# GoPro vs VHoldr Contour HD



## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

GoPro vs VHoldr Contour HD

Comparison of GoPro vs VHoldr ContourHD on Vimeo

NOTE

Both mounted Helmet Cam. Rider on same trail at same time. Angry Midget in Squamish.

Compressed to 640 x 480 25 fps. H264 codec for QT (did this as its an optimized size for sharing videos without caring overmuch for quality via Vimeo or Youtube)

Will try next compressed to 1080p and 36fps for Vimeo HD and Youtube HQ type filesharing.






Comparison of GoPro vs VHoldr ContourHD from Lee Lau on Vimeo.


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

vhold video is definitely much clearer than gopro version.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Here's a better version






Vholdr vs GoPro - Angry Midget Squamish from Lee Lau on Vimeo.

Vholdr Contour HD is the first video segment worn on the helmet. GoPro Hero Wide is second segment worn on the chest mount.

Compressed to HD 720p. 1280x 780 30 fps. H264 codec - Mov file output

I accidentally disabled sound but the Vholdr's mic is better although there's lots of wind noise. This time a longer segment and rendered to HD.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

More - blended GoPro and VHoldr ContourHD footage together. Rendered 640 x 480 H264 Mov output - nonHD. As someone who's primary interest is to share via web this is how I'd usually render my videos.

Some observations

1. GoPro makes the riding look faster. Note that in many of those shots, Brian and I (the riders carrying the cameras) are riding the same trail at about the same speed. The GoPro is mounted on his chest. Footage where you can see riders' arms and handlebar are the GoPro. The Vholdr is mounted on my helmet.

2. GoPro's footage is smoother. Speculation perhaps the Vholdr's mount (ziptied to helmet and either helmet or mount could shake a bit) vs GoPro very secure chest mount. Also speculate that GoPro's extreme wide angle makes footage appear smoother.

3. Edges of footage are much more distorted (vignetted) with GoPro vs Vholdr which preserves the reality of the image better (Vholdr is less fisheye)

4. Vholdr's footage is better even when video was compressed. Dark and light delineated better. Colours are sharper and less washed out






Straight out of Squampton from Lee Lau on Vimeo.

Rode Wormhole, Angry Midget, Roadside A to Another Man's Gold. Then the Plunge and Hoods in the Woods for a nice loop. I thought the University side was just for beergut shuttlers now but was wrong.

Filmed with VHoldr ContourHD and GoPro

oh yah - then we lapped Grin And Holler in the wet.

The Janitor, Brian E, Brian M and Sharon on this ride


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

Lee,

I will try and get a set up battle of the POV 1.5, the Go Pro and the ContourHD all at the same time!

Here was my latest ContourHD videi:






VHoldR ContourHD Test - Stoopid Trail Colorado from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

brian - if you didn't get that sense already - thanks so much for the GoPro review. Your thoroughness was inspiring and set a high standard. I'm going to try a Panasonic Lumix FX-35 vs GoPro vs Contour HD kind of setup. Will be pretty cool to check out your head-to-head


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## 5H0CK3R (Oct 20, 2008)

LeeL said:


> Here's a better version
> 
> Vholdr Contour HD is the first video segment worn on the helmet. GoPro Hero Wide is second segment worn on the chest mount.
> 
> ...


In this take it looks like you converted the GoPro segment to the HD resolution which isn't the native GoPro res. Doesn't that stretch and distort the image a bit?


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

yah - good point - it does compromise the GoPro res. Unfortunately, I'm a video editing dummy so Im glad you pointed that out. I'm going to revert to my usual laziness and render everything 640 x 480. That keeps every dimension about the same.


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## Polar Bear (Mar 4, 2008)

pastajet said:


> I will try and get a set up battle of the POV 1.5, the Go Pro and the ContourHD all at the same time!


Here's a comparison of the POV 1, the GoPro, and a Canon Vixia HF11 (HD Camcorder mounted to helmet):


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## ProEdgeBiker (Jun 24, 2004)

for the Money, IMO, the Countour HD gets the most bang for your buck.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

Ok, I tried to get all my cameras working at the same time, but the GoPro battery died (been sitting a long time), and then the POV 1.5 lens got pointed cockeyed when the cord got grabbed by my backpack, so only the ContourHD worked!

Here was my setup, and it hurt my neck with all that freakin' weight


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

hahaha - i love it!


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

lol vholr has a video on their web site comparing them like that all strapped on one guys helmet. (VholdR, ContourHD, GoPro, Oregon Scientific, Vio)

Lol its one crazy rig check it out
http://www.vholdr.com/contourhd/videos?vid=7


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

Great GoPro/ContourHD comparison guys - much appreciated since I am looking at picking up a new camera in the next few weeks. I am interested in your opinions on a few topics.

While the picture quality of the CountourHD is much better, I am concerned about the camera shake. In general it just seems much harder to watch than the GoPro Wide. There was mention that the vHoldr mount may be looser than the GoPro - has anyone found a way to tighten it up to reduce the "Blair Witch Project" effect?

How does the audio compare? Not a huge concern of mine, but worth getting an opinion on.

How are the mounting options on the ContourHD? I really have only seen helmet mounted videos vs. chest, bike and helmet for the GoPro. I am preferential to the chest mounts - they give me the best sense of the action at hand.

I will be using the camera for MTB and snowboarding mainly, so ultimately which would you guys recommend at the end of the day? 

Thanks in advance


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## Polar Bear (Mar 4, 2008)

shmooove said:


> How are the mounting options on the ContourHD? I really have only seen helmet mounted videos vs. chest, bike and helmet for the GoPro. I am preferential to the chest mounts - they give me the best sense of the action at hand.
> 
> I will be using the camera for MTB and snowboarding mainly, so ultimately which would you guys recommend at the end of the day?
> 
> Thanks in advance


I like the GoPro because of the smoothness and the ability to chest mount and bike mount. Someone said that the Contour HD has a rolling shutter so bike mounts would probably be no good (based on my own experience with rolling shutter cameras).

As for snowboarding, check this out:


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

Polar Bear said:


> I like the GoPro because of the smoothness and the ability to chest mount and bike mount. Someone said that the Contour HD has a rolling shutter so bike mounts would probably be no good (based on my own experience with rolling shutter cameras).
> 
> As for snowboarding, check this out:


That is a great video - perfect position for the camera, though his arm must have been tired holding it up there for so long!

Yeah if the contourHD has a rolling shutter that will be no good for bike mounting. I already have had a tough time watching some of the more bouncy videos.


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## Polar Bear (Mar 4, 2008)

Here's a video with the GoPro that mixes third person and chest mount shots:






JVS Mountain Challenge #2 from JVS Mountain Crew on Vimeo.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

It's kind of hard to say how hard or easy the Vholdr will be to chest mount. I'm thinking of rigging up a test unit like you did bri with the velcro strap around the chest (thx for the picture btw) but figuring out a mount where the Vholdr is either under the arm close to the chest or on the top of a pack strap on the shoulder. Somewhere where it's lower if you know what I mean?

