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  • great review, but i can't really get it - the contour and the drift have changed places in the video, if compared to the mount. is this a mistake? there are clear differencies in the stabilization and detail, the middle pic is way better, IMHO. any clues on this fact?

  • got my goPro hd2 outdoor yesterday, and its awsame, even inside, so mutch better then the gopro hd :) cant whait until wendsday when I get to the slopes this weekend:)

  • ive always liked the drift but when me and my friend got ours broken( by switching the battery and crashing on a bike) we switched to gopro

  • Go pro is betteri got one

  • how do you mount the contour like that? i only have the side mounting equipment.

  • @Siodestructo The Contour has a mount available that slides onto the base and that makes it possible to use a traditional 1/4" bolt camera (tripod) mounting system. It's pretty slick.

  • If you want to save some time, highlight hunter will find all the highlights from your day in minutes. It's pretty sweet!

  • Got some good footage of it snowmobiling, put it upon YouTube, unreal picture! :)

  • The contour, definitely the best outta the three!

  • I wonder why Go Pro hasn't found a way to put their technology into a better shaped product. Seems like everyone agrees Go Pro has the best image + sound all around but no one likes the way it looks like a pack of cigarettes hanging off them.

  • @froochie123 I totally agree. The overall image package of the GoPro is superior (timed single images, and video quality), however the basic shape of the GoPro is a "No Go" for me. I would buy one today if they had one with a lower mounting profile like the Contour or the Drift.

  • @suzuki06g same here, I'm waiting until one of these companies figures it out. Maybe we'll get a corporate merger between Go Pro and Controur.

  • @froochie123 That would be pretty cool. Contour understands that the package needs to be small and easy to mount, while GoPro understands what functions we need. In a way, GoPro is closer, they only need to build a better box. Contour needs to understand that most of us do not really care about GPS tracking in a video, but audio quality and battery life/record time do count.

  • On the mount the contours in the middle. In the video you have it as being on the outside. Is it just the way you edited it, did someone make a mistake? I use head cams a lot so your videos are helping my choice I'm going to upgrade to from my Flip. I'm liking the contour.

  • Go pro win

  • I have a HD170. I love it. but I gotta say the Audio isn't very great.. and the GoPro has a lot better color quality.

    I do like the shape of my HD170 though. Plus the adjustable lens.. can't beat it

  • There all sick, but I would like to see the Drift and the contour handle the abuse a GoPro can. Make a video about that.

  • I have a GoPro... But from this video id cross out contour and leave it between drift and gopro, I liked the clarity of the drift better than the gopro but ive always loved how gopros color is a perfect combination of saturation and contrast

  • Id like a an additional view and thats what the scenery really looks like thru my eyes. Can you add that for comparison please?

  • I'm either gonna go with a drift or a contour

  • :)

  • Contour best

  • @zeleboban WEST SIDE IS THE BEST!!

  • 1. gopro 2. drift 3. contour

  • Drift has definitely the best color to color correct in post production. Can you set the saturation and contrast on the Go Pro?

  • I think that you have wrong the order of the cameras.

    At the beginning of the video you have the Contour at the middle and at the video comparison you have it on the left...

    Are you sure that you are providing as the correct video shots of each camera?

  • holy shit the drift looks awesome better than the contour by far

  • this vid is useless because of the shaking...... new one plz. no boring downhill mb.

  • drift all the way

  • la jolla?

  • Just got a contour hd for christmas. Going to NY to snowboard on the 29th! IM SO EXCITED!

  • GoPro Hero2 kills the others big time. This video was done wrong...you mount on helments or chest mount for smoot

  • OMG ...put the night mode ON right on Drift

  • How do you stabilize it?

  • I've got a Drift. So much easier to use then the GoPro. And in my opinion the new Drift HD is alot better then the GoPro's newest model.

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  • I'm thinking on buying the contour or the gopro. I'm gonna be using it for dirt bikes out in the desert. Which one is better???????:)

  • @Bazajaytee123 I'd say contour w/ waterproof case for protection. Contour=$130+$30-$40 for waterproof case. gopro(comes with waterproof mount) $250-$300+

  • The GoPro Hero2 just fucking blows away the drift and the contour.

  • Was sold on the Drift HD. Thx for the review!

  • Dude, nice review... Thanks for your hard work!

  • I would go for GoPro HD

  • While researching the ContourHD I saw complaints from people who had problems with a flimsy battery cover. Anybody here have that problem?

