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 #17 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 22/11/2010 @ 15:15 |
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| In reply to post #16
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had to butt in here...
I recently went through the same thought process on which one to buy and ended up going for the contour as i didnt want to wear a box on my head or wrapped round my chest.
Anyway, after much investigation and pondering, i bought from this US seller on ebay: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/vashista12/m.html
It was £142 when i bought it, with £17 postage. I ordered sunday, received from new york on tuesday! And you can ask for it to be marked as low value... meaning you may get away with no duty. I thought id got away with it but got a letter through requesting £16 tax. but still, £173 is still alot cheaper than buying it in the uk.
Oh and before anyone asks about chinese copies, i received mine and called Contour direct and read them my serial and its a real one. They also made me do some checks on the camera.
Obviously, im sharing my experience, I'm not saying that anyone else will have the same experience, but i contacted via ebay some of the sellers previous uk buyers and all seemed happy.
my two penneth worth,  |
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| #18 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 22/11/2010 @ 18:26 |
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| In reply to post #17
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Thanks,
not long after posting my last message it suddenly occurred to me that I could try ebay. I've order the GPS version from a similar seller in the USA, but maybe someone else could use your link.
I'm not expecting the GPS to work properly 100% of the time, it's more that this version can take stills. Broke my other camera trying to 180 in Tam 
Fingers crossed that I don't get ripped off now.... |
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Just let your sooooul glow!!! |
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| #19 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 22/11/2010 @ 19:09 |
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| #20 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 22/11/2010 @ 19:48 |
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| In reply to post #19
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Thanks 
Do either of you have you videos online somewhere, please? I didn't see anything in your videos section. |
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Just let your sooooul glow!!! |
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| Posts: 384 |
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Gloucestershire |
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| #21 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 22/11/2010 @ 22:00 |
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| In reply to post #20
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We have absolutely sh*t loads of footage, just not uploaded any of it ... mostly due to utter laziness 
face_plant is rummaging aroud the notebook as I'm typing, sure he'll upload something & let you know soon ... damn thing isn't playing nicely with the home network at the mo though  |
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| #22 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 23/11/2010 @ 22:49 |
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Hey guys.
Thanks a lot for bringing life to this subject again.
However I can't seem to wonder if non of you considered a Drift HD170. It has the same features as the Contour and the GoPro, but adds a remote and a lcd screen (for playback or for adjusting settings). It does cost a it more than the two other cameras, but those extra features might just be worth the cost.
What do you think? Any cons or pros? |
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| #23 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 00:09 |
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| In reply to post #22
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Yeah, i had a quick look at that again over the weekend. It just looks huge and it's pretty much bright orange  I wouldn't wear one for the same reason I wouldn't wear a silly hat while riding, it looks wak (IMO). If i'm paying so much, I have to look half decent, too.
I tried a helmet cam with a remote control + screen it wasn't that good. The beep it made to start/stop recording couldn't always be heard through your helmet, especially if there was background noise. So you'd have to either unclip the cam or take your helmet off to check.
Squinting into a tiny screen was a pain, unless you only recorded a few sec of footage. But I guess you can tell straight away if a shot was lined up.
According to this, it does 30fps. For that price it should do 60fps as well, don't you think? So i disregarded it.
If I was just going to hold the camera in my hands, the GoPro would edge the Contour HD. But for wearing on my head, it has to be the Contour. |
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Just let your sooooul glow!!! |
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| Posts: 384 |
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Gloucestershire |
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| #24 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 09:21 |
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Face_Plant has been trying to upload some HD footage but the upload process on GB keeps timing him out  The vid size is below the max so it's really annoying ... guess he'll have another go tonight. |
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| #25 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 10:23 |
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| In reply to post #23
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Check out this for all the details: http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/comparison_of_hd_helmet_cameras
And there is some good comparison footaage of all three on Youtube. GoPro looks the best IMO by far, also has better colours and definition and works better in lowlight/nightime.
Drift170 has the advatage of the screen so you can see if your shot is lined up and like the contour also has a rotatable lens so your footage is always straight whatever angle you mount the camera at which is a nice little feature.