I couldn't really mess around too much with the ContourHD I had as it was someone else;s test unit and it would not be nice to start cutting up their helmet etc,

I have some mounting ideas that also involve velcro straps and buckles - something that's easily moveable from helmet, to chest to rear of pack or facing backwards.

But it's really really tough to duplicate the fantastic ability of the GoPro to move the mounts around. That seems to have been really well though out.

As for audio - the Vholdr is better although it has wind noise. You can fix that by putting some noise muffling foam around the mic.

As for cold weather, in theory the Vholdr would be better since it has a LiOn battery and those are quite good in cold weather. Again, I stress this is theory.

Here's the audio comparing Vholdr to GoPro if you're curious. With the GoPro I used the mod suggested by GoPro in the review article I wrote (look that up in FeedtheHabit) and also turned the sound on Hi. It's still not terribly good.






Comparison of GoPro vs VHoldr ContourHD from Lee Lau on Vimeo.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

You know, after looking around at a number of different videos for the ContourHD I think that the camera shake could be unavoidable. And while the videos are crisper and have better color, the shake can literally ruin a viewing experience. 

I hate to say it, because I *really* want the contourHD to work for me, I think the GoPro Wide may be a better choice for watchability.


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

shmooove said:


> That is a great video - perfect position for the camera, though his arm must have been tired holding it up there for so long!
> 
> Yeah if the contourHD has a rolling shutter that will be no good for bike mounting. I already have had a tough time watching some of the more bouncy videos.


Is this to bouncy?

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=529390

All cameras look bouncy as hell if you put it on the bars instead of your head.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

No, that is one of the only videos I have seen that is that stable. Of course that also looks like a fairly flat trail with minimal rocks and roots. The trails I ride in Colorado are typically not that smooth and the ContourHD videos I have seen on rougher trails tend to have a fairly shaky look to them.

I do wonder if some of it has to do with the mount and possibly riding technique as well.


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

shmooove said:


> No, that is one of the only videos I have seen that is that stable. Of course that also looks like a fairly flat trail with minimal rocks and roots. The trails I ride in Colorado are typically not that smooth and the ContourHD videos I have seen on rougher trails tend to have a fairly shaky look to them.
> 
> I do wonder if some of it has to do with the mount and possibly riding technique as well.


Yea its pretty smooth trail, I have another one on a real downhill down a ski resort (The willamette pass one) Its quite a bit rocky and shakes more. But I think it would be with any camera?

I'm going to try running it through iMovies stabilization filter and see if that does anything.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

I think riding technique has a lot to do with it. Look at mtbbill or Pete Fagerlin's videos. They seem to have that ability to hold their heads pretty still so that even on rugged trails the video is smooth. I don't have that down yet. Still whiplash every now and then


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

Trying keeping any camera steady in a rock garden, it is much worse with the camera on the bike instead of the head. And when it gets bumpy you have to clamp down your helmet awfully tight so it isn't to sloppy itself.

FYI: GoPro and VHoldR CMOS cameras use rolling shutter, while the POV uses the global shutter, which CDD cameras use. The degree that each exhibits motion artifacts depends on a lot of factors. The GoPro due to its wider camera angle tends to compensate for some of those side artifacts, but it is still there.

I just got done with a first impressions review of the Contour... http://www.gramslightbikes.com/2009/06/vholdr-contourhd-review-first.html


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

pastajet said:


> Ok, I tried to get all my cameras working at the same time, but the GoPro battery died (been sitting a long time), and then the POV 1.5 lens got pointed cockeyed when the cord got grabbed by my backpack, so only the ContourHD worked!
> 
> Here was my setup, and it hurt my neck with all that freakin' weight


You look like a member of the Borg with all that electronic equipment attached to your head.
:lol:


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## ddraewwg (Jul 22, 2004)

Is it the hosting site (i.e. vimeo, youtube, etc), my network or the camera? A lot of the videos i've seen with the Contour seem to "stutter". Like the video isn't streaming very well. If it's the hosting site, then I'm not too worried but I definitely don't want the raw footage to come out that way.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

pastajet said:


> Trying keeping any camera steady in a rock garden, it is much worse with the camera on the bike instead of the head. And when it gets bumpy you have to clamp down your helmet awfully tight so it isn't to sloppy itself.
> 
> FYI: GoPro and VHoldR CMOS cameras use rolling shutter, while the POV uses the global shutter, which CDD cameras use. The degree that each exhibits motion artifacts depends on a lot of factors. The GoPro due to its wider camera angle tends to compensate for some of those side artifacts, but it is still there.
> 
> I just got done with a first impressions review of the Contour... http://www.gramslightbikes.com/2009/06/vholdr-contourhd-review-first.html


Thanks for the review. Looks like you would choose one for your personal use.


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

You can download the original copy of the video on vimeo bottom right corner.

Probably your computer.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

ddraewwg said:


> Is it the hosting site (i.e. vimeo, youtube, etc), my network or the camera? A lot of the videos i've seen with the Contour seem to "stutter". Like the video isn't streaming very well. If it's the hosting site, then I'm not too worried but I definitely don't want the raw footage to come out that way.


I agree its probably your comp. The videos don't stutter on my comp. KTM's videos are very nice if I haven't mentioned


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

Here was my latest comparison between the models, it is difficult to get everything perfect due to each cameras layout, so I did the best I could....






Multi Camera Shootout - ContourHD vs HERO Wide vs POV 1.5 from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.


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## DLd (Feb 15, 2005)

shmooove said:


> No, that is one of the only videos I have seen that is that stable. Of course that also looks like a fairly flat trail with minimal rocks and roots. The trails I ride in Colorado are typically not that smooth and the ContourHD videos I have seen on rougher trails tend to have a fairly shaky look to them.
> 
> I do wonder if some of it has to do with the mount and possibly riding technique as well.


Y'know, I've been looking at these and watching videos, and I haven't made my mind up yet, but I think the additional shakiness might have to do with it being HD. It seems the lower resolution of SD would just sort of innately smooth out some degree of shakiness, but HD while revealing all the details also reveals the shakes.


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## 5H0CK3R (Oct 20, 2008)

I'll just throw this unproven theory out there...
I don't think it has anything to do with resolution but mostly to do with focal length. The GoPro has a short focal length which causes the image to look more stable. Think about it this way: looking through a 50x pair of binoculars your hand shake is much more exaggerated than looking through a pair of 10x binoculars.

On a separate point, the ContourHD picture is way more vivid and sharper. You can adjust color post production but sharpness is very hard to make noticeably better.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

Frankly, I think the shake is a combination of all the above. A narrower field of view and different focal length than the GoPro, an HD picture which accentuates any movement, a rolling shutter which can cause more blur and to a degree riding technique (no offense to anyone - you are just in the middle of the learning curve ).

