Posts Tagged ‘Flip’
The Flip to be on the Network – next year
I heard it first this morning via a CNET podcast – and was able to confirm it via a Mashable Post and it’s been confirmed by Cicso on Pocket Lint. Cisco will be releasing a new generation of their ubiquitous pocket video device “The Flip” that will have a larger flip out screen, and will have Wi-Fi availability.
Here’s what’s cool
Larger Screen that Flips – For the first time with the Flip, people like me who spend more time with their Flip pointed at themselves will finally be able to see themselves as they are shooting! We have also been told that we’ll have a larger, but non-touch sensitive.
Wi-Fi network connection - This is what I’ve been waiting for, but there are a lot of questions that are still up in the air and things that we’re just not sure about. I believe that this will take the same direction that the Eye-fi
What I’m hoping for
(but not holding my breath)
Better exposure control and real white balance - This is has been my main gripe with all pocket video devices (I still won’t call it a camera – even though I own one!) Why do I want this… If I could just get exposure lock, so I don’t get the slow reaction – but just dropped below the threshold for the auto-exposure. Having real white balance would allow me to make videos that were warm or cool, or with the combination we’d be able to shoot very flat and then color correct in post production.
Auxiliary Audio Input - The ability to plug in a microphone that would be better suited for the situation that were shooting in would be a massively cool feature. There’s an odd side (the hacker in me) that really wants to open it up and see how I could add this to my flip, but don’t want to break it! I’m not asking for a XLR interface – but the ability to add a small lapel microphone, or a small boom like what’s used on some of the iPod recording accessories.
1080p – It would be cool, the Kodak Zi8 has delivered this resolution – would be nice if the new Flip Wi-Fi cam could match this. (Having 1080 24p / 30p and 720 60p would be a bonus)
Live streaming – The ability to connect to Ustream or Livestream to stream live from a Wi-Fi connection would be EPIC!
Threads on the lens – Like I’ve said before – I really don’t want to hack my shinny new flip (until I can replace it when something goes wrong). Having threads so that I can add a wide angle adapter, or even throwing a telephoto to get some reach would be nice!!!
Am I asking or expecting too much
from a tiny handheld video product?
photo credit
My new toy.
Many of you are aware that on September 5th, I turned 30 – as much to my surprise the world did not implode as I watched the clock turn past midnight. I spent the day with family and was given a cool gift!
My family gave me the gift of pocket video in the form of a Flip Ultra HD.
You’ll see in the coming days the fruits of this new prized possetion as I embark on a new journey of video blogging. Today, I picked up some more kit that I’ll be talking about that soon enough (camera support systems that will allow me to posts
Why I want a Fake Camera
With all of the buzz and the hype around the pocket video camera revolution I still find my self wanting one of these ‘fake’ cameras. And before you ram me down with belittling comments about my lack of love for this cute little devices I’ll tell you why I call them fake.
I call a real camera a device with semi manual controls, I’m not asking for everything manual – but there is a level of control that is necessary for “real” camera operation. In Why The Flip – I really out lined where I’d love to see these camera go, and with the purchase of Pure Digital by networking giant Cisco – I’m sure they will make some adjustments, but most to its connectivity – not it’s control (I’m sure – but hope that I’m wrong). To save time – please take a look at “Why The Flip“. The two things that I’m looking for any camera to have is manual white balance and real audio inputs; this would be a minimum. I’d love to see manual exposure and audio levels and optical lens controls, but is that asking too much?
Even according to my criteria of what makes a real camera – I still see these devices having a place in the production pipeline; but hopefully not as your only camera. Most of us have done single camera production for far too long have neglected the role of the B (or secondary) camera. A locked off shot for cover or a funky cut-away can really save your production.
This Months Inc. Magazine took a look at four more of these pocket camera – and I’m really leaning toward Kodak’s latest release the Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera. Main factors of me choosing that camera – form-factor, real memory card, replaceable (standard) batteries. I really wished that they kept the mirrored button on the front but w/ the new shooting modes and the size a bit smaller I’m sure that it’s going to be what I go with.
