# GoPro Hero 2 VS Contour Plus



## Nrth16 (Mar 9, 2012)

Hey Everyone.

I have the opportunity to buy a contour plus really cheap brand new. I was in the market in buying a camera and was going to go with the gopro hero 2 but wanted to get some opinions before I purchased anything. If you could buy either for the same low price lets say as an example $100 which would you buy.

I like the gopro hero 2 for its clarity and accessories however I do not like the shape. 

I like the contour for its shape but the clarity doesnt seem to be there.

Can anyone with experience with both help me out before I commit to buying?

Thanks so much!


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## Raines (May 1, 2011)

Nrth16 said:


> Hey Everyone.
> 
> I have the opportunity to buy a contour plus really cheap brand new. I was in the market in buying a camera and was going to go with the gopro hero 2 but wanted to get some opinions before I purchased anything. If you could buy either for the same low price lets say as an example $100 which would you buy.
> 
> ...


for 100? buy both!!


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## Nrth16 (Mar 9, 2012)

Raines said:


> for 100? buy both!!


I wish I could I was just using 100 as an example of an even amount. Does anyone have any insight?


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## LoNeWoLF020 (Mar 8, 2012)

It really just comes down to your personal preference.

If you want something more subtle while sacrificing a bit of video quality, go with the contour. Some people don't like how protruding the gopro is.

Personally I'd go with the better image quality of the go pro, but I don't really care how it looks mounted on my helmet. 

So it's up to you!


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## DanX (Oct 19, 2011)

The comparison vids on YouTube were enough to convince me that the GoPro was the way to go.


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## Nrth16 (Mar 9, 2012)

Thanks everyone! I figured the picture quality was better on the gopro hero 2 but wasn't for sure. Does anyone know of a good way to to mount the go pro for snowboarding. The chest strap isnt going to work the best as well not a big fan of the helmet idea either.

Any kind of knee strap??? Something for different angles?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I for my son and I drift HD cameras and am happy with my purchase. $189 rach


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## jello24 (Apr 10, 2010)

I have a Contour and mainly got it for the lone fact that it looks better than a GoPro when mounted to a helmet. The GoPro is a GREAT product wrapped in a mediocre package.

Since most of my videos end up getting edited to high heaven anyway, clarity almost becomes a non-factor. You're shooting for yourself, not for IMAX.

Besides, the quality of the riding and editing will almost undoubtedly make everyone forget that the white balance is off or there's jitters in the video or things like that. Cameras won't matter if your footage has knee-deep pow and some nice glades.

Buy what you can afford, since they're both good buys anyway.


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## Lcdel (Feb 25, 2012)

the GoPro has tons of mounts..wrist, helmet, goggles, on-the-board, etc. you can also angle it different directions, like you can put it on your helmet and angle it anywhere from facing front to facing your feet. pretty awesome :thumbsup: helmet mount is also mostly what i've seen snowboarders wearing on the mountain
edit: if you don't like the helmet or chest mounts i'd go with wrist or goggles


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Drift HD. I have an HD170 Stealth, love the quality and small form factor. Plus it's rugged as hell. I thought the Drift HD had the best color reproduction of the three.

I think the HD Hero/Hero2 color reproduction overcompensates a bit but the Contour definitely loses points for clarity. Clarity cannot be regained as easily as color filters can be added so the Hero/Hero2 definitely wins on quality. The Hero2 has a regular 3.5mm audio jack for external mics. I'd go Hero2 between the two but overall grab the Drift, either the HD170 Stealth or Drift HD Action.


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## Nrth16 (Mar 9, 2012)

Do the drift cameras operate on AA batteries? I have not looked very close at them.


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## Lcdel (Feb 25, 2012)

jello24 said:


> I have a Contour and mainly got it for the lone fact that it looks better than a GoPro when mounted to a helmet


 guess it's a question of whether you want you or your vids to look better


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

No, the operate on a proprietary LiB. The extended battery gets over 6 hours in temps as low as 0F.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

Picture quality is equal between the two with any half decent editing program. I have the contour, it's dope. Stack footage all day, view it when you get home, color correct the stuff you want to edit.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Not sure about the Contour + but the roam is waterproof to 1m without the fishbowl case you have to use with the gopro. Plus I'm just not down with the teletubby look.

I got my roam a week ago will get some vids up soon. I'm learning that there's more to it than it looks, mount stability is critical, and a lot of POV stuff is just plain boring (even when I'm doing 80 km/h and passing everybody in sight). I'm trying a few different mounting locations that I haven't seen on videos yet and we'll see how they turn out. For me it's something I think I'll have fun with this year, and use it kayaking a bit this summer, then probably sell it.