I agree - you cannot change PQ after the video was taken so that is a huge plus for the ContourHD.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

pastajet said:


> Here was my latest comparison between the models, it is difficult to get everything perfect due to each cameras layout, so I did the best I could....


Thanks for doing another comparison, pastajet! You rock!

My thoughts (most are probably obvious and well documented):

ContourHD: 
Color and clarity are fantastic and the best of the 3. 
Enjoyable light to dark transitions. 
Some fish eye bend on the edges.
Slight movement (shake) in the picture is more noticable compared to the other cameras. Having the picture angled at the ground pronounces this a bit too.
Blurry on the left upper corner - possibly a smudge on the lens? 

POV 1.5: 
Colors are inaccurate and can get washed out. 
Best light to dark transitions.
Least amount of "fish eye" bend on the edges. 
The shake appears to be as much as the ContourHD but does not make me as dizzy. This points to the lesser picture quality as being a big factor.
Best SD picture but not as good as the ContourHD.

GoPro Hero Wide: 
Color is good - between the POV and vHoldr. 
Light to dark transitions are on par with the ContourHD. 
Worst fish eye.
Shake is very muted due to the angle and PQ.
Worst PQ of the 3.

If you have it in you Pastajet, I would love to see some faster downhilling action. No pressure - just if you are game for it :thumbsup: You are going to have one strong neck after toting around these cameras! Thanks again ...


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## ProEdgeBiker (Jun 24, 2004)

Here's a couple i recorder with the Contour HD flying thru some of our local trails. I do have to say that the helmet mount needs a better design in the future.

http://vholdr.com/sites/default/files/flv/42player.swf

http://vholdr.com/sites/default/files/flv/42player.swf


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

5H0CK3R said:


> On a separate point, the ContourHD *picture is way more vivid and sharper*. You can adjust color post production but sharpness is very hard to make noticeably better.


While I agree with you 100%, from what I read of the reviews and seen of the footage of each camera, the sharper picture of the Contour, IMO, is not near enough to warrant the extra $100+ price tag...and w/o all the mounting accessories that the GoPro has.


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## noshortcuts (Nov 29, 2005)

For the most part I enjoy wathcing GoPro video a bit more than the HD. I get more engaged with the riding. Maybe because it is smoother, but also because of the wider view that often includes the front tire.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

shmooove said:


> Thanks for doing another comparison, pastajet! You rock!
> 
> My thoughts (most are probably obvious and well documented):
> 
> ...


Hey shmoove I agree with you except for the light-dark transistions.

The Contour HD is much better then the GoPro in that regard.

Here's some GoPro and ContourHD action. The avg speed on this downhill is 40kmh. GoPro is mounted with chesty backwards on the pack. Contour HD is looking forward. Static shots are Panasonic Lumix FX35






Alpine ridgeline downhill from sea cucumber on Vimeo.

Here's the first half of the video if you're interested. It's a combination of Panasonic Lumix FX35 and ContourHD






Alpine ridgetop rides from sea cucumber on Vimeo.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Did a formal "preliminary impressions" writeup - more to follow

https://nsmb.com/3126-gear-shots-56/ for more

*
VHoldr Contour HD*

In the ContourHD product, Vholdr has developed a compact light camera that can be used to shoot POV (Point of View) video footage with exceptional picture quality. It's a well thought-out unit; easy to operate yet with pretty much every feature that one might want in a POV camera. This preliminary review does not lend itself to anything more then the most cursory of examinations of mounting options but this appears to be an area that might need improvement and/or some tinkering. A more involved review to follow will look at the Vholdr ContourHD for use primarily in the sport of freeride/downhill mountain biking. It will also suggest some easy-to-implement mounting option modifications.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Here's some video from the ContourHD handheld and used to record a bike race in Whistler.






Four Jacks - Stage Race Whistler, Day 3 from Lee Lau on Vimeo.


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

LeeL said:


> A more involved review to follow will look at the Vholdr ContourHD for use primarily in the sport of freeride/downhill mountain biking. It will also suggest some easy-to-implement mounting option modifications.


Any progress on the FR/DH review?


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

I got additional mounting options and the vented helmet mounting kit from Vholdr. Going to try some comparison video. Also figured out how to mount the Vholdr looking backwards. It's not the easiest thing in the world to jerryrig. 

Still having problems in that the video output is incredibly shaky and trying to isolate that issue - ie is it a feature or is it user error?


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## MaxxCutts8 (Nov 7, 2008)

So far I have loved my ContourHD. I try and not mount it to the bike because there is too much bounce, but haven't had a bad problem with it on my helmet. Great comparisons from a lot of different people. Good to see more than one point of view


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

LeeL said:


> Still having problems in that the video output is incredibly shaky and trying to isolate that issue - ie is it a feature or is it user error?


Looking at all the various videos out there I would postulate it is a feature. I still have not purchased a helmet cam because I am too indecisive at this point. Still caught up in the better picture vs. more watchable dilemma.



MaxxCutts8 said:


> I try and not mount it to the bike because there is too much bounce, but haven't had a bad problem with it on my helmet.


What kind of trails do you ride MaxxCutts? That will make a difference in terms of shakiness.


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## Polar Bear (Mar 4, 2008)

LeeL said:


> Going to try some comparison video.


Looking forward to it.

PB


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

LeeL said:


> I got additional mounting options and the vented helmet mounting kit from Vholdr. Going to try some comparison video. Also figured out how to mount the Vholdr looking backwards. It's not the easiest thing in the world to jerryrig.
> 
> Still having problems in that the video output is incredibly shaky and trying to isolate that issue - ie is it a feature or is it user error?


Cool, thanks.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Seymour
Dales - CBuster - Bridle Path - Lower Neds - Bottletop

Tested the following mounting options:

1. Helmet mount
2. Goggle mount on chest webbing strap
3. Goggle mount on webbing on downtube looking forwards
4. Goggle mount on webbing on downtube looking backwards
5. Goggle mount on webbing on toptube looking backwards






Seymour ride - tested various mount options of the Vholdr ContourHD from Lee Lau on Vimeo.

Next up - will try some Vholdr mixed in with GoPro


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## q_at96 (Feb 22, 2006)

LeeL,
thanks for taking the time to experiment w/ the contourHD mounting options...

I also tried to chesty strap thing but i decided it isn't going to work all that well for my needs.

The backwards on the backpack looks pretty sweet...

I use a google mount on my vented helmet (i am an xc rider) and i have the option of fwd/bwd views on the camera which i am happy so far.

keep up the good work!
cheers,
Q


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Boyd's Trail - Whistler from Lee Lau on Vimeo.

