[LM_NET] HIT:Tech: Flip Video Camera from Follett (Long)

[Shanel Martin <sjacksmartin@YAHOO.COM>]

Thanks to all of you who replied.  Below are the responses that I received.

I love our flip camera, but I need a tripod because I am not steady enough to shoot 
without one. (So I have been told.)  We just had Steven Kellogg visit and it was 
wonderful to be able to show the students his presentation, especially those who 
were absent.  I have teachers who will be using them instead of document cameras 
and my daughter's tech teacher is having them do a virtual tour of their school to 
send to their epals in Germany. 
I am asking for one as my next birthday gift, they are easy to use and 
lightweight.  I think I'll end up taking it everywhere with me.

There are several of these small camcorders on the market now.
You can watch several videos for each model if you go to YouTube.
Currently, there are three models that produce HD video (ah, 720, not 1080).
For Christmas, I bought my wife the Kodak Zi6, as Best Buy was selling this $180 
camera for $130 the first week BB offered it and because it has several advantages 
over the Flip model.
It has a 2:1 digital zoom.
It accepts a flash card, so you can add lots more video time with the Kodak than 
you can using the built-in drive on the Flip.
I hooked the Kodak up to our 50" plasma, and the picture was quite good, really.
The Kodak, like the Flip, is relatively easy to operate.
I watched one video comparing the two HD models, Kodak and Flip, in which the film 
maker had given both models to his two girls and told them to go make movies with 
each.  They both preferred the Flip, since it is slightly more intuitive to use.  I 
think the Flip costs $230, unless you get it on sale.
All of these iPod-looking camcorders have one major defect--none of them has image 
stabilization, so the video is extremely jerky when hand-held for more than a few 
seconds.
One solution is to set the camera on a stool or stump or anything solid.
A second solution is to buy a tripod.
The battery is a problem, too, but I believe the Kodak may have a slight edge in 
this area.
One final problem with all of them is that they do not do well when the light is 
dim.
So inside, you need to have the lights turned on!
Outside, everything will be fine in the daylight, except you may have trouble 
viewing the screen if it is in the sunlight, as the sun washes out the picture.
Oh, for the Kodak, there is no software for Macs yet, but you can use iMovie.  I 
haven't actually tried this yet, but that is what the reviews said.
We purchased 8 Flip Minos for our Media Center .  The teachers and students love 
them because they are so portable and easy to use.   As far as problems we have had 
a couple.  We did have on Flip that went dead after just 1 month.  Could not even 
get it to turn on.  I called the Flip manufacturer and they were not willing to 
handle the service because Follett was “not an authorized retailer.”    I called 
Follett and they immediately sent me a mailing label to send the unit back for 
replacement.
 
We also have had a few problems getting the Flips to load on the MAC’s but once you 
install the proper software it is easy.  Although we have just had them a few 
months, I would highly recommend their purchase.
 
We have had the Flip camera for about a year.  It is incredibly easy to use (for 
students and even for me!) and plug into a TV for showing.  
However, we have not yet figured out how to transfer to DVD!
 
I was cautious and bought only one Flip to begin with. Every time I
demonstrated it to teachers they went gaga over it and it began to circulate
among a small group of staff members. Now I have 3 of them. I feel much
better about lending them out to students (I am in a high school) than I
ever did with the hideously expensive/easily broken/high-end video cameras
for which they had to sign away their first-born in order to check out.
There is literally nothing to break on these; my associate and I have both
dropped one with no ill-effects. Okay, don't expect high quality
photography; the image gets fuzzy after about 50 feet out. But for what our
students are doing, the Flip is just fine!
got mine at Sam's club this fall.  The basic level.  I love it.  The biggest 
drawback for me is that I didn't get a tripod.  It does not have a lot of bells and 
whistles.  Attached is a sample video I took at church of a choral group.

I like the fact that as you upload to your computer it gives you the choice to save 
in an email format as well as a normal file.  It also has some editing capability 
as well.
We have several flip cameras that the kids just love.  One problem I've encountered 
is short battery life (I make sure to get the more expensive brands).  It's so much 
trouble to get a PO for "little" things like that that I decided to just pay the 
cost myself for now.  Teachers love them because they simply plug into the 
computer, so there are no wires to mess with. Good luck.an ability to take stills 
from your video.
purchased one for myself in October.  I love it!  The zoom is not great, neither is 
the sound, but for what I wanted it for it is great.  I can zoom with my legs and 
that also tends to help the sound.  If you need high quality, you will need to pay 
for high quality; it mainly depends on what you are looking for it to do.  I love 
that it runs on normal batteries, hold 60 minutes of video, plugs directly into my 
laptop, and is so small.  Mine lives in my purse.
I bought six and only the French Department has checked them out to video tape 
presentations and then view the final product to assess public speaking skills.  
I love how easy they are to use and upload.
I think if I gave the teachers a list of ideas relevant to how they could use them 
in their subject areas then maybe they would be used more.
I would buy a couple.
 
I have 6 flip ultras and they are out all the time.  The teachers and the kids love 
them.  They work with iMovie and Windows Moviemaker.  They need a codec loaded on 
the machine for the video.  Some of our machines have and some don't (I think it is 
just my tech department but it is something to be aware of)

I would shop around because I got mine for $149. each.  There are many places like 
Best Buy, Office Max that sell them and most offer an education discount.
have both Flip cameras and RCA Small Wonders.  I much prefer the Small Wonder for 
school- due mostly to the tripod mount.  It makes a world of difference in quality 
of the video taken!  SLJ had a good article comparing the 2 camera- though the Flip 
has several new model that have come out since then.

We love how easy it is to capture class events.  We use it for reading fluency, 
book reviews, interviews and more!  Popular with staff to show students how they 
look/behave in class- many kids have no idea how different they look when they act 
out in class.
 
I just bought 6 before the winter break. I have shown them to the elementary and 
middle school staff at our staff meetings.  They have not been in the library at 
all for the last three days. We love them.  Next week I will show them to the high 
school (my lowest users of technology) and am hoping for a similar response.  I am 
already planning on getting at least three more with money from my bookfair.
--
We bought one from Office Depot with our school discount for about $111.  We had to 
replace the first one since it stopped working early on but we got a replacement 
and it worked fine.  It is what it is.  Quality is not first rate but for ease of 
use and portability you can't beat it.  Sound quality is very soft and you will 
have to encourage students to speak up and make sure you adjust your computer so 
the sound comes through those speakers.  I don't think I'd go through Follett since 
you can get them cheaper elsewhere.
I purchased one from Walmart and it works pretty well.  I am planning on
doing some video podcasts of booktalks with it.  It is very user
friendly.
The sound isn't the greatest - I've had trouble picking up kids 15 feet away, but 
otherwise they're good.

You'll want a better video editing program than what comes with it.

Follett's price isn't bad - I bought ours through Amazon for $159, but Amazon 
doesn't take POs.
I have 15 flip cameras.  I would make sure you get the kind that takes batteries 
that you can change out if needed and not the kind that has to be recharged with a 
cable.  If students or teachers are in the middle of a project, they can't stop to 
recharge.  I am not sure what kind Follett sells.  We use rechargeable batteries 
and so far it has worked well.
 
Shanel Jackson- Martin, Media Specialist
Church Creek Elementary School
Harford County, Maryland

"At the moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that
threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives
forever, for the better."  Barack Obama


  
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