paddling with a camera

Tag: flip ultra

  • Spencer Xtreme and Thunderbolt in November Paddling Workout

    November 8, 2008. Beaver Pond in Arapaho Bend Natural Area near Fort Collins. All leaves were gone, but it was a nice afternoon for paddling.

    Rob was paddling laps in his Spencer Xtreme Canoe. I took my Thunderbolt-X kayak for easy paddling and testing a Flip Ultra camcorder as a bow camera. I attached the Flip grip from Wet Stuff to a suction cup mount from Sticky Pod. The mount worked OK, but batteries died and I didn’t manage to shoot video much of video on water. Recently, I more used to paddle with gadgets with rechargeable batteries. I don’t leave home without fully charged battery in my Pentax Optio or Garmin GPS.

    All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W30. I am using mostly my DSLR camera, Canon EOS D40, recently. So, I couldn’t not notice a shutter delay in Pentax camera when trying to shoot fast paddling Rob. Well, each shot included catching him first in my Thunderbolt.




  • Flip Ultra Camcorder + Waterproof Case = Video Camera for Paddlers? Part 1

    Flip Ultra Camcorder

    The Flip family consists of three simple, inexpensive, pocket camcorders: the original Flip Video, Flip Ultra and Flip Mino in several color mutations.

    These are popular gadgets and you can find reviews and a lot of information on the web. Here is CNET editors’ review of Flip Ultra:

    At the time of this writing, the best selling camcorder at Amazon.com isn’t a model from Sony, Canon, or Panasonic. It happens to be the Flip Video Ultra, the third iteration of Pure Digital Technologies’ simple plug-and-play video camera that features a hideaway USB connector and built-in software that makes viewing and sharing your videos incredibly easy. That may be a little surprising to some, but the fact is that cheap sells–the Ultra starts at $149. And when you combine cheap with easy, you can see why the Flip and its RCA relative, the RCA Small Wonder EZ201, are finding success in the marketplace.
    The bottom line:
    With improved video quality, a slightly trimmer design, and upgraded software package, the Flip Video Ultra is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the emerging low-end digital camcorder category.


    Flip Ultra Waterproof Case
    Flip Ultra Waterproof Case

    Flip Ultra is the model interesting for paddlers because you can get a waterproof case for it just for $30 or so. Waterproof cases for Canon point-and-shoot cameras are almost 10 times more expensive. Of course, you don’t have so many control buttons in Flip camcorders.

    Unfortunately, there is no tripod socket on this waterproof (there is one on a camera) case which limits paddling applications of the Flip from my perspective. I like to shoot movies with a camera mounted on a kayak deck or use it as a helmet cam. There are at least three solutions to this problem.
    pentax optio w10 as helmet cam

    1. You can get creative with some foam, bungees and/or duct tape as I did when transforming my Pentax Optio W10 into a helmet cam.
    2. It is not so difficult to add a standard 1/4″ tripod socket to the waterproof case. I’ve found the simplest do-it-yourself approach at PopPhoto.com. I am not sure how strong it is. If you are going to paddle through rapids or waves with your camera mounted on a bow you may considered a more solid design.

    3. Finally, I’ve got a prototype of a “flip grip” together with the Flip Ultra in a waterproof cases from WetStuff.com for testing. It is a neoprene pouch designed for carrying the camera on your chest. I used it for some paddling and inline skating including comparison with a video from my Pentax Optio W30. I am also trying to mount it on the sticky pod suction cup. I will post my comments and some movie examples in the next part (or maybe even parts) of this article.

    If you would like to buy Flip Ultra or check other models (Mino looks interesting for dry environment) you are welcome to use my amazon.com affiliate links – just click on pictures.

    If you are using Flip Ultra please write some comment about your experience, especially, if you had a chance to compare it to other cameras. The comparison with GoPro Hero or Oregon Scientific video recorder would be really useful.