What would you get if you took a Flip Mino HD camcorder and let it loose at a Mandarin Buffet steam table day after day? The end result would look a lot like the Flip Ultra HD, a camcorder that has the HD chops of the Mino and the more bulky form factor of the original SD-quality Flip camcorder from a few years back. For the extra ounce-age, the Ultra HD shoots two hours of HD video to the Mino’s one. It also features a much bigger, brighter, sharper and more saturated 16:9 screen than the international postage stamp one on the Mino. The digital zoom (no optical) feels a tad smoother too. Plus, the Ultra comes with a rechargeable (via USB) AA battery pack, while the Mino relies on regular double AAs. In general, the Ultra HD gives competitors like the Kodak Zi8 a run for its money except that it has no external storage and no external mic jack — both of which the Zi8 has. But, the Ultra still boasts the “press-the-red-button” ease-of-use that’s made Flip famous. So, if longer record times, simplicity and a bigger screen are what you need in a cheap, pocketable (it you have roomy pockets) camcorder the Ultra is certainly worth a heft and try. Need more control? The Zi8 or the Canon F200 (SD video only) are probably better bets. [See more reviews in the Mondoville Gizmo Guide]

There’s an interesting gap in the food chain of camcorders available to today’s mediamaker. At the pro end there’s no shortage of hefty, journeyman HD gear. At the low, consumer end there’s plenty of competition among cellphone-sized mini-camcorders like the Flip Mino and the Kodak Zi8. (Both models compared previously on Mondoville.) And, in the middle of the chain, dozens of HD camcorders do a solid job of bringing AVHD and beefy sensors to the weddings and graduation set. But what if you want the speedy web production a lower-end, non-AVHD camera can give you with the external headphones and microphone and a solid zoom lens on more expensive gear? There’s really only one game in town, the Canon FS200 (approx $300). It’s a standard definition (480p) camcorder with a 37x optical zoom and a headphone and an external mic jack. It also sports a great flip-out 16:9 screen and a very sharp Canon lens. The FS200 stores video in the .MOD format. That’s tough for some video editing software to suck in directly. But, if you’re using iMovie, it gets inhaled in less time than it takes for an AVHD file to get its shoes on. So, if you’re a journalist or mediamaker looking for the fastest way to get web video from the scene to the screen, you have found you new best friend.

I’ve been a fan of Flip camcorders since I ordered a hacked one on eBay a couple of years ago. Back then the Flip was a returnable/recyclable unit with the visual acuity of a shopping mall surveillance camera. That was until someone figured how to Frankenstein a USB port into it and it became the darling of podcasters everywhere. These days the original standard definition Flip has a smaller, sharper sibling, the Flip Mino HD. And the Mino HD has some slightly larger, sharper competition in the Kodak Zi8. Both are perfect for out-and-about shooting in non-challenging lighting and sound conditions when you don’t want to lug a prosumer or pro rig with you. So, which to pick? Continue Reading