Do You Ride With a Cam?

[BKP]

I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled. I've had it 100ft. deep in the Florida Keys, suctioned to my tank, and now I use a RAM mount for it on the handlebars. I have the original, not the Hero 2, so, no external mike, and I'm not fond of its aerodynamics hanging off my helmet... so it stays on the handlebar.

However, I just got in the Drift HD, as well. External mike, aerodynamic, rotating lens, remote control (wraps around your wrist), LCD based menu. However, the vid quality is a bit short of the GoPro Hero.

 

[Anthony]

Just used my Go Pro for the first time this past weekend..


This was just a test...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyNofkurM5o]FZ6R Motorcycle On A Group Ride & Go Pro Test - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Wooster]

I'll probably never get one but I do wish I had one hooked up today on my way to work. Some contractor in a truck was pulling out of a construction site near my job and pulled out right in front of me. I was watching him the entire way and I just knew he was going to do it. Of course he didn't even look and was on his cell phone the entire time. I got hard on the brakes and proceeded to give him hell. The video of me cussing and flipping him off would have been priceless.

 

[Spunky99]

I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled. I've had it 100ft. deep in the Florida Keys, suctioned to my tank, and now I use a RAM mount for it on the handlebars. I have the original, not the Hero 2, so, no external mike, and I'm not fond of its aerodynamics hanging off my helmet... so it stays on the handlebar.

However, I just got in the Drift HD, as well. External mike, aerodynamic, rotating lens, remote control (wraps around your wrist), LCD based menu. However, the vid quality is a bit short of the GoPro Hero.

"I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled."
The video specifications are exactly the same as the Contour except for the field of view being slightly different. Kinda like saying a red Porsche 914 is much better than a blue Porsche 914. I don't think you have looked at the Contour mounts lately either.

 

[Nastybutler]

"I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled."
The video specifications are exactly the same as the Contour except for the field of view being slightly different. Kinda like saying a red Porsche 914 is much better than a blue Porsche 914. I don't think you have looked at the Contour mounts lately either.

He didn't compare it to the Contour; he compared it to the GoPro.

 

[BKP]

"I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled."
The video specifications are exactly the same as the Contour except for the field of view being slightly different. Kinda like saying a red Porsche 914 is much better than a blue Porsche 914. I don't think you have looked at the Contour mounts lately either.

Even comparing it to the Contour, regardless of identical video specifications, color, clarity, saturation, etc. differ. Not quite the red/blue Porsche comparison:

Comparison Drift HD170 vs Contour HD vs GoPro HD | Action Cameras South Africa - YouTube

 

[Spunky99]

Even comparing it to the Contour, regardless of identical video specifications, color, clarity, saturation, etc. differ. Not quite the red/blue Porsche comparison:

Comparison Drift HD170 vs Contour HD vs GoPro HD | Action Cameras South Africa - YouTube

BKP
Semantics ........ The video resolutions are the same ie 1080P and 720P.....in both 30 and 60 fps. unparalleled means superior quality in every aspect, NOT just different in "color, clarity, saturation, etc. differ."..that was the red and blue Porsche 914 comparison I made....neither are superior in those areas, just different. Reviews either favor one or the other in different video applications and processes.
That comparison video only has 720 @ 30 fps...what about 60 fps or 1080?
Did you notice how horribly the GoPro was oversaturated in color in every frame? That is impossible to clear up in any of the 5 video applications I use. I can change the Contour color to be more or less but the GoPro is so yellow and oversaturated it is really hard to change it. Did you notice all the halos and glare in the night shots of the GoPro? Can't even try to fix that!.....

I've had both and used them for racing the NSR50R. I borrowed the GoPro as a racer's bike died and he wanted video so we suction cupped the GoPro to my windscreen. Other than the GoPro's oversaturated color, they both were fine and worked flawlessly. We taped over the GoPro buttons to keep them from rattling and put tape over the Contour mic to keep the wind noise down...LOL..GoPro wins on audio.....
Mount the GoPro to the top of your helmet and use an onramp as a drag strip to 100+ mph and then shut down before you get a ticket. Then try it with a Contour mounted to the side. I can drive for a couple of hours with a Contour on my helmet on the freeway but after 10 minutes at freeway speeds the GoPro is a pain in the neck....No wonder most GoPros are suction cup mounted to the bike. Only a helmet mount gives you a true POV....

