iPod Nano video vs. Flip

Great comparison. Flip is definitely better quality. If you don't have an iPod Nano or don't want one, but want video recording, Flip seems to be the way to go if you care about the quality (albeit slightly -- it isn't great!).

But if you have a Nano and want to upgrade, or you were thinking of getting a Nano and now you could record some basic video if you get the fancy to do so, the Nano still seems good enough - why by a music player and a camera if you can get both? (remember - if you hate Apple you weren't going to get a Nano anyway, even if the camera was HD 1080p)

Still, great job by the folks who did the comparison! Kudos!

There's a difference?

My head's spinning..

Flip's definitely got more resolution and sharpness. But it's going to come down to whether people want to buy, and carry around, a discrete device for video that's 10x as big as a multifunction device.

Flip looks like the winner to me.

The only variable that might have been controlled better would be to compensate for the nano's wider-angle lens. That difference meant the subject of the video, who was usually but not always in the center of the frame, filled more of the flip frame and therefore more of the focus & exposure metering would have been on him, whereas with the nano he's a smaller part of the whole frame, thus the focus and especially exposure MIGHT be more averaged for background, thus showing the person at a disadvantage. It's the old method we learned with digital cameras, that if we really want a subject in best focus and exposure, use a narrow focus point/meter point and make sure they're on the subject, not wandering the background. If this test were done again i'd like to see the nano mounted on an extension that put it closer to the subject, thus capturing a more similar view. Then the focus & exposure readings would be more comparable.

Having said all that, the Flip looks like the clear winner to me. I'd like to see the flip/iPhone 3G S comparo too.

The resolution is much better on the Flip. There's too much compression visible in the Nano, but the Flip has trouble with the whites. Take a look at the backgrounds in the Flip when it has a bright area. The 0:34 area for example, with mixed lighting shadow in the foreground and sunlight in the background. The background looks horrible. There are no good looking skies in the Flip.

I wouldn't want either one for video that I really cared about.

While the Flip looked clearer to me, I thought the nano reacted to movement quicker and there seemed to be less delay on the nano. Don't know what audio track they were using but the Flip video was always slightly behind the audio and the nanos video. Also seemed smoother on the nano.