GoPro forward - Vholdr backwards


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## DLd (Feb 15, 2005)

Thoughts:
1. Can't handle the side chest mount, makes me tilt my head while watching it and starts to hurt my neck.
2. Helmet mount seemed smoothest for the contourHD so far.
3. I thought you could get some cool clips with the downtube mounting that could be interspersed in a final video for a cool effect. It wasn't as shaky as I thought it would be when mounted on the bike.
4. Backpack view looked good also.
5. After watching a few ContourHD videos and getting used to the detail, it was like looking at digitally zoomed in pics from a 1 megapixel camera when watching the GoPro, BUT I liked the point of view from the GoPro the best, centered with the handlebar in the bottom portion of the picture, makes it look like you're riding the trail when you're watching it. I'm not sure how difficult it would be to come up with a mount to give a similar POV for the ContourHD, same problem with any lipstick type cam, it's like wearing a spike on your chest.

Thanks for all the testing.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

DLd said:


> Thoughts:
> 1. Can't handle the side chest mount, makes me tilt my head while watching it and starts to hurt my neck.
> 
> 5. After watching a few ContourHD videos and getting used to the detail, it was like looking at digitally zoomed in pics from a 1 megapixel camera when watching the GoPro, BUT I liked the point of view from the GoPro the best, centered with the handlebar in the bottom portion of the picture, makes it look like you're riding the trail when you're watching it. I'm not sure how difficult it would be to come up with a mount to give a similar POV for the ContourHD, same problem with any lipstick type cam, it's like wearing a spike on your chest.
> ...


Agreed on the side chest mount.

Agreed on all the other points.

Also agreed that the GoPro chest mount viewpoint is my favorite but for the life of me I can't figure out how to duplicate that with the ContourHD


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## DLd (Feb 15, 2005)

I'm thinking maybe a top of the shoulder mount, but it being off-center might create the tilted-head feeling. I'll try to come up with some additional ideas when I get mine on Saturday.

I had a question for you, and any of the other video-editing gurus on here. I was wondering what program you use to edit the clips into movies.

I was looking at Power Director 7. They have a deluxe and an Ultra version, the deluxe is only $42 and the Ultra is $72. Looking at their comparison page, the only difference seems to be that the Ultra can do Blu-Ray disc authoring (not too important to me) and it can author and work with AVCHD. If I'm using it to just make videos with this camera, would that be important to me? Both accept .mov as input and MPEG-4 AVC (H.264). Would this be all I need for basic editing and burning tasks?

Thanks,
Don


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

DLd said:


> I'm thinking maybe a top of the shoulder mount, but it being off-center might create the tilted-head feeling. I'll try to come up with some additional ideas when I get mine on Saturday.
> 
> I had a question for you, and any of the other video-editing gurus on here. I was wondering what program you use to edit the clips into movies.
> 
> ...


Hey Don - great minds and all that.

I did try a top of the shoulder mount but discarded it. It catches my entire face and still isolates the rider from the handlebars. I mounted it using the goggle mount on webbing attached to a pack strap.

As for video software (and I'm not a guru btw - I don't particularly want to spend too much riding time farting around with functions I don't care for) see this excerpt from my GoPro review - http://www.feedthehabit.com/outdoors/the-definitive-gopro-pov-video-camera-review/

_Recommended Video Editing Tips

Finally, at the undoubted risk of exposing my ignorance and displaying my biases, I'll say a few words about videos. Here are some tips:

1. Try to include some different perspectives. Mix up Helmet, Stem, Reverse and maybe some footage from stationary observers
2. Short is better than long. Some have said 1 minute. Personally I find 3 minutes is about right. I violate this rule all the time of course and will plead that when it's videos for the benefit of friends that I put in as much footage as possible to keep them happy.
3. Videos look better when either you're chasing someone or someone is chasing you. It's nice to have some other person in the frame.
4. Videos of climbs are boring (I say this as a former shaved-legs bib short-wearing xc racer). 15 seconds of downhill trumps 15 minutes of video footage of sweaty climbs.
5. Everyone will criticize your music so don't worry about that. Unless you like Zamfir with the pan-flute.
6. Use whatever software you need so that you'll actually make those videos. I know someone with 12 hours of video on their POV that they bought last winter. They bought the horrifically bloated Adobe Premier Elements. I'm sure this is wonderful software if you want to work for Pixar or have unlimited time to play with buggy, bloated , take-over-your computer overloaded functionality crapware (sarcasm intended) but maybe stick to something that's adequate for its intended purpose and won't give you a raging migraine as soon as you look at its user interface.
7. If you have a GoPro, your raw footage is not going to be the highest quality. Accept that and embrace the concept of quick, easy workflow video editing. My personal choice is the free Windows Movie Maker. I recently bought AVS4You which has slightly more functionality and will read not just the GoPro .avi formats but also Apple's Quicktime format and most importantly is easy to use.
_


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

OK some other people on another forum requested splitscreen side by side comparison

I can't do that with my software but here's the next best thing

Note that both videos were shot by the same rider (me) wearing the cams at the same time. Trail section is very smooth and loamy






GoPro chest cam short segment on Burke from Lee Lau on Vimeo.






Vholdr ContourHD helmet cam short segment on Burke from Lee Lau on Vimeo.


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

FWIW, we had been looking at cameras for a while. This post was very informative for us. Thanks to those that ran multiple camera comparos. 

Initially I wanted a GO-Pro. I was a bit more enthused to buy one when they released the newer versions a few months ago.

Still we held off.

A couple of weeks ago my friend that has done a lot of video stuff for many years bought a VholdR ContourHD. He is not a cyclist, but was planning to use the helmet camera to record a climbing job (500 feet open air at the top) he was working on.

He quickly found a limit of the Contour and that is immediate playback, for all his effort and cost he had nothing record. Also he had no way of knowing this while on site.

His buying the VholdR Contour HD rekindled our want for a camera. The wife and I now primarily ride tandem bicycles both on and off road. 

Our first effots were with a borrowed vintage camera setup (older tape type camcorder and primitive camera) we got some very good rear looking footage of on road paceline stuff. For this the camera mounting and location were pretty important. Lesson learned...

Seeing my friends tiny ContourHD had me looking again. Small and self contained, and apparent easy mounting. After some video watching here and other sites, I kind of decided it appeared nothing was absolutely 100%. Some were expensive like the POV1.5, others offered great mount options like the Go-Pro, one had HD. But in the end I cheaped out and got the VholdR non HD model. The price at $100 was easy to deal with, the lack of good-n-easy mounting options is easily overlooked at the price point, and the quality prior to web posting is decent when helmet mounted.

Given the chance to buy another camera, I again would consider all the helpful comparisons here, as these seem to be the best real world way of seeing the good and bad between each manufacturer, model, and mounting method.

While the Contour may have picture quality at the moment, it is the only one recording high speed and HD. It is small and self contained, but can't playback. The Go-Pro has a big following and does a decent job all around, maybe should be badged a camera for the masses. The POV is not cheap and needs the control box/cable dealt with by the user.