Check out this video of a 1080 comparison. The GoPro is soo oversaturated and glary it is hard to see the detail on the ground and the grass. By comparison, the Contour looks washed out but that's only because it is up/down or side/side with the extremely oversaturated color of the GoPro.
http://youtu.be/IpvQwSAv2Po

Here is another of the 720 vids with your guy who only says these are "out of the box settings" but doesn't say what they are and only shows a bright sunlight hockey game. And he argues that he knows better than a professional cameraman on the oversaturated GoPro color...He obviously doesn't make a living shooting video...
http://youtu.be/wAQ10RamNOg

Here is an underwater shoot..GoPro on the left....look at the detail and clarity of the Contour on the right.
http://youtu.be/4m7T0An6meY

Here is one where the oversaturation looks better on the GoPro but it blurrs the image. Look at the video at the 50 second mark and watch the shirt get a lot clearer on the Contour as he walks to the left side of the screen. Most people will find the brighter colors pleasing to the eye but it ruins the clarity of the picture.
http://youtu.be/vXdI46EQQBo

 

[BKP]

BKP
...
That comparison video only has 720 @ 30 fps...what about 60 fps or 1080?
Did you notice how horribly the GoPro was oversaturated in color in every frame? That is impossible to clear up in any of the 5 video applications I use. I can change the Contour color to be more or less but the GoPro is so yellow and oversaturated it is really hard to change it. Did you notice all the halos and glare in the night shots of the GoPro? Can't even try to fix that!.....

I agree completely about the night shots. The GoPro halos terribly. However, while I can't speak to the Contour, when running at 1080 on both the GoPro and the Drift, the Drift tends to change saturation and color based on ambient light. So, if you go in and out of shadows (i.e. down a street with a tight canopy of trees on a sunny day), the saturation changes on the Drift. Nothing terrible, but noticeable. Even though it has the same resolution and specs as the GoPro, the GoPro seems more consistent in that respect.

I've had both and used them for racing the NSR50R. I borrowed the GoPro as a racer's bike died and he wanted video so we suction cupped the GoPro to my windscreen. Other than the GoPro's oversaturated color, they both were fine and worked flawlessly. We taped over the GoPro buttons to keep them from rattling and put tape over the Contour mic to keep the wind noise down...LOL..GoPro wins on audio.....

Yeah. Tough to beat the housing on the GoPro if you want to shut out noise. The Drift does have a mike sensitivity adjustment, however, I've found even at the lowest level the wind noise is still overwhelming. The only way around it (which I do use) is plug an external mike into it, and take the mike out of the wind stream (stick it in your helmet).

Mount the GoPro to the top of your helmet and use an onramp as a drag strip to 100+ mph and then shut down before you get a ticket. Then try it with a Contour mounted to the side. I can drive for a couple of hours with a Contour on my helmet on the freeway but after 10 minutes at freeway speeds the GoPro is a pain in the neck....No wonder most GoPros are suction cup mounted to the bike. Only a helmet mount gives you a true POV....

Absolutely. The very reason I bought the Drift... for helmet mount. The GoPro on the lid is like hanging a brick off your head, and the aerodynamics are for hunger. My configuration is now the GoPro on a RAM mount on the handlebar, and the Drift on the top of the helmet. Works great. And, I often run them both.

