Flip Video vs. Vado Pocket Video Cam
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I’ve been using the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder since it came out last September, and while there are lots of things I like about it, there are downsides, such as the size and weight, as well as the need to frequently replace the AA batteries.
So I was excited to try out the Creative Labs Vado Pocket Video Camcorder, which came out a couple weeks ago.
I priced the two cameras, as of May 28, 2008 on Amazon, and the Vado goes for about $90 and the Flip Ultra is about $120.
I prefer the size and weight of the Vado over the Flip Ultra.
The Vado comes in at 84g (with battery) and a size (H x W x D) of 3.9″ x 2.2″ x 0.6″. The Flip Ultra weighs 145g (I think that is without the batteries), and the dimensions (H x W x D) are 4.17″ x 2.16″ x 1.25″.
Both video cameras share some features, such as a tripod mount, built-in mic, USB connection, MPEG-4 AVI video format at 30 frames per second, and 2x digital zoom.
The Vado is better for low-light performance at 3.8V/lux-sec (extremely high sensitivity), compared to >2.0V/lux-sec (very high sensitivity) for the Flip Ultra.
As far as recording capacity, the Flip Ultra can fit up to 60 minutes, and the Vado can record up to 120 minutes (good quality) or 60 minutes (excellent quality). The excellent quality setting on the Vado looks similar to the Flip Ultra quality.
The Vado has a rechargeable battery (included) and the Flip Ultra uses two AA batteries. That’s a big one for me, since I burn through batteries frequently with my Flip Ultra.
Also, the Vado has a 2″ diagonal screen, compared with 1.5″ for the Flip Ultra.
I preferred the software for the Vado over the Flip Ultra.
The Vado software was simple and basic – minimal functionality to copy files from the video camera to your computer, while the Flip Ultra has editing functions (which I don’t use – I prefer editing video with Sony Vegas) and a clunkier user interface.
So overall, I preferred the Vado and at a price that is 25% less than the Flip Ultra, I think it’s the way to go.
But wait – one big deficiency for the Vado. I wasn’t happy about the audio.
When I recorded video with the Vado and Flip Ultra simultaneously from the same distance (approximately 2 1/2 feet), the Vado audio was way lower than the Flip Ultra.
This is something that can be boosted during editing, but I typically don’t have to enhance the audio on the Flip Ultra.
I filmed a side-by-side comparison with the Vado and Flip Ultra, so you can see the relative quality of each camera.
- Posted in Affiliate Resources, Video
Nice side-by-side Shawn! The first thing I noticed was that the Flip had much warmer color — it would be interesting to see whether the Vado does better under different lighting conditions.
reply to this commentThanks – yeah, the Vado claims to perform better in low lighting. I'll have to test that in the future.
reply to this commentMany thanks for this. Sometimes I need something other than my cam – which isn't overly large but I still want something I can port easily in my messenger bag. Was wondering about the Vado. Thanks for the non biased comparison.
reply to this commentVery good comparison. I had been hoping either the Flip would update itself to have a rechargable battery feature or that another company would jump in to fill the void.
reply to this commentI love the Flip! I bought a pink one and have been using it quite frequently. The only downfall for me is the need to keep replacing the AA batteries. There is a new Flip on the market called the Flip Mino. It is smaller than the original and has a rechargeable battery. It will set you back $179.99.
reply to this commentI read about the Flip Mino yesterday – it looks like it's rather similar to the Vado, but at 2x te cost.
That said, the Vado microphone is inferior to the Flip, and unless you're doing videos that don't rely on audio, the Vado might not work out.
I used it to film a school play for one of my kids last week, and the audio was good here.
But I need to boost it in editing when I shoot a few feet from my face.
reply to this commentShawn, I've pretty much decided on the Vado over the Flip, but I have a lingering question that I hope you can answer since you've got both. Neither seems to have an option for memory cards, so that means I need to have my laptop with me to offload video files if I'm recording more than 1 hour (two at lower quality), right? If that's indeed the case, what's the transfer speed like in your experience? I'm going to be getting a Vado (probably) in time for Summit, and I need to figure out how much stuff I'm going to be lugging around
reply to this commentHi Daniel -
That's correct – there is a new Flip – the Flip Mino that is similar to the Vado, but for 2x the price.
But that one, the previous Flips and the Vado all have internal memory.
As far as offloading them, it's a pretty fast process from either device – essentially seems like the same time for copying over files from a thumb drive to a computer.
For my purposes, an hour is plenty of time for recording before I need to download the video, as I do a few minutes at a time.
reply to this commentGreat, thanks Shawn. I was initially drawn to the Flip, but for 40 or 50 bucks less, I can't turn down the Vado.
reply to this commentHi Daniel -
That's correct – there is a new Flip – the Flip Mino that is similar to the Vado, but for 2x the price.
But that one, the previous Flips and the Vado all have internal memory.
As far as offloading them, it's a pretty fast process from either device – essentially seems like the same time for copying over files from a thumb drive to a computer.
For my purposes, an hour is plenty of time for recording before I need to download the video, as I do a few minutes at a time.
reply to this commentGreat, thanks Shawn. I was initially drawn to the Flip, but for 40 or 50 bucks less, I can't turn down the Vado.
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