Why the Flip?!
The Mino HD (The Flip) was originally thought to be the ultimate in guerrilla camera’s allowing you to run and gun (in HD). If you’re not an editor – no problem as there are some in camera editing tools. There are now a few other competitors on the market and they have made some serious noise – and it’s really been fun to watch the shake down. I’ll also add that I run adds for the Mino HD, they are not a sponsor of the site. And I don’t own any of the camera that will be mentioned here – the point that I want to bring up, is “What the Flip!? Is there a clear winner here – or are we just flexing our tech muscles?
Fast Company (in their March 2009 issue) lists Pure Digital Technologies (maker of Filp Mino HD) as #7 of their list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” beating out Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. What make them so cool you ask?! Well – they have truly put HD video in the hands of the masses. In just 18 months, Pure Digital sold 1.5 million of its recorders and now commands 25% of the market. With competition on the rise the review have start to come in that have said that the Flip just ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Chris also did a side-by-side-by-side review of the three heavy hitters (Mino HD, Kodak Zi6, and Creative’s Vado HD) and I have to agree that they all bring a lot to the table. There are some core features that I’d really love to have seen in the Mino HD, namly – removeable media, and batteries would have been a huge plus. In the end Pirillo named the Creative Vado HD the best of the bunch, but I really don’t see it, and neither did Robert Scroble in his blog post entitled, “Chris Pirillo is wrong about best pocket video cameras.” Now I’ll also point out that Scroble is on staff at Fast Company – the mag that named the maker of the Flip as cool.
Before I get sucked into the stone throwing of the two tech legends – I’d like to take a few steps back and let’s look at the criteria that really should have been at the core of this – the features, and then talk about some things that I’d really love for someone to address. With the goal of pocket HD shooting, I think that there are some critical things that the Kodak nailed – namly the lense, audio quality, the removeable / rechargeable batteries; but form factor kills it for me. Sure the larger screen size is nice – but if 75% of the video that you shoot – is going to be of you in front of it – I’d gladly go for the smaller size (and I’m sure that means a bit longer battery life too.)
What critical features do I still long for in pocket video camera’s?
- White Balance – The ability to tell the camera what true white is so that it can properly balance skin tone and determine the space between true white and black, this is a critical area in all camera’s! It’d be killer if there were some setups for a few different presets (user defined) so that I could switch from a warmer look – or just tell it day light and start shooting. (If 1980 era VHS camera’s could figure this out – why can’t we have this in a pocket camera?
- External Audio Jack – The one thing that really separates good video from great video – is always the audio. George Lucas says that it makes up 50% of the movie – I really think that it’s much more than that! Would move these camera beyond a great thing to have – to an essential thing to have!
It’s because of these two critical features that I still believe that you need a “real” camera – like a HVX, or even one of the new tiny-cam’s (HV30 or HF10) and a real microphone, to be able to deliver ‘real’ results but these new camera’s have made some great in roads in what you can use to bring HD video to your audience! When I say “real” I really am striving to convey the whole air quote thingy – but if you really want to know what makes shows like the highly produced “WineLibrary.TV” and what you see most marketers deliverying is this thing call “REAL”, in order to deliever the real – or as others like to call it production value you have to have exposure control and a microphone that’s not inside of a plastic box!
Judging these cameras by what has better color or which has a wider lens – is really a mute point to me. What video are you shooting at any point that you’re not doing some type of post process?? Also for the record – I always shoot as flat as possible when shooting for broadcast and digital film – this is a very standard pratice across the board, so that when you do color correct your shots you have the most latitude to start.
Am I missing anything else here? Am I being too critical of these two views on these three camera’s?
Photos used in post:
Flip Mino HD: Design Tag by bfishadow // Flip Video MinoHD by woodleywonderworks
R3D in CS4 – Follow-up
Sometimes I rush to say something about the technology developments of the day – and it takes a bit for everything to sink in, and allow everyone else to make noise about what’s been released. In my last post I pointed out that it’s going to take a very serious machine to be able to cut this footage! And that’s no joke – I love what Jonas of General Specialist has said about this whole development.