# What Action Camera



## Kevin137

So this has probably been done before, i can't be bothered to look too far back, and with new cameras out probably needs to be done again...

So what camera do you use...???

Contour Roam (any)
Contour+ (any)
GoPro Hero 2
GoPro Hero 3 Silver
GoPro Hero3 Black
Drift
Sony

Other...

And why do you use it...??? Do you film every run and edit out the crap later and just keep the good runs or just film occassional runs...???

I am curious as there is a very big contingent of GoPro here in Norway, but i use contour, although i am going to buy a GoPro 3 Black for next season, this is for specific filming rather than daily use...

Also, has anyone tried using a camera for anything other than just filming, the Contour+2 has an awesome feature for HDMI out that allows you to stream live, and i know you can probably do this with the GoPro as well, but only when not in the case, and the difference there is a contour works with no case really well...

So i have a Cerevo Live Shell and i occasionally stream, mostly from my stepson learning, so family and friends etc can keep up if they want from the warmth of the living room, and as the lessons are 6-8pm it gets a little cold...

In total, we have 2 Countour+2's, 1 Contour GPS and 1 Contour Roam in the house... Haha



















I also have a AR Drone 2.0 which is awesome to fly at the slopes, but that will be upgraded this season probably to a DJI Phantom with a much better range for filming...


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## Argo

I use the drift ghost now. We got a free gopro black last season and it's just a pain in the ass. Good quality but not even close to the user friendly and features packed into the ghost.


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## ShredLife

i have two gopros that i never use, but i mention it because one of them i found while fishing. it was laying on the bottom of the river with algae growing on it on the side of a rapid i was fishing. it still worked... so there's that. :dunno:


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## david_z

I've got a first gen HD Hero, first gen Contour HD, and a Sony Action Cam (HD, the one with WiFi built in).

There have been a lot of issues with the H3 so I am glad I held off on that. Terrible battery life, lots of bugs, etc. They may have addressed these with firmware updates, but there's still the bad battery life. The battery on the Hero or H2 is better.

For the money, the Sony Action cam is a great value, with the built in wifi, decent battery life, great optics (on par with the H2, I think) and its shaped more like the Contour. However, the mounting options suck. GoPro definitely has the most versatile mounts and the sturdiest camera of the three that I own. The Sony is the most user-friendly, best picture (again, comparable to the H2/Roam), but the mounting options are its downfall.


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## Kevin137

A friend of mine came to visit in Norway with the H3 Black, and it was nothing but grief for him, kept going flat, wifi remote dropping out switching off etc, couldn't get the settings he wanted etc etc, but i think that most of it was user error, learning how to use something on a slope when trying to do something else is not a good idea...

The thing i loved with the +2 was the ability to set it using the phone very easily, and also with my goggles i can see what the camera sees, i know this is not a camera use, but when added to the airwaves, makes for a good combination, and i don't mean watching YOUR camera, but my stepson rides with one of mine and i watch his camera, so at 7, i can go in front and not stress about looking back all the time, and i found this extremely comforting while giving HIM confidence to ride without being watched all the time, if he fell, i would see it and stop, if he didn't get straight up, i could go to him, but very handy...

The other thing is the very simple on and off, makes it so hard to get wrong, and with the lazers as well, you know what you are looking at when not connected to any other device...

Add into that, the fact that they run on Nokia batteries, meant i could get some 2500MaH batteries for about £5, which meant i didn't have to worry about batteries, just bought 7 of them for the same price of 1 normal contour battery, last 5-7 hours filming, and i don't need a charger for a weeks holiday... Haha


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## BigAL

I own the Contour Roam2 and two hero2 cameras, I tried the goggle strap mount, but while riding it jiggles and wiggles too much for me. The contour I like for simplicity and the laser alignment feature, but if I need 120fps I will reach for the gopro every time. But I learned a valuable lesson from using the contour. Never, EVER!, mount it directly to your board. It took me 3 hours to remove it after being attached for 4 months.


