I got my Flip HD camera for Christmas 2009 and have taken very few videos with it but I’m still fond of the camera. Since then, there’s been a new model
First of all, they look remarkably similar — here’s the front and back view of both cameras:
But that’s about where the similarity ends. The Flip records in full HD (1280×720) to an internal drive (that includes built-in software to manage and edit videos); the Curtis offers “high” and “low” quality recording — high is 640×480, recorded to an SD Flash memory card. Both record audio — though similar quality differences are immediately apparent — and the Curtis will also capture still photos (something the Flip, annoyingly will not do).
I took test footage indoors, in mixed lighting conditions, and outdoors in daylight. I think the results speak for themselves:
As mentioned in the video, the Curtis had already gone through 1/3 of its battery after three short videos totalling less than 5 minutes, powering on and off between each. This does not bode well for long-term use. The Flip on the other hand can record more than an hour before requiring a recharge. I have not tested how fast it goes through AA batteries.
It’s pretty clear, too that the quality of the Curtis is ridiculously low — back to the standard found on early digital cameras. The Flip however, may be overkill unless one does a lot of recording. Consider that the iPhone 4 (and the most recent iPod Touch model) delivers comparable video quality (rated second only to the Flip) and that there are dozens of other “pocket video cameras” out there — inlcuding the now-discontinued-version of the Sony Bloggie that Mike recently bought.
We will probably get some use out of the Curtis — maybe as our stashed-in-the-glovebox back-up video and, as the Flip has now also been discontinued by Cisco, I will probably be content to use it until it stops working.