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Contour HD?

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letsgofilm
Posts: 106 - Karma: 29
anyone ever used a contour gps or hd camera before?
Dec 1 2010 11:28AM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,399
get a gopro
Dec 1 2010 1:43PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591
i have a contour and i love it. pm me for info or questions or watever
Dec 1 2010 8:19PM
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dergblerp
Posts: 1303 - Karma: 77
NS definitely has a bias toward gopro cameras. I think that Contour is sharper from edge to edge than GoPro. They're both great cameras especially given the price.
Dec 1 2010 8:25PM
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letsgofilm
Posts: 106 - Karma: 29
honestly i dont like the way gopro footy looks at all. its over exposed and looks fake. everyone knows theyre looking at gopro footy when they see it
Dec 2 2010 3:07PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
just going to put this out there, ive seen probably more over exposed contour footy than gopro footy. it just seems to have a hard time in snow, and i've heard that from others too. plus you have to take into account that most kids who are using gopros have absolutely no idea what they are doing. they "color correct" their footage in FCE by just cranking saturation and contrast, completely blowing out the snow.
Dec 2 2010 3:19PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
that being said, contours are sick. i have a gopro myself, but contours have a lot of nice features. in my opinion the color can look better, the switch to record is really nice, they are very low profile, and the laser to show what you're shooting is brilliant.
Dec 2 2010 3:28PM
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=nick=
Posts: 10471 - Karma: 2,182

i own a contour HD. in my opinion theyre so much better than gopros...the design is way easier to use, the profile is sleeker, and the lasers are dope. you can also rotate the lens 90 degrees each way so you can film sideways with a monopod/whatever and get upright angle shots. makes it possible to get really creative. heres the first edit i made with mine. gives you a good idea of its helmet capabilities to say the least

http://contour.com/stories/baker-opening-weekend

Dec 2 2010 3:50PM
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Gharf
Posts: 1390 - Karma: 983
somebody has to make a color correction for skiing tutorial.

id be so interested to learn it.
Dec 2 2010 8:14PM
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Jaymon
Posts: 860 - Karma: 1,213
.
Dec 3 2010 1:12AM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
seriously considering getting a contour, but i hate how there's no wind dampening on the contour. sound is a serious part of filming for me.

and as for colour the go pro's is richer, but the contours contrast is better.
Dec 3 2010 2:17AM
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Six.0.Tree-ski
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 67
so sick.
Dec 3 2010 11:31AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Haha if that were true then you wouldn't give a shit about sound quality from built-in camera microphones.
Dec 3 2010 2:50PM
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soup
Posts: 6343 - Karma: 4,415
that is a ridiculous statement.
Dec 3 2010 3:23PM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
The one thing that contour has going for it over go pro is that it is very easy to use, it has an alluminum body, and its a lot smaller than go pro
Dec 3 2010 7:29PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
SOOOOOO I just bought one today.

Looking at the footage as we speak, reporting back later.

And I said sound, not good sound lol
Dec 3 2010 9:41PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
http://contour.com/stories/bird-to-spike

first thing worth uploading, digging the 60 fps...
Dec 3 2010 11:15PM
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JIB_WALRUS
Posts: 671 - Karma: 130
contour has better mic quality...
Dec 3 2010 11:58PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
because it's not tucked inside a plastic case.

and the contour has no wind dampening in it, so you get the full force of the wind on the contour. other than that if you're not moving or filming inside it should work great
Dec 4 2010 2:00AM
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alpine_pow
Posts: 137 - Karma: 18
I am biased because I have a GoPro and have never actually seen how Contour mount systems work, but the mounts that come with a GoPro and SO SICK and can be rigged in so many really cool ways. I don't know to what extent the Contour can do this, but I don't get how it could- Can you tilt it up/down when it's NOT on the side of your helmet? I'm personally not a big fan of the side-helmet view, and how can you tilt it up down if its on your head, poles, car, etc?


(no color correction ... haven't really figured that out yet)
Dec 4 2010 6:25PM
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belden...
Posts: 2914 - Karma: 1,274
You just named 3 things... and maybe this isnt the right thread for it but whats the point of color correcting when ^that kid didnt do it and it looked great.
Dec 4 2010 8:52PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
first of all, color correction is to ensure that whites are actually white and blacks are actually black. most of his colors were accurate, so he didn't really need it a lot of the time. I think you are referring to color grading, which means changing the colors by making them more/less saturated, changing hues, etc.

and the point of color grading is that it could have looked even better (not that it wasn't a great video, i really enjoyed it). but a little grading, when done well, can give shots an unusual look
Dec 4 2010 9:27PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591
the contour lens can rotate so you can mount it on the top of your helmet as well as the side. alos the mount itslef rotates so you can shoot in any position, any angle just like the go pro. it also has pole mounts, waterproof case etc
Dec 5 2010 1:57AM
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beaucottington
Posts: 242 - Karma: 53
Hero > Contour. no question.
Dec 5 2010 4:41AM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
Really? Provide an argument or gtfo, this isn't NSG.
Dec 5 2010 12:59PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,399
Hero > Contour

170º/127º > 135º/110º
2.5 hours:charge w/ battery warmer > 2 hours or less:charge
overall edge to edge sharpness > contour less sharp
higher bitrate > lower bitrate
$259 for just camera and waterproof case > $320 for same thing
audio doesnt matter with these cameras so thats a draw


Thats my argument, and I think the obvious winner here is the Go Pro. Next time you want to be a douche I suggest looking at the camera's websites, it has the facts in plain site...
Dec 5 2010 2:39PM
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=nick=
Posts: 10471 - Karma: 2,182
i disagree with a lot of your points...ill make one of my own...

knowing exactly when youre filming and when youre not>asking your friends every time if the lights blinking on your little mounted toaster
Dec 5 2010 2:57PM
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Sklar
Posts: 8864 - Karma: 31,612
i have a gopro, but the thing that looks really appealing about the contour is the ability to use filters. so that means you can put a polarizer on which would be really nice for snow and water
Dec 5 2010 3:06PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,399
they are facts not points...
Dec 5 2010 3:31PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
I'll start off by saying that the real douche is the one who makes a four word post in a forum that asks for some actual content.