If it matters, we'll use our Po-Boy setup for now and hope and plan for the next generation POV to fill in the mounting gaps while bringing HD (hopefully) to another brand.

Thanks for a great learning and help in selecting equipment topic.

I'm curious to see any VholdR type mounts that are not helmet and record well without running a stabilize program. One guy posted a rear shot on a DH run on the manufacturers site, but I don't recall seeing a photo of his actual mount.

PK


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

LeeL said:


> OK some other people on another forum requested splitscreen side by side comparison
> 
> I can't do that with my software but here's the next best thing
> 
> ...


Watching those two, gives nice real world shots...I'd use these to question having HD and or how important mounting location is. The chest mount has you become somewhat involved, the helmet mount lets you almost spectate. Kind of depends upon personal preference.

PK


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

At those sizes, HD isn't really given the chance to shine. If you intend to play them back on a large TV then HD is vital.


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## DLd (Feb 15, 2005)

Datalogger said:


> At those sizes, HD isn't really given the chance to shine. If you intend to play them back on a large TV then HD is vital.


Is 67" considered large?


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## DLd (Feb 15, 2005)

Ahh... sort of what I figured about the shoulder mount after watching the side chest. What about the AVCHD, is the output from this camera considered to be in that format? Or do I need to burn to that format for someone to be able to watch it on a DVD?

I'll probably go with Power Director 7. I don't need bloatware. PD7 had quite a few negative user reviews when it first came out, lots of crashing and such. I'm guessing a few patches have fixed that. Does it seem stable for you? Also what kind of setup are you using, CPU/Video Card?



LeeL said:


> Hey Don - great minds and all that.
> 
> I did try a top of the shoulder mount but discarded it. It catches my entire face and still isolates the rider from the handlebars. I mounted it using the goggle mount on webbing attached to a pack strap.
> 
> ...


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

AVCHD? I see its yet another format? I don't know much about it.

I render to MOV (aka Quicktime) format and use the H264 codec. To me, its the best tradeoff between compression and quality. I totally agree with Datalogger about the HD quality shining on a TV. Having said that my review and use is purely for websharing so please keep that in mind.

I picked AVS4You for video-editing for the following reasons:

1. Friendly quick German support teams
2. NOT bloatware
3. Agnostic - ie it handles a lot of different video outputs. 

I'm going to try the chest mounted ContourHD again but jerryrigged to avoid tilt. We'll see how it works


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

ContourHD chest mount test from Lee Lau on Vimeo.

ContourHD chest mount test. Need to test with a jersey as opposed to t-shirt flapping away


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

Looks like you are filming through your belly button Lee! Cool that you got that to work.

I don't use the vented VHoldR helmet mount because it is too sloppy, instead I use a large Velcro strap (same size as a goggle strap) and the goggle mount, I can then strap down the mount very securely so the mount doesn't move much, but the camera itself has a slight sloppiness within its rail system itself.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

That is actually not a bad angle. Now if you would just ride with your right arm up in the air and out of the picture, it would be perfect


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Brian - right the camera moves too much on the rails. Interestingly I tried cinching down the camera on the rails and its about the same pic quality. The helmet moves too much. For the helmet not to move I'd have to have it so tight I'd choke myself. I tried the goggle mount ziptied to the helmet (ie very tight) and its still a pretty shaky output image. Not too crazy about the helmet mount all - in - all.

The fork mount has way too much fork. I'm going to try a handlebar mount but I bet it'd still be shaky.

The chest mount has potential but I would eat so much sh&t if I rode with my right arm up and out of the picture. I'd love to figure out a way to get it mounted on chest but it seems like it'd be really vulnerable


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

LeeL said:


> The chest mount has potential but I would eat so much sh&t if I rode with my right arm up and out of the picture.


ROFL, I was just kidding  It would make some great wipeout video though, especially on some of the trails you showcase, e.g. Concussion Corner.


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## UphillTherenBack (Jul 24, 2009)

*I'm going to get rid of my Vholdr HD and get a GoPro*

I have the old goPro wide and I bought the Vholdr to get HD but the it's not waterproof. Still using the goPro on my surf board. I'm going to scrap them both when the HD GoPro comes out. 1 toy for everything.

The Vholdr has good picture, and it comes with a great automatic shut off feature! Everytime I hit the woops, it shuts off all by itself! :madman:

Does anyone know when we can buy the new GoPro?
Anyone want here want my old Vholdr or my GoPro wide? Probably going to have to trade them for some used boxes on craigslist


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## JCRider1974 (Jul 15, 2009)

UphillTherenBack said:


> I have the old goPro wide and I bought the Vholdr to get HD but the it's not waterproof. Still using the goPro on my surf board. I'm going to scrap them both when the HD GoPro comes out. 1 toy for everything.
> 
> The Vholdr has good picture, and it comes with a great automatic shut off feature! Everytime I hit the woops, it shuts off all by itself! :madman:
> 
> ...


Yea vholdlr is a piece. I heard their about to go out of business; esp when the gp hd comes out.


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## shmooove (Jun 5, 2008)

JCRider1974 said:


> I heard their about to go out of business; esp when the gp hd comes out.


Huh? These guys appear to be selling the ContourHD like hot cakes. Where are you hearing that from?


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## biophase (Apr 30, 2004)

Just got back from a trip where we took about 30 gigs of Go Pro video. Took some video with a Panasonic camcorder mounted to helmet also.

The wide angle has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
Makes video look less shaky
In forward view makes everything look faster. 
Chest mount make for cool videos
If you're camera angle is slightly off, the wide angle leaves you room for error.
Waterproof, just in case you fall into a creek. 

Disadvantages:
Wide angle makes everything look far away. I could be on my friend's wheel and in the video it looks likes he's 3 ft in front of me.
backward view looks really slow
Sound is pretty crappy
Picture is distorted at edges (Trees all bend out as you pass them making you feel like Neo in the Matrix)

I think the less shaky video part makes up for everything else. I have been using helmet cameras since 2002 (I mounted a huge mini DV to my helmet and counterweighted 3 lbs on the other side) and what ruins a video the most is the shakiness. I would love to see a mid-Wide angle version of the Gopro... in HD!


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## FloridaFish (Mar 29, 2004)

http://helmetcameracentral.com/2009/07/22/gopro-hd-high-def-helmet-cam-announce/

looks like a winner. slow-mo video, full hd, and the ole wide angle lens. I think I'll be upgrading.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Its premature to say anything about the GoPro HD till its actually out.


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## FloridaFish (Mar 29, 2004)

DoneSomeHelmetcam said:


> This is an interesting response and indicative of how some folks buy into the "HD" marketing hype from some manufacturers.
> 
> There is more to "full HD" that resolution (for example: data rate/bit varies widely between "HD" video cameras) than 1980 x 1080.
> 
> ...


