Flip Video Flip UltraHD

It's a close contest between the Kodak Zx1 and the Flip UltraHD. Both camcorders are small, fashionable, and easy to use. The Flip has more accurate colours and less noise in bright light, but the Kodak has the edge in low light and has much smoother motion in all conditions. If performance isn't going to be the deciding factor, it's probably going to be one of the other features that set these two camcorders apart.

The still photos taken with the Zx1 are nothing exceptional—your cell phone could probably do just as well—but the Flip doesn't take still photos at all. The Flip is a hands-down winner when it comes to ease of use, but the Kodak gives you more options (like standard definition video recording). You might prefer the buttons on the Flip, but the Kodak is more durable: we much prefer the sturdy rubber port covers of the Zx1 over the exposed HDMI output and flimsy USB arm on the Flip UltraHD. While both camcorders run on AA batteries, keep in mind that the Kodak comes with rechargeable AA batteries and a wall-mounted charge station; the Flip battery can only be recharged by plugging it into your computer or buying the wall charger separately. The Kodak also records to removable SD/SDHC memory cards, while the Flip records only to the 8GB internal flash memory.

While both camcorders are exceptionally easy to use, the Flip is almost Zen-like in its simplicity. If you're really looking for a completely idiot-proof video experience from camcorder to YouTube, the UltraHD might your choice. Otherwise, consider picking up the sleeker and more stylish Kodak. (And don't forget that it comes in blue, pink, yellow, red, or black—the UltraHD is available only in black or white.)

	Comparison Specs
	Flip UltraHD	Kodak Zx1
Price	£159.99	£149.99
Primary Recording Media	8GB internal memory	SD/SDHC memory cards
Secondary Recording Media	None	30MB internal memory
Image Sensor	1/4.5-inch CMOS	1/4.5-inch CMOS
Effective Pixel Count	Unknown	1.6 Megapixels
Mic Input	None	None
LCD	2.0-inch	2-inch
Viewfinder	None	None
Weight	170.1g	152g
Dimensions	56 x 108 x 30mm	50.1 x 107 x 20mm
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	720/30p	720/30p, 720/60p
Compression	MPEG-4 AVC/H.264	MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Maximum Bitrate	9 Mbps	Unknown
Optical Zoom	None	None
Battery	AA (ships w/ battery pack, rechargeable via USB arm)	AA (ships w/ two AA batteries, rechargeable via DC wall charger)
Stabilization	None	None

Bright Light Colour Comparison
Flip UltraHD	Kodak Zx1

Video Sharpness Score Comparisons