.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE You’ll flip out over the Flip SlideHD
.AUTHOR Scott Koegler
.SUMMARY Scott Koegler takes the Flip SlideHD out for a spin.
.OTHER
I’ve used nearly every version of the Flip video cameras… you know, the tiny video cam that started a revolution in video sharing? The latest one that I’m using is the [[http://www.theflip.com/en-us/Products/slidehd.aspx|SlideHD]].
I was initially uncertain about how I would like using it, primarily because it’s actually larger than its predecessors. But I think I’m over that.
The main difference, or improvement, in the Flip Slide is that the front screen slides off the side of the body and flips up at an angle. This makes for easy viewing of your video clips right on the camera.
Not that you couldn’t already view your clips on previous models — of course you could. But on the Slide, the entire front panel becomes a viewing display when it’s slid up, as shown in Figure A, rather than the 2" display (or 1.5" on the older models) on the Flip MinoHD.
.FIGPAIR A The Flip Slide slides out.
The video quality is still great. It can capture as much as 4 hours of video in full High Def (720p), and as with previous models, Flip has optimized the quality of the image so that it’s great in almost all lighting conditions, and pretty good even in awful lighting conditions.
.H1 Using the SlideHD
Operation of the SlideHD is similar to the MinoHD, with the On/Off button on one side of the camera and the USB connector release on the other side. But because the whole front of the camera is now a touch-enabled display, the camera controls for play, zoom, and volume that were previously touch areas are still touch sensitive areas on the display.
In operation, the buttons and controls act just as their physical counterparts do on the MinoHD models, however the red Record button doesn’t provide any tactile feedback since it’s just an image.
I had come to rely on being able to feel the button on previous models, and found myself missing the button at times on the Slide. That said, I probably should be watching the screen, in which case, I would be able to see the button I was trying to push.
The SlideHD includes a headphone jack and HDMI out port at the bottom of the unit. This makes the SlideHD great for either private listening or large screen viewing. But what is most convenient about the SlideHD is its, well… its sliding screen.
Most of the time, when I shoot video clips with a Flip camera, I want to show it to the people I’ve just recorded. With the Flip SlideHD, I just push the top panel to the side, and it tilts up at an angle. That lets me lay the unit down on a table and play the video on its 3" display.
OK, it’s not a 42" big screen, but at a picnic or party, the 3" display is plenty for my friends to get a good view of the action. And it’s small enough to make the viewing group intimate.
There are two ways to interact with the viewing screen on the SlideHD. The first is to simply touch the display. It is responsive, and lets you swipe across the display to scroll between your recorded videos. You can also access setup controls like timeout duration, date/time, and create shortcuts to your favorite videos.
The second way to interact is to use a touch sensitive strip located on the horizontal area in front of the screen. The strip lets you scroll horizontally and access the settings menu. You can also tap the strip just as you would the display, to start or stop the video playback.
I like using the Flip SlideHD for those times when I know I"m going to want to show the resulting videos to the people around me right after I’ve taken the shots.
However, I still prefer the Flip MinoHD for carrying with me everywhere. The MinoHD is thinner by about 1/4 inch. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but it makes a difference between simply sliding the MinoHD into my pocket and making a decision whether to find a place to carry the $249.99 SlideHD.
I’m still waiting for Flip to add an external microphone port to their cameras so that I can get sound quality that matches the video quality.
.RATING 4
But wait… there’s more.
.H1 Wide angle lens attachment
I also got to try out the $49.99 [[http://store.theflip.com/en-us/products/Product.aspx?SKU=A3P000wide angle lens attachment for the Flip cameras]]. This is a little attachment lens that increases the viewing width of the Flip cameras.
It attaches magnetically to any of the Flip cameras by attaching a metal ring around the lens. The package includes three adhesive-backed rings that fit perfectly inside the Flip’s lens bezel. I could then simply position the .45x wide angle adapter on the ring in front of the lens, as shown in Figure B, and start shooting.
.FIGPAIR B The lens attaches quite easily.
I didn’t notice any degradation in the quality of the video, but I did see a difference in the viewing angle. Using the adapter, I was able to capture much more of the scene. It is especially useful for indoor shooting in close quarters, or in shooting outdoor clips where you don’t have enough room to back away from your subjects to include them all in the frame.
I like the lens for its simplicity and quality. On the other hand, it’s one more thing to carry around. It does come with a nice little kit, shown in Figure C, including pouch, lens caps for both front and back, and a little cord that you can attach to both the camera and the lens, to keep them together.
.FIGPAIR C The lens comes with a nice little kit.
If you shoot indoors with your Flip, the wide angle adapter lens is an accessory you’ll appreciate.
.RATING 4
.BIO