  • I'm researching these helmet cams because I want one for X-mas. Right now, I'm really liking the ContourHD because it has a goggle mount which seems a lot more secure than the GoPro's stupid adhesive mounts. Last thing I want is the camera to fall of when I'm skiing. Anybody have experience with the GoPro mounts? I'm also a fan of the Contour because it's smaller and less blocky than the GoPro. Are there any huge advantages that the GoPro has over the Contour? Thanks.

  • @kswchan95 not that I know. I want the same thing as you for x mas

  • Didn't managed to compare them at the last video with the child cause you were showing it only with the DRIFT camera, but as far, i can say the DRIFT convinced me more. Nice vid generally!

  • GoPro is best on this market!

  • I would like go pro if it weren't for the shape of the camera (which, to me, matters for airsoft appearance. Mounted on a gun or on the side of a helmet, it looks goofy and is pretty distinguishable.

  • /user/ContourCamera?v=t_bKrAIy­a_E&feature=pyv&ad=17900986532­&kw=snowboarding

    i like contour better, and it has a sleeker look :P

  • Gopro is da BEST. i got two of them :D

  • Based on frame 0:57 and the low light footage, the GoPro had the best low light performance, but was over saturated- the color from the ground transferred to the sky.. hard to fix. The Contour had a good amount of saturation, but seemed to lack brightness.. easily corrected. Drift had the brightness right, captured the sky well, but lacked saturation and low light quality. Since all three realistically needs editing, Contour seems to be the best overall for low light and picture quality.

  • Which on is the best one? THey all look great

  • someone compared gopro hero 2 vs new drift hd??

  • I can make up my mind between the contour or the drift I already have a gopro but I'm wanting one more ill be using it for vlogs anyone help me out? Lol

  • @johnnygoodjob69 I posted a comment that might help you decide.

  • @FormulaDStock sweet thanks :)

  • drift/day  gopro/night

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  • Contour doesn't seem to have good anti-shake. All three cameras look like they have bad video compression artefacts but perhaps that's happened in editing+youtube conversion, although the drift looks least bad. Go-pro doesn't like the sky! My Playsport zx5 costs a lot less but the form-factor is not good for attaching to anything.

  • @kie7077 I agree, GoPro sucks at the sky because it's always oversaturated. I don't know why, but people always associate oversaturation for better quality when it isn't true. It is a good strategy to get more customers though!

  • Very cool. Thanks for lining these up next to each other. A 60fps run would have been a nice addition. It looks like the Contour's lens wasn't focused properly though. I've seen much clearer footage coming off of Contour cameras.

    And yay for the Ram mount. They're great for securing something and easily repositioning it, but they suck for vibration.

  • Thanks for the vid. Helped me to decide which product to buy.

  • gopro all the way!

  • how did you mount them to get them stable instead of shaky?

    just wondering.

    All of these look basically the same but the contour is cheaper so why not spen more money on the rig. But i don't know what rig to buy/make xD.

    thanks in advance for answering.

    xD what if you dont....

  • Woah 720 loads faster than 360...

  • Bought my GoPro from you guys :D

  • @byroncoetsee Awesome! Enjoy :) 

  • Wollt ihr die Neuste Unterwasser Minni Actionkamera sehen sie nimmt mit full Hd (1080p) auf und wiegt 74g. Aber seht selbst auf meinem Channel TechnikInfo

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  • I think that drift was sharper. I'm sorry, but the only portion useful for comparison in this video is the baby footage. the action footage had too much high frequency shake that it was unwatchable.

  • Is it just me or does the go pro make things look smaller, like ruts look small jumps look less steep?

  • @iamdustin12 gopro has a very wide angle so you can see more. I dont think the other cameras have such a wide angle, the contour certainly doesnt

  • Go pro is best, but dosent have the best sound quality such as recording voice. then again its not meant for making voice videos. its for recording underwater and other extreme shots your wouldnt be able to capture clearly with a regular camera

  • One disadvantage for the GoPro is that it would be hard to turn on when helmet mounted. The contour has a flick-on switch which would be easier to use. Also the go pro looks like a toaster.

  • Can the GoPro take a paintball hit a pointblank?

  • @absoluteblkade3

    Great question, I was thinking about the same thing.

  • And what about zooming? Anybody have seen HD170 video with active digital 4x zoom? How bad is a picture?

  • GoPro is the winner!

  • due to the shaky bike riding the cams should have been set to 60fps.