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## Kevin137

BigAL said:


> Never, EVER!, mount it directly to your board. It took me 3 hours to remove it after being attached for 4 months.


The vibration could quite easily damage the sensor on the camera as well, and you will end up with blue lines down the movie... Haha

I did get one replaced because of this, but wouldn't try it again... 

A pole held low gives a much better shot with so much less shaking...


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## poutanen

Yeah this has been brought up a lot. Search for "contour hero" on the forum and that should pretty much bring up every recent thread comparing the models...

I have a Contour Roam flashed to the Roam2 specs. Use it every once in a while. It's rather boring for snowboarding footage, not bad in trees I guess or using it as a chase cam to film the fiancee or buddies.

The other reason I got it is for kayaking and snorkelling. It's waterproof to 3 ft without a case, so perfect for light underwater usage. And hell, it was $99 and does 60 fps @ 720p. All the action cams have horribly small sensors so image quality sucks with all of them IMHO...


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## oldmate

david_z said:


> I've got a first gen HD Hero, first gen Contour HD, and a Sony Action Cam (HD, the one with WiFi built in).
> 
> There have been a lot of issues with the H3 so I am glad I held off on that. Terrible battery life, lots of bugs, etc. They may have addressed these with firmware updates, but there's still the bad battery life. The battery on the Hero or H2 is better.
> 
> For the money, the Sony Action cam is a great value, with the built in wifi, decent battery life, great optics (on par with the H2, I think) and its shaped more like the Contour. However, the mounting options suck. GoPro definitely has the most versatile mounts and the sturdiest camera of the three that I own. The Sony is the most user-friendly, best picture (again, comparable to the H2/Roam), but the mounting options are its downfall.


Why do you say the sony mounting options suck? I have one and can mount in anyway you can mount a gopro. Except for chest mount.... Agree on the picture quality though.


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## david_z

oldmate said:


> Why do you say the sony mounting options suck? I have one and can mount in anyway you can mount a gopro. Except for chest mount.... Agree on the picture quality though.


The goggle mount in particular leaves a lot to be desired (my full review here but I'll summarize why I don't like the mount). It's too big and clunky and heavy, for starters. I would need to basically duct-tape it to my helmet to keep it from bouncing all around. There is a similar issue with the Contour, although IMO it is not nearly as pronounced. 

Also, there is zero adjustability, compared to the GoPro which pivots/swivels on its lego arms, or the Contour, which you can rotate the camera on the bezeled mount, and also rotate the viewing angle on the lens. So, even if I am able to keep it from bouncing all around, or, for instance if I was just crusing groomers, it's not possible to position the camera to get a good POV, in my experience.


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## oldmate

david_z said:


> The goggle mount in particular leaves a lot to be desired (my full review here but I'll summarize why I don't like the mount). It's too big and clunky and heavy, for starters. I would need to basically duct-tape it to my helmet to keep it from bouncing all around. There is a similar issue with the Contour, although IMO it is not nearly as pronounced.
> 
> Also, there is zero adjustability, compared to the GoPro which pivots/swivels on its lego arms, or the Contour, which you can rotate the camera on the bezeled mount, and also rotate the viewing angle on the lens. So, even if I am able to keep it from bouncing all around, or, for instance if I was just crusing groomers, it's not possible to position the camera to get a good POV, in my experience.



Agree the goggle mount is junk, however you can just use a Gopro adaptor and use the Gopro mounts which lets everything else work exactly the same.


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## david_z

Interesting. I will have to try that out. Never thought of trying to frankenstein them like that.


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## Kevin137

I have used the Contour Goggle mount previously, but with the helmet it is useless, with just a beanie it works reasonably well and doesn't flap in the same way though, don't know if anyone else has found that...

