Flip Ultra HD vs Kodak HD Camera

 Now that many of us have made the switch to High Definition TV....it might be time to upgrade your home video camera to HD as well!

Its easier than ever now thanks to a growing number of pocket HD video cams for under 200 bucks. But are they worth buying?

Busy Mom is Impressed

Rachel Osborne is an amateur photographer and Mom who loves shooting nature scenes.

So when we showed her the newest high definition mini video cameras from Kodak and Flip...she flipped over them!

Her first reaction to their tiny size and big HD screen? "Amazing, I really like it!"

Like the millions of people who bought the first generation Flip, Rachel couldn't believe how simple they are to use: Just press the red button.

"Yeah, this is really neat," she said.

Kodak sets its marks on Flip

It's such a winning formula, with millions of standard definition Flips sold the past 3 years, that Kodak has come out with its own version, the Kodak Zi6.

Both the Kodak and new Flip Ultra HD now shoot HD video...And when you are done, you just "flip" the usb jack on the side...and load the videos -- tapeless -- into your computer. So both work the exact same way. But which camera is better?

We put them to the Test

To compare the two, I "duct taped" the Kodak Zi6 and Flip Ultra HD cameras together, so they would shoot the exact same scene. I then shot identical outdoor scenes in a local park: Ducks.... a pond.... a waterfall.

Kodak Scores for Extra Features

When it came to a closeup of a stream, the advantage went to Kodak, because of its special closeup, or "macro" lens. The Flip does not have a macro feature, and the picture got blurry when I got closer than a foot away.

The Kodak has another bonus: it also takes still pictures.

And it uses an external SD card, which can hold much more video than the Flips internal memory. So the Kodak wins for features.

Video Quality: Hard to Call

Various websites, blogs, and reviews at sites like Amazon.com give claim one or the other has a better picture.

Color and Video Quality: We felt the Kodak's color was more lifelike, but it also had a shakier picture, due to a lack of image stabilization. When we "panned" the cameras, the Kodak's image was visibly shakier. The Flip's moving video was smoother.

Screen: As for the screen, it's immediately obvious that that the Kodak has a larger viewfinder/screen, which would appear to give it a big advantage.  Unfortunately, the Kodak's large screen is dimmer, which negates that advantage, because in bright outdoors conditions the Flip's screen is actually easier to see.

So as to picture quality, we gave it a "draw."

Ease of Use: Flip Scores

But with simple cameras like these, ease of use may be even more important than picture quality.

And here, the Flip Ultra HD gets the edge...because both Rachel and I found its big record and play buttons simpler than the Kodak's joystick controller. "Which one was easier to use? For me, the Flip Ultra HD," she said. 

Editing Issues

As for editing, both come with basic software to make a DVD. More skilled computer users would want to use Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Final Cut, or similar software for more advanced editing.

But the Flip uses a standard Windows based format, where the Kodak uses an Apple Mac format, with all its files as ".mov" files. This creates a problem for anyone who wants to edit the Kodak in Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker: you then need to convert the video, which can be complicated and often degrades the quality.

Since most people who buy point and shoot cameras like these probably don't own a Mac, the Flip wins the editing battle for ease of use on a Windows PC.

The Bottom Line

So while tecchies might prefer the Kodak's extra features, and Mac fans will certainly welcome the Kodak's .mov format, most people who buy these are folks like Rachel: a busy mom who just wants a simple red record button.

So our overall winner: the Flip Ultra HD.

Final Note: Cost

The Flip HD retails for $199 ...the Kodak for $179. But the Kodak requires you to buy a separate SD card, so that adds about another $20 to the Kodak...making the price equal.

As always, don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.