  • The overlapping music soundtracks are really annoying and drown out the voice way too much.

  • I've used a gopro hd for about 2 years-street luge-DH skating and mounting on an RC plane. I have enjoyed it fot the most part and all in all it is really good camera. BUT i cannot say it is great as its light adjustment is TERRIBLE. Unless bright/ even sunlight don't expect good video. I flew in cloudy but still quite light conditions and it would have been a great video if anywhere near the natural light but it was way dark and contrasty. GoPro is a one trick pony when it comes to lighting.

  • You said you managed to fix all of the shakiness, I have problems because my camera is not stable enough, how did you fix the shakiness?

  • Drift has the best color balance and sharpness. But I think the GoPRo would be the most versatile choice overall.

  • drift is the best...

  • is the contour of the camera means and not the left, just pay attention to the position of the cameras at the beginning of the video !!!!!!!!!!!!

  • go pro!!

  • Nice vid, whats the song from 0:59- 1:15?

    cheers

  • You show the contour HD in the middle on you're custom mounting, yet all the side by side footage has it on the left?

  • The GoPro is the best camera in terms of image quality and sound. However, its got terrible aerodynamics which for me is a deal breaker as a motorcyclist. Therefore I've got two options. The Contour or the Drift. The Drift produces a wider image, but the Contour is lighter, easier to mount with cheaper replacable mounts, less noticable, better battery life, better low light image and cheaper than the Drift. In saying all this though the new Contour PLUS is the best camera on the market.

  • I loved the GoPro but now I'm not so sure. The HD170 has lot of potential and a very fine-not-glossy image. On the other hand i'd like it to have some more color saturation, but hey, that's a personal taste, nothing else...

  • Go Pro has great quality but too many electronic issues. Mine wont work after 6 months, wont register SD card. Got new one, still no good. Freezes and wont turn off, with out pulling battery out. Then wont turn on! Frustrating nightmare. I wish i had got something else.Many people buy them and wont work from new. pretty disappointing really..youd think they would have sorted the issues out by now.

  • Is the same. Same money same quallity... Try compare cheap china HD cams with this. They are 10 times cheaper, but not 10 times wors :) I mean compare price / performance.

  • Wouldn't recommend going for Contour. Looses it's focus very quickly making the vids become too blurry with time. Dunno. Maybe they've done something with that problem since the release of Contour HD (720p), which I own for about 2,5 years already, but i still see many people complaining about Contours getting out of focus on their forum. Gonna go for Tachyon or Drift this year. Hope they don't have such problems...

  • @rys3131 its called a dirty or scratched lens

  • im not sure which one to be honest all are good products. I need need one for my 88 mustang gt. i do go to the track and it would be nice to have one of these cameras to show my storys

  • What bit rate (quality) did You set in ContourHD 1080p? Default setings is "Low" and it's make big difrent when set to "High"

  • Driving at night in south africa, dodgy business

  • Get the contour. Best by far

  • gopro is cool, but will never buy, too large and on the helmet I look like a predator :-Y Others are more discreet.

  • The gopro 960 is $179 and at that price there wasn't any comparison for me.. I'm very happy with the quality of the video out of the gopro.

  • Thank you for doing this!

  • Its hard to decide. The Go-Pro looks like a toaster so thats a no no matter how good it is. The Drift is huge, performs badly under poor lighting conditions and eats batteries so thats a no. The contour HD has a narrowish 130 degree lense and isnt waterproof so maybe thats a no too... For the love of god is it really that hard to make a decent action camera?? If the view angle and sound was good on the Contour and it was waterproof as well then I'd go for that, but sadly its not :(

  • Thank you!

  • I bought a go pro from the US not so long ago, i put it on my longboard. When i got home i noticed that the vibrations had broken the casing! :(

    And my camera also only focuses about 3 feet in front of it, the rest is very blurry.

  • gopro all the WAYYYY!!!

  • whats the best for use on a motorcycle?

  • What are the differences between the stealth and the regular HD170? What features does one have that the other doesn't? Can you correct the fisheye effect by adjusting something on the video camera? How long does it take for you to upload a certain video file size to YouTube?

  • go pro takes it all, wider view, greater quality great colors, not to much contrast. and the audio is better on the go pro, (personal experience)

  • Today, I will buy GoPro. The only drawback is that it is heavier trust the others.

  • next time please put the cameras on the helmet, its terrible

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  • Thank you very much to you, great test.

