Freelance Unbound

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Cisco has pulled the plug on its Flip video product, perhaps signalling the end of the cheap, simple standalone video camera.

It’s a shame, not least for journalism departments, which have moved in on the product as a good way of giving all students access to half-way decent video technology.

The Guardian report makes the key point:

The stand-alone movie camera business is effectively dead, killed off by smartphones capable of shooting high-definition video which have seen explosive sales in the past 18 months – precisely the period since Cisco bought Flip.

The news doesn’t bode well for the other cheap video camera used by journalism departments – the Kodak Zi8.

The problem, of course, if that what drives consumers away from video cameras to smartphones is exactly what makes video cameras desirable to media courses. They are simple, single purpose and don’t offer a host of cool features, like gaming or apps. And because they don’t have a phone, they don’t require a contract with a telecoms provider.

Tip for journalism course leaders – better snap the remaining stock up before they all disappear and you have to justify spending £400 each for student iPhones…

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