# Go-Pro or Contour Cam



## baumi (Oct 12, 2010)

Hello

I'm currently thinking about to get myself a new helmet-cam...
Meanwhile it's all between the Contour GPS and the Go-Pro.
I was in favour for the Go-Pro, but since Contour offers GPS with geodata and speed, I'm shifting towards the Contour.
I first was convinced that all the mount systems Go-Pro offers would be the real deal (chest mount for example), but the GPS function is just plain cool.
What about the mount systems on the Contour? I experienced that with the wrong mount, pictures just become very shaky and uselss...
On the Contour I would prefer the profile mount --> http://contour.com/camera/accessories/profile
I guess the google strap mount will just result in shaky movies -Am I right?

to compare:
http://www.goprocamera.com/products/?area=2
http://contour.com/camera/contour_gps

any review on your experience is higly appreciated

cheers


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## Iggz (Nov 22, 2006)

Get a Go Pro. 

That little protective case its in should help you make a clear decision.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

go pro for sure.


i know a few who had the contour, they regret not getting the go pro, simply cos its durable in the casing.. little more bulky, but it can take some serious hits and keep working .


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## kenbentit (Jan 2, 2003)

I'd also go with the GoPro. Several friends have the contour and while they like the camera they do wish for a more secure mounting system. Vid. quality is pretty comparable between the 2 so it really comes down to the features. I do wish the GoPro had that nice laser pointer setup for aiming it though...


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## droptopchevy (Sep 3, 2008)

GoPro and download the new firmware when you get it.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

Coming from 8 yrs of high-end video production and editing, get a GoPro. It's evidently got a slightly faster scanning sensor so it avoids the cmos rolling shutter 'jello effect' a little better. Youtube it for examples. You can't fix rolling shutter in an editor, and it really destroys the footage. That reason alone is enough to steer clear of the Contour. It's a great camera, and the GoPro isn't immune to jello effect, but it does do a lot better in general. Geodata and speed are something you oughtta look for in a gps, not a camera.

Oh, and GoPro has the monopoly on good camera mounts, and they're cheap. That's a huge bonus.


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## erosive (May 15, 2009)

I like my videos to be tranquil reflections of nature.
I would never want all that data in my screen.

A friend has a Contour HD and it works well, but I prefer my GoPro HD with it's many mounts and protective case.


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## pop_martian (Mar 20, 2007)

Go pro also records 60 frames per second. Very cool if you like slow motion.


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## baumi (Oct 12, 2010)

Hmm, right now I'm switching back to the GoPro...
I'm amazed that there is NO one taking side for the Contour.
Looks like I was blinded by the marketing.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Hey, anyone have feedback on the EPIC HD? Was thinking of picking one up.

Edit to add: Do these have the "jello" thing someone mentioned? http://epicstealthcam.com/epic_video_gallery_01.html


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Go Pro...those new high def cams are insane...never seen the trail itself so clear


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## ccspecialized (Dec 30, 2008)

I love my contour. Mount it properly, ie let the adhesive dry like it says, tighten down the mount, and it is super solid.
It transitions in low and high light conditions noticeably quicker than a go pro. 
It's super low profile on the helmet; the go pros stick like 3 ft off the side of your head and are a lot easier to get caught up in a crash. And when the thing is breaking off the side of your head, it doesn't matter that it's in a protective case.


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

ccspecialized said:


> ...And when the thing is breaking off the side of your head, it doesn't matter that it's in a protective case.


Not so sure about that...

I've dropped my GoPro several times. Ran it over. Watched it bounce down rocks... Protective case does a great job. I can't speak to the Contour, but the only thing the GoPro leaves me wanting is a zoom lens (only occasionally though). GoPro is a great choice.


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## Iggz (Nov 22, 2006)

gticlay said:


> Hey, anyone have feedback on the EPIC HD? Was thinking of picking one up.