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## jello24 (Apr 10, 2010)

Lcdel said:


> guess it's a question of whether you want you or your vids to look better


Yeah, basically. Although I don't know any girls that would give a Youtube video their phone number.

That being said, you can look good all you want, but if you can't back up your style with some good riding then it's pretty much a moot point then.


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## The111 (Jan 12, 2011)

Extremo said:


> Picture quality is equal between the two with any half decent editing program.


Photography does not work that way. Quality originates at the lens and sensor.

It may be a true statement that both cameras have sufficient quality for the user's needs, but it is not true that post-processing makes all cameras equal.

I have the GoPro 1 and 2, and while the 2 has much better low light quality, it eats batteries quite a bit faster, which you WILL notice on the mountain. A simple test I did shows that just powered on in standby, the GoPro1 drains a battery in 3h50m, while the GoPro2 only lasts 2h50m (I used the same battery in each test, and both cameras ship with the same battery). Obviously both of those numbers shrink a lot if you are recording. For most of the day (i.e. not right at sunset), unless you are riding deep in trees, the GoPro1 is probably good enough on its quality related to the lighting... and it is also a LOT cheaper right now. After our last time on the mountain with the GoPro2 dying on us way too soon, we decided to use it only for SCUBA from now on, and use the GoPro1 for snowboarding.


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## Raines (May 1, 2011)

The111 said:


> Photography does not work that way. Quality originates at the lens and sensor.
> 
> It may be a true statement that both cameras have sufficient quality for the user's needs, but it is not true that post-processing makes all cameras equal.
> 
> I have the GoPro 1 and 2, and while the 2 has much better low light quality, it eats batteries quite a bit faster, which you WILL notice on the mountain. A simple test I did shows that just powered on in standby, the GoPro1 drains a battery in 3h50m, while the GoPro2 only lasts 2h50m (I used the same battery in each test, and both cameras ship with the same battery). Obviously both of those numbers shrink a lot if you are recording. For most of the day (i.e. not right at sunset), unless you are riding deep in trees, the GoPro1 is probably good enough on its quality related to the lighting... and it is also a LOT cheaper right now. After our last time on the mountain with the GoPro2 dying on us way too soon, we decided to use it only for SCUBA from now on, and use the GoPro1 for snowboarding.


Interesting to know... never read that before but is an important aspect


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

The111 said:


> I have the GoPro 1 and 2, and while the 2 has much better low light quality, it eats batteries quite a bit faster, which you WILL notice on the mountain. A simple test I did shows that just powered on in standby, the GoPro1 drains a battery in 3h50m, while the GoPro2 only lasts 2h50m (I used the same battery in each test, and both cameras ship with the same battery). Obviously both of those numbers shrink a lot if you are recording. For most of the day (i.e. not right at sunset), unless you are riding deep in trees, the GoPro1 is probably good enough on its quality related to the lighting... and it is also a LOT cheaper right now. After our last time on the mountain with the GoPro2 dying on us way too soon, we decided to use it only for SCUBA from now on, and use the GoPro1 for snowboarding.


Again I can't speak for the Contour +, but I had the Roam out last saturday for about 2 hours. Since it's never in standby mode (just slide it on and it turns on and starts recording all in one) it only drains the battery when you're recording. I took 19 videos each about 5 mins long and when I got home the battery was about 50% when I plugged it into the comp. This was recording in the "tall HD mode" 1280x960 @ 30 fps. It can record in 1080p but it's upscaling to get that, and I wanted a good portion of the nose of the board in my shots for some perspective.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

The111 said:


> Photography does not work that way. Quality originates at the lens and sensor.
> 
> It may be a true statement that both cameras have sufficient quality for the user's needs, but it is not true that post-processing makes all cameras equal.


This is true. This is like the "enhance" functions you see people use on TV and the movies. There are interpolation algorithms that can enhance picture quality but they also are prone to interpolation error. The best media can look (or sound) is limited by its original source and any "bottle necks" in the processing history.


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## RJRJRJ (Feb 12, 2012)

Car & Driver did a review of the major cameras (gopro, contour, and I dont remember the other two), and they said that the gopro was the best.


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## Ttam (Jan 20, 2010)

Gopro hands down


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## rdot84 (Jan 28, 2009)

The Contour is actually a better camera. Side by side the stats are identical. I would say the edge goes to the contour because you dont get the fish eye look and the lens rotates to accommodate different angles. 

That being said the gopro takes better footage right out of the box without adjusting any settings because of better saturation and white balance. That doesnt make the contour bad. The contour gps and plus can use an iphone/android app that allows you to adjust all the settings on the fly and also acts as a viewfinder. 

Better looks, no fish eye footage, and the phone app = win


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

GP2!! I'm biased, but i love it.


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