The helmet i have now over comes this problem by having a plate that you affix the Contour or GoPro mount to, and this affixes by way of bolts to the helmet making it very secure but not permanently fixed, is does the GoPro on top at the front and the Contour to either side...


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## Argo

Wtf kind of helmet is that?


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## snoburn

*Action camera*

Guys you must consider the Drift HD, has full colour screen, playback option, 180 degree lens, low profile, any angle mount , wireless wrist band buttons.. and 1080 Hd recording, 60+fps great for slow-mo editing.. 
The go pro is like a parachute on a golf tee compared to the drift..


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## Kevin137

Argo said:


> Wtf kind of helmet is that?


Just not a good picture...

Sweet Protection | Helmets & Protection


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## jwelsh83

I've got a Contour+ and it works for me. Love the goggle mount and have a pole mount also. Bought it last season since I planned a trip to Jackson Hole for this year and wanted to get used to using it and have something to capture my trip. I'm just not a GoPro person, wouldn't like the brick on my head and I'm not always wearing a helmet. Honestly I think they're all pretty decent as far as video quality and can be doctored up with the right video software. So, I'm not gonna be a fanboy and say this one sucks over the other...different strokes for different folks


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## backstop13

have any of you guys used your action cameras for filming non-action type events? Would you take it to the beach with fam and friends to get some shots of people goofing off in the water. I doubt you'd wanna use an action camera for filming a wedding or something like that or something indoors, due to the fact it doesn't do well in low light conditions. 

I was thinking of grabbing some sort of action cam for the winter season, but if it would be worthwhile to take it to the beach or out to the lake or just fucking off with friends and family, I'll pick one up sooner.


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## Kevin137

It is a question that YOU need to ask yourself not others, i have stuck my Contour on a pole to record over people at shows, down at the water, the kids take it in the swimming pool messing about, so the beach etc is great as well, use it on the boat on a suction mount to film it can be used for all sorts, but normally only stuff close up as the zoom function just doesn't exist...

If you would feel stupid using it but you wouldn't using a normal camcorder then you have your own answer, but any that has a waterproof case, the GoPro or the Contour are suitable for all of these including the beach as then you don't have an issue with sand etc, just rinse under the Tap...  The Contour Roam is just as suitable, as it is water resistant, but sand etc might be an issue...

As i have already said, we have lots of Contour in the house, but i am going to buy a GoPro, for specific filming, including mounting in on a DJI Phantom... For filming from the air, I have an AR Drone 2.0 which is really fun to play with, but the range is a real issue at 50m max and if it goes out of that range you are likely to lose it, the DJI Phantom has a 300m range and a return to home function so you cannot lose it...

So think about your needs, and decide from that if you can add more functionality to your needs by other uses...


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## poutanen

Yeah I think the biggest issue is the fish-eye perspective. These are wide angle lenses on the action cams and they SUCK unless you're withing probably 15 feet of the camera.

There are alternative lenses you can put in, but they cost around $100.

I used mine to do a time lapse video of a steak being pre-salted, and it came out just okay.

If you want ANY quality to the shots at all, I wouldn't bother with an action cam. However they are fun for snorkelling, maybe set it up in a sprinkler with the kids running through, etc.?!?


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit

I've always been a big fan of gopro and still love using my HD2 but this past season we got our hands on a few Ion air pro and got to say it was pretty sweet for a new action camera just entering the market. Seems to have the form factor of the contour but without the stupid recessed lense. Easy buttons to turn it on and record as well which was always a bit of a pain with the gopro.

Ion Air Pro Review - Digital Camcorders - CNET Reviews


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## Kevin137

The one that i am waiting for is the GeoNaute360... Haha

Looks like real beast and will only really mount on top of a helmet, and you will really look like a DICK...!!!

