Flip Video Flip UltraHD

Auto Mode (5.10)

There aren't really any 'modes' on the Flip UltraHD. All recording is done with automatic controls doing the work and there are no manual features or special settings. Since the lens is fixed on the Flip UltraHD, there is no auto focus mechanism. Subjects and images should be in focus as long as they are 1.5-metres away or farther from the camcorder. There are no special scene modes or low light modes on the Flip UltraHD—all you can do is point, shoot, and use the 2x digital zoom.

The Flip UltraHD features updated video compression and some additional tinkering under the hood compared to the MinoHD. In our testing we noticed the Flip UltraHD had much better white balance, as our bright light colour results clearly signify. The Flip UltraHD also has better exposure adjustment compared to previous Flip models—it also made exposure adjustments a bit faster and more smoothly. The Flip UltraHD also didn't blow out overexposed images nearly as much as the Flip Mino. Overall, the Flip UltraHD's auto controls performed very well.
 

Zoom (3.00)

The zoom on the Flip UltraHD is the same old 2x digital zoom that is featured on all Flip camcorders. The zoom toggle features real, presseable buttons, rather than the touch-sensitive modules featured on the Flip MinoHD. This makes the zoom a bit easier to handle, although we are only talking about 2x magnification here—the quality of the buttons isn't all that important.

The 2x digital zoom is operated with the + and - controls on the 4-way directional pad.

One significant advantage of the Sanyo VPC-CG10 is its inclusion of a 5x optical zoom. Something most ultra-compact budget camcorders do not have.

Zoom Ratio (0.0)

The Flip UltraHD has no optical zoom, but it is equipped with a 2x digital zoom. The Sanyo VPC-CG10 has a 5x optical zoom. The Flip's digital zoom isn't very good and can result in some image degradation when used. Since it is electronic and not optical, the zoom also isn't smooth and looks jumpy when you use it.

Zoom Comparisons
Wide Angle	2x Digital Zoom

Focus (0.0)

There is no manual focus on the Flip UltraHD. In fact, there are no moving lens elements for automatic focus adjustment either. The UltraHD instead utilises a fixed focus lens, which is capable of capturing subjects from 1.5m to infinity.

Exposure (0.0)

Exposure is handled automatically by the Flip UltraHD. There is no way to manually alter brightness.

Aperture (0.0)

There is no manual aperture control on the UltraHD: just a fixed f/2.4 aperture lens.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

The user has no manual control over shutter speed.

White Balance (0.0)

There are no white balance pre-sets and no manual white balance option on the Flip UltraHD.

Gain (0.0)

Unsurprisingly, the Flip UltraHD handles manual gain the same way it handles all the other manual controls: by omitting it.

Colour & Image Controls (0.0)

There aren't any manual controls for altering colour or other image qualities. There are also no additional colour modes or settings, like x.v.Colour.

Other Manual Controls (0.0)

Nothing else to write about, really. The Flip UltraHD is a nightmare for manual control enthusiasts... and a dream come true if you want everything handled automatically.