    CMOS sensor isn´t a good sensor to sport, the wobble effect is high especially in bicycle. Drift appear to me more sharp. Liked the Drift because the remote control and connection to ext. mic. Interesting. The wobble effect is the same in all, lamentable.

    Congratulations to your work.

  • nice comparasion. I just ordered a Contour HD. A friend of mine just got a Go Pro. That drift does look pretty clear. Why didn't you test the Contour in 720p @ 60 fps? Or doesn't the other two cameras have that feature?

  • The Drift will look clearer as it's aimed in the centre so the "quality" will be better defined as the scenery isn't rushing past like it is on the other two... Not a fair comparison

  • Did you use GML Image Undistorter with the GoPro?

  • +Thumb to Drift and GoPro

  • own a gopro hd,, and its no where near the perfect camera.. underwater its crap.. in dim light its crap, no remote, awkward menu system on camera, if only u cud make a super camera from all these 3!!

  • Thanks for the great video!

  • LOL. Its the campbell community center. I used to live on sunnyside ave. Two block from there

  • Was the night shot function of HD170 turned on for that footage of driving at nighttime? That seems like a really poor low light sensitivity.

  • GoPro is the best

  • Well definitely not the Contour then huh?

  • Hello, can you help me with decision.. Has Drift HD something like "changeable" lens protect? Like on GoPro - you can change scratched glass easilly? Thanks for answer..

  • @Robutek i dont know about the hd170, but the gopro has a clear case that goes all the way around it. if you want a new unscratched picture, i think u will need a new case. the contour has a lens protector that can be easily removed and you can buy a lens replacement kit for pretty cheap- i think about 9 us dollars. but you shouldnt really need to replace lens much. The lens area on the gopro is made to stand up to a lot, and i've had my countourhd hit directly a few times buy paintballs.

  • can you do this same comparo over snow, like on a snowmobile?

    The white landscape works these a lot harder and the higher speed of a snowmobile may show more difference between the options.

  • @BHShaman ok, may not YOU (as you are in SA), but one of your affiliates.

  • So was there ever an update on how to better mount the cameras to a mountain bike? My experience with the Contour HD and GoPro is that, when rigidly mounted, the GoPro has significantly better video. Unfortunately, I have the Contour HD and most of the video I've taken with a handlebar mount is pretty much unusable when on rough trails.

  • I'm planning on buying one of the three cameras for paintball with a budget of $350 or less. I don't know much about any of these so any suggestions would be helpful to me. Thanks for anyone replying!

  • @TheOxyMorin Check the comparison done by the our friends in the US myPOV360 dot com. they really know their stuff so feel free to call them up with any questions. Ask for John and mention you heard of them from Action Cameras South Africa. Good luck.

  • @ActionCamerasSA Thanks for the help!

  • @TheOxyMorin I use the contour for paintball, it its black keepin you stealthy and has a thinner profile meaning its not as hard to see.

  • @TheOxyMorin get the Go Pro, my experience and being a professional videoagrapher, it's way better, wider view 720 has 180 degree view, and the 960x720 mode has a great fisheye look to it!!! drift and contour do not offer that!! and with paintball u want the widest view

  • @DinoAnthonyFilms Thanks for the reply, but I already got my Contour HD. Works great as far as I can tell, and fits well on my mask with the modification I did. Thanks!

  • @DinoAnthonyFilms For a "professional", you're sure full of wrong information. It's 170 degrees, not 180, and the drift has that same angle as well.

  • @Razkull ur right, it's 170, my mind is still stuck on the century optics mark 1 fish eye lens that was 180... just cause i got my shit mixed up does not mean im not a professional...DICK. fuck drift, the color sucks

  • @TheOxyMorin I would get a gopro for paintballing because they are indestructable ha. if it gets hit it should be fine

  • @Purdyc12393 Haha I already bought a Contour HD 1080p. :P I love this thing and highly recommend it to anyone! But thank you for your feedback, even if my comment was from 10 months ago! :)

  • @TheOxyMorin I've used a contour HD for paintball and it was great, the only problem was the lens gets really blurry if someone touches it, so if it gets paint on it you really have to clean it. The shape of it was great, used some cable ties to fix it to the side of the mask. Haven't tried the others but yeah.

  • @jumpoffroof Depending if the lense protector gets hits or not is a big part. You can slide the protector off to clean it, which is a pain, but it provides great protection from the actual lense. Mine works great, touching the protector doesn't seem to blur mine bad at all, as long as you clean it with a good microfiber cloth. Thanks! :)

  • Thanks for taking the time!