But the video will have 360 degree viewing so ALL action will be caught with the ability to choose the view from the end user perspective... Which would be real fun... Not too sure how that will work with traditional editing etc, i'm guessing it won't, not sure just how successful it will actually be...

http://www.geonaute.com/camera360/try-the-demo/


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## brownSnow

my 2 cents, no mention of the POV HD helmet cam? i have one and love it. yes it's a bit much with the cable and recording unit in your coat, however the quality of video and the ability to playback in the gondola is hard to beat.


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## SnowBasic

For anyone that has the Drift HD ghost, I would really love to hear your thoughts. I'm torn between that and the Hero3 but from a lot of the things that people said about the H3 it might not be a good choice.


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## baconzoo

I have the GP black, silver, Contour Roam, and a bunch of Drift Ghosts. I only use the Ghost.






You can do more with the Hero Black in post production, but why bother. It's so laborious and time consuming. I just want to turn a camera on and go. 

The Ghost Remote is the clutch accessory. A must have! + 3hr battery life.


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## xIceHoundx

Bringing this back, im curious to know how the drift HD ghost compares to the H3 Black in terms of FPS and resolution. Is the drift HD ghost a valid option for mounting to a pole as well?


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## baconzoo

xIceHoundx said:


> curious to know how the drift HD ghost compares to the H3 Black in terms of FPS and resolution. Is the drift HD ghost a valid option for mounting to a pole as well?


Spec wise, the Black beats all, but tell me how you honestly are going to use 4k 15FPS in your youtube video, or how often you're going to actually use slow-mo in your videos? Slow-mo is over rated and most legit vids don't use it at all.

I would use 2.7K resolution in a 1080p project and then use the warp stabilizer effect in After Effects to stabilize shaky footage. But the trick it to not shoot shaky footage at all, as planned. I use a pole with great results for smooth watchable footy. A Walmart 5' $20 monopod works great with the cam mounted to the foot. I use the remote on the handle end for easy control of start/stop.

Seen below is a walking stick


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## xIceHoundx

Now that the Gopro H3+ are on the market any new bits to add?


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## killclimbz

Hell I am still using my Drift HD and I am perfectly happy with it. I am hoping to pick up the Ghost around the first of the year. Then the video slutting opportunities are going to be twice as awesome. Drift really does make a quality product. I don't get why it hasn't caught on more. 

Really though it seems you want the GoPro. Go get one and be happy.


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## xIceHoundx

killclimbz said:


> Hell I am still using my Drift HD and I am perfectly happy with it. I am hoping to pick up the Ghost around the first of the year. Then the video slutting opportunities are going to be twice as awesome. Drift really does make a quality product. I don't get why it hasn't caught on more.
> 
> Really though it seems you want the GoPro. Go get one and be happy.


I actually went and sold the GoPro H3 Black Edition I had, hadnt used it and got turned off after hearing so many problems with bugs and of course horrible battery life. Just curious as to what people may have to say now that the H3+ black is out. Honestly im looking to place an order in for a Ghost HD Ghost here in a few days, seems like it has some good popularity here and for reasons that sound solid, such as problem other cams seem to have with packing snow in


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## poutanen

killclimbz said:


> Hell I am still using my Drift HD and I am perfectly happy with it. I am hoping to pick up the Ghost around the first of the year. Then the video slutting opportunities are going to be twice as awesome. Drift really does make a quality product. I don't get why it hasn't caught on more.


Was at a go karting event the other day, and I was shooting the shit with a guy that had a drift. He said he was lucky to get 3 races on a battery, and the races only last about 7 minutes! :dunno:


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## killclimbz

I picked up the larger battery. I don't know how long I run it for, but a couple of hours of film time is not out of the question for me. I will agree that the stock battery was not great, but I also got much longer than 7 minutes out of it.


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## xIceHoundx

Figured is drop this in here:

http://store.driftinnovation.com/drift-ghost-s


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## Argo

I have one on the way.


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## xIceHoundx

Nice. I think I'll be ordering one up here soon too


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## AZ JB

Does anyone have any experience with the Polaroid XS100? Been researching cams and this seems to be a very reasonable action cam at an even more reasonable price. The videos using it on youtube show good quality with it.

