With all these new HD helmet cams being released in quick succession it can be difficult to figure out which one you want. You may have know three weeks ago but now there are so many new ones which look awesome - so which one do you go for?
GoPro has just launched the GoPro HD Hero2 which is a super fast and high quality upgrade of the normal Go Pro HD. Drift Innovation just launched the Drift HD cam which delivers awesome video and still includes the screen, remote and rotating lens which is terrific. Contour's not missed a beat and have also recently launched their Contour+ Plus which pushes them up into the professional camera levels.
How do you compare one against the other? The Go Pro 2 has the waterproofing and loads of awesome accessories but the Drift HD comes with the screen and remote which makes using it super easy. Comparing the GoPro 2 and the Contour Plus is tricky because the GoPro Hero2 offers more user functionality but the Contour+ has all kinds of extras which make it suitable for the professional market. Again comparing the Contour and Drift means you need to compare functionality against user friendliness. It's not an easy choice.
Luckily Action Cameras has taken a lot of the confusion out of this comparison by putting these top HD action cameras together in a side-by-side comparison review. Check out this page to see the review....
To do a comparison review of the Contour and the GoPro HD you need to look at quite a few varying factors. You need to compare the features beyond the video quality as they both deliver 1080p HD video and are both made for extreme sports.
GoPro HD
ContourGPS
It's always good to kick off a comparison review with a video comparing the warmth of the video quality between the GoPro and the Contour helmet cameras.
Let's also take a look at all the features compared on a side by side chart.
Go to the comparison section on the Action Cameras website to generate this head to head comparison for yourself for the GoPro and Contour cameras or for any other helmet cam.
In fairly quick succession Contour has released the Contour + and today, the ContourRoam which they've launched with the focus of bringing a more price-friendly Contour camera to the masses. The pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed in South Africa but will be posted up here as soon as we know.
We're estimating that it's going to come in at a price point somewhere around the R2,500 to R3,000 mark but let's wait and see. In the meanwhile, here's an intro to the camera to get you started.
Contour Roam
The ContourROAM is the ideal camera for a fun and easy experience capturing your adventures anywhere life takes you. Just slide the record switch and you're instantly filming beautiful HD video. The award-winning design is tough, compact, waterproof to one meter, and versatile which means you can use your ContourROAM anywhere, anytime and capture all the action you want.
EASY TO USE
Shooting video should be simple and fun. With the ContourROAM, we've introduced one-step recording. Just slide the record switch, and you're instantly filming. Easy as that. It's the ideal camera for a fun, stress-free experience capturing your adventures anywhere life takes you. The ContourROAM is incredibly intuitive and easy to use, with a sleek, award-winning design and a laser that helps you level the camera and get the right shot every time.
BEAUTIFUL HD VIDEO
The ContourROAM records the action with a 170° super wide-angle lens, capturing all the backgrounds and peripheral moments that can be missed with a narrower field of view. Sophisticated camera technology automatically adjusts the exposure and white balance, ensuring crisp, beautiful video every time. You can choose between three different video resolutions, 720p, 960p and 1080p, or shoot 5 megapixel photos enabling you greater creative flexibility.
WATERPROOF
No need to worry about your camera surviving your next big water adventure, the ContourROAM is waterproof to one meter. A sealed gasket protects the camera's insides, allowing you to catch the action under water or in the rain, sleet, or snow. For full submersion sports, such as scuba diving or wakeboarding the ContourROAM Waterproof Case provides totally dryness up to 60 meters beneath the surface.
MOUNT UP
Mud. Dirt. Snow. Rain. The places you roam can be some of the roughest places on earth. The ContourROAM is made to withstand encounters with everything from eating mud puddles, to monster barrels at Teahupoo, to drops down the Khumbu Icefall. The rugged aluminum body withstands serious abuse, while the waterproof design keeps everything safe and dry up to one meter.
The Contour + camera comes in the same form factor as Contour's previous action cameras but this time they've managed to pack a lot more punch into this little camera. While some of the other helmet camera brands are moving to serve the lower price point customers, Contour seem to be moving the other way. The Contour + includes many new features which makes it more attractive to the professional videographer or film maker. Along with the more technical features also comes a higher price tag of R4,199 (South African Rands).
Contour Plus
Let's take a look at some of the new features which they've included.
Unlike previous versions such as the Contour HD, and the Contour GPS, the newer Contour Plus comes with a wider angle lens of 170 degrees (previously 135 degrees). While this gives a slightly fish-eye effect on the video it is much preferred for the point-of-view shot as is picks up more of the action and gives a better perspective of the speed at which you are travelling.
Until now the Contour range of cameras has had a built in microphone which gives pretty good sound quality. The Contour + also has this but also has a 3.5mm mic jack so you can plug in an external mic to pick up seriously awesome sound quality. This can be really useful when filming at speed because you can tuck the external mic inside your jacket or underneath the bikes fairing to eliminate wind noise. Vloggers will love to clip the mic inside their helmet to give commentary while riding. Another benefit is that you can get a stereo mic to pick up directional sound.
The awesome Smart Phone Connection capability of the Contour GPS camera has been carried over to the Contour +. Use your BlueTooth to connect your smartphone to your camera so you can use your phone screen as a live viewfinder of the camera. This is a very cool feature as before this was available you never really knew what you were filming - it was just a hit and hope situation. Now you can frame your shot perfectly so you know exactly what is in and out the shot.
Another awesome feature carried over from the ContourGPS is the GPS capability. Not only will you have your extreme sports recorded in Full HD but you'll also have a recording of your GPS Location, altitude, and speed. Use the Contour software to blend this info into a sick video which will appear like a TV game - the main part of your screen is the video and then all the stats are surrounding this for live playback. Neat!
Check out the Contour + Plus page on Action Cameras for more info
Here's a quick video comparison showing the difference between the
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