Products |
Flip Video Camera
By
Published: Apr 13, 2011
Category:
Gifts and Gadgets
"That was stupid.”
Out of the mouths of babes — “That was stupid” was the reaction of the nine-year-old when I told her that Cisco had decided to stop making Flip video cameras.
You may share her bewilderment. Cisco — a company not known for consumer products — paid $590 million for Flip just two years ago. Back then, it was the fastest-selling mini-video camera in the world. Though the numbers are down, it still is. And yet, rather than sell the company, Cisco has done a cost analysis and decided it makes more sense to close the company, put 550 people out of work and take a tax loss than it is to sell Flip at a bargain-basement price.
Cisco has its reasons, and if I were an MBA, I’m sure I’d probably agree with them. And I’m sure it’s true that people who might have bought a Flip have rolled on to buy a Smartphone that has a perfectly terrific built-in video camera — and a still camera, and a music player, and, and and.
Fine, let the iPhone and the Droid and whatever rule the world of devices. But let it be recorded here that I have no desire to hand our child a $600 piece of technology so she can make videos. For that matter, as someone who values simplicity, I also don’t want to make videos with a Smartphone.
So, although Cisco is going out of the Flip business, I urge you to buy one.
One, because Cisco says it will support Flip customers when their recorders need repairs.
Two, because I see the Flip as a bargain.
Yeah, I’d scoop that one-function sucker up in a heartbeat.
Can it really be that simple? Here’s David Pogue, the New York Times expert on all things digital:
The Flip has been reduced to the purest essence of video capture. You turn it on, and it’s ready to start filming in two seconds. You press the red button once to record (press hard — it’s a little balky) and once to stop. You press Play to review the video, and the Trash button to delete a clip.
There it is: the entire user’s manual.
Yes, it looks like a toy — the iPod’s baby cousin. It weighs 3.3 ounces. If you need to zoom in, it might be better just to walk closer. You can’t use it as a still camera. And, a critic notes, “There are no menus, no settings, no video light, no optical viewfinder, no special effects, no headphone jack, no high definition, no lens cap, no memory card.”
If the Flip has none of the “features” that serious videomakers require, that’s a large part of its charm. Turn it on, and in three seconds, you can shoot. When you’re ready to shift your video onto your computer, no cable is needed — a flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your computer. (The software automatically loads onto your computer.) If you want to watch on your TV, a cable’s included.
Other strengths: The Flip is surprisingly good in low light. The 1.5-inch screen delivers a sharp image. There’s a tripod screw. You can record in silence for “sensitive” situations.
The world’s smallest camcorder now sits on a table next to my cell phone and iPod. (When I’m going out, I sometimes slip it into my pocket — hey, you never know.) Thanks to this camera, the kid regularly makes her own videos. The videos that we make allow us to show distant friends we’re still alive. If I were more ambitious, I could use the Flip to turn these HeadButler.com reviews into podcasts — but that would spoil the fun. And if there’s one thing about Flips that everyone who picks one up might agree on, it’s that they are outrageous fun.
Don’t let Cisco rain on your pleasure. Get a Flip before they’re gone.
