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GoPro vs ContourHD

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Tspoon
Posts: 38 - Karma: 47

Im looking to get either a gopro or a contour camcorder so i can record myself next winter. I was suprised when I didnt see any threads talking about this so I thought i'd make it. Go ahead and give me your opinion of wich is best, and please say why.

May 16 2011 4:53PM
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*SNO*
Posts: 2575 - Karma: 925
Go pro I got one Now I had one it broke and they replaced it with a hd one Also gopros have lots of extras bike mounts chest mounts pole mounts can't mount it anywhere
May 16 2011 4:54PM
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mer-man
Posts: 1079 - Karma: 10
hahaha I bet you were...
May 16 2011 5:00PM
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crab_pretzel
Posts: 3919 - Karma: 622
ok well there are other threads on this, fairly recently too, but i have a gopro and love it. its so versatile and a good price too. im just having trouble finding a good software for mpeg4s...
May 16 2011 5:04PM
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extravert
Posts: 1112 - Karma: 3,174
I only have the GoPro, but from what I've seen it has way more mounts than the contour. Also, if you want the contour to be waterproof you have to buy a special case. The big plus I see for the Contour is the sleek shape and size
May 16 2011 5:06PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
well i believe that you didnt find any threads on this but only because the NS searchbar sucks. instead, go to google and put in site:newschoolers.com + your search (go pro vs contour or something) and check out a bunch of the resulting threads

also, this and related videos might help. i dont know how much stock i would put in this though, because ive seen great and terrible (and everything in between) video from both gopros and contours.. how you process the video in post is hugely important it seems


finally, i'll offer why i chose the gopro over a contour.. comes in a waterproof housing, like the shape more, wider view, lots of mounts, replacement lens/housing etc are very reasonably priced

gotta say some of the features on the contour like the GPS and stuff seem very cool. but for my purposes the gopro was definitely the right choice
May 16 2011 5:15PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
from 123ski in another thread- not sure if this is the optimal method as ive hardly used my gopro yet but it seems like he's on the ball

"You guys are all wrong. both PC and Mac edit the GoPro footage fine. FCP and Premiere Pro will both have problems editing the mp4 files if you shoot in 60fps. The solution is to put the H.264 video files from the camera into a different container.
This will work for both mac and PC.

1. download Mpeg Stream from www.squared5.com

2. open the .mp4 file in Mpeg Stream

3. click File > Save As

4. change file type to .mov

5. save file

What this does is keeps the entire H.264 movie in its original format, it does not compress or expand the footage. All it does it put the movie in a .mov file container. Once you have done this almost all editing software should be able to edit it without a problem.

quiktime pro should be able to do the same Save As technique, bu Quicktime Pro costs money and Mpeg Stream does not (Mpeg Stream also supports Mpeg2 natively).

Also, make sure you only select "Save As" and not "export As" unless you are trying to compress the footage before you edit (not a good idea)"
May 16 2011 5:18PM
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DGski
Posts: 3491 - Karma: 2,328
gopro. easily.
May 16 2011 6:17PM
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JIB_WALRUS
Posts: 671 - Karma: 130
i would say contour! better sound quality a 37mm adapter available for different lenses, fisheye when you want it telephoto lens hood whatever. and the new one they just released comes with built in bluetooth so you can view your videos in the lodge right on your phone im sure the old contour is cheaper by like $20 not sure about the new one overall the contour is the better camera.
May 16 2011 7:14PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
i have a gopro myself, and my friend has a countour. i agree with everything said in this thread so far. i like my gopro footage much better than the contour, plus the gopro has more mounts. just in case you didnt know, the gopro now has a lcd screen that you can buy that attaches directly to the back of the camera, so you can see what you are filming.
May 16 2011 9:53PM
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steeze-free_lee
Posts: 295 - Karma: 28
GoPro for sure, and I've owned both.

Pros of the contour:
1) better sound
2) easy power & record on/off
3) low profile

But despite how clunky the GoPro can be at times, the quality of footage blows the contour out of the water. Plus like some people have already mentioned the GoPro has a much more versatile array of mounts if you wanna use it for other sports or get some crazy angles.
May 17 2011 12:05AM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
THREADS
Sep 12 2011 9:20PM
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shanny.
Posts: 159 - Karma: 975
The CONTOUR+ has the widest angle lens of any POV Camera.

The New ContourROAM is waterproof WITHOUT a case, and 170 degree lens.

I am pretty sure they have more mounts than Go Pro. Does gopro have a mount for shot guns?

Love Contour. Plus they have an Iphone App on the GPS Camera and you can see what your camera sees on your phone.


Sep 13 2011 12:51AM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
Someone should move this to m&a. But I am thinking of getting gopro because the colors on gopro are better, it's easier for filming other people, and I just like the overall feel of it, when I've used other people's GoPros
Sep 13 2011 12:56AM
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S.P
Posts: 207 - Karma: 26
contour foresuree
Sep 13 2011 1:12AM
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j.benziger
Posts: 688 - Karma: 8,024
I have a go pro and i love it. It is better than a contour because generally it has better hd quality also there are so many more useful mounts for a go pro than there are for a Contour. I also think the Go pro looks way better. GO PRO!
Sep 13 2011 1:21AM
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ski_ENDUB
Posts: 2535 - Karma: 86
False, the contour roam is waterproof up to 1 meter (just over 3 feet) for 30 min. otherwise you'll need a waterproof case. however the iphone app is a really cool feature and they're definitely working on creating more mounts. i feel like Gopro owns contour on mounting options still (yes I have seen Gopro shotgun footage) but I would say contour is working hard to take over GoPro. price wise though GoPro is still cheaper and smaller.
Sep 13 2011 1:50AM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5432 - Karma: 11,813
contour has plenty of mounts http://contour.com/products/accessories and it's biggest advantage is its sleek profile. I've had to spend $200 to replace a friends gopro that got swiped right off the top of my helmet by a low hanging branch. i was fucking pissed.

on the other hand gopro's mount on top of your helmet and contours mount on the side. i've seen a lot of videos from contours with this kind of shit in the frame.

Click for larger image

although if you have a full face helmet then you're kind of forced to mount your camera on the side with either one.
and gopro's solution to mounting on the side makes it stick out really fucking far. (an even higher chance of that tree to taking your new camera)

Click for larger image
Sep 13 2011 2:47AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
Contour's are a lot easier to use if you have gloves on. Also about half the price right now.
Sep 13 2011 3:36AM
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