Nonetheless, thinking about picking one up before hitting up Whistler at the end of the month. Wanted to hear any comments on it from you guys though first.


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## Kevin137

Not seen anyone with the polaroid yet, but then not seen any drifts over here either, it is all go pro or contour, and to be fair, while i always swore by Contour, now that they are gone, i went and bought a go pro 3 black, but got it for $324 brand new, as for batteries, and how long they last, well i have also bought 2 aftermarket batteries for $12, i don;t care how long they last, just swap them out and if they only last a season, who cares, for that money they can go in the bin...!!!

I'm hoping contour comes back, there is hope, but not sure in what form that will be, i love my contour and the fact that it communicates with both my iPhone and my Oakley Airwaves very easily and very well, keeps me using that as my primary camera as well as the quality of the video as well...

The video seems to be so much better once you have worked your settings out, and having used them for so long, and having 2 settings switchable just by the click of a switch is fantastic, especially for changing conditions...

Now i just have to work out how to record more stable video, shaking is not helped by me being extremely unsteady on my feet... Haha


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## rider89

xIceHoundx said:


> Figured is drop this in here:
> 
> Drift Ghost-S Action Camera | [email protected], Remote, TFT Screen & Wi-Fi | Drift Innovation


$450??? Ugh...


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## linvillegorge

I picked up the H3 Black from Best Buy for $250 during their Black Friday deal. Had to have my sister in law pick it up down in FL because they sold out in CO immediately. They were gone in NC and MD where my folks and the rest of my in-laws live too. Glad she could pick it up for me, but she STILL hasn't gotten around to shipping it to me yet. :dizzy:

In her defense, she works 50+ hours a week, has a 2 month old baby, and a complete shit bag deadbeat of a husband.


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## xIceHoundx

rider89 said:


> $450??? Ugh...


400$, the same price as the H3 Black, has 1080p 60fps and 720p 120fps which is what I had wanted and kept me from buying the HD Ghost. But ive heard many say they like the drift cams over gopro for snow sports, and the benefit of having the screen built in, better battery life, and a lens that rotates i'll be scooping up the ghost-s very soon


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## killclimbz

That Ghost-s looks super nice. I am hoping to pick one up a little later those year. I just got my Spark Afterburners and it's Christmas. I need to be a little more flush with cash. I like what Drift is doing. Are they perfect? Nope, but they have more of what I like than anyone else. After being stagnant for a year or so they are really upping their design. What they need now is better distribution and marketing stateside.


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## NZRide

What file type does the Drift Ghost save to?
I find it a bit frustrating that GoPro MP4 files (I have a Hero 2) are not used by that many video editing software programs (including GoPros own Studio software they are pushing). I can see a visible difference in quality on my snowboarding movies if I convert to AVI, as per their recommendations. Of course quality is set to highest on the conversion-but I still see some slight compression artifacts on movement, eg head panning from snow to sky, and also in addition to this, it slightly dulls the picture, like it reduces the sharpness and contrast slightly?
It's not just my eye either, as I can ask the wife to compare two video clips without telling her the difference and she will pick the original MP4 as the best every time.
I have been using Magix Video edit, which allows native mp4 import and editing and saving in the original resolution and frame rate to mp4, which not a lot of programs allow.
Anway, sorry getting a bit off topic, but I hadn't paid attention to the Drift previously, but looking at some youtube comparo's picture looks very good!
Anyone got anything bad to say about these from hands on experience. Seems the battery comment is the only thing but this seems easily solved with the upgrade battery.
I wasn't going to "upgrade" to the Hero3+ yet as it has a few things I don't like, picture seems darker and duller to me (I know they talk a lot about post editing the colours, but I don't really want to waste my time doing that). The footage I grab off the Hero 2 now looks great, from what I have seen on you tube actually looks better to me than the Hero 3 Black? (Brighter, better colours). Some will surely disagree and I do find it odd, but just what i have seen to date.

