless you're a die hard Flip fan, it's hard to recommend this over the Toshiba Camileo S10.