Those have this lens stabilizing sensor in them which makes for really weird footage... They're pretty bad to be honest, scope this video to get an idea of what I mean.....

http://www.pinkbike.com/v/138177


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Iggz said:


> Those have this lens stabilizing sensor in them which makes for really weird footage... They're pretty bad to be honest, scope this video to get an idea of what I mean.....
> 
> http://www.pinkbike.com/v/138177


Yeah, I see what you mean. Is that the 720p camera? Doesn't seem to be much better than my $25 el cheapo from ebay.

From the video - at the session at the end - who was riding that teal or blue green framed bike. I'm not into dirt jumping but that rider made it look fun, smooth, and easy...


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## Iggz (Nov 22, 2006)

gticlay said:


> From the video - at the session at the end - who was riding that teal or blue green framed bike. I'm not into dirt jumping but that rider made it look fun, smooth, and easy...


heh..... makes sense

That would be none other than Brandon Semenuk


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

Iggz said:


> heh..... makes sense
> 
> That would be none other than Brandon Semenuk


Well, put me down for a fan. Smooth, awesome riding... nice!


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## Karve (Mar 31, 2006)

im running an 2nd gen contour and have been super pleased with some of the results (



) ... but Id seriously consider this as well

http://www.driftinnovation.com/

great wide angle
built in lcd
remote

it would be a tough call next time between that and the chest mount go pro for sure.


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

A dirtbike magazine I read just did a review on helmet cams. Contour got 4/5 stars, go pro got 5/5, but the writer woad he wishes he could give it 6 stars...


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## ettore (Nov 13, 2004)

I have a Contour HD (the 720p one) and I like it a lot. Mounts are kindof shite, yes, but it has the one mount I wanted and it came with 2 of them; the one you glue to the side of a helmet. I have smashed my Contour SOOOO many times and it still works. The little plastic "lever" that holds in the battery is busted, and the rear door rubber legs are gone, but everything still works.

If I could go back, I'd probably buy the GoPro for the chest mount alone. However, issues with steaming up the case in temp changes (ie: skiing down a mountain where the top and bottom of the run are 5 to 7° apart) are a PITA to resolve on the GoPro without dessicant, something I never worried about with my Contour.


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## kenbentit (Jan 2, 2003)

Hmm, fogging is one thing I haven't had to deal with but I could see that being an issue. Of course you could always run it with the open back to prevent that but risk exposure to moisture from melting snow...


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

Go Pro HD helmet hero is going for $239 on Costco.com.


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## delirian (Jan 1, 2009)

i have 3 cameras go pro cont hd and cont hd 1080p.
to be honest i was never overly impressed with the go pro, (orgiginal not the hd) it ate batteries then after about 12months it just simply stopped working and the sound was crap, now i know they sorted out most of these issues with the go pro hd and even put in rechargable batteries, but i was put off go pro products after my experiance.
thats why i decided to give contour a try,
first up i got the contour hd, i was very impressed with the quality, and the sound. as for mounts there's not as much choice as there is with go pro, but i am sure there will be more mounts available soon.
when i found out contour were launching a full 1080 hd version of the contour i just had to get one, again the overall quality and the sound on this camera are amazing. though you have to set it up for the conditions on the day. colour contrast brightness ect ect.
the contour will also do 60 frames per second,
you can get a protective waterproof case and with this case it lets you mount it to a tripod or 11/8 screw or what ever size it is, so this gives you more mounting options.
my only complaint about the contour would be how it struggles to adapt to changes in light, like if you go into a wooded area on a clear sunny day it take a second or 2 to adapt to the change in light, this can get very annoying when viewing back your footage.
i mostly use the goggle mount and depending on how i have my goggle on my helmet sometimes get a bit of shake on the camera. you got to make sure it's perfectly flat against your lid. or as the others said use the stickon mount.


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## GearTech (Mar 3, 2009)

I have used both the GoPro HD and Contour HD cameras and I would go with the GoPro 960 HD with the chest mount. Chest mount gives by far the most exciting perspective IMO and the 960p gives the best view of the trail and helps prevent the pointed too high or low syndrome of the standard widescreen views. The GoPro 960 HD has everything you need and nothing you don't for $180...