Really only reason for me to upgrade, I would just like to get the 1080 x 50/60 fps as 1080/25/30 is a little jerky, have been using the 720/50/60 to get the best , smoothest results at the moment on the Hero 2.
I like the motion steady on the Sony cam but the picture is crappy, over saturated blue sky and greenery makes things look very cartoonish (even snow is not white on their cams, which is kind of fundamental for my usage).

Its a shame one of the big guys cannot make the perfect cam now (Drift Ghost picture, with Sony image stabilisation, go pro tech eg. high frame rate and up to 4k res also with the Go pro versatile mounting options.....oh and GPS). Is it worth sitting out this gen?

Sorry huge post :dizzy:


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## david_z

NZRide said:


> What file type does the Drift Ghost save to?
> I find it a bit frustrating that GoPro MP4 files (I have a Hero 2) are not used by that many video editing software programs (including GoPros own Studio software they are pushing). I can see a visible difference in quality on my snowboarding movies if I convert to AVI, as per their recommendations. Of course quality is set to highest on the conversion-but I still see some slight compression artifacts on movement, eg head panning from snow to sky, and also in addition to this, it slightly dulls the picture, like it reduces the sharpness and contrast slightly?


Do you use the Cineform software to convert from MP4 to AVI? In my limited, non-videophile experience, this makes the footage much better.
[/QUOTE]


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## jfergus7

This year I will be running two Epiccams. One on my board and one on my helmet. Both are the Instant-On cameras so one remote will activate both cameras. And the HD videos turn out great!


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## poutanen

NZRide said:


> Its a shame one of the big guys cannot make the perfect cam now (Drift Ghost picture, with Sony image stabilisation, go pro tech eg. high frame rate and up to 4k res also with the Go pro versatile mounting options.....oh and GPS). Is it worth sitting out this gen?


Until they start using sensors larger than 1/6th" or so, I'll be sticking with my old Contour Roam (flashed with Roam 2 FW). 720p60 is fine on it... Battery life is good.

There's certainly room in the action cams for a larger sensor. At least something better than cell phone cam standards!


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## ShredLife

poutanen said:


> Until they start using sensors larger than 1/6th" or so, I'll be sticking with my old Contour Roam (flashed with Roam 2 FW). 720p60 is fine on it... Battery life is good.
> 
> There's certainly room in the action cams for a larger sensor. At least something better than cell phone cam standards!


imo if sony took this class of camera seriously they'd have a product that destroys gopro plus any and all comers from other brands. they have been pushing the bigger sensors in smaller and smaller cameras more than any other company by far. look at the rx100, the nex7, rx1, and new a7 (ff mirrorless!)

they'd need to hire a completely new (and not japanese) marketing team, but if they tried to crush gopro they could do it easily.


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## killclimbz

Mine are mov files for my Drift


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## linvillegorge

ShredLife said:


> imo if sony took this class of camera seriously they'd have a product that destroys gopro plus any and all comers from other brands. they have been pushing the bigger sensors in smaller and smaller cameras more than any other company by far. look at the rx100, the nex7, rx1, and new a7 (ff mirrorless!)
> 
> they'd need to hire a completely new (and not japanese) marketing team, but if they tried to crush gopro they could do it easily.


I completely agree.


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## miplatt88

I just picked up a Sony hdr as15 for 160. Any helpful tips or tricks on the best ways to use it? What is the best mount to use with it when I'm snowboarding?


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## NZRide

david_z said:


> Do you use the Cineform software to convert from MP4 to AVI? In my limited, non-videophile experience, this makes the footage much better.


