Flip Video Ultra

The basics

The Flip Ultra camcorder features a 1.5-inch TFT display and, thanks to a 1/4 inch VGA CMOS sensor, captures video at a 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps. It also boasts a 2x digital zoom, powers up in four seconds and has a battery life of four hours. It also measures just 100x50x16mm and weighs 94g.

The good

It’s the easiest camcorder in the world. Drink a bottle Tia Maria (not recommended) and you could still fathom its single-button operation (hint: it’s either stop or go). Standard def video quality is surprisingly smooth and bright, with low light shots coming out particularly well compared to cameraphones. Best of all, just plug it into almost any computer and you can be sharing your hilarious cat-in-a-costume antics with the entire Internet in minutes. You can buy AA batteries for it anywhere, although opt for rechargeables and you’ll boost its battery life over a couple of hours.

The bad

It’s the easiest camcorder in the world. There’s no focus, no exposure options, no video light, not even any fast-forwarding or rewinding in playback mode. The mono audio sounds like it was recorded in a crinkly paper factory working overtime during a typhoon, and the grainy 1.5-inch screen would shame the cheapest mobile.

The bottom line

A great choice for pocket-money Polanskis, the Flip Ultra lets you make YouTube movies with significantly less effort than tying your shoelaces. You can still trip up on its cut-down feature list, though, especially now that some digital cameras are packing High Def movie modes.