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

GearTech said:


> I have used both the GoPro HD and Contour HD cameras and I would go with the GoPro 960 HD with the chest mount. Chest mount gives by far the most exciting perspective IMO and the 960p gives the best view of the trail and helps prevent the pointed too high or low syndrome of the standard widescreen views. The GoPro 960 HD has everything you need and nothing you don't for $180...


If you're going for personal viewing on your computer, sure 960 is fine. But if you're editing the clips for view on a widescreen TV, it's a no-go. You'll end up having to blow the footage up to fill the frame, then cropping the top and bottom to get it to fit. That will mess with the clarity and accuracy of the original capture far worse than using the internal 'crop sensor' system that the full HD GoPro employs.


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## vsong (Jul 24, 2007)

I own both a ContourHD (Not the gps, but still the HD) and a GoPro HeroHD. Here are my pros and cons of each.

Contour:
Pros:
Very easy to record. Stopping and starting is one button and very easy.
Good Recording Quality.
Very easy to Setup and change settings.
Laser Guide mounts help aim focus.
Good Sound capture. ( when set correctly, takes testing. )

Cons
Lack of Mounts.
Helmet mount can be shaky.
Google strap is very shaky.. not even worth using unless your road riding. 
Lacks the video / picture options of the GoPro.
Case is vulnerable to damage.

GoPro
Pros:
Bombproof case.
Good video recording quality.
Ability to take pictures in sequence, still and 3's.
Mass amounts of mounts. Chest, suction, helmet, extensions, tripods, etc.
Many setup options.

Cons:
Recording buttons can get confusing when you can't see them.
Button press blinding can lead to wrong mode without knowing.
Acknowledgment beeps aren't loud enough to tell you when its recording/on.
No guiding lasers and POV can be wrong unless tested or guested correctly.
More fisheye picture then the Contour.

As you can tell, I am mostly nit picking to my own person preferences. I like both helmet cameras but I prefer the GoPro. Why? Because the mass amounts of options it has, bombproof case and many mounts. 

The Contour is amazing in its simplicity so if your not looking for all the other options, I say the contour for convenience and ease.

Hope this help.


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## lacykemp (Nov 11, 2010)

*On Behalf of Contour...*



vsong said:


> As you can tell, I am mostly nit picking to my own person preferences. I like both helmet cameras but I prefer the GoPro. Why? Because the mass amounts of options it has, bombproof case and many mounts.
> 
> The Contour is amazing in its simplicity so if your not looking for all the other options, I say the contour for convenience and ease.
> .


Hi all, I work for Contour so I thought I'd help shed a little light on this. Let me start off by saying that I have 2 GoPro HD Heros and they're great cameras too. My loyalty lies with the Contour for 2 main reasons.

It's easier to use. Powering on and off and recording/stopping are total no brainers. It just doesn't get simpler.

It's super low profile. I'm not a big person and the weight of the GoPro was hard for me on top of my full face when dirt jumping. The contour is barely noticeable when attached to my helmet.

So to argue other people's points:
The Contour camera is very very tough. I've dropped mine many times, ridden over it, dropped it down big rock faces, dropped it in a lake (retrieved quickly), dog chewed on it and it still works perfectly well.

We have a waterproof case that actually makes the camera float... So if for some reason you drop it in the water it won't sink like some other cameras will.

People have been making a lot of noise about our mounts. I think we'd admit this has been our weak spot but it's something we've dedicated a ton of time to fixing. We have low profile mounts out now that give you awesome angles. I stick mine on my chainstay, fork, downtube - really all over the place. They're super flexible and easy to use. We've got a ton of other mounts in the works too.

We have GPS. This is awesome. Is it mandatory? No. It's easy to turn off and not record your data, but if you're interested in mapping out your runs, speed, elevation, it's pretty cool. Again, it's easy to switch off on the camera so you don't have the data on your videos if you don't want it.