[/QUOTE]

Yes the Cineform software, they have turned into "Studio" now as it offers some very basic movie making capability.
But yeah thats what I have experimented with and this was what I was noticing the slight degrade in picture quality with. I mean it still looks good, but I would suggest you do a conversion and look closely at the AVI and play it back to back with your original mp4 file. There is definitely a little less pop in the converted image. eg on a snowboarding clip the coloured clothing of fellow riders close by will be slightly less and a touch less detail and shadow detail pickup, and like I mentioned on fast pans, check single colour areas (sky works well for this , assuming its blue  and you will see some slight artifacting/pixilation blur on the converted file.

Like I say, you do have to look pretty closely, and straight back to back to know, on its own you would say the AVI looks pretty darned good. But I can definitely produce a better quality video by not making an AVI conversion, even with the official GoPro software and their codec.

I still find it amusing that some of the people that have uploaded action cam comparisons, are using crappy video editing software and leaving heavily artifacted outputs to compare. Footage that has no real meaning other than comparing one poorly compressed file with another poorly compressed file, that gives you no idea of the actual camera output quality...which was the entire reason for their making a video in the first place.


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## NZRide

ShredLife said:


> imo if sony took this class of camera seriously they'd have a product that destroys gopro plus any and all comers from other brands. they have been pushing the bigger sensors in smaller and smaller cameras more than any other company by far. look at the rx100, the nex7, rx1, and new a7 (ff mirrorless!)
> 
> they'd need to hire a completely new (and not japanese) marketing team, but if they tried to crush gopro they could do it easily.


Yeah I completely agree too. Sony could definitely kill it, their horrible image sensor and poor mounting options, standing in their way at the moment.


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## poutanen

ShredLife said:


> they'd need to hire a completely new (and not japanese) marketing team, but if they tried to crush gopro they could do it easily.


I hate to sound like a fanboy (in this case Nokia), but they have been putting LARGE sensors in cell phones now for just over a year. The 808 has a 1/1.2" sensor in it which is not much smaller than the Sony RX100.

Shit even the Nokia N8 from 2010 has a 1/1.8" sensor in it. That's almost 10 times the size of the sensors in these action cams!

I think Nokiasoft should get into the action cam business... :yahoo:


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## linvillegorge

Doesn't Sony make the GoPro sensors? Pretty sure they do. Not sure what those contracts look like, but Sony may be content to just sell GoPro a shit ton of sensors and let them handle all the marketing and bullshit of the action cam industry. They're obviously starting to get their interest piqued though. I think we're still a couple of generations away from significant upgrades in this market though. GoPro is just too dominant right now. There's no real competition to speak of. Somebody is gonna have to step up with something that just blows them out of the water for things to get interesting.

I think the market will look a lot different in about 3 years or so and I'll rock my H3 Black until then.


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## NZRide

poutanen said:


> I hate to sound like a fanboy (in this case Nokia), but they have been putting LARGE sensors in cell phones now for just over a year. The 808 has a 1/1.2" sensor in it which is not much smaller than the Sony RX100.
> 
> Shit even the Nokia N8 from 2010 has a 1/1.8" sensor in it. That's almost 10 times the size of the sensors in these action cams!
> 
> I think Nokiasoft should get into the action cam business... :yahoo:


I see the new Garmin VIRB has the same size image sensor as the Hero black 1/2.3"
It does have digital stabilization in it. Anyone tried the new Garmin option out on the slopes?


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## ShredLife

poutanen said:


> I hate to sound like a fanboy (in this case Nokia), but they have been putting LARGE sensors in cell phones now for just over a year. The 808 has a 1/1.2" sensor in it which is not much smaller than the Sony RX100.
> 
> Shit even the Nokia N8 from 2010 has a 1/1.8" sensor in it. That's almost 10 times the size of the sensors in these action cams!
> 
> I think Nokiasoft should get into the action cam business... :yahoo:


except sony has the zeiss inhouse lens development badge


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## ShredLife

linvillegorge said:


> Doesn't Sony make the GoPro sensors? Pretty sure they do. Not sure what those contracts look like, but Sony may be content to just sell GoPro a shit ton of sensors and let them handle all the marketing and bullshit of the action cam industry. They're obviously starting to get their interest piqued though. I think we're still a couple of generations away from significant upgrades in this market though. GoPro is just too dominant right now. There's no real competition to speak of. Somebody is gonna have to step up with something that just blows them out of the water for things to get interesting.
> 
> I think the market will look a lot different in about 3 years or so and I'll rock my H3 Black until then.


sony makes sensors for like 80-90% of the entire imaging market i'm pretty sure.


