Comments on: Tools of the Trade: Choosing a Budget Mini-Cam http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2008/07/04/tools-of-the-trade-choosing-a-budget-mini-cam/ The official blog of the Young Adult Library Services Association Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:19:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joseph Wilk http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2008/07/04/tools-of-the-trade-choosing-a-budget-mini-cam/comment-page-1/#comment-1619 Joseph Wilk Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:00:13 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=1191#comment-1619 My review of the Flip Ultra (MSRP $149.99)... ***Upsides*** * an hour of recording time * relatively high-resolution screen, which can be used in daylight * good video quality (640 x 480, 4.0 Mbps, 30 frames per second) * records sound comparatively well * fast lens for decent low-light quality * uses external batteries, which allows for longer shelf-life * very easy to use software, which offers basic editing and direct upload to a few video services ***Downsides*** * no flip-out screen, making it harder to record yourself * short, flip-out USB arm is not as friendly to desktops and can take up a lot of USB real estate (unless you buy an extension cable, sold separately) * stills from video only (which are going to be lower quality than if it also functioned as a digital camera) The Flip Video works great for librarians who are going to be recording other people, and its fairly decent mic even makes it a reasonable option for sound-heavy videos like presentations, author talks, and library music performances. Its video quality and ease of use will allow you to put comparatively high-quality videos online with no trouble. However, librarians who can only budget for a single digital camera/camcorder solution, or those who will often be recording themselves for booktalks (etc.), might wish to look elsewhere. I loved the videocasting from Annual this year, by the way. What a great way to bring the conference home in a visceral fashion for those of us who couldn't make it! My review of the Flip Ultra (MSRP $149.99)…

***Upsides***

* an hour of recording time
* relatively high-resolution screen, which can be used in daylight
* good video quality (640 x 480, 4.0 Mbps, 30 frames per second)
* records sound comparatively well
* fast lens for decent low-light quality
* uses external batteries, which allows for longer shelf-life
* very easy to use software, which offers basic editing and direct upload to a few video services

***Downsides***

* no flip-out screen, making it harder to record yourself
* short, flip-out USB arm is not as friendly to desktops and can take up a lot of USB real estate (unless you buy an extension cable, sold separately)
* stills from video only (which are going to be lower quality than if it also functioned as a digital camera)

The Flip Video works great for librarians who are going to be recording other people, and its fairly decent mic even makes it a reasonable option for sound-heavy videos like presentations, author talks, and library music performances. Its video quality and ease of use will allow you to put comparatively high-quality videos online with no trouble. However, librarians who can only budget for a single digital camera/camcorder solution, or those who will often be recording themselves for booktalks (etc.), might wish to look elsewhere.

I loved the videocasting from Annual this year, by the way. What a great way to bring the conference home in a visceral fashion for those of us who couldn’t make it!

]]> By: Linda Braun http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2008/07/04/tools-of-the-trade-choosing-a-budget-mini-cam/comment-page-1/#comment-1612 Linda Braun Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:47:27 +0000 http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/?p=1191#comment-1612 I am a huge fan of the Flip. The videos posted on the blog from ALA Annual were all shot with that camera. Good quality - picture and sound - for something so small and inexpensive. I also like that you can grab still photos from frames in a Flip video. Because of that it ends up that I use the Flip not just for video but for stills. I am a huge fan of the Flip. The videos posted on the blog from ALA Annual were all shot with that camera. Good quality – picture and sound – for something so small and inexpensive. I also like that you can grab still photos from frames in a Flip video. Because of that it ends up that I use the Flip not just for video but for stills.

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