**** off pete, not everyone is so OCD about their videos.


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## FloridaFish (Mar 29, 2004)

DoneSomeHelmetcam said:


> It's not about being OCD or not, it's just the simple truth.
> 
> Many folks buy into the "HD" marketing pap without understanding how little resolution/megapixels truly affect the quality of the image.
> 
> ...


Read the article i posted, I was simply regurgitating what was written about the camera by those "in the know". There was a bit of sarcasm in my statements, but if the videos look good when this thing finally comes out I'll probably will get one. I've been happy with my gopro so far, even if sucks at adjusting to light conditions.

btw, new screen name isn't nearly creative enough.


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## FloridaFish (Mar 29, 2004)

DoneSomeHelmetcam said:


> If that is the truth, then you need to work on conveying sarcasm more effectively.
> 
> "looks like a winner. slow-mo video, full hd, and the ole wide angle lens. I think I'll be upgrading" does not read as sarcasm but it does read as gushing, confused fanboi consumerism.


You're right, i am an automaton.

Good night sweet helmet cam prince. I love you.


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## MaxxCutts8 (Nov 7, 2008)

stacked up against each other on the same screen. yes I have a favorite but you make the decision. 
http://www.vholdr.com/contourhd/videos?vid=7


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## JCRider1974 (Jul 15, 2009)

shmooove said:


> Huh? These guys appear to be selling the ContourHD like hot cakes. Where are you hearing that from?


They were talking about it on on street bike forum, I was trying to pull the thread but couldn't locate it. I'm not a fan of the Vholdr, I can tell that they aren't able to hang with the other big players in this niche market. It's decent video, but it's temperamental and too fragile. My humble opinion.


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

JCRider1974 said:


> They were talking about it on on street bike forum, I was trying to pull the thread but couldn't locate it. I'm not a fan of the Vholdr, *I can tell that they aren't able to hang with the other big players in this niche market.* It's decent video, but it's temperamental and too fragile. My humble opinion.


That's even been covered in this thread too. The GoPro has a much better, more stable mounting system than the Vholdr.

Add that to the extra $100 that the Vholdr costs and my personal favorite of: EVERYONE being out of them and not being able to get them until late August....FUK that. 
I bet since no one can get a Vholdr, everyone will go after the GoPro, realize how well the mounting brackets work and how stable they are and forget about the Vholdr.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

I wouldn't put to much into the vholdr's video collage. Most all of us wear vented helmets, so that is the helmet they should be testing with?

I will get my hands on a GoPro HERO HD as soon as I can, but like Lee said, can't judge it until I see it. I have asked VHoldR about the shake issue and they have not responded to me (vacations?).

Anyway, I have taken upwards of 200 hours of HD on the ContourHD, and yes it has the best colors, it's the most vivid, with incredible clarity, and has the best picture, etc...but...no matter how much I tighten down the camera on my helmet, on rough terrain it gets the shakes?

I will let you identify each of the different brands, they are pretty obvious?






VHoldR ContourHD Rough Terrain Test from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

pastajet said:


> I wouldn't put to much into the vholdr's video collage. Most all of us wear vented helmets, so that is the helmet they should be testing with?
> 
> I will get my hands on a GoPro HERO HD as soon as I can, but like Lee said, can't judge it until I see it. I have asked VHoldR about the shake issue and they have not responded to me (vacations?).
> 
> ...


Excellent post dude. 
However, if we can't buy it today (i.e. Hero HD) then I don't want to hear about it. I was already super pissed off about the Contour HD being on back order (good job there Vholder ). You had me all wound up when you mentioned it, but then when I checked to see how much it was so I could order it on Friday...OOPS, not out yet. GRRRRRRR :madman: :madmax:

I wish the gub'mint could fine companies for letting their products go to back order.


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## noshortcuts (Nov 29, 2005)

pastajet said:


> I will let you identify each of the different brands, they are pretty obvious?


I'm feeling car sick. I don't know if it was the shaking image or the music. Maybe the combination.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

noshortcuts said:


> I'm feeling car sick. I don't know if it was the shaking image or the music. Maybe the combination.


Too funny, don't you like your shake and bake with a bit of 'Squirrel Bait', a seminal punk band from the 80's?

Anyway got to get you ready for the Mojo HD!


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## noshortcuts (Nov 29, 2005)

pastajet said:


> Too funny, ..........
> 
> Anyway got to get you ready for the Mojo HD!


A true public service!!! :thumbsup:


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## Datalogger (Jul 5, 2008)

biophase said:


> Waterproof, just in case you fall into a creek. !


I'll vouch for that! Haha. Makes for some great footage though!



biophase said:


> Disadvantages:
> Wide angle makes everything look far away. I could be on my friend's wheel and in the video it looks likes he's 3 ft in front of me!


I hate that!


biophase said:


> I would love to see a mid-Wide angle version of the Gopro... in HD!


Me too! I think this would help solve the "far-away" look mentioned in your last quote.


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## JCRider1974 (Jul 15, 2009)

rmb_mike said:


> That's even been covered in this thread too. The GoPro has a much better, more stable mounting system than the Vholdr.
> 
> Add that to the extra $100 that the Vholdr costs and my personal favorite of: EVERYONE being out of them and not being able to get them until late August....FUK that.
> I bet since no one can get a Vholdr, everyone will go after the GoPro, realize how well the mounting brackets work and how stable they are and forget about the Vholdr.


Couldn't agree more. Tachyon xc is a new company that I'm really digging right now too.


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

FYI, I was able to create my own mounting system that is just as stable as the GoPro mounting system and it still has the shake issue. The VHoldR Vented mounting system is a joke. Here is some pictures of the mounting system I used, and my latest test video.

Per my video: I jogged around the yard wearing the ContourHD and the GoPro HERO. What is interesting is that the Hero is stable and the ContourHD is shaky, and in fact you can see in the Hero shot that the ContourHD lens is not moving around. I created a better mounting system then the optional VHoldR Vented system.

Enjoy.























VHoldR Contour Shake Test - continued from Brian Mullin on Vimeo.


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

They both look shaky to me.


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## GoPro (May 25, 2007)

Sneak peak, Red Bull rocking a pre-production sample of the HD HERO in a world record jump in Chicago a couple weeks ago with Ronnie Renner:






Remember, this is pre-production. It only gets better.

Note the image clarity from edge to edge. Compare with other cameras that are only sharp in the center.

The sound is straight off the 2 GoPro cameras used, but we're not done yet. The little background wind rumble you hear when he's peaked out will be gone. Renner didn't have our latest spec. We've refined it to where you can go 85 mph on a motorcycle and all you hear is motor...just a hint of wind to let you know you're cookin'. This means mt biking it's all about the tire grip, brakes, and hoots. We are obsessed with not only HD video but also HD sound...no more HI/LO sound settings...all goodness with automated AGC (automatic gain control) keeping the sound optimal inside or outside of the housing.