Big benefit of the GoPro is the waterproofing to 60m - but if you're not going to take it underwater then the water-resitance is enough on the other cameras to handle snow. Contour doesn't have as wide an angle as the Drift or GoPro (both at 170, Contour 135) and the drift can't do 60fps for slo-mo.
The sound quality on the GoPro is hugely better than the others too and it can take 32gb SD cards like the Drift (Contour 16gb max) but seems to need more space for the files. Biggest disadvantage of the Drift is .mov format.
I can't make up my mind and I need to order soon so I can get it for Christmas. I think I'm between the GoPro or the Drift. |
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| #26 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 20:28 |
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Between the GoPro and the Drift, i'd go for GoPro. i'm assuming you mean the full HD version and not the new 960 version.
My new helmet doesn't have vents on the top, so I didn't think i'd be able to attach a GoPro very easily.
I'm not sure how much you can read into the video colours. The GoPro vids that i've seen always have people in flashy bright clothes and the Contour ones seem to have people in more conservative colours. Just a coincidence I guess. 
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FedEx tried to deliver my camera today  only ordered it on Monday and it's come all the way from New York! I wasn't expecting it until next Monday at the earliest.
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Tell him to keep trying to upload, it'll be much appreciated I'll have to go watch "Last train to Peisey" again and again, otherwise. |
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Just let your sooooul glow!!! |
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| Posts: 6023 |
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Forum Mod |
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Holy See (Vatican City State) |
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| #27 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 21:14 |
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Revision #1 (Last edited: 24/11/2010 @ 21:16) |
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Those GoPro cameras are absolutely awesome, here are the results from one in my brother's rally car.....
Click on the link and you can watch it in 720p HD
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I am in shape! Round is a shape!!
ukboardrider.com |
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| #28 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 21:24 |
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I run a GoPro for a couple of reasons. The first being the versatility it offers, I figure I make it to the mountains for 1 maybe 2 weeks a year. The GoPro however with its waterproofing and different mounting options means i use mine year round. It goes on my bikes, with me on holiday, down water-slides, into the sea, pretty much anywhere.
The second reason I have it is the confidence gained from having a bit of kit that is, for all intents and purposes, nigh on indestructible! I reckon I could break it if I tried really hard but not worrying about if my cam will die by my hand mid shot is kinda cool you know.
That being said, as a pure headcam/helmet cam it is probably not the best. As stated before its boxy as hell and mounted on a helmet you can look a bit of a div. and if not properly mounted you can loose the angle really easily.
For an all round tougher than you are action cam however I dont think it can be beaten. The telling thing, I think, is the number of TV shows the GoPro is popping up on recently. Shows seem to be using it to get close in action shots and the picture is not too far off broadcast quality when used right. |
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| #29 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 22:11 |
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| In reply to post #28
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Yeah, it's been marketed well. But I saw that the contour was used in "Deeper" and it kinda tipped the balance
If I could go scuba diving, mountain biking or skydiving, i'd probably want a GoPro, too. The Contour has a waterproof case if you want to pay £30 for one. Not sure how the variety of mounts match up to the GoPro, though.
Do you have to play with the colour saturation or whatever, to get the colours looking like that? Or is that how it comes off the GoPro? |
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Just let your sooooul glow!!! |
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| Posts: 6023 |
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Forum Mod |
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Holy See (Vatican City State) |
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| #30 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 22:32 |
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| In reply to post #29
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The camera has different settings depending on what you're doing with it. That was literally straight off the camera, no post processing at all apart from editing. They really are superb. |
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I am in shape! Round is a shape!!
ukboardrider.com |
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| #31 Re: New helmet cameras?? Posted 24/11/2010 @ 22:40 |
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| In reply to post #29
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the GoPro is kinda press play/go. To my knowledge you cant mess with things like colour balance beforehand though I suppose its always open to mucking around with afterwards. To be honest it was never a consideration of mine anyhow so I dont feel like thats a loss for me. As a pure helmet cam the contour probably takes it but I reckon i get more use out of the GoPro so my Bang/Buck ratio is much better. Still thats just me I guess. |
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