While I have a XH-A1, I also have a 7D DSLR, and I’ve been trying to re-purpose gadgets for the goal of minimizing stuff to take to the field. I thought I had a good alternative to lighten the load – FlipHD with a Zoom H4. I am in the process of editing material shot in Ghana with that set-up, so results are not yet in. With Cisco eliminating the Flip line, and my having mechanical problems with the Flip, I’m exploring other possible set-ups. I’ve been reading a lot about the “shooting video with a DSLR” craze, but haven’t yet tried it. This short has made that possibility re-surface in my thinking.
As for the Flip – I did beat it up a bit, carrying it in my messenger bag with just its felt bag for protection. Now when the body is pressed (on the larger flat surface), the screen fuzzes out and locks the system. The same thing happens when I do something like mount the Flip on a tripod – just as the mount screw is getting tight, the system buzzes out, and I have to re-boot by pulling out a battery. I’ve had some workaround success by first screwing the Flip on the mount, and then turning it on – but about half the time, it still frizzes out. I may make my ethnographic film class make a short without using the XH-A1’s.