RF mic and remotes will be an option for those wanting to get super creative.

I could tell you how much we've invested in R&D on this unit, but then I'd have to kill me.

More soon, thanks for the interest and discussion. Posting to help foster discussion, please don't BBQ me - GoPro


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## ezl_oo (Jun 15, 2009)

WoW...if that is pre-production I can't wait for the final product!!! I was in the market for a camera to catch my mtb downhill/freerides and my supermoto riding and was thinking of the old gopro wide or the new vholdr contourhd.

But, after hearing of the new gopro hd in 1080p and watching this clip, I will definitely wait for the new gopro hd to come out!!!

GoPro...any definite word on when they will become available for the public and where we will be able to pre-order one? Also will they have a chest mounting option for the new gopro hd like they have on the old one, since the sizes of the cameras are different?

Thanks!


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

ezl - the HD will fit into the older GoPro cases so no worries on that


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

This presents some mounting options to give different video perspectives

https://www.nsmb.com/3193-vholdr-contour-hd-mounting-options/

Earlier article was here: - Initial review

abstract

_ * Form Factor; not only is this such a well-designed compact unit that you will use it for POV useage, you will also be tempted to use it as a hand-held camcorder (see the Four Jacks video below). I also knocked the ContourHD off one of the mounts where it tumbled into rocks and ferns. The camera worked just fine following this mishap.

* Useability; this little unit is really easy to use. Whether mounted on the helmet, downtube, toptube or seat tube I could easily operate the camera. The only mounting option where I couldn't reach the controls was the backpack mounted option. I note that the on-off sliding tab became really loose over a month or so of heavy use. It was so loose that the camera would turn on/off inadvertently even while riding. Tape fixes that problem but means that you can't operate the on-off switch easily.

* Video quality; this hasn't changed. The Vholdr ContourHD's static or smooth trail footage is superb. Quality degrades in rougher trails characteristic of freeride/downhill. I would have to attribute some of this degradation to the sub-par ContourHD mounts.

#
Easy Edit Software - this is video editing software that is a bit too simple for anything but the most rudimentary use. it's good for beginners and never-evers of videos but most people will want something with a bit more features. Still, it's free. I ran the test software on an older WinXP machine since it didn't run in my Vista 64bit machine
#
Mounting Options - there's no gentle way to put it. Vholdr needs to improve the ContourHD mounts. It's a shame to have such a nice camera/camcorder produce such nice output and have that output potentially ruined by jiggly, loose, poorly thought-out mounts.

#
Vholdr site hosting - once I got past a transcoding bug, performance is satisfactory. Upload speeds are at least as fast as Vimeo Plus speeds and a bit faster then Youtube. I couldn't discern any quality difference between the Vimeo-hosted videos and the Vholdr - hosted videos.

#
Battery - very good performance. This unit lasted for almost 4 hours of use. It will be interesting to see how it performs in colder weather

#
Audio - good. Still has a lot of wind noise. Since I almost always dub in a soundtrack I didn't notice how good the audio was till I used the ContourHD as a static handheld camcorder and preserved audio._


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## ezl_oo (Jun 15, 2009)

That is a great write up reveiw LeeL!!! Lots of pics and descriptions of the various ways to mount the vholdr.

Do you happen to know when the gopro hd is coming out?


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

ezl_oo said:


> That is a great write up reveiw LeeL!!! Lots of pics and descriptions of the various ways to mount the vholdr.
> 
> Do you happen to know when the gopro hd is coming out?


Late October is time frame that I have been given.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

yup just in time for powder frenzy season


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## Grey_Wolf (Dec 19, 2007)

Nice thread. Good info and resource on here. Would anyone be able to upload or show the Contour HD's footage in Standard Def, in as raw form as possible? I'd like to see the raw quality and at 60fps.


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## Swissam (Apr 8, 2008)

Go Pro HD in Whistler.
SWWEEEETTTTT!
The smoothness, the smoothness (drool) lol
Still waiting for the snow to melt.


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## MarkHL (Oct 12, 2004)

pastajet said:


> .but...no matter how much I tighten down the camera on my helmet, on rough terrain it gets the shakes?


Probably been discussed to death, however the "shakes" are probably due to the _rolling shutter_ design of the camera and how it records rapid changes to vertical motion. It's just an inherent problem with this type of design. With that said, obviously you don't want to add to the effect by having a loose mount or helmet fit. On vHolder, videos shot while hang gliding (where vertical motion is more subtle compared to Mt Biking) appear clear and stable. So basically no matter how you mount the camera for sports with rapid (vertical) motion there is going to appear to be some "shake".


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## Pedalphile (Aug 6, 2008)

MarkHL said:


> Probably been discussed to death, however the "shakes" are probably due to the _rolling shutter_ design of the camera and how it records rapid changes to vertical motion. It's just an inherent problem with this type of design. With that said, obviously you don't want to add to the effect by having a loose mount or helmet fit. On vHolder, videos shot while hang gliding (where vertical motion is more subtle compared to Mt Biking) appear clear and stable. So basically no matter how you mount the camera for sports with rapid (vertical) motion there is going to appear to be some "shake".


It takes no more than a rubber band or Velcro strap to overcome the deficiencies of the VholdR mounts. I could get the camera very securely mounted to my helmet, but I would still get shake because no matter how tight I cinched down my helmet, it would still wobble a bit on my melon. You will notice that VholdR vids made while mounted to full-face helmets are considerably more smooth than vented helmet mounted vids (some of this is that riders wearing full helmets are typically riding cushier bikes, but the more stable platform of a heavier and more securly mounted helmet makes the bulk of the difference).

For the most part I've stopped taking helmet-mounted footage in favor of a fork mount as the fork mount is much more steady. If you want to compare, have a look at my Little Bear vid posted this morning, and from there you can click on my Vimeo page - any mtn bike vids on my Vimeo page that were posted in 2009 were helmet mounted (the Little Bear vid is all fork mounted).

...and I agree, the rolling shutter indeed exacerbates any shake the camera is subjected to, but you'd have to buy something either much bigger or more expensive to get better shutter technology (the POV has a global shutter, but look at the price for a SD camera).

-Pete


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## Evo. (Feb 3, 2009)

That Go Pro HD looks awesome and STABLE.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Here are some GoPro HD vs ContourHD comparison videos


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## nonoy_d (Jun 27, 2005)

LeeL, Pastajet,
Thanks for your review and postings. I wish I had this review before I bought the Gopro hero wide. I barely used my camera because of technical difficulties. First of all, it appears to be dedicated only to single brand of memory card. When I used it skiing, it could not record the video due to I thought then cold weather, but now that it is summer, could not even turn the camera on. Customer support would like me to mail it back to them, hopefully they will be able to fix it. 
For future buyers I'm sure this thread will really be helpful in deciding which camera to spend the hard earned money.