170º/127º > 135º/110º

I don't want that much fisheye, the contour has a good amount that isn't overwhelming.

2.5 hours:charge w/ battery warmer > 2 hours or less:charge

That's wicked. Cold batteries do act low all the time.

overall edge to edge sharpness > contour less sharp

Image quality differs mainly by the GP being over exposed, and the counter seems to get the right contrast in most conditions, you can also edit the color you want it to film with on a computer before you go shoot, don't know what the GP offers in terms of that customization.

higher bitrate > lower bitrate

Lower bitrate can be played on lower end computers easier. But it isn't as high, so there is a trade off there.

$259 for just camera and waterproof case > $320 for same thing

Don't really need a waterproof case for what I'm filming. Also I don't plan on dropping my camera in a lake. Water resistant works well for what I'm doing.

audio doesnt matter with these cameras so thats a draw

The audio on the gopro is muffled because of the case it's in and the wind damping it has. The contours mic sensitivity can be edited on a computer, isn't stuck in a plastic case, but then doesn't have the wind dampening that the GP does.

They're very similar cameras, each having their perks over the other. The GoPro has more options in the means of video sizes you can shoot with on the go ( the contour only having two ) but you can edit these on the computer, again i'm not familiar with the GoPro so I can't say what it can't and can do in the means of the software.

The Contour being a definite on and off, and can beep or not beep to tell you it's working, it's just a matter of how you turn it on. The lasers are also a really handy feature, makes it so you know where the cameras pointing so you don't end up with a cool shot that's only in half the frame.

That's all that really comes to mind, other than the mounts for the gopro seem a little more versatile out of the box. The goggle mount being the one they want you to use the most.


Dec 5 2010 6:55PM
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grilledsteezeyo
Posts: 1419 - Karma: 72
Click for larger image
Dec 5 2010 8:14PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,399
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
you can also edit the color you want it to film with on a computer before you go shoot, don't know what the GP offers in terms of that customization.
or theres this shocking concept of post production. Instead of setting up your camera to shoot weird wonky over-saturated style, you could just shoot flat like normal people and correct the color in post.
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
Lower bitrate can be played on lower end computers easier. But it isn't as high, so there is a trade off there.
nope, no trade off. I'm sorry that you would want your clips more compressed then the rest, but if you ask me I like my clips as nice as they can be strait off the camera.
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
Don't really need a waterproof case for what I'm filming. Also I don't plan on dropping my camera in a lake. Water resistant works well for what I'm doing.
while its nice that you don't want waterproofing, you cant deny that the GoPro is cheaper with or without it.
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
The audio on the gopro is muffled because of the case it's in and the wind damping it has.
that case that muffles the shit audio also happens to seal it off from water and protect it from drops...
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
The contours mic sensitivity can be edited on a computer
cool?

Its funny you are trying to argue the audio quality of the cameras, when you are literally the only person who uses that audio...
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
what it can't and can do in the means of the software
there you go again with this supposed contour "software" if you seriously edit your videos on contour supplied software I feel bad for you
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
The Contour being a definite on and off, and can beep or not beep to tell you it's working
yeah, the GoPro can turn on and off and beep to...
Quoting fsscott$ from Dec 5 2010 6:55:07:
The goggle mount being the one they want you to use the most.
?
Dec 5 2010 9:00PM
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Six.0.Tree-ski
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 67
I agree with everything skitheeast is saying. GoPro is where its at right now.

also to skitheeast, for clarification, the guy was saying the contour has only one goggle mount for all the shots where the GP has several options for mounts.
Dec 5 2010 9:09PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9931 - Karma: 9,399
oh ok thanks

that seals the deal, GoPro > Contour
Dec 5 2010 9:10PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
(quoting that was a horrible mess, just replying to each point.)

This is true, but if you're shooting during different times of the day or during different lighting situations being able to choose when you're shooting beforehand would save you time in post.

I agree, higher bitrate is better. But for some maybe having it already compressed could be nice? ( trying to look at the other side of this)

True, can't deny that.

Again, something people could look at. (even if I am the only one to use it, it's still there)

And by 'software' I mean the configuration of the contour. the software is fun for transferring video to the computer, that's about it. in the actual configuration of the camera you can set what video modes you want to shoot in etc.

nice, didn't know it had the beep feature. but if you can't hear that you still don't know whether or not it's on or off / recording.

they include a helmet mount in the stock kit, but it's one you adhere with a sticky mount, i don't really like that.
Dec 5 2010 9:27PM
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Six.0.Tree-ski
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 67
I think your idea of messing with color settings too much beforehand could screw you in the long run. Probably just easier to let it be while you're filming and fix it all in post.

GoPro just wins. This does not mean the contour HD fails though. You can still bust out some pretty quality edits with either.
Dec 5 2010 9:36PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
Yea I hear that. It's more something you could experiment with to make the amount of work in post a little less.

For what you get for the money the GoPro definitely is a better deal, I'm actually in the middle of making a infographic comparison on the two...
Dec 5 2010 9:40PM
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fsscott
Posts: 4684 - Karma: 114
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Done!
Dec 5 2010 10:47PM
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