WVU #65 – A Better Alternative To Flip-Style Cameras
Posted On: December 11, 2009
Posted In: canon powershot sd720, flip camera, kodak zi8, point and shoot cameras
Comments: 23 Responses
Posted In: canon powershot sd720, flip camera, kodak zi8, point and shoot cameras
Comments: 23 Responses
Flip-style cameras are all the rage. They get all the press and hype. But there’s actually a group of cameras…in the same price range…that deliver a lot more bang for the buck, while shooting better video.
These are point-and-shoot cameras. And in this video, not only do I demonstrate arguably the best point-and-shoot camera for video, but I cover both the pros and cons of Flip-style and point-and-shoot cameras.
Resources
Canon PowerShot SD780 ELPH
(shoots 1280×720 HD video, 12 megapixel photos and video files can be used in Sony Vegas or Final Cut without any issues).
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the video on flip vs. point and shoot cameras. You are wearing a microphone during the video, and you said there are no microphone input jacks in the point & shoots….so how did you do that? Is your mic connected to your computer, and then you put the sound with the video in Vegas???
Thanks again for all you do!
@Tina – The mic was on my shirt because I was doing other, unrelated videos at the same time. The video was recorded using only the cameras built-in mic.
Hey Dave
Thanks for another outstanding video.
I pretty much watch all your videos, but I don’t always comment.
But just thought I’d let you know that I am “here”…
Talk soon!
Gideon
Dave, The audio is quite decent for a built-in mic! You had an earlier WVU that mentioned using an inexpensive digital recorder: WVU #56 – How To Get Great Audio If Your Camera Only Has a Built-In Microphone. Just a heads up for Tina.
Thanks for all the WVU’s you put together. Joe
Great video. I went through the same analysis recently because I wanted to some video where a Flip was one option. I have an Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-6000
and it has worked out really well. The only issue is the record time is limited, on my camera, to 22 mintues. You can store multiple videos at 22 minutes in length. The video application was for a daily diary my wife and I shot on a an extended vacation. We were able to use the camera for stills and still shot the daily diary as a rememberance of our trip. All of this in a pocket sized camera. And the Olympus’s waterproof seals mean you don’t have to be concerned if you want to take it to the beach.
@Ducan – Yes, nearly all point and shoots have a limitation on the length of the clips. On the Canon, it’s 4GB or around 30 minutes.
Just so everyone knows, that’s the max length on a single, continuous clip (i.e. you press the record button and don’t press stop for 20-30 minutes)…but you can shoot as many single clips as the memory will hold.
And for any SD memory card, for any video camera, you’ll need at least a Class 4 card and preferably Class 6 or you’ll run into problems recording video on them.
I really enjoy these weekly video! I always learn a bunch. I’ve got a Casio point-and-shoot, and I love the quality of both the photos and video it takes. So much so, that I bought my son this year’s model for xmas (he already has a flip from last year).
Thanks again for all the great info. Some of the most informative few minutes of my week.
Hi Dave i’m very impress with the Quality of this camera, I can see that NOW you’re using new lights, let me guess…. Flolights LED 1000/500 or Litepanels 1×1.???
Dave,
Can you recommend a model like this or a little bit more expensive that has a SD slot AND external mic. I’m really wanting to find a prosumer camera that’s small like this *but* has an external mic.
I was really stoked to see you wearing that mic but was crushed to find out you just had it on for other shooting stuff. I had money in hand when I thought that camera you recommended had an external mic jack.
@Chad – Any of the Canon Vixia models (which I’ve also reviewed on the site)…but you’re going to jump up $500-$1,000 in price.
Yeah, I remember you talking about those but they’re not really in the “pocket” type range. If the Flip had an external mic jack, it would be awesome. I tried the new Flip competitor that records at 180i (can’t remember the name) but it was shaky as h*ll so had to send it back….
I really want small AND external mic.
@Chad – The Kodak Zi8 (Flip-style camera) as an external mic jack. You can see Engadget’s review here:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/04/kodak-zi8-impressions-surprising-functionality-but-its-still/
Thanks for that Dave, I have a couple of good point and shoot cameras, but I got it in my head that I must have a flip camera, thank you for stopping that mental distraction.
Geez, this video is really crispy and clean. It’s a litte too clean but it’s amazing what these point and shoot cameras can do. For this type of shooting I adore my Samsung NV24. It’s discontinued now, but you could probably find one on ebay.
I was trying to help a friend decide on what flip style camera to buy since I have been out of the loop. Last night at Target I saw the SD780 for 199.99 and thought it’d make a good present for my wife for Christmas. Then I thought that since it does 720p that it might be nearly as good or better than the flip cameras at the same price. I got on youtube to check video quality and sure enough, it performs pretty well. Maybe some vertical banding off of bright light points, but otherwise, you get a decent still camera AND video camera in something smaller in size than the flip cameras. A huge bonus for me as a luddite film photographer: The Canon SD780 has an optical viewfinder that even works with the zoom. This camera stands out in my mind as one of the best buys in terms of features for the dollar. No full manual controls, but it’s no slouch on its program modes. Thanks for the video. I am going to share it with my friend to illustrate my point.
Hey Dave,
impressive video quality, both in terms of content and picture (and in audio, as well). How will these p&s cameras perform (compared to the Vixia class cameras) when the subject/picture is not as static as in your podcast? I seem to see some blurring when you move your hands rapidly – does that have anything to do with the video-limitations of a p&s camera?
Thanks for keeping me/us in touch with all the latest that’s happening in video land.
@Wolf – All Flip and point-and-shoot cameras will have trouble when the image or camera is moving…blurriness, funky artifacts, etc.
Vixia’s don’t really have that problem and shoot far better all around footage. With video cameras, you get what you pay for. And Vixia’s are anywhere from $500-$1,200 more.
Hi Dave,
I am one of those people that always look forward to your videos but never comment.
Thanks for all the great work you put into them.
I have a question:
1. What is the recording format of the videos…is it avi, mpeg, dv or what?
Thanks
Uyi Abraham
CEO, Zofaa.com
Voice broadcasting, Automated dialing systems
@Uyi – It records using the H.264 codec and places the video in MOV files.
Hi Dave,
It certainly seems that the Canon SD780 has a much better quality than the Flip. Thanks for the review & recommendation.
Just curious what you’re using for lighting?
Rainer
Dave, do you know if the drop frame problem for the Kodak Zi8 (Flip-style camera) has been fixed? That kept me from buying it before.
Hi Dave, thanks for the great video. My earlier FLIP which I bought for a mere $50 broke a few months ago and I’ve been looking for a replacement, except NOW the FLIPs go for at least $100. So, I wanted to get this Canon 780.
Only one question: I don’t have an HDTV and don’t plan on buying one for a while. Can I edit and burn these videos to a DVD? I have a PC with Easy Media Creator.
Thanks for the video!
Sorry, a better question might be how did you edit this video?