The quality of the video from both cameras is excellent. Keep in mind that what you see on some websites and commercials is footage that has been heavily edited and color corrected. If you know how to use Final Cut you, too, can make your footage look like this. If not, I think that both cameras put out awesome quality video. 1080, 960, 720 @60fps, it all looks REALLY good.

Remember where we were w/ POV video 2 years ago? The changes have been awesome. I give props to everyone in the industry for doing an awesome job.


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## muddywings (Apr 28, 2004)

*I hate when...*

I hate when you post a "which one should I buy, x vs y" post and someone comes and says, "have you looked at z?" well here I go...have you looked at Drift?

I'm right now in the same process and reviewing which one I want and found this guy's reviews: http://www.gramslightbikes.com/search/label/Video pretty good so i recommend checking it out for yourself. Wish I had the green to buy a different ones and try them all out. But likewise, I think he is more of an all mountain than a downhiller so take that for what it is worth.

The only huge reason why I think I will go with drift is for the screen (the remote is cool too although I don't think Drift is the only one with a remote). Reason why I will probably go with Drift is I know I want to take the camera off, throw it on a mini tripod and and reride the trail coming at the camera (different perspective). Having a screen to see what you are getting is important to me.
I will say, the chesty mount and all the mounting options is appealing for the gopro.
The GPS mode on the Contour is pretty cool too, and I think the Contour has a great on/off switch design.

Ok, so since I recommended "z" I will ban myself for the rest of the...good luck with your choice.


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## baumi (Oct 12, 2010)

Since I started this thread and recieved more then usefull information regarding the decision-making...
I bought the GoPro HD (Motorsports), with the Chesty and the handlebar-mount.
I don't want to turn my statement into a advertisment for the GoPro, but see for yourself:






It's not Downhill, but unless you fall, I can (hands down) tell you, if it fits on a bob-sled and won't fall off, it will fit your driving skills.

the mount plates with 3M-strips, were rock solid and either 90mph nor 5g affected the cam...

It's the one to go for... :thumbsup:


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## accutrax (Mar 22, 2008)

fantastic...thanks for sharing....


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## Jason B (Aug 15, 2008)

Man, that was bad azz. Very cool.


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## p0r0y (Sep 5, 2008)

Go pro for sure and get the LCD bakpac once is out on the market.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

p0r0y said:


> Go pro for sure and get the LCD bakpac once is out on the market.


First picture of it I've seen. 
Want.


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## DeadlyStryker (Feb 12, 2005)

whodaphuck said:


> First picture of it I've seen.
> Want.


http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/gopro-3d-hero-battery-and-lcd-bacpac-hands-on/

Do want.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

DeadlyStryker said:


> http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/gopro-3d-hero-battery-and-lcd-bacpac-hands-on/
> 
> Do want.


Thanks, I've been looking for news of that. Looks quite slim, more so than I expected, and cool it's just a new back cover you'll need. Hopefully it'll have play back ability....


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## PerfectZero (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm pretty happy with my Contour, although I've used it mostly for skiing. Mine's a little older so it doesn't have this, but I heard they'll be able to stream video to phones over bluetooth.


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## DeadlyStryker (Feb 12, 2005)

whodaphuck said:


> Hopefully it'll have play back ability....


 Yep.


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

whodaphuck said:


> Thanks, I've been looking for news of that. Looks quite slim, more so than I expected, and cool it's just a new back cover you'll need. Hopefully it'll have play back ability....


I bet that's what the play button on the side is for in the picture above (kidding....)


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## Evan55 (Jul 23, 2009)

the form factor of the go pro really sucks. the only real use for it is the chest mount.
having a toaster hanging off your helmet sucks.

contour is much more flexible in mounting options. I use the 1/4" standard camera thread mount and use it to mount to the top crown section of the fork , or under the seat.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

Evan55 said:


> contour is much more flexible in mounting options. I use the 1/4" standard camera thread mount and use it to mount to the top crown section of the fork , or under the seat.


