Because of their low cost and easy-to-use design, Flip camcorders have been on the rise ever since their debut in 2007. Now, with the lagging economy, it wouldn't be surprising if Flip further extended its dominance in the camcorder industry for years to come. The newest member of the Flip camcorder family is the Flip UltraHD (MSRP $199), which includes a number of updates over previous models. Firstly, the UltraHD includes 8GB of internal flash memory, which is good for capturing 120 minutes of high definition video. It's also the first Flip camcorder to include an HDMI output, so you can view your videos at their highest quality on an HDTV. Other updates include a new video compression engine, a built-in stereo microphone, and improved video performance.

For people who are accustomed to using the ultra-compact Flip MinoHD, the Flip UltraHD may appear a bit large. The truth is, it is still a very small camcorder, and it's extra size allows for more storage capacity (8GB, instead of 4GB on the MinoHD) and the capability of using regular AA batteries to record video. The camcorder also ships with a rechargeable battery pack that will recharge whenever the Flip UltraHD is connected to a computer via its USB arm. The Flip UltraHD should be no problem to fit in a pocket, although it may feel a bit uncomfortable, and its overall appearance has the look of an oversized cell phone. The 2-inch LCD on the back of the Flip UltraHD is a half-inch larger than the screen on the Flip MinoHD, but their design and functionality is similar.

Flip has made its name on being simple to use and offering easy internet uploading capability. The Flip UltraHD doesn't mess with this formula—it includes the same embedded software that has been integral to the Flip's success since the beginning. The software is compatible on both Macs and PCs and easily installs onto your computer the moment you connect the Flip UltraHD via its USB arm. Of course, the software doesn't let you do much in the way of editing, but it does allow you to get your videos onto YouTube with the click of a button.

The Flip UltraHD features no manual controls and no special settings. The only menu on the camcorder allows you to set the date/time, turn the record lamp on or off, and enable or disable tones when you press buttons. The lens on the Flip UltraHD is fixed, which means it has no moving parts and no optical zoom. The camcorder does offer a 2x digital zoom, however. All video is recorded at 1280 x 720 using a 30p frame rate. While the camcorder cannot capture full 1920 x 1080 HD footage, the 1280 x 720 recording size matches the maximum allowance for video on YouTube. This means your video should still look quite good when you upload it to the internet. The Flip UltraHD, as with all Flip camcorders to date, cannot take still photos.

Another advantage of the Flip UltraHD is its superior button design over the touch-sensitive buttons featured on the Flip MinoHD. The UltraHD has larger buttons and each of them physically push-in when you press them. By contrast, the Flip MinoHD uses smaller touch-sensitive buttons that can be difficult to push and offer no haptic feedback. Along with the better button design, the Flip UltraHD also has a more grippable surface than the Flip MinoHD. The camcorder is coated in a soft, rubbery surface that should help limit accidental drops.

Performance (read in-depth lab performance at CamcorderInfo.com)
The video quality of the Flip UltraHD wouldn't able to hold a candle up to any decent high-end consumer HD camcorder, but it isn't bad for a cheap, ultra-compact device. We were surprised to see the Flip UltraHD perform significantly better than the Flip MinoHD in our testing. The UltraHD had far more accurate colors in bright light, which we expect is due to an enhanced auto white balance system. The footage did have a slight green-yellow hue in our bright light testing, but overall it represented a big improvement over previous Flip models. The Flip UltraHD also did better in our video sharpness test compared to the Flip MinoHD.

Low light performance was also quite good on the Flip UltraHD, although there wasn't as much of an improvement over the Flip MinoHD. Flip camcorders have always shown good low light sensitivities, and the fact that the Flip UltraHD also registered low noise levels in low light is quite impressive. All video on the Flip UltraHD is captured at 720/30p, which means motion has a slightly slower look to it than regular 1080/60i video. This 30p frame rate may look choppy to some people, but it probably won't be too noticeable if you're looking at the video on YouTube.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at CamcorderInfo.com)
It seems every year more manufacturers are putting out products in an attempt to eat away at the Flip's market share. Sony's new Webbie HD camcorders, the MHS-CM1 and MHS-PM1 may be giving Flip its biggest competition to date. Both camcorders are roughly the same price as the Flip (the MHS-PM1 is actually a bit cheaper), but they offer more features and more controls. The MHS-CM1 has a traditional, horizontal-body design that isn't as compact as the Flip UltraHD, but it does offer a 5x optical zoom and a flip-out LCD screen. The MHS-PM1 has the same upright design as the Flip UltraHD, but it features a flexible lens that can rotate up to 270 degrees.

Our testing showed the Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-CM1 offered similar video performance. The Sony did have much better video sharpness, however, while the Flip UltraHD dominated in low light sensitivity. Everything else aside, we found the Flip UltraHD to be much easier to use than the Sony Webbie HD camcorders. Its embedded software was better and its simple user interface just couldn't be easier to work with. The Sony Webbie HD models also include embedded software, but we found it confusing to install and more difficult to use than it should be.

The Flip MinoHD offers nearly the same user experience as the Flip UltraHD, only in a smaller, more compact size. It can be an excellent choice if you really want to go as small as possible with your camcorder purchase. The MinoHD does have less storage capacity (4GB/60 minutes), but it makes up for this fact by weighing half that of the Flip UltraHD. There's also the Kodak Zi6, which records HD footage and has a body size somewhere in between that of the Flip MinoHD and Flip UltraHD.