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

not to worry; the contourHD suffers from the same flaws. it can work, but when it goes bad it goes BAD.

there is a reason these things can be had for 200-300 while the SD vio is still 500-600 and up. these toys have loose mounts, shake-prone footage, batteries and record switches that are loose (althogh the aftermarket mount fixes that), firmware upgrades that are supposed to fix card issues that works for a day or 2 then nothing at all about the cam works.

getting ready to RMA a ContourHD now. rep says they will likely send a new cam; but one has to wonder if it has any "fixes" applied--or same thing to happen again??

what is needed is a 750$ HD version of the vio that is same rigorous design qual as the current vio--and who gives a damn if it has to have a wire and separate recording unit.



nonoy_d said:


> LeeL, Pastajet,
> Thanks for your review and postings. I wish I had this review before I bought the Gopro hero wide. I barely used my camera because of technical difficulties. First of all, it appears to be dedicated only to single brand of memory card. When I used it skiing, it could not record the video due to I thought then cold weather, but now that it is summer, could not even turn the camera on. Customer support would like me to mail it back to them, hopefully they will be able to fix it.
> For future buyers I'm sure this thread will really be helpful in deciding which camera to spend the hard earned money.


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## ToddM (Feb 3, 2004)

While perhaps slightly off topic how does the video of the ContourHD and Gopro HD compare to using a bullet camera like the AC3 with a descent HD camcorder?


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

LeeL, I have been wanting to get a chest mount made for my contourHD.

I saw your side mount one...I did a Belt Mount, lol its no good.

But browsing around I found this guy on Contour.com that used a go-pro chest mount and some wood. I think it looks pretty good. Not as good as the go-pro chest view though.

HowTo: http://contour.com/node/89208
Sample I think: http://contour.com/node/61242

I think i'm going to give it a try before I buy a go-pro, eventually I'll probably just own both cameras.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

KTM - that's an interesting idea. I'll give that a go. It still means a bullet-stlyle cam sticking out of your chest but it looks like it works


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## Velo_1 (Oct 31, 2006)

Clip of my ContourHD mounted to the top tube.


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## Pedalphile (Aug 6, 2008)

Velo_1 said:


> Clip of my ContourHD mounted to the top tube.


:thumbsup: Doesn't get much smoother than that.

I have you tried mounting to the side of the headset yet? Same effect, but better view of the lead rider(s).

-Pete


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## Velo_1 (Oct 31, 2006)

Thats the next attempt. When I first tried it up by the head tube the angle was all wrong. I agree the view would be better farther forward.


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## scotteric (Aug 22, 2005)

so i noticed you can get a regular go pro (non-HD) for $100 bucks now. so the question is does HD really matter if you're just shooting video for fun and memories? are there advantages i'm missing?


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## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

Scott, from what Ive seen most of the guys don't shoot in 1080p anyway. 960p is the preferred.

Lee, or anyone for that matter.... why is it sometimes the gopro looks clearer while others the contour does. Also what will the standard 2gb card shoot...time wise? I have seen the gopro 960 for around $224 with extra battery or the contour for $279 with 2gb card. If it was you and you were buying all over again and could have one....which would it be and why?
What mount is a must with each for regular MTB vids.


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## carguy4471 (Nov 24, 2010)

Velo_1 said:


> Clip of my ContourHD mounted to the top tube.


Which mount was this with??


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

larlev said:


> Scott, from what Ive seen most of the guys don't shoot in 1080p anyway. 960p is the preferred.
> 
> Lee, or anyone for that matter.... why is it sometimes the gopro looks clearer while others the contour does. Also what will the standard 2gb card shoot...time wise? I have seen the gopro 960 for around $224 with extra battery or the contour for $279 with 2gb card. If it was you and you were buying all over again and could have one....which would it be and why?
> What mount is a must with each for regular MTB vids.


Usually its the mounts that cause poor video. Although challenging light (usually low light) results in poor video. These cameras aren't going to be very good for low light without a lot of post processing and even then they're mediocre.

2GB won't give you much video. The GoPro site will tell you exactly but at 720p 30fps you'll get no more than about half an hour. iirc.

I wrote an article about GoPro mounts and put up a link in this forum - do a search


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## ProEdgeBiker (Jun 24, 2004)

scotteric said:


> so i noticed you can get a regular go pro (non-HD) for $100 bucks now. so the question is does HD really matter if you're just shooting video for fun and memories? are there advantages i'm missing?


now a days is HD or nothing. You'll regret not going HD, i record everything in 1080p and render @ 720p


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## jhazard (Aug 16, 2004)

ProEdgeBiker said:


> now a days is HD or nothing. You'll regret not going HD, i record everything in 1080p and render @ 720p


I have yet to shoot much in 1080p... Do you find that the output to 720p is more crisp or looks better when you "render down" ?


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Yer both right. A loose mount will record crap every time. A solid mount and poor technique will get you marginal results at best. Know your camera and mount and actually put some work into your recording and you *may* make something interesting.


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## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

Hate to sound like a total idiot...but, when you say technique. Can you elaborate a bit?

After watching you guys video's...I can only hope to record some as good. Ive been telling my wife she looks good in lycra from behind....now everyone will see. HaHa


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## ProEdgeBiker (Jun 24, 2004)

larlev said:


> Hate to sound like a total idiot...but, when you say technique. Can you elaborate a bit?
> 
> After watching you guys video's...I can only hope to record some as good. Ive been telling my wife she looks good in lycra from behind....now everyone will see. HaHa


Here's a video shot with my wife this past weekend with a CHD 1080p using 720p @ 60fps

http://contour.com/stories/125614/embed?map=false


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## pastajet (May 26, 2006)

996TT said:


> My experience and observation is that you can have the most secure mount available for HC footage and still get crappy shaky footage due to technique issues.


Please elaborate what you are stating?

And what exactly is HC?


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## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

If your wife is riding a stumpy....that could be my wife. Same jersey, style, legs...wow

Great looking trail by the way...looks really fun.


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

Proedge - don't take this the wrong way but we'll have to agree to disagree. Shooting 1080p and downsampling to 720p shows no perceptible difference in quality.

996tt is also right and I simplified. Good technique will also help

- if its helmet mounted, keep your head still. 
- if chest mounted - keep upper body still
- absorb with your knees and elbows and try to keep yourself still. No jerky movements.

I'm sure there are other examples but that's a start


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## jojotherider (May 20, 2009)

why does Velo_1's video seems so smooth? I'd expect it to be jittery when mounted on the top tube.

I just picked up a contour HD on a super deal over the weekend. Probably not going to use it until I can pick up a new/bigger card. Hopefully it'll be smoother. I'll likely keep it helmet mounted or goggle mounted when snowboarding.


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