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## david_z

miplatt88 said:


> I just picked up a Sony hdr as15 for 160. Any helpful tips or tricks on the best ways to use it? What is the best mount to use with it when I'm snowboarding?


Sweet camera that takes some pretty respectable footage and has some great features like the "always on" and built-in wifi... but the mounting options supersuck. Unless they added something, or changed it this year, the goggle-strap mount is enormous and cumbersome, which would be bad enough except that it doesn't swivel/rotate, which means the camera is always pointed in some direction you don't want it pointed in. Because the camera + case is relatively heavy, it also tends to flop all over the place in rough terrain, which is not cool.

Otherwise, it should attach to any pole mount with a screw/nut just like the other cams on the market. I've used it mostly just as a small handheld for follow-cam footage in the park.


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## sn000boarder

old thread i know.. but how has anyone who has a sony action camera mounted it to their helmet, I have a contourRoam2 and mounted it on top of my helmet, but just wanted to know what the options are for the sony camera (pics would be great).


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## david_z

sn000boarder said:


> old thread i know.. but how has anyone who has a sony action camera mounted it to their helmet, I have a contourRoam2 and mounted it on top of my helmet, but just wanted to know what the options are for the sony camera (pics would be great).


I never mounted to the helmet, only the goggle strap. The problem with the Sony, if you want to mount it to the helmet, is that the lens doesn't rotate like the Contour. With the Contour, you can top mount the camera and rotate the lens 90 degrees for a low-profile mount. With the Sony, you'd have to mount it upright (either on top, or on the side of the helmet with an attachment).


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## tokyo_dom

The new Sony Mini might be good then, its TINY, like half the height of the previous model. So could be mounted on the top
Or just get any L bracket (I seem to recall having a bunch left over from Ikea builds), a short 1/4-20 bolt for the tripod mount and just double-sided tape that to your helmet


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## midnightcaper

Drift has a new mini also. I use a drift hd ghost it's pretty sweet the video tagging works well. I also have a contour +2 which I use on my jet ski.


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## sn000boarder

I've ended up getting a contour+2, still would have been nice for a contour shaped cam with sony specs.


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## StimulisRK

I use a SJCAM SJ4000. 
SJCAM SJ4000 Full HD 1080P Waterproof Action Camera Sport DVR - SJCAM

Comparable to GoPro3


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## poutanen

StimulisRK said:


> I use a SJCAM SJ4000.


Again what's with the deck of cards form factor? That's grotesque!


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## Kevin137

3.5 hours to charge...? You can keep that go pro wannabe piece of junk...!


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## tokyo_dom

There are actually video reviews that put this SJCAM right up there in terms of quality. Plus since its a gopro ripoff, all of the accessories (cases etc) fit too. In fact they are good enough for there to be *fake* sjcams - yes, a ripoff, of a ripoff.

As far as charging is concerned, i guess it wouldnt matter if its 1hr or 3.5 hours; you do that at night before you head out. Take a couple of spare batteries and swap as needed


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## StimulisRK

Kevin137 said:


> 3.5 hours to charge...? You can keep that go pro wannabe piece of junk...!


Charge time doesn't really matter to me as long as it's charged... So far the battery life has been fine, and as another poster mentioned, there are companies making knock-off's of SJcams. You can watch the video comparisons on YouTube. It's no GoPro 4, but for $72 I'll take it.


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