Check out this video of a 1080 comparison. The GoPro is soo oversaturated and glary it is hard to see the detail on the ground and the grass. By comparison, the Contour looks washed out but that's only because it is up/down or side/side with the extremely oversaturated color of the GoPro.
GoPro HD vs Contour HD 1080p test - YouTube

Here is another of the 720 vids with your guy who only says these are "out of the box settings" but doesn't say what they are and only shows a bright sunlight hockey game. And he argues that he knows better than a professional cameraman on the oversaturated GoPro color...He obviously doesn't make a living shooting video...
GoPro HD Hero vs Contour 1080p HD Split-Screen - Hockey Version - YouTube

Here is an underwater shoot..GoPro on the left....look at the detail and clarity of the Contour on the right.
Contour Vs GoPro Underwater - YouTube

Here is one where the oversaturation looks better on the GoPro but it blurrs the image. Look at the video at the 50 second mark and watch the shirt get a lot clearer on the Contour as he walks to the left side of the screen. Most people will find the brighter colors pleasing to the eye but it ruins the clarity of the picture.
Contour+ and GoPro HERO side by side - YouTube

Thanks for the vids. You've obviously done much more testing/research than I have. Comparing the videos from the GoPro and the Drift, the GoPro always appears more robust, more saturated, as you mentioned. I haven't perceived it as "over-saturated" however you're right, in that adding is much easier than taking away in video editing. I'm already finding that to be the case with the Drift using Corel VideoStudio. However, I still believe for those that aren't going to do any editing, "out of the box" videos are going to appear "better" (in sunlight, partial sunlight, or overcast weather) with the GoPro, perhaps directly due to the saturation. Underwater, I'll only be using the GoPro. First of all I have a dozen mounts, from head straps, to special grips, and I simply trust it. I've had it pretty deep, with absolutely no issues and flawless operation, and some of these dives are too expensive to experiment with unknowns, and perhaps lose the footage.

By the way, what is your opinion of the Drift? If you use the video I linked above as a basic comparison, the Drift is the least saturated, which would apparently make it the most editable.

You make a few great points. I believe all the cams would seem acceptable to all but the most discerning videographer. At that point it comes down to convenience (at least for many of us here). And, that means configuration, mountability (availability of mounts -- which if you have a standard 1/4" threaded camera mounting hole, you can pretty much mix and match mounts). I know the Drift and GoPro do (housing attachment on the GoPro, built-in on the Drift), but, don't know about the Contour. Can you stream in HDMI (I think only the higher end Contours and Drift can do that -- I realize there are other ways to transport video, but it's a convenience). Additionally, the ContourRoam has a built in battery, so, if you're on a long ride, you can't swap, you have to charge (I guess that's where a Powerlet comes in handy). For me, that's a biggie. On long rides, I usually reserve the outlet for my GPS and/or phone.

Anyway, I imagine it's different strokes.... I'd recommend anyone that wants a cam to examine not just the video output, as all are very acceptable IMHO, but the feature set as well. All three do *excellent* video, and I can't imagine being unhappy with the results, unless, of course, you're submitting for a final grade in an advanced video course...

 

[HotSauce]

I usually only ride with my Contour+ when I go on long rides....I have 4 batteries and a 32 gig card, so there really isn't an excuse for me to not ride with it all the time. My first inclination was to ask you to add a fourth option, but reading some of the stories, I'll plan on "remembering it all the time" aside from the cool videos from long rides, you truely never know when you'll really need it. As bad as some stories are, I love to hear about them and learn from everyone's experiences; after all I'm still a fairly new rider myself.

 

[ngengs]

"I think the GoPro, video quality and mount-wise, is unparalleled."
The video specifications are exactly the same as the Contour except for the field of view being slightly different. Kinda like saying a red Porsche 914 is much better than a blue Porsche 914. I don't think you have looked at the Contour mounts lately either.

I, too have the Drift HD170, previous model to yours and decided recently to use it when riding to and fro work since it's just gathering dust at home. The first day I had it on my helmet, some A-hole was tailgating me, then purposely tried to run me off RT 208. I got the bastard's plates on video, and was thinking of going to the cops, but what are they going to do? most likely nothing, tell me forget about it, and be thankful I did not get hurt. So I am just keeping it for my own.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XcVOIj-xWk"]GET THIS GUY OFF THE ROAD TRIED TO RUN ME OFF ON NJ 208 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[buzzbomb]

Yep, I ride with a cam. I bought it just to record my Dragon ride. I quickly realized the value of video in a court case, and it just became part of my ATGATT.

The GoPro eats batteries. I bought a spare for that Dragon run. Still I sometimes find myself in town with a dead battery, since I don't keep the spare on me all the time. It feels like riding home naked.