I'm going to have to disagree with that. I didn't like the Gopro when I first started shopping for and researching cameras, thought it was too bulky, but was finally convinced it WAS the most versatile. There are threads in the video forum from guys that have rigged up tight mounts for the Gopro in pretty much all the postitions you mentioned, plus you've got the chest mount that's pretty hard to do with a lipstick type camera. 
And the toaster thing, the camera is 2.25"x1.5"x1.25". That'd be some tiny slices of toast.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Evan55 said:


> the form factor of the go pro really sucks. the only real use for it is the chest mount.
> having a toaster hanging off your helmet sucks.
> 
> contour is much more flexible in mounting options. I use the 1/4" standard camera thread mount and use it to mount to the top crown section of the fork , or under the seat.


Totally utterly disagree

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/gopro-mounts-part-1-2010.html

and this

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/gopro-mounts-part-2-2010.html


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

Evan55 said:


> the form factor of the go pro really sucks. the only real use for it is the chest mount.
> having a toaster hanging off your helmet sucks.
> 
> contour is much more flexible in mounting options. I use the 1/4" standard camera thread mount and use it to mount to the top crown section of the fork , or under the seat.


Disagree.

GoPro is hardly toaster size, plus, the chesty mount gives a better simulation of really being on the bike. I can see, if you don't like extra weight on the helmet, then the contour might appeal more. As far as flexibility in mounting, the go pro is really not any less versatile. My seatpost/handle bar mount works about everywhere you would want it to...


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## camarosam (Jul 26, 2009)

Neither. The price of the gopro and contour is ridiculous, think about it. 

Look at the kodak zx3 playsport or the new kodak zx5 playsport. It shoots in ACTUAL HD, not fake hd like the gopro and the contour. 

My standard definition camera that I payed 200 bucks for a couple years ago looks better then my gopro hd that i payed almost 300$, which I don't own anymore.


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

camarosam said:


> Neither. The price of the gopro and contour is ridiculous, think about it.
> 
> Look at the kodak zx3 playsport or the new kodak zx5 playsport. It shoots in ACTUAL HD, not fake hd like the gopro and the contour.
> 
> My standard definition camera that I payed 200 bucks for a couple years ago looks better then my gopro hd that i payed almost 300$, which I don't own anymore.


Okay, I'll shoot...

GoPro sensor is 1/2.5", while the Kodak's is 1 / 3.2" (smaller sensor than GoPro). So how is it that the GoPro is not "ACTUAL HD"?

Seriously... trying to learn here. What is "Acutal HD"

GoPro records at:

* 1080p: 1920x1080 True HD featuring a 127º angle of view, 30 fps, and 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
* 960p: 1280x960 Ultra Wide and Tall HD featuring a 170º angle of view, 30 fps, and 4:3 aspect ratio. See more of the action above and below than widescreen16:9 resolutions can show.
* 720p: 1280x720 Ultra Wide HD featuring a 170º angle of view, both 30 and 60 fps, and 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

Kodak records at:

* 1080p (16:9)-1920 x 1080, 30 fps
* 720p (16:9)-1280 x 720, 60 fps
* 720p (16:9)-1280 x 720, 30 fps
* WVGA (16:9)-848 x 480, 30 fps
* still (16:9)-5.3 MP

Please clarify....


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## camarosam (Jul 26, 2009)

jhazard said:


> Okay, I'll shoot...
> 
> GoPro sensor is 1/2.5", while the Kodak's is 1 / 3.2" (smaller sensor than GoPro). So how is it that the GoPro is not "ACTUAL HD"?
> 
> ...


I understand that on paper it is HD, but video quality is much worse than actual HD. But there is much more into a camera than the technical specs. From my own eyes, video quality is much better in the playsport hd than the gopro hd, and the playsport is ony 150$.

I own a sony standard video camera as well as their top of the line hd camera. What I was saying was that my sony standard definition shoots better video quality than the gopro hd. Its HD so it should be better, but its not.

I'm just saying that because it says hd that doesn't mean anything. And all the videos that gopro advertise have all been professionally edited. I owned a gopro and no matter what I could do I couldn't get the video quality even close to gopro's website. Im a photographer and know how to work editing programs.

