Flip Ultra Video Camera

We now have six Flip Ultra cameras available on a drop-in basis; just ask for availability at the Media Services Desk. The checkout period is 3 days. The Flip Ultra is a small, easy to use point-and-shoot camcorder. The Flip .avi video files can easily be saved to your computer via a USB cable. Download instructions to import Flip Video files to iMovie and FinalCut.

Flip Ultra Specs: Recording Time: 60 minutes Storage Capacity: 2GB Resolution: 640 x 480 Frame Rate: 30 fps Video Format: 3ivx MPEG-4 AVI Zoom: 2x Digital Audio: 44.1kHz Mono

Professional Video Cameras

These cameras produce a high quality picture and allow for greater user control such as white balance, manual focus, and other features. Patrons must request a professional camera in advance. Because of the complexity of the equipment, all patrons must complete a training session before they check out a camera for the first time.

Panasonic GS-250 Specs: Video Capture: 3CCD (3-chip) processor Recording Time: 63 min. Recording Media: MiniDV tape Aspect Ratio: 4:3 and 16:9 (SD only) Video Format: DV (AVI) Zoom: 10x Optical, 20x Digital Audio: 44.1kHz Stereo Battery Life: 1 hr. (small), 2 hr. (large)

Sony HC9 Specs: Video Capture: 3.2 megapixel CMOS chip Recording Time: 63 min. Recording Media: MiniDV tape (DV or HDV) Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (SD) and 16:9 (HD) Video Format: DV (AVI) and HDV (MPEG2) Zoom: 10x Optical, 20x Digital Audio: 44.1kHz Stereo Microphone: Built-in Battery Life: Approx. 1 - 1.5 hr

Both the Panasonic and Sony video cameras will provide high quality video recording in Standard Definition (SD). SONY video cameras also have the capability to record in High Definition (HD).

Standard Definition (SD) vs. High Definition (HD)
SD: Standard definition records in 4:3 format and provides high quality video that can be copied to DVD and viewed easily on any machine.
HD: High definition records in 16:9 1080i format and provides very high quality video images. Viewing in HD requires a high definition format (HD or Blu-ray) disc, HD player and HD screen.

Questions to ask before you decide to shoot in HD:
1. What format will you use for your final project?
You can not currently burn HD footage to a DVD; instead the project must be converted to SD (down-conversion). If you are sending your project to You Tube or posting it to a web site, this process will compress your project, lowering the quality significantly from HD to a web-standard resolution.

2. Where are you going to store your footage and final project?
HD requires 4 times the disc space of SD. Example: 1 hour of SD requires 10-12 GB of storage space. HD requires 40+ GB.

3. Aspect Ratio: Do you need to shoot in 4:3 (standard TV) or 16:9 (widescreen)?
SD can be shot in both 4:3 and 16:9 ratios, whereas HD can only be shot in 16:9.

Your Training and Check-Out Appointment:

JMC staff will notify you of your appointment date and time. Please be on time. If you are more than 15 minutes late for the scheduled appointment, you forfeit your reservation. Allow 30 minutes for training and checkout. If you would like to speed up the training time, please view the training videos online:

View the Panasonic Camera Training Video

View the Sony HD Camera Training Video

If you have already completed the training, you will not need to watch the video again. At your scheduled appointment, you will be asked to:

1. Attach a battery and turn on the camera.
2. Insert a tape.
3. Record audio and video.
4. Play back the tape.

You will be responsible for demonstrating these functions before you are able to check out a video camera.

To Request a Video Camera:

All requests MUST be made at least 24-hours before the requested appointment time. The maximum checkout period is 3 days.

Please fill out the equipment request form online. You will need to have a PKI certificate installed on your computer in order to access the online form. Alumni and community users who do not have access to the online request form may submit a request by email. Complete the alternate request form and submit it as an email attachment to: jones.media.center@dartmouth.edu.

You may request a camera up to 1 week in advance. Equipment is often in high demand, so please plan ahead.

Equipment check-out and check-in must occur between 10am-4pm, Monday – Friday. Due to low staffing on weekends, we do not schedule checkout appointments on Saturdays and Sundays. Please note that while pick-up times may vary, your equipment will be due by noon on the due date. This allows us check the equipment back out to another patron on the same day. If you foresee a problem with returning the equipment before noon, please make a request in the "special requests" field on the loan form and we will extend the time to 4:00 pm. We can not accommodate check-ins after 4:00 pm.

The cameras record to mini-DV tape. These may be purchased at the Jones Media Center for $5 (for a 63-minute SD tape), or $9 for an HD tape.  Mini-DV tapes are also sold at major electronics stores.

Submit a Video Camera Request