    Definetly the HD170 look like a winner as features definition and contrast, too bad theres no underwater housing...

    Thanks again.

    Ser

  • If im not mistaken on your bike rig the CONTOUR is in the middle, are you sure its properly named under each video, thanks.

  • @pochicochi Hey, that is how they're mounted but not how we positioned them when finishing up the editing. The naming is correct.

  • @pochicochi the element of doubt will persist - in marketing, it will.

  • drift definetly has the best quality picture. ive read the contour is super light like 4oz or something? any idea how much the drift weighs?

  • thanks for the video! I ended up buying the HD170 so thanks!

    Quick question : what are the settings or workflow for getting the 1080p footage into Final Cut Pro (7)?

  • Not sure where to get help on this one. I am hoping you guys or some one who reads this can help me. Trying to figure out what video format to render my edited videos in for best viewing on youtube. Using Drift HD170 on 720P setting using Vegas Video Studio 10. All my videos so far come out blury and mest up. They look great when viewed on mp pc but messed up on youtube. I do have the crapy mic problem solved -) Thanks

  • @rodgeritch Glad the mic is working well for you, best bet on the technical stuff is to contact @driftinnovation directly. They're here on YT or through their .com website. good luck with that

  • Can you tell me what editing software you are using?

    I have just got the HD170 and uploaded some vids but are wondering why even at 360p yours looks so much better than mine. it was taken at 1080P@30fps.

    i was using power director. Any idea?

  • @Boristhebiter This was done in Final Cut Pro. I'm sure your raw video would look brilliant, right?

    YT normally takes a day or two to fully process your uploaded video, so give it some time and your videos quality should improve a lot... let me know.

  • @ActionCamerasSA Yep your right the raw video (even in SD) looks fantastic.

    I will check in a couple of days to see what its like.

    I think also its from the power director as i uploaded straight from there and not from a produced video.

  • Wth, i looked at the review from Camarush, there, the Contour had way better colours then the GoPro. But now the GoPro has better colours??

    Dang, which would you recommend for longboarding?

  • @FckedUpFingers I was at a longboarding and luge event here in SA yesterday. Most of the guys there were using the GoPro HD and the HD170....

  • @ActionCamerasSA But doesn't the Contour have a better shape, i mean, the GoPro is square, and so clumsy?

  • @FckedUpFingers They both going to block your areo slightly. If you're looking for a good looking cam then go Contour but if you're more keen on having more functions (wide angle, photos) then go GoPro.

    I see your in the Netherlands, call Xsportscam.nl who are great guys and will be able to help you

  • @FckedUpFingers DRIFT HD

  • @malditacicuta and why?

  • @FckedUpFingers cuz´ has a LCD scrren , zoom 4x, white balance , you  can select EXPOSURE automatic or manual , Remote control . easy to use mounts , Fully Rotatable Wide Angle Lens ... video resolution is pretty cool !

  • @malditacicuta Well, i don't mind the lcd screen that much, it's small, and i won't be looking at what i film when riding :P. Same as the zoom. But the white balance and exposure is pretty good. But why does the colour suck so much on this vid?

  • @FckedUpFingers I use lcd screen when i wanna try a new mounting position ...also I checked the shoots ..if they suck ... just press delete!

    In this video 3 cams look bad cuz of the clouds !

    when I shots in a cloudy day look the same but an sunny look much better ... I got both cams (gopro - drift) so i really know about the advantages and disadvantages ...

  • @malditacicuta So what should I buy ? Contour ? Go pro ? Drift ?

    Thanks

  • @bog1dan depends on what you ride ... i like DRIFT for biking and longboarding!

  • Great Video.

    Now all we need is side by side comparison of the sound on all 3 cams. :-)

    Doubt you get much sound from the Drift HD170. Unless you tear out the mic and do what I did.

    Love my Drift HD170 now.

  • @rodgeritch

    I would love to know what you've done with the audio. I bought my Drift for use in a performance rally car, and you can't hear me and the driver talking very well. I'm trying to figure out how to hook into the Peltor intercom through the aux mic in. Any ideas?

  • @siverharerally look up my custom drift mic video user name rodgeritch it has pictures and links on how to install custom mic. Another dude I know was talking about directly wiring the drift into the com system. I check with him soon cause I am curious to see what he has done. You could install a stero jack into Drift board and hook 2 lapel mics into that or wire com some how into mic imput on drift.