I just thought I'd mentioned something else since no one really knows about the playsport, and if you don't believe me you can go on youtube yourself and compare.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

camarosam said:


> I understand that on paper it is HD, but video quality is much worse than actual HD. But there is much more into a camera than the technical specs. From my own eyes, video quality is much better in the playsport hd than the gopro hd, and the playsport is ony 150$.
> 
> I own a sony standard video camera as well as their top of the line hd camera. What I was saying was that my sony standard definition shoots better video quality than the gopro hd. Its HD so it should be better, but its not.
> 
> ...


The playsport looks ok, but a 45 minute battery life is prohibitive.


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## Gemini2k05 (Apr 19, 2005)

vsong said:


> .
> Google strap is very shaky.. not even worth using unless your road riding.


I beg to differ






That is a pretty damn rough, as in lots of chatter, trail.


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

camarosam said:


> I'm just saying that because it says hd that doesn't mean anything. And all the videos that gopro advertise have all been professionally edited. I owned a gopro and no matter what I could do I couldn't get the video quality even close to gopro's website. Im a photographer and know how to work editing programs. I just thought I'd mentioned something else since no one really knows about the playsport, and if you don't believe me you can go on youtube yourself and compare.


I get pretty good results with my GoPro, maybe not quite so keen as whats on their site - and I've seen some impressive results shot by others. Still, I understand where you're coming from - I was just curious as to what your point of reference for HD was.

My GoPro is my first foray in to video at all - I've never really seen video footage from an official HD camcorder on my own computer (one may be coming soon here though!) so I've nothing to compare it to. Which may explain why I'm fairly pleased with it, lol.

Can't deny the Kodak price is right, but battery life could be an issue. But at that price, trade-offs will an issue.


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## jojotherider (May 20, 2009)

Gemini2k05 said:


> I beg to differ
> 
> 
> 
> ...


is that straight out of the camera? whats up with the angle and diagonal framing?


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## ajurado (Feb 15, 2011)

*Kodak Zx5 a better value??/*

I have the GoPro HD, but I not very impress with functionality of the camera, for instance&#8230;
it's hard to to tell if you are getting the correct angle without a viewfinder . There is an optional viewfinder for $70, but do I really want to pay that much to add a total cost of $370 inc. tax+shipping?

The menu settings are not intuitive. It's not like you will give it to your friend and say "hey record me when do a stump jump.."

What I am getting to is the overall value of the camera, what do I get for $300?? In comparison to what do I get for a Kodak Zx5 that cost $159.

I don't have a Kodak Zx5, but I think it would be nice to see what I am recoding or watched what I recorded on the spot and be able to take it to conferences, night out, etc&#8230;..

If anyone have a Zx5 and have a good mountain bike video, please share it&#8230;I would like to see it rather than compare specs.

Tks!


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## Slinky750 (Apr 6, 2010)

I love my GoPro...thats all...


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## brent878 (Apr 17, 2007)

I have a countour HD and love it. The main reason I went with the countour HD over the go-pro is the aiming lasers. I used to have a regular helmet cam that I carried a camcorder in my backpack to record off of it. And the biggest thing I hated was not being able to aim it unless I looked at the screen. And if the angle was too low or too high it ruined the whole video. With the countour I can check it with the lasers. I also use the lasers to tell if its on when riding. I just hit the button and move my gloves in front of the camera and if I see 2 red dots I know my camera is on and recording.

I also like the helmet mounts better on the coutour. Google strap works ok (only tried it on dirt bike riding) but I don't really like it. Its pretty stable and doesn't shake much but I don't like the fact that the camera can change angles while riding. I use the sticky mount (3m tape) and mount it under my visor. When I am riding you can't even tell I have it mounted. All my friends using go-pros look like the Tin man with a helmet and box on top.

I do like the video's I have seen of MTB with a chest mount and will have to see if I can do something on my countrour with. As far as video quality between the 1080HD countrour and gopro its about the same to me. Everyone I ride with has a helmet cam and we all swap video's after a race so I have hours of the same footage with both camera's just different riders. I do like [email protected] vs [email protected] for fast riding. It looks so much smoother and clearer with the 60 frames.


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## Evan55 (Jul 23, 2009)

the downfall of the Zx5 and any p&s camera w/ video capability is how narrow the lens angle is. 

you would think kodak would have gone much wider with the zx5 since its marketed towards action sports but i think in reality its just a rebadged regular video camera


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## DeadlyStryker (Feb 12, 2005)

Anyone hear of the new iPhone app for the Contour? I would love to be able to control the GoPro from my iPhone. Settings, live feed, and more.


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## OxygenDeficit (Nov 22, 2010)

I've used both the GoPro and the Contour in several versions.

For my purposes I went with the Contour. I made a lens hood for it that stays just out of image view but resolves the lighting transition issue a bit.

The Go Pro's have a lot of image distortion around the edges o the frame and for me this kills the whole video. Contours have his too but much, much less noticeable.

One other thing is that the Contour is very subtle and less noticeable. Withe the GoPro I had to talk about it every time I rode. Not so with the Contour. Most don't notice it on my black helmet.


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## scottvt (Jul 19, 2009)

I currently use a GoPro HD. I think I might get a Countour. Half the time the gopro doesnt turn on, and if its on sometimes it wont start recording. I've just had a lot of headaches with the thing. At first when it started doing it I was searching the web, and it seems a lot of people have problems with them.
But, when it works its nice, aside from the obnoxious clicking sounds in playback. The non-waterproof door on the back seems to clear that up though.


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## whoda*huck (Feb 12, 2005)

scottvt said:


> I currently use a GoPro HD. I think I might get a Countour. Half the time the gopro doesnt turn on, and if its on sometimes it wont start recording. I've just had a lot of headaches with the thing. At first when it started doing it I was searching the web, and it seems a lot of people have problems with them.
> But, when it works its nice, aside from the obnoxious clicking sounds in playback. The non-waterproof door on the back seems to clear that up though.


Never had any starting problems with my GoPro. The clicking sound is the camera moving around in the housing, you can stop it by putting in a small shim (I've used a leaf before on the trail) to tighten it up.


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## davet (Jan 12, 2004)

I have my Contour mounted on a GoPro chesty mount and it works very well.


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## MidNight_Rider (Mar 12, 2011)

I know the OP started this a long time ago(relatively). I have the GoPro HD. I use it on the plane(my job), my bikes, my motorcycles, my cars(RX7), and my van (Delica 4WD). I love it, the drawbacks are obvious but IMHO the GoPro is where its at. The Contour just didnt have the robust qualities I was looking for.

-Chris


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## C S (Sep 26, 2007)

Old-ass thread but why not... 

I have a Contour HD that I didn't have to pay for, was planning to get a GoPro prior. Couple things I've noticed about the GoPro are that it seems like it's a bit difficult to make sure it's recording and it is pretty bulky compared to the Contour. I've had several folks ask me to check whether their GoPro is recording while the Contour makes it obvious without having to look at the camera. A lot of raw GoPro vids I've seen have the rider looking at the camera prior to the main footage as well. IMHO, a GoPro looks retarded on a helmet - the camera is pretty good sized and the mounts make it stick out more. Personally, I can't stand chest cam footage - I'd rather see more of the trail than the bike. A properly aimed helmet cam provides (to me) much better footage. On the topic of properly aiming, the Contour makes it easy with the lasers and it's easy to detach when I don't want to carry the camera (GoPro is probably the same in this respect). I've fallen on my contour, separated it from the mount, and it's had no issues. Also carried it on my helmet in the rain without a problem. I hear the GoPro can be adjusted more on the camera itself while the Contour requires you to connect to a computer to change most settings (you can program two recording modes and switch between them on the camera as well as change the lens orientation, everything else is on the computer).

Edit: to be clear, I'm not sponsored by Contour. I won the camera in a photo contest (used my SLR to win a helmet cam :thumbsup


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